Considering move from Vancouver BC to ATL

[igoringa]

Originally Posted by Shagbark Hickory

Yeah about a year ago I had to wait 2 weeks just for an ear doctor to take a look at my ears and that was paying full retail. The pain went away a week later so I cancelled my appt. I can't imagine the wait for something more serious.
I cut my finger one night and needed to get stiches. I called the local ER and asked them how long the wait was going to be. 4+ hours so I just did without. Couldn't afford to get the stitches anyway.

Our diseasecare system leaves a lot of people out, leaving us vulnerable to more serious chronic conditions and we can't afford to get treated. Employers are dropping health benefits due to the cost reducing the flow of money to executives.

I will take 4 hours over waiting half of your expected lifetime for potential life saving radiation any day of the week. I will take 2 wee appointment over 366 days.

Again those that have used both know the answer... it is only the ignorant (ie have not experienced what they want to thrust on all) that think otherwise.

[igoringa]

Originally Posted by Shagbark Hickory

Sure, you'd go broke and lose everything from the out of control costs but 50 million of us are bound to do the same so it's no biggie.

I assume you are referring to the 46 million without insurance in the US (the press will refer to it as 46 million Americans but that is a lie). Not that people care about the facts (fantasy sells much more), but the makeup of the 46 million is:

11 million illegal immigrants (adults, children already covered under CHIP)
11 million people who already quailify for a program (mainly medicaid) but have not taken the 3 minutes of effort to sign up.
11 million people that make over $75K a year
13 million that are the ones who are not covered and not in the above groups (ie make too much for medicaid but cannot afford).

Ofcourse the spin is the last group is the 46 million. It is a hard sale to say illegal immigrants need it; those who already have welfare but are not taking it; and those who make over $75K should be subsidized.

So we are going to spend 1.6 Trillion to cut this list in half when 75% of the list is either in the country illegally, already has a program they are not using or make pretty good money yet need our dime?

Gosh, where do I sign up?

OK last hijacking post, I will let the misinformation brigade have the last word

[Shagbark Hickory]

Originally Posted by igoringa

I assume you are referring to the 46 million without insurance in the US (the press will refer to it as 46 million Americans but that is a lie). Not that people care about the facts (fantasy sells much more), but the makeup of the 46 million is:

11 million illegal immigrants (adults, children already covered under CHIP)
11 million people who already quailify for a program (mainly medicaid) but have not taken the 3 minutes of effort to sign up.
11 million people that make over $75K a year
13 million that are the ones who are not covered and not in the above groups (ie make too much for medicaid but cannot afford).

Ofcourse the spin is the last group is the 46 million. It is a hard sale to say illegal immigrants need it; those who already have welfare but are not taking it; and those who make over $75K should be subsidized.

So we are going to spend 1.6 Trillion to cut this list in half when 75% of the list is either in the country illegally, already has a program they are not using or make pretty good money yet need our dime?

Gosh, where do I sign up?

OK last hijacking post, I will let the misinformation brigade have the last word

Conservatives always bring illegal aliens into this.
I presume what you are reffering to are undocumented Mexican immigrants they they makeup a large part of our local population.

Well Mexicans are due to have universal healthcare by some time in 2011. This is already in the works and they are already covering all pregnant women. Everybody in. Nobody out. This is the only way that makes sense unless you strive to be #42 in the world in healthcare.

[RainyRainyDay]

Originally Posted by igoringa

B) Broke? Riggghhhttt yes yes the same red herring arguments. My 2 years uninsured here (including two visits to emergencies rooms were dramatically better then the 'free service' I grew up with). I know that does not fit into the political talking points of those with no experience with both.

Again there is a reason those who have used both prefer the US (while those with one sided experience chose based on their political ideals)

Originally Posted by igoringa

I will take 4 hours over waiting half of your expected lifetime for potential life saving radiation any day of the week. I will take 2 wee appointment over 366 days.

Again those that have used both know the answer... it is only the ignorant (ie have not experienced what they want to thrust on all) that think otherwise.

igoringa, I agree it's unfortunate this topic has intruded so much on this thread. However, I feel a need to respond to the above. I moved from Canada to the US 7 years ago, at age 45. In Canada I had had a couple of surgeries, infertility treatment, close family with cancer (some lived, some died) ... all the usual encounters with the healthcare system. During our seven years in the US my husband has been diagnosed and treated for a serious heart condition, and the rest of the family (basically healthy) has had the usual kinds of healthcare encounters.

Therefore, your claims that only those with no experience of both systems prefer Canada, are wrong. I am a counter-example. I've had decades of experience with the Canadian system and seven years with the US system. All of my US experience has been under what passes for good large-corporate-employer sponsored insurance. I actually wonder how much experience of the US system, you've really had. If all the medical care you needed in your first couple of uninsured years in this country was covered by a couple of trips to the ER, you're probably a healthy young adult. If that's the case, luckily for you, your experience of US health care is shallow as yet. Furthermore, apparently you haven't yet gotten around to chatting with the locals about all their delightful experiences fighting with their insurance companies or going into debt to get treatments they or their loved ones need.

When I lived in Canada, I complained about the health care services, as pretty much all Canadians do. When I first moved to the US, I was rather charmed by the deluxe decor of doctors' offices down here, and the generally speedier access to appointments. Then as the years went by, I realized more and more that these superficial things come at much too high a price. Canadians just have no idea how much better off they are than Americans, in regard to healthcare access.

[noah]

I think the OP summed it up pretty well. He wants more sunshine and a more affordable place to live. I grew up 50 miles from Vancouver and am now living in Atlanta by choice (Affordable, warmer weather). While Vancouver is a wonderful place and an awesome city, Atlanta is also a great city and a good place to live and a place where you can easily see a different part of the world.

A lot of people in the northeast move to Atlanta because of cost of living and for some it is no different in Vancouver.

Originally Posted by cityrover

dont do it!


logic fails to comprehend why you would leave vancouver.. this is a different part of the world altogether