Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Because of the bullcrap that comes up routinely bashing the Canadian system, that's why. STF up about Canada and I'll STF up about the fubarred U.S. where I've lived months at a time every year since 2000 and witnessed a slew of medical events undergone by American friends. It's a disgrace by comparison.
Have you lived in Canada and personally experienced it's healthcare delivery system? It isn't perfect but it's light years ahead of the U.S. on universality of coverage.
If we ever that close/far, you can bet that the Right will argue with you.
That uncovered 20% will be a good part of their 'skin in the game' ideology.
I am not a "rightie" but I think the co-pay is necessary. Part of the reason healthcare is so costly is that insurance can end up being "all you can eat" and people pig out. The only way to get people to act a little more restrained is to have them feel some of the pain, which is the co-pay. Most plans limit total co-pay you would pay in a year.
The actual figures for Canada are a median wait time to see a special physician of a little over four weeks with 89.5% waiting less than three months. The median wait time for diagnostic services such as MRI and CAT scans is two weeks, with 86.4% waiting less than three months.The median wait time for surgery is four weeks, with 82.2% waiting less than three months.
Because of the bullcrap that comes up routinely bashing the Canadian system, that's why. STF up about Canada and I'll STF up about the fubarred U.S. where I've lived months at a time every year since 2000 and witnessed a slew of medical events undergone by American friends. It's a disgrace by comparison.
Have you lived in Canada and personally experienced it's healthcare delivery system? It isn't perfect but it's light years ahead of the U.S. on universality of coverage.
I'm pretty sure the video clip at the start of this thread featured Canadians. But you clearly are not looking at the right movie, or are at the right theater for that matter.
I am not a "rightie" but I think the co-pay is necessary. Part of the reason healthcare is so costly is that insurance can end up being "all you can eat" and people pig out. The only way to get people to act a little more restrained is to have them feel some of the pain, which is the co-pay. Most plans limit total co-pay you would pay in a year.
I agree with the copays. But those are not the real drivers of overall HC costs. Overuse of medical service of course happens now and again, but those encounters are mostly the cheap ones. With more serious, complicated, and emergent medical encounters the OOP's are relatively small outlays.
With Obamacare policies there are maximum OOP expenses per year, over and above premiums. On the order of $6-7K a year.
I'm pretty sure the video clip at the start of this thread featured Canadians. But you clearly are not looking at the right movie, or are at the right theater for that matter.
'
I'm pretty sure this thread was started by an American for the sole purpose of denigrating Canada's system.
I'm pretty sure the people were asked a question based upon a bought and paid for study performed by a Republican Funded Koch Brother Think Tank.
I'm pretty sure all those people were TOLD a falsehood then asked what they thought.
I'm pretty sure factual rebuttal based upon the prejudice and lack of credibility of anything fostered by the Fraser Institute has been proffered.
You've never watched Jay Leno or Rick Mercer 'trapping' people in such a manner?
It's just that not all Americans are limited to those things above. Many Americans have health insurance through their jobs and their own private policies. Once you limit all Americans to one gov't health insurance program then that's when you'll have problems.
I agree.
AFAIK Canada and most countries with UHC have some sort of private option. Pay more, get more.
Americans, Canadians, Europeans, or Klingon, anyone with money goes to the head of the line no matter where you are from.
Medicare has a private option with the supplement policies by private insurers. I don't hear anyone screaming to get rid of either.
I really dont care what system Canada has, I dont care how the VA is run or who is happy with it, but I do know I dont want a handful of politicians, bureaucrats, apparatchiks, etc. dictating my health care and limiting choices. I also think anyone who does is either mentally ill, under the influence of govt religion or young and naive.
Politicians etc do not dictate my care. My doctor doesn't have to check with any government official on care.
We have, like most countries, a government body, ours is called Health Canada, that approves drugs and procedures. Once they are approved there is no one limiting a health professional.
I actually have MORE choice than you, since I'm not limited to networks, etc. I can even go online and choose which specialist I want to do my procedure, if I have one in mind. A friend did this. He has a shoulder issue and he purposely waited longer because he wanted the surgeon who has worked on players from our local NHL team. To each their own.
Here's how it works.
I have a health number on my driver's license. If I'm new to a clinic or lab, I show them my card.
That's it.
No bills, no worrying about being covered for tests.
Canada is a hybrid Medicare system. Canadians can buy Part 2, or whatever they call it, coverage.
Not quite.
Canada is not a two tiered system. Anything covered by our UHC insurance can not be offered to be covered by a private insurer.
Things not covered by our UHC, are optometry, dental and prescriptions out of hospital. Many have this insurance as part of a work benefit. Those who don't can buy it.
Those who are poor, depending on what province you live in, may get prescriptions at a reduced cost or for free.
There is a huge difference in waiting times between countries for all sorts of procedures. For ER visits and regular doctor visits, several universal health care systems have shorter waiting times than the system we have.
Its also worth mentioning that 78% of veterans and those in the military are satisfied with the way the health system is working. 77% for people on Medicare. Thats hardly disastrous considering how much negative propaganda is directed towards those single payer systems.
Shorter ER wait times? Could you expound upon that? Do you mean shorter waits in the ER, or what? ER care is generally triaged, with the most urgent needs going first.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ncguy50
The first hand experiences of the people in the video aren't propaganda. That's real and factual information. It's the exact opposite of propaganda.
The plural of anecdote is not data.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brave New World
The actual figures for Canada are a median wait time to see a special physician of a little over four weeks with 89.5% waiting less than three months. The median wait time for diagnostic services such as MRI and CAT scans is two weeks, with 86.4% waiting less than three months.The median wait time for surgery is four weeks, with 82.2% waiting less than three months.
IME, which isn't everyone's, I nor any of my family have had to wait four weeks to see a specialist. Nor have we waited two weeks for a necessary MRI or CAT scan, let alone three months. 4 weeks for surgery seems about right again, IME.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TwoByFour
Those are better wait times than what I experience now, here in the USA. Last appointment I made with a doc, wait time was 8 weeks out.
The only time I have to wait that long, or longer, is for my well visits. I can usually get in to my doctor same day if I'm sick. When I worked in a pediatric office, we did not have 8 week waits. We did same day visits, lots of them. Even when we referred a patient to a specialist at Children's Hospital Colorado, affiliated with the University of Colorado, the wait was not usually more than a month.
Quote:
Originally Posted by in_newengland
Day before yesterday my DIL in England texted me that the three year old needed to see the doctor. Next day she texted me that he had been seen by the doctor and has some medicine. That doesn't sound like a very long waiting time.
As I said above, when I worked in a peds office we kept room for same day visits, as does my doctor who is a family practice doctor.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BruSan
'
I'm pretty sure this thread was started by an American for the sole purpose of denigrating Canada's system.
I'm pretty sure the people were asked a question based upon a bought and paid for study performed by a Republican Funded Koch Brother Think Tank.
I'm pretty sure all those people were TOLD a falsehood then asked what they thought.
I'm pretty sure factual rebuttal based upon the prejudice and lack of credibility of anything fostered by the Fraser Institute has been proffered.
You've never watched Jay Leno or Rick Mercer 'trapping' people in such a manner?
Actually, you apparently aren't following the news in the US. Most Democratic candidates for president are talking about some form of "medicare for all".
Quote:
Originally Posted by Natnasci
Politicians etc do not dictate my care. My doctor doesn't have to check with any government official on care.
We have, like most countries, a government body, ours is called Health Canada, that approves drugs and procedures. Once they are approved there is no one limiting a health professional.
I actually have MORE choice than you, since I'm not limited to networks, etc. I can even go online and choose which specialist I want to do my procedure, if I have one in mind. A friend did this. He has a shoulder issue and he purposely waited longer because he wanted the surgeon who has worked on players from our local NHL team. To each their own.
Here's how it works.
I have a health number on my driver's license. If I'm new to a clinic or lab, I show them my card.
That's it.
No bills, no worrying about being covered for tests.
Calling people mentally ill is ridiculous.
Many types of insurance in the US operates the same way as far as choice of physicians. The old HMOs of the 1980s were much more limiting. All systems have non-covered services. Trust me. There is no system that has no oversight whatsoever, that is totally "between doctor and patient". You even tell us in the post I quoted below what is not covered. Most private insurance in the US has prescription coverage.
Yes, I agree, calling people mentally ill is ridiculous.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Natnasci
Not quite.
Canada is not a two tiered system. Anything covered by our UHC insurance can not be offered to be covered by a private insurer.
Things not covered by our UHC, are optometry, dental and prescriptions out of hospital. Many have this insurance as part of a work benefit. Those who don't can buy it.
Those who are poor, depending on what province you live in, may get prescriptions at a reduced cost or for free.
Medicare is similar in the US. You can buy supplemental policies to cover what Medicare doesn't. It won't cover something Medicare does. Even with private insurance, if you have coverage from two policies, one is considered primary. https://gusto.com/ask-gusto/health-i...lth-insurance/
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.