Canadians: Is Your Gov't Healthcare Working for You?

[decoski]

I ask this because I have heard conflicting reports on whether it is good or not. Those who say it isn't, report that there are long waits to get critical treatment such as MRI's. I need the truth as the USA may be faced with a gov't system with Obama as President and the Democrats in Congress now.

[Gideon Brown]

Americans often ask this, but what many fail to realize is that even if the US enacts a 'government system', it will differ markedly from the Canadian model in important respects, making any comparison somewhat unreliable.

For example - and I'm asking because I don't know for sure - isn't the latest proposal that Americans will be required to buy health insurance, or something like that? That'd be very different from the Canadian system.

[Cyrus Johnson]

I ask this because I have heard conflicting reports on whether it is good or not. Those who say it isn't, report that there are long waits to get critical treatment such as MRI's. I need the truth as the USA may be faced with a gov't system with Obama as President and the Democrats in Congress now.

This is actually a very complicated question since there are many variables at play, wait times among them. I think if you asked most Canadians if they would trade their health care system for yours, the answer would be strongly 'No'. If you need a critical MRI. you will get it quickly...the problem is more if you get routine MRIs, then you might get pushed back some. Some surguries like knee scopes or other chronic orthopedic issues can also take a while.

But as TuckEverlasting points out, if you do get a more universal system (and I believe you are the only western country without one), it's unlikely to be just like ours, which is not perfect by any means.

My own experience is that it works fine for me. But I'm not a regular user by any means and my experiences might not be typical.

[decoski]

This is actually a very complicated question since there are many variables at play, wait times among them. I think if you asked most Canadians if they would trade their health care system for yours, the answer would be strongly 'No'. If you need a critical MRI. you will get it quickly...the problem is more if you get routine MRIs, then you might get pushed back some. Some surguries like knee scopes or other chronic orthopedic issues can also take a while.

But as TuckEverlasting points out, if you do get a more universal system (and I believe you are the only western country without one), it's unlikely to be just like ours, which is not perfect by any means.

My own experience is that it works fine for me. But I'm not a regular user by any means and my experiences might not be typical.

What percentage of your gross income goes towards taxes for the gov't healthcare? If this thing goes into effect here, I'm wondering if my employer will drop our health coverage because we can now get it for "free." However, if I'm taxed at a higher rate than what is taken out for my health insurance, then me - and a lot of health covered Americans - will not be happy.

[Cyrus Johnson]

What percentage of your gross income goes towards taxes for the gov't healthcare? If this thing goes into effect here, I'm wondering if my employer will drop our health coverage because we can now get it for "free." However, if I'm taxed at a higher rate than what is taken out for my health insurance, then me - and a lot of health covered Americans - will not be happy.

The statistics I've seen show that Americans on average spend about 50% more of GDP for their health care. Personally this system is costing me somewhere in the range of $100 per month. But like I say, I'm lucky enough not to be much of a user, no chronic illnessess, no medications. Keep in mind too that America already has some socialized forms of health-care...Medicare, Medicade, and the VA. The difference is that none of these systems are universal for all Americans. The American system of health care is first rate...if you can afford it. There's the rub. Far too many can't. Now our model is a single tiered system (theoretically) where everyone gets the same access rich or poor. You might for instance instead develop a 2-tier model where those who can't afford it get one sytem of government health, and those who can get a private system which is better but more expensive.

[Darth Executor]

My experience mostly sucks. For less severe stuff I have to wait a few hours. For more severe stuff... I still have to wait way too much. The ER is packed unless you have the good sense to get a serious health problem really early in the morning (4-5ish works best) when the overwhelming majority of the city is sleeping. I did find a very good "hidden" walk-in clinic recently with very short waiting times (10, 20 minutes tops, beats waiting 2-3 hours), so I'm not as annoyed as I used to be.

[mossrose]

I have been waiting since August just to get an appointment with a specialist. Who knows how long I will have to wait between the time I get the appointment and the actual appointment date.

[geochron]

Not Canada, and anecdotal, but,.,

My significant other has several serious conditions, and moved to the UK from the USA a few years ago.

She loves our GP service, even though....
The GP refused one treatment that her US GP suggested on the grounds that there was no evidence it worked.

All the medication she needs is free (because of one of her illnesses).
She finds the appointment system for specialists is inferior, partly because of what happens when you miss an appointment (takes quite a while to reschedule).

Our dentist does work that is as good as her US dentist but costs about 20% of the US cost, the difference being that his bedside manner is vastly inferior and his premises are much smaller. She doesn't like it.

She likes the security of knowing that there will be no change in her treatment whatsoever if I lose my job.

Most of the differences could be made up if we bought private health insurance or my employer provided it, or just paid up front to go to a private dentist, say.

I guess I'd sum up the difference she sees this way. The UK state system is less convenient in that you have to set an appointment and keep it - non medical "customer service" is inferior. There is nothing to choose in the standard of treatment. And of course you can always buy private coverage whereupon you will get the plush offices and more flexible appointments.

As a community, our per capita spend on health care is about half that of the US, and our life expectancy is higher. Some illnesses we do worse than the US with, some better.

[Pilgrim]

I have to set an appointment and keep it in the US too? I don't get the difference. And if I miss the appointment here I still have to pay for it. And if I miss an appointment for say my endocrinologist it could be 2 months or more before it can be rescheduled.

[themuzicman]

The US Health care system is beset by government interference in its market aspect, which has driven health care costs very high. If we'd get the government to stop messing with health insurance, our health care costs would be just fine.