Canadian Healthcare questions

Sure our healthcare system has it's problems but it's far better than most countries in the world. It's going to get better as plans are in place to fix it. Sure it costs us a lot in terms of taxes but isn't healthcare for everyone a little more important than a huge ass military that eats up all of your tax dollars. We just have different priorities in Canada than the US. We don't see the need to have a huge military and would rather use that money saved to better the health of our citizens.

How about this.....

I havent even returned to work yet and I have already got TWO threatening calls from the credit company over the hospital bill that wasnt covered by ins.

Can you believe that

Its just a matter of paper work but it seems they could at least let you heal up enough to go back to work before they start hounding you for the money

Originally posted by intrepid
Do not confuse this as "free" health care. Factor the taxes in and, trust me, it isn't free. You have to weigh that into the equation.

I've worked in doctor's offices and the only ones who get "free" health care are the unemployed, recent immigrants, people with health/physical disabilities, people living below the poverty level, and people who have jobs with no medical coverage. It costs my husband approx $200 every three months for a medical plan with extended benefits...the company pays the other 50%. Not exactly free.

It's true that no person will ever be denied health care in Canada, regardless of their circumstances. As far as waiting lists go...it seems to really depend on what Province you live in...and what your ailment is. In some ways it's a truly superior health system compared to some countries, but is also seriously lacking in some aspects. It's not perfect by any means and there's much room for improvement.

I want to thank each and every one of you for your opinions on your healthcare system. Your thoughts and views are appreciated. I had my wife reaad this thread this morning, and we have both come to the conclusion that Gov. sponsered healthcare with private options is the way for the US to go. We need to spend less, tax the wealthy a lot more, and we should be able pull it off. I realise Im talking as if I actually controle the issue at hand, I wish I did. Oh well. All we can do is hope that the next president will go for a plan like Canada's.

On another note, Whats up with that LaBattes Bear?

Too many of these intravienously.

I love the commercials. Do they show the one there that has the bear knock a baseball through the window, and then take a sixer of LB to make ammends? Ive seen it here a few times.

Originally posted by Kidfinger
I love the commercials. Do they show the one there that has the bear knock a baseball through the window, and then take a sixer of LB to make ammends? Ive seen it here a few times.

Don't know, I watch little TV. Basically NFL.

OK, last post off topic. Ihave to tell you about it. The bear knocks the ball through someones window, kind of slumps his shoulders and says something to the effect of " Better go apologise". He grabs a sixer of LB and knocks on the door. When the door opens, there are two very well endowed females in the house. The bear turnes around as if to wink at you then offers a LB and walks in the door snickering. Are all your bears this cockey?

Originally posted by intrepid
TL, I just don't understand the distain you have for the country of your birth. That statement you made there is not inaccurate, it's false.

The fact is that our health care system is not what it used to be, but it's still damn good.

Woah there sharp shooter, just because I don't believe in socialized medicine does not make me anti canadian... Not one bit, and how dare you tell me I have distain for my home country...

Quick to jump the gun, how could someone be a moderator when they clearly show they are anything but fair and objective.... As you clearly show your mindset is not objective.

my opinion about the canadian health care system has nothing to do with being anti canadian so learn to make proper connections before you go around telling people what they are and what kinds of attitudes you think people have...

It's obvious you have a problem with how I think about certain issues in Canada and feel the need to tell me any chance you get that I am anti Canadian.


I'm not particularly fond of some of the policies and the way things are run by the government in Canada, but again that does not make me anti canadian.

I wish Canada and the US were perfect in every little way, I wish that both countries had perfect health care, that people could get treated fairly and not be given the run around like my father is getting from the neuro guys. But it's not reality, so I bitch about it. Just like many other people do...

ps: Also just because I share stories i've been told by other people who have experienced bad wait times, deaths that could of been prevented ect, also does not make me anti canadian...

I'm actually going to write a complaint to the moderator's because clearly this is not the only thread where you have accused me of something i'm not.
And this mindset you have is insulting and i'm afraid your closed mind will also lead to warnings ect...

Originally posted by Kidfinger
On another note, Whats up with that LaBattes Bear?

Hehe, I educated my girlfriend on that point... the first time I went to spend a week in San Jose this summer, she said that she'd thought about buying some Labatt Blue or Molson Canadian to make me feel more at home.

My answer... "Ch�rie... if you do that, next time you come to Ottawa I'll buy you some Bud Light to make you feel at home..."

Ok, right now, any province run by the Liberals (Democrats kinda) is great for healthcare.

However I live in a PC based province (republican) and while our taxes are the lowest we have a the worst, in my opinion healthcare system in Canada. In fact our province wants to two tier the system, so basically if you have money, you have first crack at surgeries and such. But that aside, I can still go to the doctors and a hospital and stay there for God knows how long and never have to worry about an gastrinomical bill. Only bills we get are ambulance and I kind of see that as reasonable. Trust me, if you care about fellow Americans, ones who dont have money up their A$$, vote kerry for the healthcare (among other things)

[edit on 19-10-2004 by faiz]

Originally posted by faiz
Trust me, if you care about fellow Americans, ones who dont have money up their A$$, vote kerry for the healthcare (among other things)

I see your point and I agree... I know that conservatives like to cut cut cut and whenever they've touched health care to cut costs, they have screwed things up ... If people are going to have socialised medicine you have to make sure that it is managed properly, if you pick and choose continuously what your going to take away obviously problems will occur.

I agree with you on that point. And socialised medicine is hard to keep perfect because you are always going to have a new government come in a twist things up, take things away, pay more attention to one area over another, ect... This is why imo you shouldn't have government regulated health care.

Take red tape away and government regulation, ect you end up with cheap hospital bills, no overhead, no hmo, ect ect.

it's a simple equation but many government appointees just can't have that, they need to touch... just like a little kid... and they both have a high chance of #ing things up.

Canada's heathcare system is not free, it's subsidized. I beleive if you make less than $20,000 a year its fully subsidized and the rates increase from there. My husband and I are a low income family, he works full time, I work part time out of the house, and have a full time job taking care of my small children. We are not in the position to pay $200 dollars a month for privatized insurance, if it were not for subsidized insurance I would most likley still be paying for giving birth in the hospital, not to mention the trips to the emergency room in the middle of the night, scared because of a croupy baby. After I've returned to college, and have a better paying job my rates will increase as will my taxes and I will not mind one bit if it means that the children of low income families (like mine right now) can get adaquate medical treatment.

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Our healthcare in canada is a wonderful thing, we can go to any clinic anytime or hospital and it doesnt cost a dime up front. waiting time is like anyplace else the busier the longer the wait. emergencies are prioritized.
all the care we need is there for us anytime . no one has to worry for basic healthcare. if your sick or in an accident you dont have to worry about being refused from a hospital. all this is paid by our taxation system .
now if you require medication, it depends on if you work in a workplace that offers that benefit. if not then you have to pay for it off of pocket.
for EX:
if you break a leg its no up front cost to you to get a cast ( they get paid by the government for this service)

if you need pills for that broken leg for pain, you better have a drug plan at your place of employment or be on welfare with a drug plan , otherwise you have to pay for it.

vote Kerry !!

I really like the whole Idea of yo guys having the government healthcare, while still having it offered at you place of business. I think my country would do well to take note of Canada's healthcare systems. Even your durg coverages leaves little to be desired when compared to the US's. But I guess thats why all of our senior citizens that can do it, either drive to canada for thier drugs, or order them if they can get away with it. Our drug makers are just to greedy

Half of the time I've been reading this I can't stop thinking are you people crazy?

I grew up in a neighborhood in Michigan- the house right behind us was owned by a Canadian family- on average at any random time, there were about 20 people living there. Every person in the house was Canadian, and the front door was like a turnstyle- everyone they knew from Canada would come here whenever something was wrong.
They didn't trust their healthcare system so they all came here for our doctors and hospitals- where would the thousands of people who flee to SE Michigan go for healthcare if we had a federal system?!?
Every time someone was pregant, broke something, needed surgery, was sick they all came to the US to get good doctors!

Even if you don't have insurance, emergencies not only get handled more efficiently but you can haggle the prices down and work out payment plans- my sister pays $1 every 3 months and they leave her alone, since it is medical they can't put it on your credit report either!

I would sure as hell rather pay a few dollars even every month to keep them off my back rather than having my taxes upped 20%

Whoever was referring to taxes being 30-50% if you meant in the US I don't know what you are talking about, if you make less than about 25k you get a full refund at the end of the year anyways and the max. tax rate is still lower than 50% currently.
On average EVERYBODY will have to pay more to fund federal health care than insurance would be costing if everyone had it. If you can't afford any insurance, maybe you just need to take it out of your check before you spend all of your money because that is what you are asking the government to do, don't think it won't cost you. Why is it people think anybody making any money should have to pay for them?!?

At the same time it would help lower income families and those who are struggling- people who choose not to get jobs and freeload all their lives have no right to get healthcare anybody else pays for- but with a federal system they would get it too. It is not fair to say those who are doing well or work hard to accomplish something with their lives should suffer so others can be lazy and get rewarded for it!

Don't sit around and whine about how the government should hand something out to you- go out and do something for yourself, start your own business, improve your own life instead of demanding sacrifice from those who do already sacrificed so they could have what you want so badly.

Originally posted by blanketgirl


Don't sit around and whine about how the government should hand something out to you- go out and do something for yourself, start your own business, improve your own life instead of demanding sacrifice from those who do already sacrificed so they could have what you want so badly.

Before you get it a tiz, stop and think about this remark. You know nothing about any of us! I am in college now! I gave a 3.7gpa, and when I get out, I PLAN ON STARTING MY OWN BUSINESS! You must be fairly well off to have these kind of thoughts about our healthcare system. Me on the otherhand, well, lets just say I dont drive a mercedes, I drive a 1995 geo metro (purple) because I cant afford to pay $30 to fill my tank up. (Cost 13 dollars a week now) If I cant afford that $30 gas bill, what makes you think I can afford ANY kind of health coverage. If I had to get health care, it would take all but a little of my check! Where I live at, unless you have a caoolege degree, you are not going to make more than $9 an hour. At $9 an hour, with healthcare taken out, that leaves about $80 dollars left out of a 40 hr check!!! How can you live on that? YOU CANT! Now think of others positions before you just post about yours.

[edit on 10/21/04 by Kidfinger]

I am not that well off, I have what I do have because I understand that it takes sacrifice of little things to have what else you need and want out of life. I also understand that it is never the wealthy individual's responsibility to take care of others.

Someday, I am willing to bet when you have your business you will start getting mad-
For now, while you are working hard earning your 3.7, planning for your business and future there is somebody out there who never goes to class, parties all the time and has a good solid 0.5 gpa.
Why don't you just split your 3.7 with them- then instead of there being failing people, you can both have a 1.85! Isn't that much more fair?

But of course, you wouldn't want to do that because you work hard for your grades and they don't... so how is that different from the person who works hard for their money and a person who does nothing but leech off the system?

Because ten years from now when you are just starting to make enough to get by and be comfortable with your family- the only fair thing to do would be to give half your money to that say guy that did no work and won't help himself! Why should working people be brought down to the level of those who don't work?!? What would the incentive be? If the government takes too much from the wealthy- why would they keep being wealthy? Nobody would keep working - and then all the people who were lazy before will finally have something to complain about when there is nobody left to mooch off of. I work with union employees every day so I see it regularly- when somebody can get full benefits and a 19k salary to stay home and not go to work- there is no incentive left to actually get up and go to work. Sure, they can double their income, but they are doing okay watching TV and hanging out with friends so what's the point is doing manual labor all day?!? If they don't go then the stupid saps who do go just pay for them anyways.

The only reason I can post what I'm saying is because I am thinking of other people's positions. I would very much so be on the recieving end if everything were federalized and the government controlled all the money, but I can look past my own greed and see that it isn't fair if somebody has worked harder than I have that I would take their reward.

Originally posted by Kidfinger

Before you get it a tiz, stop and think about this remark. You know nothing about any of us! I am in college now! I gave a 3.7gpa, and when I get out, I PLAN ON STARTING MY OWN BUSINESS! You must be fairly well off to have these kind of thoughts about our healthcare system. Me on the otherhand, well, lets just say I dont drive a mercedes, I drive a 1995 geo metro (purple

) because I cant afford to pay $30 to fill my tank up. (Cost 13 dollars a week now

) If I cant afford that $30 gas bill, what makes you think I can afford ANY kind of health coverage. If I had to get health care, it would take all but a little of my check! Where I live at, unless you have a caoolege degree, you are not going to make more than $9 an hour. At $9 an hour, with healthcare taken out, that leaves about $80 dollars left out of a 40 hr check!!! How can you live on that?

YOU CANT! Now think of others positions before you just post about yours.

[edit on 10/21/04 by Kidfinger]

The fact is, times are tough in America. Sure there are some people that dont deserve a helping hand, but should we just sweep everyone under the carpet that does need help because of that small minority? You will never totally eradicate lazyness in America. I dont totally agree that its not far to share the wealth. I do think its not far to be so goddamn greedy. Once you have made 10 million dollars, you can have ANYTHING YOU WANT!
You dont really have any use for any more money after 10 million. You can guarantee that if I am successful in my business ventures, and I actually reach that 10 mil mark, the rest will go to charity. But Im not greedy, so I probably wont be allowed to make that much (Topic for another thread).
Anyway, With a hefty tax on the wealthy, and slight tax increases on the middle class, this dual healthcare reform plan could work for the better of everyone. Even you

Generally, I still don't trust the government enough to run it well either.
Now for good insurance on my daughter and me, it would be about $700/month. With the government running it- there will likely be about $1000/month coming out of somebody's pocket. More programs means more government employees, more phone systems with more buttons to push and more people to redirect you to when you just want to know how you look up you rights for (fill in the blank of what's wrong)

When I had my daughter, there were a lot of serious problems with the pregnancy and delivery, and I shudder to think how terrible it could have been if I had to wait or be put on lists for any of our care.

Originally posted by Kidfinger
The fact is, times are tough in America. Sure there are some people that dont deserve a helping hand, but should we just sweep everyone under the carpet that does need help because of that small minority? You will never totally eradicate lazyness in America. I dont totally agree that its not far to share the wealth. I do think its not far to be so goddamn greedy. Once you have made 10 million dollars, you can have ANYTHING YOU WANT!
You dont really have any use for any more money after 10 million. You can guarantee that if I am successful in my business ventures, and I actually reach that 10 mil mark, the rest will go to charity. But Im not greedy, so I probably wont be allowed to make that much (Topic for another thread).

Anyway, With a hefty tax on the wealthy, and slight tax increases on the middle class, this dual healthcare reform plan could work for the better of everyone. Even you