10 Myths About Canadian Health Care, Busted

[rhymeswithcandi 0]

I can't believe how afraid some people are of government funded healthcare. I think the biggest misnomer about the Canadian "system" is that the doctor's and hospitals are directly under the control of the government - which is not the case at all.

As for paying more in taxes to fund healthcare - any tax increase to fund healthcare in the US would STILL likely be less than what the average American family pays each month for insurance. The big difference would be that they wouldn't have to fight to get the medical bills paid.

The prospect of:

having to check if the doctor I want to see is in my insurer's network

having to check if the doctor I want to see accepts my insurance

having to pay nearly a mortgage payment every month "just in case"

having to pay a "co-pay" with each doctor's visit

having to fight with my insurance company if anything happens

having to worry about even the minor ailments that may put my insurance status in jeopardy.

really freaks me out.

I feel like healthcare isn't something a person should have to fight for and to me that's the biggest argument for moving toward a "system" like the Canadian one.

[Reba 2]

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..

The author did qualify most of her statements saying it would vary in smaller towns and remote areas. Its the same anywhere, if you're in a small remote town, services of any kind will be more limited than if you're living in the big city.

I lived in or near Toronto my entire life until I moved to small town NC. Whenever I needed a specialist, I *could* make the choice of who I could go to, within my doctor's offices referal circle. And in some cases, did not even need a referral to a specialist, I could just call and make an appointment. And believe me, I have seen my fair share of specialists in the GTA! And I never had to worry about how much it was going to cost me. I had surgery before I left Canada and it cost me absolutely NOTHING. I was in hospital for 5 days and my only expense was the cost of the TV rental in my room.

Since I've come to the US, I'm paying over $400 per month for health insurance premiums for the 2 of us, and because I have "pre-existing conditions" they won't pay my endocrinologist. I just got a bill from his office for my last round of blood work. Its nearly $300. And I haven't got the bill yet for his "follow-up consult". Plus we've got a bill from the hospital from my husband's surgery from February last year, that best we can tell is "left-overs" that the insurance wouldn't cover. We don't have the money to pay for all this plus our regular monthly bills and and and...

When people have to sit and fret about a doctor visit and how are they going to pay for it, or not go altogether because they don't have the money to pay for it, there's something seriously wrong with the system. And even people with insurance are having the same problems because of co-pays and out of network providers and blah blah blah blabbity blah. Its rediculous, it really is.

[Marilyn. 340]

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..

The author did qualify most of her statements saying it would vary in smaller towns and remote areas. Its the same anywhere, if you're in a small remote town, services of any kind will be more limited than if you're living in the big city.

I lived in or near Toronto my entire life until I moved to small town NC. Whenever I needed a specialist, I *could* make the choice of who I could go to, within my doctor's offices referal circle. And in some cases, did not even need a referral to a specialist, I could just call and make an appointment. And believe me, I have seen my fair share of specialists in the GTA! And I never had to worry about how much it was going to cost me. I had surgery before I left Canada and it cost me absolutely NOTHING. I was in hospital for 5 days and my only expense was the cost of the TV rental in my room.

Since I've come to the US, I'm paying over $400 per month for health insurance premiums for the 2 of us, and because I have "pre-existing conditions" they won't pay my endocrinologist. I just got a bill from his office for my last round of blood work. Its nearly $300. And I haven't got the bill yet for his "follow-up consult". Plus we've got a bill from the hospital from my husband's surgery from February last year, that best we can tell is "left-overs" that the insurance wouldn't cover. We don't have the money to pay for all this plus our regular monthly bills and and and...

When people have to sit and fret about a doctor visit and how are they going to pay for it, or not go altogether because they don't have the money to pay for it, there's something seriously wrong with the system. And even people with insurance are having the same problems because of co-pays and out of network providers and blah blah blah blabbity blah. Its rediculous, it really is.

yeah, we are going through this right now.. we have a bunch of hospital bills from my 2 stays in the hospital back in December and we have no way of paying them right now.... luckily our insurance covers about 90 percent of most stuff but there are a lot of extra charges and of course the 10 percent that we have to pay..

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

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.

what if you make more than that? what's the prices then?

[DeadPoolX 9]

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.

what if you make more than that? what's the prices then?

Charles, it looked like to me that Trailmix explained that.

If you count someone as a single person who earns more than $17,450 a year, you pay $44; likewise, a family without children which earns more than $26,200 or a family with children that earns more than $32,210 pays $88. At least that's how I understood the figures proposed.

Personally... I've never had a problem with the U.S. health care system. If I want to see a physician, I can; no waiting at all. My medical insurance plan is really good and overall, I'm happy with things as they are right now. Could there be improvements? I'm sure there could -- no system is perfect. I think far too many people focus on the negatives of the American health care system while glossing over the positives.

Edited February 12, 2008 by DeadPoolX

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

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.

what if you make more than that? what's the prices then?

Charles, it looked like to me that Trailmix explained that.

If you count someone as a single person who earns more than $17,450 a year, you pay $44; likewise, a family without children which earns more than $26,200 or a family with children that earns more than $32,210 pays $88. At least that's how I understood the figures proposed.

Personally... I've never had a problem with the U.S. health care system. If I want to see a physician, I can; no waiting at all. My medical insurance plan is really good and overall, I'm happy with things as they are right now. Could there be improvements? I'm sure there could -- no system is perfect. I think far too many people focus on the negatives of the American health care system while glossing over the positives.

from what a guy told me about the health care plan, he was spending about $500 a month. i'm finding $88 max a bit low given that.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I have been told that Canada doesn't have a single system but every province has its own... and the amount you pay out of pocket depends on which province you live in.

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

I have been told that Canada doesn't have a single system but every province has its own... and the amount you pay out of pocket depends on which province you live in.

the guy i cite above was in toronto.

[Cassie 8]

It is true that each province has its own way of dealing with healthcare. In Nova Scotia, there are certain things you pay for (nominal fee) and its different from Alberta's set-up. Since I didn't have anything to cover the cost of prescriptions, I had to pay for them out of pocket, but my pharmacist knew that and gave me generics and samples when possible. Even that was mere pittance compared to the amounts we pay for in health insurance premiums here!

Oh, and I never got hit with bills 6 months after my knee operations or my stroke, nor has my mother had to pay for all the treatments she has gotten these last three years for leukemia (and trust me, those treatments aren't cheap!). Sure, the taxes are a bit high in Canada, but when I was lying in the hospital for a month I didn't have to worry about how I was going to pay for it!

[DeadPoolX 9]

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.

what if you make more than that? what's the prices then?

Charles, it looked like to me that Trailmix explained that.

If you count someone as a single person who earns more than $17,450 a year, you pay $44; likewise, a family without children which earns more than $26,200 or a family with children that earns more than $32,210 pays $88. At least that's how I understood the figures proposed.

Personally... I've never had a problem with the U.S. health care system. If I want to see a physician, I can; no waiting at all. My medical insurance plan is really good and overall, I'm happy with things as they are right now. Could there be improvements? I'm sure there could -- no system is perfect. I think far too many people focus on the negatives of the American health care system while glossing over the positives.

from what a guy told me about the health care plan, he was spending about $500 a month. i'm finding $88 max a bit low given that.

I do have to admit... $88 does seem a bit low. Maybe that's why a lot of Canadian physicians move to the United States to practice medicine: the pay is much better.

I have been told that Canada doesn't have a single system but every province has its own... and the amount you pay out of pocket depends on which province you live in.

I think that could still be called a "single-payer system" though. Every province has a provincial government, so if that government controls the health care of that province, then it is, in effect, a single-payer system since there aren't multiple insurance companies vying for patients.

[Cassie 8]

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.

what if you make more than that? what's the prices then?

Charles, it looked like to me that Trailmix explained that.

If you count someone as a single person who earns more than $17,450 a year, you pay $44; likewise, a family without children which earns more than $26,200 or a family with children that earns more than $32,210 pays $88. At least that's how I understood the figures proposed.

Personally... I've never had a problem with the U.S. health care system. If I want to see a physician, I can; no waiting at all. My medical insurance plan is really good and overall, I'm happy with things as they are right now. Could there be improvements? I'm sure there could -- no system is perfect. I think far too many people focus on the negatives of the American health care system while glossing over the positives.

from what a guy told me about the health care plan, he was spending about $500 a month. i'm finding $88 max a bit low given that.

I do have to admit... $88 does seem a bit low. Maybe that's why a lot of Canadian physicians move to the United States to practice medicine: the pay is much better.

Alberta's economy is doing very well -- I am sure the doctors there are being paid just fine!

[Heracles 417]

Canada and most other universal health-care systems are usually run in countries with highly centralized federal governments. The huge obstacle with a UHC system being implemented in the US is that it goes against everything the country was founded on. And there are simply too many states and counties to allow each state to manage their own system. The smaller and poorer states would inevitably have the worst system. UHC would have to be run on a federal level; Which goes against the foundation of this nation.

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

I can't believe how afraid some people are of government funded healthcare. I think the biggest misnomer about the Canadian "system" is that the doctor's and hospitals are directly under the control of the government - which is not the case at all.

As for paying more in taxes to fund healthcare - any tax increase to fund healthcare in the US would STILL likely be less than what the average American family pays each month for insurance. The big difference would be that they wouldn't have to fight to get the medical bills paid.

The prospect of:

having to check if the doctor I want to see is in my insurer's network

having to check if the doctor I want to see accepts my insurance

having to pay nearly a mortgage payment every month "just in case"

having to pay a "co-pay" with each doctor's visit

having to fight with my insurance company if anything happens

having to worry about even the minor ailments that may put my insurance status in jeopardy.

really freaks me out.

I feel like healthcare isn't something a person should have to fight for and to me that's the biggest argument for moving toward a "system" like the Canadian one.

I agree. I think Americans are ready to end this madness and switch to a single payer system.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

fwiw, i've never had trouble with insurance in america.

but i suspect that has a lot to do with the fact that i've never (knock on wood) had a serious problem yet. i've never even sen the inside of a hospital (not since i was 6).

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

fwiw, i've never had trouble with insurance in america.

but i suspect that has a lot to do with the fact that i've never (knock on wood) had a serious problem yet. i've never even sen the inside of a hospital (not since i was 6).

that's cause trolls don't get sick!