Help me figure out the American healthcare system?!?!

[kc247 22]

I still don't understand healthcare here, luckily I am healthy and haven't had to use it, I just have it basically in case of emergency. I just recently changed it because it is open enrollment, so I signed up for a new plan on healthcare.gov. My original plan was with blue cross blue shield, I was paying $153 a month for just me (my husband is covered under his parents until he is 26 (or gets a job that has it so I can sign up with him) but they couldn't add me on, and he is a student). They changed the premium to $177 in 2015 so I went and I got the cheapest plan I could get, mainly because we can't afford a high monthly premium at the moment so it is mainly until he finishes his schooling and can get a good job. So my new plan I pay $143 a month. I just have it in case something bad was to happen like I was in a car accident, etc. Obviously has a high deductible. I'm not planning on getting pregnant anytime soon and I hope to be back in Canada when I do! I get my birth control at planned parenthood, so I don't use it for anything. Now hopefully no emergencies happen! I miss Canadian health care!

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Do you really miss Canadian healthcare? I don't. There was a shortage of family Doctors in ON (and still is)and I was in a relatively large city close to Toronto. I was lucky enough to have a family Dr for years, but honestly I saw him once or twice a year. Many of my friends haven't had a regular family doctor in years and they use Urgent care for just about everything which kind of sucks because there's no personal relationship. It took months to get into an OB/GYN when I had ovarian cysts and endo - in the US my health plan doesn't even require a referral.

My mother who has Altzheimers and recently was very sick and spent 10 hrs lying in the hospital emerg hallway on a gurney because they were short staffed and didn't have anywhere to put her. My father had a similar incident last year. Here in VA - you wait maybe 15 mins before you're in and they assess you to ensure you get the best care

I don't miss paying higher taxes and 11% on just about everything to help subsidize it at all! IMO I wouldn't say Canadian healthcare is better.

Insurance costs are rough - Canadians just aren't used to seeing how much it 'really' costs

Edited December 10, 2014 by Udella&Wiz

[NikLR 13,232]

I totally miss Canadian Healthcare. I was in Alberta and had a family doctor. Everything I needed was handled pretty quickly, minus finding a dermatologist (they were only in Edmonton and Calgary.) But as healthcare is really provincial it makes sense.

Our vision care here is super duper. I always paid for my glasses out of pocket so wore them to death. I could do that with these ones as well, but insurance covered 95% or more of my main glasses but only about 10% of my prescription sunglasses. Paid $600 instead of $1500. YAY!

I haven't gone to a dentist yet but apparently we're well covered there too. Hubs was thinking of getting some invisible braces and it basically covered all that. In BC growing up, my mom's dental plan covered seeing the dentist and only 50% of braces so I got a horse instead of braces. LOL (Hubs thinks I was dumb.)

We're so rarely sick that the HDHP doesn't bother us until we suddenly want to see the doctor like or a weird mole or something.

[NikLR 13,232]

My taxes in Colorado are higher than in Alberta. 8% minimum. Some cities charge an extra percentage too.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Sounds like I should have lived in Alberta When I left ON 7 yrs back - it was 15% - 8% PST and 7% GST (or do I have it backwards?)- so 15% on virtually everything except groceries. Until recently VA had 5% sales tax(now 6%) - pretty awesome compared to 15% slapped on everything.

It can feel like we're paying through the nose in the US too - I know we're lucky here outside DC in terms of job opportunities with good salaries and well paid jobs which include benefits of course, We've had a rough yr heathwise where we met our $3200 deductible but it's till better than paying higher premiums in a platinum plan.

I totally miss Canadian Healthcare. I was in Alberta and had a family doctor. Everything I needed was handled pretty quickly, minus finding a dermatologist (they were only in Edmonton and Calgary.) But as healthcare is really provincial it makes sense.

Our vision care here is super duper. I always paid for my glasses out of pocket so wore them to death. I could do that with these ones as well, but insurance covered 95% or more of my main glasses but only about 10% of my prescription sunglasses. Paid $600 instead of $1500. YAY!

I haven't gone to a dentist yet but apparently we're well covered there too. Hubs was thinking of getting some invisible braces and it basically covered all that. In BC growing up, my mom's dental plan covered seeing the dentist and only 50% of braces so I got a horse instead of braces. LOL (Hubs thinks I was dumb.)

We're so rarely sick that the HDHP doesn't bother us until we suddenly want to see the doctor like or a weird mole or something.

[NikLR 13,232]

Alberta really has the best deal. You dont pay healthcare premiums, no pst, and it sounds like you moved before GST was lowered to 5%. There is so much money there that there is an abundance of doctors compared to other provinces. But in Alberta it's a good idea to have back up insurance for things like dental and ambulance rides.

[Ontarkie 14,467]

Heck I was in Sault On. and doctors are still very scarce, and I still prefer the Canadian health care over this one. I wish I could take all the doctors here with me since that is the only plus about it here. Back home my sons dermatologist came to town every couple of months, here we have a ton to see. But this is more related to the fact that the Sault was no where and now we live in the centre of it all. If I moved a few hours away it would be the same as it was back in Canada.

We may not have sales tax as high as in Canada but we pay way more taxes here. They hit you for everything here.

We have to pay for dental out of pocket and they really don't cover much. We have no vision coverage but to see the eye doctor only cost 70$ and then glasses but you can find them online for cheap anyways. Drug coverage is a joke!

Between the Governor and Obamacare our premiums doubled our co pays doubled and they are covering a lot less. Governor thought it was a good idea to make State employees pick up the amount that the teachers were found to be underpaying rather then making the teachers pay the right amount. Once the new year comes it gets worse.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Both systems have their pluses and minus.....We had friends in the DC area that needed to see certain Dr's and it took them awhile to get in as well. Same with my wifes old Gyno..she had to book like 6 months out. I had patients that had no insurance and they were super stressed out..shal see how Obamacare changes that. My dad back in Saskatoon has received pretty good care, with all his heart issues, probably be broke in the USA,lol

Should come her to Ecuador, they say healthcare is fairly inexpensive and very good. Plus we have hockey here too,lol Medical tourism is becoming a big business. Good for many items.....doesn't do much in the case of a heart attack!

[Ontarkie 14,467]

Ya it's like real estate it seems too. Location location location

[NikLR 13,232]

I've heard nothing but great things about the healthcare in Ecuador from people who immigrated from there. In fact the one lady goes back once a year to do all her stuff there vs anything in the usa.

[ChristinaG 91]

There are certainly pro's and con's to both systems...... but given that I have been fairly low(-ish)-income for many years (under $30K) with 2 kids, I like that I don't have to worry about how much it's going to cost to see a doctor that I choose - not one some call center says I must see.... or that in case of an emergency I won't be facing a bill in the thousands of dollars!

I'm in Southern ON and have been pretty lucky... I've had the same family doctor for 15+ years, and have never had to wait for than a couple days at most for an appointment..... the longest I had to wait for a referral was 2-ish months for an ENT for my daughter....

I know I pay higher taxes and appreciate that low income people can still get good care.

Yeah, I know I'm a "socialist" through and through I'm going to fit in great moving to a Republican state! (LOL!!)

[Flames9_RN 358]

Same in Nicaragua..very modern hospital.....If u need dental work....excellent and cheap in Nica as well. Think I paid $25 a cavity. Cleaning was super cheap. have yet to use any medical facilities here, but reading stuff on Fcaebook group pages, most seem very impressed. Like any system,, some hiccups!

[kc247 22]

I think it just depends on your situation and the province you live in for how you view the health care. I am healthy and have only had to go to the Doctor a few times at home throughout my life. I also had good coverage through my work at home that covered my dental and eye care etc. I was always glad when I could go to the Doctor for whatever I needed and not have to pay. There are several times I've been here and thought...maybe I should go to the doctor..but won't because we can't afford it, I would if something serious was happening though of course. My husband had pneumonia a few weeks ago and cost us $300. Could of been worse but sucks paying that all at once when we have it hard enough as it is. So times like that I miss being able to go to the Doctor and not have to worry about it

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I have been in the US too long, I laughed a little when you said $300 because I only wish our recent bills cost only $300. A month or so back we had 2 major health issues in our family. Prior to that we basically haven;' been to the Dr much this benefit year so we still had most of our $3200 deductible to pay. 2 visits to emerg - 1 for my husband because we though he might have been having a heart attack and those bills were almost $3200 in the course of 1 day. But we have determined that if we had to, $3200 wouldn't kill us and we LOVE the extremely low premiums. When you add the 2 ($3200 + premiums) - the whole year still costs less then the higher priced plans.

I think it just depends on your situation and the province you live in for how you view the health care. I am healthy and have only had to go to the Doctor a few times at home throughout my life. I also had good coverage through my work at home that covered my dental and eye care etc. I was always glad when I could go to the Doctor for whatever I needed and not have to pay. There are several times I've been here and thought...maybe I should go to the doctor..but won't because we can't afford it, I would if something serious was happening though of course. My husband had pneumonia a few weeks ago and cost us $300. Could of been worse but sucks paying that all at once when we have it hard enough as it is. So times like that I miss being able to go to the Doctor and not have to worry about it