Thoughts on Government run healthcare. Your Opinion.

[frostbite]

In New Brunswick there are no premiums or user fees of any kind (unless you count taxes!). We've had 2 children and the only additional cost was the TV rental for the hospital room.

No matter what my economic situation I have zero worries that my family won't get health care (emergency or otherwise). No 'pre-existing' condition nonsense; that's my biggest fear in a US-style system, you seem to be at the mercy of what your insurance provider will or will not cover and premiums are set at their discretion.

[Weldangrind]

I can echo Frosty's comments about having zero worries.

katoranger, I think that the number one concern for Canadians (regarding healthcare) is wait times. Cost is a non-issue, as is qualification.

[Jim]

I will admit I don't know too much about our health care system. I'm relatively young, and as far as I know healthy. The last time I used our health care system was for a physical that I am required to take every 5 years by our department of transportation. It is not covered, it only cost $100, but it wasn't much of a physical. You get more thorough testing donating blood I think.

I honestly can't say what I'm paying for premiums right now (I think they take 3 months at a time), but they are fixing to raise them in our province. They are also planning on "selling" surgeries to other provinces I believe. I wasn't aware eye exams were covered, but do recall them telling me to keep my receipt when I went for one.

Like WeldandGrind and Frostbite though I am not really concerned, if I need medical attention I figure I will get it.

Like I mentioned, I don't know a lot of the inner workings of our health care system, but I am not worried about money when I think about health care (aside from the possibility of it going broke, or corrupt spending). Prescriptions aren't covered and I think that can wind up costing people a lot of money. Living in Abbotsford, we just got a brand new Hospital and cancer center.

[TurboT]

I should add that premiums in BC are, or used to be, based on your gross family income.. or personal income if you are single. I believe if you make less that $15,000 per year your monthly fee is covered by the government. So, low income folks are covered "free." Since I haven't been in that low income bracket for many moons, I'm not sure the cut off point anymore.

..if someone doesn't pay, they still can't refuse care though. So the freeloaders of society can just not pay and still get treatment.

Some large corporate companies will provide you with extended benefits (eye, dental, drugs, LTD) as well as pay your monthly medical premiums to the government. It depends on the company.

My dad has heart problems, and he's been in for mandatory emergency tests right away when needed, no wait times.

Our healthcare is always a political point, one party saying they could do a better job and cite all the negatives they can find, but when it comes right down to it we'll get good care if we need it.

** On a personal note, we just had to admit my pops to the hospital tonight, due to some complications of him getting H1N1 despite being immunized. He's got some bad congestion/fluid in his lungs he can't seem to shake. (been since Xmas) I can let you know how his experience goes this time around with the healthcare system..and of course your thoughts of hope and speedy recovery always appreciated! (Don't hijack this good discussion over that though)

[katoranger]

I understand the no worries part. That is something I like about what I hear. A good part of the system.

I don't like the political involvement.

The pre-existing conditions thing is the part of our system that i think needs reform. Also the malpractice law suits that plague our doctors.

My Insurance premiums actually run about the same as what alot you guys pay for your families. I get vision, dental, prescription covered too.

[davidsonsgccc]

i dont know about every state in the U.S. but i know here in georgia they have various programs for healthcare . i have known single parents and there kids have free insurance they have foodstamps and wic. i know elderly people have medicare. i know these systems arent perfect but they do work. if our gov would spend the time qualifing the candidates cutting out the people that falsify income or who are living together refusing to get married because of the free assistance they are getting. this would probbly take care of alot of funding problem they currently have.
i like all races of people i go to a mixed church and i dont have a personal problem with people wanting to move to our country to make a better life for there family. if i had to sneek into another country to take care of my family i would do so. having said that if they are not going to pay taxes on all there income or atleast 75% of it they should not deplete our gov programs. this is why our system is currently falling short there are just to many people thinking they are intitled to a free ride.

this is just my opinion and no offense meant to anyone.

[suprf1y]

Originally Posted by katoranger

This is going good.

A few concerns have been verified to me. Possible long waits for service, rationed care, lack of doctors, and a cap on practice.

Lets keep this going. I am getting good input. It seems to me that in Canada as long as your young and healthy and only need emergency care its great.

My Mother may have to wait months/years to see a cardiologist if she lived in Canada.

Keep in mind that Canada is a huge country, with a small population, and the people are spread out pretty good. This doesn't help.

In Ontario, there are no health care fees, it comes out of general tax revenue.
The only political involvement, is one party bitching that their party can do a better job. Politics as usual. In the end, there is no difference.

I have had considerable experience with our system, so I'll try to describe how it seems to me, with a few examples.

My son was diagnosed with leukemia at 18 months. The diagnosis was made by our family doctor, and confirmed by a local hospital that specializes in childhood cancer. We were consulted (a meeting with the doctors), told what was happening, and he was put on treatment. This occurred in just about 6 hrs. He was in hospital for 6 weeks, and allowed to go home for the rest of the 2 years of treatment. He was occasionally rushed back to the hospital for emergency treatments (the chemo is tough on a kids immune system). All we had to do was call, and show up. He was admitted immediately, and everything was taken care of. The care was top notch. There was no wait, and no expense was spared. If we, the parents, were having any kind of difficulty, there was somebody who was there to help. He turned 21 last month.

My dad had heart attack about 10 yrs ago. He was rushed to the hospital, and diagnosed. Once he was stabilized, he immediately received a bypass operation, and was out of the hospital within about 2 weeks. He is fine today.

I had a bad crash last April, on my MX bike, and was concussed. At first, I didn't realize it, but by coincidence, I was into see my doctor a few days later about my knee, and he caught it. He checked me out, and said I was fine, and it would take time to heal, but referred me to a specialist. The specialist also said he thought I was OK, but wanted some tests to make sure. He ordered a EEG, and brain scan. The wait was about 1 1/2 weeks. Once I arrived for the tests, on time, I waited in the waiting room for about 5 minutes, had my test, and I was done. If it were an emergency, and the doctor thought I needed it, I would have had the tests immediately, and somebody who wasn't in an emergency situation (like me) would be delayed. I'm OK with that.

I have heard about long wait times, but I have never seen it. I have no problem waiting for something, if I don't need it right away. It's more important that the person who does need it, get it right away. Someday that might be me.
When it was determined that I needed knee surgery, the appointment for the surgery was about a month away, maybe a little more. I don't consider this to be a wait time. The knee has been bad for a long, long time, and I waited longer than a month to see the doctor about it.

I like our system, and I am very happy with it. I would have it no other way. From what I have read, your proposed new system will be an insurance plan? This, IMO, is the problem. Insurance companies, and the 'for profit' mentality of the American system. I don't think profit should be priority, I think the healthcare of the people should, and I don't get the impression that either the insurance companies, or the rest of the system do.

Does our system have problems? Sure it does.
Anything that large, run by anybody, anywhere will have problems, but in my experience, our health care system runs remarkably well.

[katoranger]

Thanks Superfly. I understand the Ontario has a higher population density than alot of the rest of Canada so the services are probably easier to get too and more of them. I grew up in rural United States. It was along drive to a doctor and there wasn't many to pick from. Here in Atlanta I have my choice. Most of them you can get a same day appt.

It seems that the experience can really vary depending on your location. It sounds like your experience is pretty good.

WG, You were saying that you would have an appt and show up and then get bumped and have to come back a different day?

I have actually heard of this happening in our Veteran's Affairs Hospitals here. They essentially are government run healthcare. Both my Dad and my FIL go to see VA doctors. Both have had good and bad experiences.

Neither like the idea of government run healthcare.

From what I hear, the Canadian system is not as bad as they can make it sound here. I see pluses and minuses. I am not trying to say what you guys up north have is bad. I know alot like it and alot don't. I really sounds beneficially to younger families.

I don't think we need a government takeover, just some tweaking. I don't want anyone to be denied care and they are not in the US.

A big concern for my parents is health care rationing. They are 67 years old and retired. The still pay taxes from rental income and other things.

I know they are not denied care, but may have to wait longer than younger people. Is this really the case? Again I understand it may be based on location.

This is the info that doesn't really make it in our news here. We using get the "everythings perfect" stories.

[suprf1y]

From what I hear, the Canadian system is not as bad as they can make it sound here. I see pluses and minuses. I am not trying to say what you guys up north have is bad. I know alot like it and alot don't. I really sounds beneficially to younger families.

I don't think we need a government takeover, just some tweaking. I don't want anyone to be denied care and they are not in the US.

Point me in the direction of these people that don't like our system. I've never once spoken to a single Canadian that would have it any other way.
It is good for all families. That's the whole idea.


I think that's exactly what you need. Your system, IMO, will never work as long as the insurance companies have ANYTHING to do with it.

There is so much money at stake, the insurance lobby will stop at nothing to prevent a real universal system from being implemented. Frankly, I am shocked at how easily the American people are manipulated, and brainwashed by the insurance companies.

[Weldangrind]

katoranger, yes we were bumped. The atrial septal defect that my wife had was there from birth, it was just not detected until our second child was born. It can normally be picked up by a GP with a stethoscope, but the placement of the hole (near a major artery) masked the sound. Apparently the hole was quite large at the time of repair.

All that said, it still wasn't an emergency. She might not have lived many more years in that condition, but we had some time. If someone came in suffering from a heart attack and requiring a bypass, we were bumped.

TurboT, back to your smoking reference, my favourite line from a comedian is "welcome to Canada, where a pack of smokes is $9.00, but a heart transplant is free!".

We don't have health care rationing yet. Right now, there are 500000 (meaning 1/2 million) people in Canada that are over 85 years old. In twenty years, that number will climb to nine million. I shudder at that thought, because we're not equipped for that amount of volume, especially since the majority of healthcare costs occur in the final years of life.

[katoranger]

I agree that Americans are easily manipulated. That is why I am trying to verify the concerns. Most people just take what they hear as the truth.

As to populations. Canada is sitting at about 34 million and the US at 309 million. We have an aging population too.

From what I can see the Canadian system is not that bad. The problem is can the federal government hande it at nearly 10 times the size of the Canadian system. It would be a large undertaking.

I see a happy medium as a combination of the two system. It would probably help the most people.

As mentioned earlier our ERs are overtaxed by Illegals getting free healthcare and using them for non-emergency care. I don't believe we should deny them if its life threatening, but I think we could turn around those with colds and send them to an urgent care where then pay cash to be seen.

All these expenses are passed on to those with insurance and the taxpayer.

Also the doctors are stuck paying extreme premiums for malpractice insurance. Do they have any problem with thay in Canada?

[katoranger]

With the aging population. How long can the government sustain healthcare before running out of money? Somebody has to pay for it. Eventually a smaller percentage keeps paying increased taxes to support the system.

How long has the current system in Canada been in place?

[suprf1y]

It started in 1946, and by 1957, I believe every province was on board.

Consider that the U.S. spends more per capita than any other nation in the world on health care, but is the only wealthy industrialized country in the world that lacks some form of universal healthcare.

I don't normally like wikipedia stuff, but this is actually pretty good, and informative.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compari...h_care_systems

[davidsonsgccc]

reading some of you canadian members remarks on healthcare does put me more at ease. up until i started reading this thread the only thing i have read has been negative about people getting denied cancer drugs and waiting along time for critical scans and things. unfortunately alot of the info that is givin to us by our media is politically driven that makes it hard to know thetruth from the crap.

shawn

[katoranger]

Originally Posted by suprf1y

It started in 1946, and by 1957, I believe every province was on board.

Consider that the U.S. spends more per capita than any other nation in the world on health care, but is the only wealthy industrialized country in the world that lacks some form of universal healthcare.

I don't normally like wikipedia stuff, but this is actually pretty good, and informative.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compari...h_care_systems

Wow, that was information overload. Very helpful though. Things were explained in more detail.

The pros and cons went back and forth alot.

Like I said before. I think a combination of the two systems would be better. I think that some kind of reform is going to be passed here. Hopefully it will be for the better.