Calling all Canadians, Brits, & French!(Healthcare Q&A)

Because of the recent statement by John Edwards (see this thread for details), I decided to start this thread.

Those of you with a national health-care system, what are your thoughts on it?

I ask because here in America, we've (still!) got the Red Scare "Commie/fascist" ideas about nationalized health-care:

- If you're unhealthy, the doctors (have the right to) force you to get healthy (over-weight, you go on a diet, et cetera)

- The taxes paid in are never seen in the services (higher taxes -- OMG!! )

- The doctors are forced to go where they're needed, rather than where they want to be. Likewise, the patients have no say in who they see, and they spend more time waiting for the necessary procedures because of low numbers of necessary equipment.


So, I'm asking y'all what you think.

- How much higher are the taxes?
- Do you feel that the taxes are worth the services received?
- Do doctors have the freedom to go where they please?
- Are the doctors up to snuff? (As another member pointed out, gov'ts cut corners...)
- What happens when you're "unhealthy"? / Is 'being healthy' enforced?



I'm sure there are other questions that I'm just not thinking about. I'm hoping to get a discussion going between Americans & anyone with a nationalized health-care plan. For too long the Red Scare rumors have been circulating, and I plainly don't know what the deal is.

Your thoughts?

As this same question has been asked of me recently I'll just post a link to the thread that has my answer and views on socialized health care.

www.abovepolitics.com...

omg I can't believe I didn't link to your response!

( :insert smiley that smacks its forehead here: )

My apologies for forgetting AD...

But, Thank You! for including your thoughts!

I's appreciates it!

[edit on 7-9-2007 by Diseria]

No worries..........

But I think my reply makes you wish you had the benefits offered to all the citizens of Canada,
eh ???

I don't need to break the bank just because I get Ill.

[edit on 7/9/2007 by anxietydisorder]

reply to post by anxietydisorder


yes... yes it does.

It frustrates me to no end to have "the choice" of being healthy limited, or eliminated altogether, because of my finances!

I'd like to not have to choose which to do: go to the doctor/dentist (both of which I should do), or pay bills.

My knee-jerk reaction is to pack my stuff and start walking. I don't have my passport, so ba-da-bing, I'm 'stuck' in Canada. Oh darn!

But, I've realized that first reactions are not always reasonable, or based on the correct information. So, I hafta ask... you know, to be sure...

I think you'll find that many of us with universal health-care would overthrow our governments before we allowed them to dismantle our system.

Originally posted by Diseria
- How much higher are the taxes?
- Do you feel that the taxes are worth the services received?
- Do doctors have the freedom to go where they please?
- Are the doctors up to snuff? (As another member pointed out, gov'ts cut corners...)
- What happens when you're "unhealthy"? / Is 'being healthy' enforced?

Taxes - they aren't as bad as most would think. At my income level (not a full year, so I don't get bumped up a bracket), I will pay 15.5% federal and 5.7% provincial for a grand total of 21.2% of my income going to Revenue Canada. If I were in the next tax bracket, I would pay somewhere around 25%.

Services received - I see the benefits of my tax dollars every time I go to the doctor or emergency room and I don't get a bill. Of all the things my government wastes money on, health-care is one of the few things I have no problem with.

Doctors - Doctors can practice wherever they please, but they will receive incentives to move to smaller or northern communities. Nobody forces the doctors to do anything they don't want due to (most) Canadians love of our program. If our government makes the doctors mad, they make everybody mad. The doctors are just as good as those you'll find in the US - if they weren't, we wouldn't have such a problem with poaching. I am also free to visit any doctor I like, while I've been told by US members that some HMO's in the US require you to visit doctors on their 'approved' list.

Enforced healthiness - I have no idea where that comes from, aside of the 'better dead than red' school of thinking. How can you force people to be healthy? There are two things my doctor will say to me every time I visit - I should quit smoking and I should exercise more. The key word in that sentence is should, not must.

There is some truth to the assertions that we don't have as much fancy equipment as most US hospitals will have. In major cities, we've got all the latest gadgets, but those in smaller towns will have to travel for service and most likely wait. We do have the option of paying for it privately and then claiming it back on our income taxes as a medical expense.

As a final clarification, Canada does not have a universal health-care system. Each province has it's own single-payer system which it is free to manage however it wants, as long as it falls within the standards of the Canadian Health Act. For example, I believe AD is the proud owner of an OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) card while I have a Care Card issued by BC MSP (British Columbia Medical Services Plan).



[edit on 7-9-2007 by Duzey]

Originally posted by Duzey
For example, I believe AD is the proud owner of an OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) card while I have a Care Card issued by BC MSP (British Columbia Medical Services Plan).

Very true, I,m the proud owner of an OHIP card, and I don't leave home without it.
I'll also point out that I have never been refused service anywhere in Canada after presenting my card outside my Province.
I think they just send the bill to Ontario, because they don't send it to me.

And yes, I'd be banging on Parliament's doors demanding a pound of flesh if they ever tried to take our system away. It only takes 30 days to change our government if enough people want it, or they get a non-confidence vote.

In Canada the people control the government and they serve at the people's discretion, thus the term "Civil Servant".