Sadly, that's true Germ. When it happened to me, I was immediately on the phone calling state agencies, lawyers, etc. The gist I got from all of them was "While not illegal, it certainly isn't ethical." As to further inquiries I was told I'd spend significantly more fighting it than I owed. As I was researching it, I began to feel lucky. I got stiffed with less than $50K in medical expenses. Others, hundreds or millions... It's pretty sad. You either owe yourself to the insurance company or the gov't it seems. When I was paying cash for doctors visits, it felt like I was being treated like a criminal or second class citizen because they thought I wouldn't pay. All they had to do was pull up my account and see that I hadn't missed a payment and what I pay each month.
I would love to hear from candians about the system, what works, the can be better, what does not work. I for sure do not want to here from wing nuts on the left or right. Please sheep keep your rhetoric BS to yourselves. I want to hear from people who actually have used the Candian system.
I'll do you one better. I lived in Canada for the first 25 years, and now in the US for the last 11 years. So I have experienced both first hand. One comment earlier nailed it, if you have good insurance here, the US system is way bettter - I can see my doctor a day or so sooner and the specialists are easier to get into. But... I will tell you that the talking points against Canada's healthcare system is exaggerated for the most part. Like I said it does take longer to get into a specialist but I believe that's because everyone had access so the wait is longer. Canada and the US has close to the same # of doctors per 1000 people, the difference being the access. It still is a broken system because they need more doctors ( a lot come to the US because the pay is better) but it's not near as bad as being made out. Generally if I need to see my doctor, I could get in the next day or day after. As of right now given the choice between the US and Canadian system, I would pick the US because we have great insurance and thankfully haven't had to deal with a major medical issue. The quality and access is better here, without a doubt. But, if tomorrow if I lost that insurance - I bet I'd be wishing I were in Canada. Also, there are those who say the taxes are higher there because of the healthcare, and that is true but on the same token Canada doesn't put near as much money into their military so one could argue that the two countries have different priorities (both of which is probably legitimate) Any other particular questions about differences or similarities in the two systems, I'd be glad to answer.
You could answer why people think it's "OK" for a person to wait 8+ months to receive elective knee surgery. Our friend in Canada did just that. If the Canadian "buy-in" for healthcare was a set amount, I could see it being "fair". Our friends pay exhorbitant taxes.....because they make good money. Is their healthcare "fair"? At least here......I'm not charged more for my healthcare - simply because I can afford to pay it. And hey....if I'm (in the case of our Canadian friends) paying more, shouldn't I get preferential treatment? Or, is "fair" only discussed when it's time to receive the treatment (and not considered when it's time to pay the piper)?
What makes you think people think it's ok? It's not ok but again I believe it's because of the shortage of doctors and everyone having access. I never said it was a perfect system - if it were all industrialized countries would have it. You're confusing taxes with healthcare premiums. Unless things have changed since I was there, they pay the exact same monthly premium as a guy making minimum wage, they are not charged more because of income. The fact that they pay more taxes because they are in a higher tax bracket is no different than the US - the percentages may be different but the structure is the same. You can make the same arguement about the military here, why should you pay more of your hard earned money toward the military just because you make more? ( I have no problem with the military - I'm just picking out the biggest expenditure of the US gov't, like the healthcare is for the Canadian gov't? Some people get confused that the system there is free, it is not. There is still a monthly healthcare premium that everyone pays - one rate for single and one rate for family. When I moved away from Alberta it was about $65 a month. Also each province has different premiums. Like I mentioned above, everyone pays the same and gets the same treatment - they are not paying more.
Are you telling me the Canadian healthcare system is self-sufficient (based on equal premiums/costs to each citizen)? Or, might the Canadian government dip into the general fund to prop up the heathcare system? If the answer to the second question is "yes", then go back and read my previous post with that in mind.
MN_jay thank you for your response just what I wanted to hear the facts from someone who has lived and used the system.
Ambulance crews do NOT ask for insurance info, where I live(I rode an ambulance as a volly for a few years). Some States, the patient has to pay for ambulance care and transport, not here. Medic buses will bill you, sometimes, but, EMT buses are a service of the town(you pay for this through taxes, but, not on a service to service charge). An E.R. only has to STABILIZE the patient, by law. Stabilize does not mean treat. Let me add. The E.R.s and O.R.s that I've worked in while completing clinical hours for school, treated patients that obviously had no insurance, and, likely couldn't afford a self pay. Actually, there is quite the pandemic, where I live. Illegal mexicans utilize the E.R. as a primary care facility. We would get stupid freaking things coming in, like a mild fever, minor rash, etc, etc. These illegals know that THIS E.R. will treat them. Personally, if it were up to me, I'd have them removed because this takes time away from the treatment of American Citizens, and, others will LEGITIMATE issues.
Of course it's subsided by the gov't. But your logic is flawed. You start heading down a slippery slope when you believe you are entitled to more gov't services based on tax bracket. Should this apply to police protection as well? Fire department services? How about the military? Can you find someone who pays less taxes to take your place when you get deployed to iraq?
One thing that puzzles me is why we have such high rate of infant mortality and Canada's is so good. Now having two kids at a private catholic hosptial, I can say the care was great, my issue is I am stuck in my own little world. Where are we going wrong? How can we claim to have the best care and the second worst rate with infants?
Same here, I had 2 kids (one in a Catholic hospital and one at Mayo) and the care and quality of services were top notch. I even emailed the nursing manager to express my thanks on how great the nursing staff were. Not one complaint. The one thing I notice different in canada is they keep you a day longer there after you have a baby. Don't know if it means anything or not, or if it is just a waste of money to do so.
"Care" does not always reflect itself in the "mortality rate". While most would link the two, together, this is not always the case. Quality care of an infant has many factors; a facility can exhaust the best possible care, and, still lose an infant due to unforeseen issues that were present during pregnancy; perhaps the mother did not do "such a great job".
I don't know. Maybe it's the vaccine thing ? Vaccines are killing Americans. So much so, that more and more medical employees are denying them, myself included. I've been researching the effects of foods and medicines on the human fetus. Mind you, I haven't done so in any great detail, however, it was by the recommendation of my uncle, a Cardiologist M.D. He feels that there is strong enough evidence to link the diet of American mothers to cardiac issues in fetus' and infants(not just cardiac issues, but, this is his field, so, obviously his main concern). My fathers Fiance is also an M.D., Pediatric Anesthesiologist, and, she agrees. She's one of the only Doctors in her field, that I personally know, who despise vaccines. She also eats most of her food in it's raw state, just giving you an little example of her "lifestyle". Processed foods, are also killing Americans. Could this be a contributing factor ? Maybe.
We don't? Then how do you explain insurance companies refusing treatment, cancelling policies, etc.? This may sound cold, and may lose respect from some of you. But, at times, people need to know when to say when and have someone tell them so. The death of a baby is tragic. I've two couples I know who've lost them post birth. But, as I read this article, the child is diagnosed with degenerative neurological disease and has an darn near impossible chance of recovering.
I can understand where you are coming from, however, we are no longer "loyal subjects", as was in the old days, we are free people; it's not the place of the government to determine if someone lives, or dies, in matters such as this one.
What drop tine said (Not Govt's duty) and I too lost a child at the age of 3 months to congested heart failure so I feel I can relate to the story better than most.
