Canadian Health Care System

[christiane]

For those of you who like to wander over to the Community Board, you might have seen a recent thread about universal health care in the US.

The anti-uhc faction on the thread keep pointing to Canada as a reason why the US should stay with the private system. Every so often an anecdote pops up that someone's Canadian friend/coworker/relative said that the Canadian system is awful and how lucky the Americans are.

So, I would love to hear what Canadians have to say about their health care...

 

[tribus121]

All though our health care system has some faults I would not trade it for the American system for a million Dollars

 

[brighteyes]

I second that!! I would not want to live in the US with the health care system the way it is. I work in a clinic and understand that our system is not perfect and the doctors I work for have some very real frustrations with the way things are run by our government here and now I understand why some doctors are frustrated.

That being said, I still think we are very lucky to have the healthcare system that we do. It is not perfect, but IMHO it is better. That is a biased statement however, because I really do not know much about their health system other than people who go to the hospital or doctor have to pay if they do not have benefits. I might have that wrong, but that is my understanding. It is also my understanding that there are many who do not have the luxury of benefits in the US.

Someone please enlighten me further if I am wrong.

Stephanie

 

[happydvcmember]

I agree i love our health care system and would not trade it for the world, i have been in the states and have talked to people and they all say we are lucky to have the system we do and i tell them its not perfect but its a better system than most. For people who say our system is horrible and would rather the American style well all i can say is ........... na this is a family board.

 

[drag n' fly]

I did post on that thread. A lot of posts are inaccurate unfortunately due to lack of knowledge on how uhc works.

 

[DearDaisyinDurham]

Maybe they should watch the new documentary "SickO".
Canadian health care rocks. It's not perfect - what is?
But it's coverage for all, in a land that's still free.

 

[Charleyann]

I have a child with a chronic condition.(two at that) There is no way we could have kept him alive. Infact, healthcare professional have stated that Canadian children with CF are living longer with CF in Canada then the US and it has to do with their care. They can't afford to get sick or pay for hospitalization and meds. They therefore don't get the treatment they need...

Our system has some faults, but we take care of us all and nobody goes without care!

Charleyann

 

[SandraC]

WHY I LOVE OUR CANADIAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

1. A daughter with THREE heart operations, uncountable procedures, tests, hospitalizations = $millions
2. A son with pneumonia at 2 months old....10 days in hospital.
3. Husband's surgery
4. Having my two babies
5. Father is quadruple bypass and heart value replacement.
6. Sister with heart value disease and replacement in the future.
7. AWESOME Family Doctors who care about my family and visit us in hospital when they don't have to since the Specialist take over while in hospital.

 

[tgropp]

If the Canadian health care system is so bad, why are Detroit, Port Huron and Buffalo residents abusing it with fraudulant health cards?

 

[SandraC]

Don't forget how inexpensive our Rx's are compared to the states. S

 

[SandraC]

People believe what they see/hear in a 17 second sound bite on CNN. You have to live it to appreciate it. Sandra

 

[dhluvsDisney]

As was said already, "it ain't perfect, but I wouldn't trade it for anything". As we get older too, we will even appreciate it even more. We don't have to worry if we have money to go and see the doc if something is bothering us. We don't have to worry about losing our house, savings, etc. if something happens. I am very grateful to not have to put a price tag on my health.

 

[Kurby]

i watched a 20/20 program on Happiness - they ranked all the countries based on a questionnaire they send out to hundreds of thousands of people in all kinds of countries.

based on the answers and their research they ranked Denmark as number 1 on the happy scale - and while the people there are cold 6 months out of the year (colder winders then here) and pay 65% of their income in taxes they have full medical coverage from cradle to grave (including meds), free schooling for as long as they want to go (includes night school courses but not sure if it includes special schools like law and medical or just preschool, high school and basic college)

Canada was ranked 7th and the US........23rd.

so do i like our health care - yes - could it be better of course.

personally i'd like to see all retired people have all their meds covered. (hell i'd like retired people not have to pay income tax on the pittance they receive on their pensions but that's another thread)

what i'd change - free basic dental care (it's great that full time workers receive coverage from basic to extensive depending on how big their company is but what about the part time workers who don't qualify or who's companies just don't pay for it) i think like going to the dr, basic dental coverage (check ups, cleanings and fillings) should be covered by our health care - it's all part of staying healthy don't ya think....

and while i am hardly ever sick i can see a day when i may be - when i had Cassandra we didn't have to pay for her birth (had to pay $45 for the ambulance though) while a mother who was american and her dh was canadian though her final immigration hadn't happened had to pay over $15000 out of pocket for the birth of their child

there's a whole bunch more i think should be covered by the government (not all health related) like free day care and maybe one day we will see real changes in the government on what they spend their millions on and not see it being abused by redecorating their offices every other year or taking expensive trips and dinners and claiming them on their expenses when they were vacations and dinner with the family (all of which has been reported in the past few years)

 

[lgaston]

I would not trade my Canadian Health Care System for the American's for nothing!!! Love what it is and nothing is perfect. But they way our system is everyone can benefit from it from babies to 120 years old (that's the max we're given)

 

[jaanders]

It's not perfect. But is still very good. I just watched the Micheal Moore movie on US health care and have vowed to never move there. There is no way in Canada we leave a 30 something year old, at home with cancer, to die. We would try anything. Private insurance companies deciding on whether you get treatment. No thanks. I was very shocked with France/England health care. And could not believe Cuba's health care. All three's were excellant.

 

[wee-haggis]

Another Canadian Health System booster here
We have a similar system to what they have in U.K. (in fact our system is styled like Britains National Health which was one of the first of its type).To even compare it to what they have in USA is unimaginable. I just heard on TV that there are 45,000,000 Americans with no Health Insurance.Thats a staggering number !
I feel sorry for the Americans because many are bamboozled into believing the Bush Buddies and the Fox News Friends when they say these "untruths" about Canada. As many have said in this thread.Its far from being perfect,but I'll gladly pay the higher taxes to have it . I am getting a bit concerned with these Public/Private Partnership hospitals that are being looked into.
The Medical communities and Drug companies in the USA have quite a stanglehold down there (I think a few politicians have had their palms crossed with silver )

 

[SandraC]

My uncle moved to Texas in the 70's. About 10 years ago, when he was 57 years old, he got cancer. He couldn't quit his job because he needed the health insurance for his cancer treatments. He died of cancer at 57....working like a dog to die.

Sandra

 

[iluvwesties]

personally i'd like to see all retired people have all their meds covered. (hell i'd like retired people not have to pay income tax on the pittance they receive on their pensions but that's another thread)

what i'd change - free basic dental care (it's great that full time workers receive coverage from basic to extensive depending on how big their company is but what about the part time workers who don't qualify or who's companies just don't pay for it) i think like going to the dr, basic dental coverage (check ups, cleanings and fillings) should be covered by our health care - it's all part of staying healthy don't ya think....

ITA

I work in a dental office and I find it very hard telling someone who has no insurance what the cost of treatment will be for them (particularly elderly or poor people)
It's never cheap, as all Ontario Dentists charge the fee's set by the Ontario Dental Association.

Did you all know that a refugee to this country is given a voucher to get free dental treatment? (up to $400)

Yet a Canadian has to pay (unless they are on social assistance)

Dental care should be covered by OHIP - Mouth cancer can be detected by the dentist as well as other health problems.

I'll get off my soap box now....

iluvwesties (aka Carol)

 

[Rayner]

I don't post often but felt this was an important subject that is near and dear to my heart. I was diagnosed in Feb. 2005 with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Within two weeks of my diagnosis I was into the Grand River Cancer Centre in Kitchener to see a Hemotology Oncologist. Since then I have been a frequent visitor to Grand River. I cannot say enough good things about my doctor, the oncology nurses and the wonderful care I have received there. As part of my treatment I receive monthly intervenous immune globulin treatments. It is my understanding that they are quite pricey but they are fully covered by OHIP. I belong to a CLL discussion forum and many of the Americans on the discussion board talk about having to fight with their insurance carriers to receive these same treatments. It makes me feel blessed to live here. There is no doubt out health care system can be improved but I am so glad that we have it.

 

[christiane]

Thank you so, so much everyone for taking the time to post your replies. Of the 18 replies so far, everyone was in favour.

The American lobbyists against uhc are a powerful group and they seem to have brainwashed many Americans into thinking that Canada is an evil, evil nation. Such socialists!!

I truly wonder why Americans will not accept uhc as the preferred system. They keep saying uhc isn't perfect...but what is in life?? An imperfect system that helps all of its citizens (Canada) is better than an imperfect one that only helps 75% of its citizens (US).

PS: I hope everyone who is suffering/has suffered illness is recovering well.