10 Myths About Canadian Health Care, Busted

[one...two...tree 2,762]

So when Bill Clinton was in office, did you consider leaving the country Charles?

actually, yes i did. your turn

I'm not cynical about change, Charles...at least I try not to be. I believe in the political process and I believe that change is necessary in certain situations and in the case of national healthcare, this country and it's people are ready to try something different. What are you afraid of?

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

So when Bill Clinton was in office, did you consider leaving the country Charles?

actually, yes i did. your turn

I'm not cynical about change, Charles...at least I try not to be. I believe in the political process and I believe that change is necessary in certain situations and in the case of national healthcare, this country and it's people are ready to try something different. What are you afraid of?

regarding national healthcare, i've said it time and time again. it seems so many want the government running this program and it's not like they have a stellar track record running any program.

"The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program." - Ronald Reagan

"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'" Ronald Reagan

[MissStacey 1]

Great article.

I can only speak for myself- I have never had any problems with Health Care in Canada. I was always able to see a Doctor quite easily when I needed one. When I was having Gallbladder problems in 2000- I went to the ER, they kept me overnight and took it out the next day- in that respect I did luck out getting my surgery done so quickly.

As far as Health Care costs I paid $132.00 every 3 months for Alberta Heath Care and I did also get Blue Cross which was $61.00 a month for Plan C which was the best they had.

was that amount based on your income? if so, what percentage of your income was that payment?

so steven, when ya moving to canada?

No- that was the fee for being a single adult.

They do subsidize people who make under a certain amount though.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Interesting article - but we should all know by now that any attempt to discuss the very important issue of healthcare reform will inevitably end up bogged down in the same stale old red herring cliches.

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

I can tell you that the care in B.C. is terrible. Lindsay went over a year with a 75% shoulder seperation because every doctor she went to just kept insisting she was being overly dramatic. It's not like she was making things up, she kept having to go in to have her shoulder put back into socket.

Honestly, I just do not trust the government to provide my healthcare.

[TracyTN 237]

People here fear "socialized medicine" because they won't have a choice of doctor - we don't have choice now, because we have to stay in network and that means either going to the quack in town or traveling 1 1/2 hours away.

That isn't why I fear 'socialized medicine'.

[CBR 0]

In a nutshell gets rid of the middle guys (the insurance companies) and hands that job over to the Federal Government.

This is exactly what scares most americans about a national healthcare program.

Also, not that anybody in this thread did, but I see it in lots of threads on VJ...people commonly lump the healthcare SYSTEM with healthcare. The SYSTEM is the messed up insurance companies who don't want to pay for anything but want to keep collecting outrageous premiums. The Healthcare itself is the doctors/nurses/hospitals who DO provide excellent care.

I'd personally like to see the insurance companies go down, just not interested in having the government in charge of my healthcare.

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

In a nutshell gets rid of the middle guys (the insurance companies) and hands that job over to the Federal Government.

This is exactly what scares most americans about a national healthcare program.

Also, not that anybody in this thread did, but I see it in lots of threads on VJ...people commonly lump the healthcare SYSTEM with healthcare. The SYSTEM is the messed up insurance companies who don't want to pay for anything but want to keep collecting outrageous premiums. The Healthcare itself is the doctors/nurses/hospitals who DO provide excellent care.

I'd personally like to see the insurance companies go down, just not interested in having the government in charge of my healthcare.

That's my main problem. Look at the way the Department of Homeland Security has performed. FEMA really shined during Katrina. Check out USCIS' recent work. I will never trust our government to provide my care. The government bureaucracy machine will end up putting more middle men in the mix. It's just that all of them will be considered "The Department."

[Emancipation 2]

5. You don't get to choose your own doctor.

Scurrilously False. Somebody, somewhere, is getting paid a lot of money to make this kind of stuff up. The cons love to scare the kids with stories about the government picking your doctor for you, and you don't get a choice. Be afraid! Be very afraid!

For the record: Canadians pick their own doctors, just like Americans do. And not only that: since it all pays the same, poor Canadians have exactly the same access to the country's top specialists that rich ones do.

[

This one's not really busted according to my experience..

I lived in a small province where your family Dr. is assigned.. if you want another Dr.. then it's pretty hard to move around and find another Dr willing to take you on.. the waiting lists are horrific.. my bro & sis in law got a family Dr. only because they went to an emergency room one night for their child who had an ear infection and the Dr. felt sorry for them, and took them on..

As far as specialists etc. I've never "picked" which one i've gone to, my Dr always told me who he was sending me to..

it's not the same as the US system from my experience where you just pick the Dr that you want from a long list..

[Dan J 277]

In a nutshell gets rid of the middle guys (the insurance companies) and hands that job over to the Federal Government.

This is exactly what scares most americans about a national healthcare program.

Also, not that anybody in this thread did, but I see it in lots of threads on VJ...people commonly lump the healthcare SYSTEM with healthcare. The SYSTEM is the messed up insurance companies who don't want to pay for anything but want to keep collecting outrageous premiums. The Healthcare itself is the doctors/nurses/hospitals who DO provide excellent care.

I'd personally like to see the insurance companies go down, just not interested in having the government in charge of my healthcare.

That's my main problem. Look at the way the Department of Homeland Security has performed. FEMA really shined during Katrina. Check out USCIS' recent work. I will never trust our government to provide my care. The government bureaucracy machine will end up putting more middle men in the mix. It's just that all of them will be considered "The Department."

Government agencies can work well, If they are run by the right people, and sufficiently isolated from the politics of Washington. As it is, most government agencies/departments are run by people that don't nessiarly have as much experience in the particular area, but by people who are friends of or political contributors to the current administration.

The fed chairman has a 14 year term to try to limit the political pressure on the Federal Reserve.

[Empress of Groovy 373]

I still haven't figured out why almost no one who fears a "government takeover" of health care in the U.S. wants to do away with Medicare. If the market can fix everything, why doesn't it apply to people over 65?

[Peikko 1,575]

...The government bureaucracy machine will end up putting more middle men in the mix. It's just that all of them will be considered "The Department."

Which really means the government system is messed up, not that providing universally affordable health care is a bogus idea.

One more thing to think about for those who seem obsessed by personal responsibility. Your contribution to health care isn't any more 'important' because it's paid through private insurance rather than via some form of taxation. It's not like those who pay for health insurance are paying their personal bill for health care. They are paying into a pool that is then re-distributed to those who need the money for their health care requirements. In effect, those who are healthy and paying into the pool pay for those who are sick and pay into the pool (yes, I have simplified the model)

The difference between that and a more inclusive system is that there would be a percentage of people who didn't pay into the pool who got treatment more visibly through the system than they do now (when they inevitably end up at the doors of ER.) While it may not be 'fair' to subsidise those who aren't paying, it's not 'fair' for the healthy to pay for the sick either. So what? What is required is a system that works in terms of providing the treatment for everyone who requires it at the time it is required.

It seems to me as though somehow those who prefer the private exclusive model somehow expect that those who don't pay into it will not receive any treatment at your expense at all. However, this is simply not true and it has been suggested it might actually mean you are paying more for those on the fringes of the system because they don't get preventative care.

[trailmix 77]

Great article.

I can only speak for myself- I have never had any problems with Health Care in Canada. I was always able to see a Doctor quite easily when I needed one. When I was having Gallbladder problems in 2000- I went to the ER, they kept me overnight and took it out the next day- in that respect I did luck out getting my surgery done so quickly.

As far as Health Care costs I paid $132.00 every 3 months for Alberta Heath Care and I did also get Blue Cross which was $61.00 a month for Plan C which was the best they had.

was that amount based on your income? if so, what percentage of your income was that payment?

so steven, when ya moving to canada?

No- that was the fee for being a single adult.

They do subsidize people who make under a certain amount though.

The premium for a single adult in Alberta is $44.00 per month - the premium for a family (regardless of size) is $ 88.00 per month.

Also, since the province is doing quite well financially, they intend to do away with the monthly premium altogether within the next 4 years.

Currently if:

You are single and earned 17,450 or less in the last tax year you pay nothing (it goes up from there to a maximum of $ 44)

You are a family with no children and earned 26,200 or less - no premium. (otherwise $ 88)

You are a family with children and earned 32,210 or less - no premium. (otherwise $ 88)

They also allow for people having temporary financial difficulty - you can apply for a temporary waiving of premiums.

All Seniors are exempt from paying premiums.

Edited February 8, 2008 by trailmix

[trailmix 77]

I can tell you that the care in B.C. is terrible. Lindsay went over a year with a 75% shoulder seperation because every doctor she went to just kept insisting she was being overly dramatic. It's not like she was making things up, she kept having to go in to have her shoulder put back into socket.

Honestly, I just do not trust the government to provide my healthcare.

Bad Doctors are bad Doctors, no matter who is paying them.

My Nephew had a similar experience in the U.S. - it doesn't matter who is footing the bill - so it's kind of apples and oranges.

[rhymeswithcandi 0]

I can tell you that the care in B.C. is terrible. Lindsay went over a year with a 75% shoulder seperation because every doctor she went to just kept insisting she was being overly dramatic. It's not like she was making things up, she kept having to go in to have her shoulder put back into socket.

Honestly, I just do not trust the government to provide my healthcare.

I've heard stories like that coming from Americans (and much worse) so I don't think it's because the government funds it.