You don't have as many cutting edge, research and university hospital facilities. The healthcare is better in the sense that universal healthcare is better at preventing disease and having an overall impact of lower the healthcare costs on society as a percentage of GDP. Even nations with universal healthcare have premium options and services available, many of which supplemental insurance can cover.
Is health care really better in Canada?
by Bubblie 43 Replies latest jw friends
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cognizant dissident
Spook: We do have cutting edge hospitals, some that are leading the world in research. We don't have as many as the US because we don't have the population to support that many, however, per capita, I think you will find Canada is comparable to US.
The article that BTS put up is basically accurate. Doctor shortages and waiting lists are the current problem with the system. However that article does not fully address the causes of that shortage.
Most doctors were against socialized universal healthcare from day 1 and fought against it tooth and nail before it became national law. Before then, Canada was similiar to the States. Upper middle class people could afford healthcare. Poor people had none and many died (including young children) because they did not have the money to pay. Tommy Douglas himself almost had his leg amputated as a child because his parents could not afford to have a surgery to fix his leg. They drove all over the country until they could find a doctor willing to do it for charity. This was during the depression. That was his motivation for instituting universal healthcare.
Nursing seats and doctors seats in university are heavily subsidized by the government. Student tuition is low and in no way covers the cost of the education. They limit the number of seats each year according to the budget and projected needs. However, an even bigger cause of the shortage is the amount of doctors and nurses who receive their education very cheaply in Canada and then are immediately recruited while still in university by recruiters from the states. In my second year of a 4 year nursing degree, I had private clinics trying to recruit me for when I graduate. Doctors and nurses can make so much more money in the US and their desire to make the big bucks is greater than their loyalty to the Canadian Healthcare System which paid for most of their education. What is the point of the government increasing taxes even further to subsidize more seats if half of those trained are just going to bugger off to the US? They are just fueling the Canadian brain drain.
In the past few years, private clinics have been allowed to spring up. They allow people with money to jump the lines. That is not the true problem as Canadians can always go to the US to jump the lines anyway if they have money. Because there is such a shortage of doctors and nurses, every one recruited by a private clinic leaves the public system even more short and makes the lines for surgery in the public system even longer. So we are creating a system similiar to the states, where those with money will be able to afford healthcare and the poor will be relegated to sub-standard public hospitals. Private clinics that provide cosmetic surgery etc, which are not covered by the government are fine.
Cog
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shamus100
1. If a foriegn tourist falls ill or injured while in Canada, assuming they don't have other insurance, are they cared for at no or minimal cost?
No. They must pay for they're services. Just like any country, they must get travellers medical insurance.
2. Same question as above but the person is working there on a visa.
Good question. They should have insurance, or they're stupid.
3. Same question...but the person is working/living in the country illegally.
No. They will have to pay for they're services, but they will end up on a plane ride outta here anyways, so good luck collecting.
Is Canada better in health-care? Well, maybe not, but you won't end up bankrupt if you get a serious illness. You're still going to hurt, but you don't pay .01 cent for your treatment other than drugs. And most employers cover that up to a certain amount. Some drugs are extremely expensive so it could cost you big bucks.
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leavingwt
Well, maybe not, but you won't end up bankrupt if you get a serious illness.
If Canada covered illegals, would bankruptcy be a reality?
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sammielee24
I gotta say that this question is pretty funny.
You are assuming that the health care in the USA is equitable, accessible and affordable for everyone, that they have sufficient numbers of doctors and nurses, the best machinery in all hospitals and everyone gets access to that technology when they need it.
Everyone does not have access to care and cannot afford it. Many do not have access to all that technology - it's a proven fact that you can have all the MRI machines that you want - but only those with $1,000 bucks or insurance are getting the use of one. The last optomologist I went to had practices and machinery that I have not seen in my Canadian optomologist office in 15 years. I was astounded!
There are doctor shortages here in the USA. There are nursing shortages. It is not an equitable system- the more money you have, the better your care.
So the bottom line is that you can in no way compare care as being better or worse because your own ideology and experience sets the criteria. The US is not a social system and so to say one is better than the other is not easy. Canadians do live longer, their care is less costly over all, the mortality rate is lower and all people have standard medical care paid for through taxes to ensure equitability - you can't be refused because you have had cancer or you have diabetes for example, or because you are on welfare or are elderly.
One thing should be noted as well - our health insurance here does not include life insurance...that is a separate and as you age, a costly insurance. Often in Canada, your employer offers additional insurance as part of their benefit package and that pays for your glasses, drugs etc and very often includes life insurance in it. sammieswife.
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shamus100
Further to your comment, Sammieswife, these new drugs can be extremely costly, to the point of bankruptcy or death for some people.
Canadian health-care is nowhere near perfect. Nothing is.
We have long waits for MRI's, knee replacements, cataract surgery, etc. etc. etc.
LeavingWT, if you're illegal in Canada, you get a plane ride out of here. Your question is moot, unless I don't fully understand it.
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leavingwt
LeavingWT, if you're illegal in Canada, you get a plane ride out of here. Your question is moot, unless I don't fully understand it.
Do illegals in Canada receive free emergency care? (Emergency rooms in the United States provide emergency care to everyone.)
-LWT
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shamus100
Yes.
Nobody is refused, they are just billed. Anyways, they would probably be found out, and brought to a detention centre for a hearing and deportation. There is no such thing as refusing anyone care here, at any hospital, at any time.
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leavingwt
There is no such thing as refusing anyone care here, at any hospital, at any time.
We have the same situation, but in most cases the persons receiving the care are NOT billed. In many (if not most) cases, illegals are not deported unless they have committed a crime.
Moreover, we have upwards of 20+ million illegals. This is one of the burdens of our current system.
As some have pointed out in the past, we have the "working poor", here in the states. Many are citizens, work full-time, but can only afford the same care that illegals get -- emergency room visits.
I work at a hospital. In one recent year, the State legislature set aside $90 million to pay for care that was given for free, in a 12-month period. This is at a single hospital, in the poorest State in the country, Mississippi.
There are many improvements that can be made in our current system.
-LWT
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Lady Lee
As a result of being a JW instead of finishing high school and going on to university I wound up with no education and no money. At the age of 35 I went to college, then university and worked for several years but have not been able to save any money. Raising two kids and going to school isn't an easy thing.
About 5 years ago I had a pain problem that I had ignored for many years thiniking it was just arthritis. When I finally did start seeing doctors they put me on medications. Some worked, others didn't.
By the time I moved to Ottawa 4 years ago I could no longer work and wound up on disability. So at this point I have no income except disability. Without this I probably just want to curl up and die from the constant pain. I live in a country that ensures I have the same care as anyone else.
There are quirks to the disability program and the health care program. I just discovered yesterday that the gov'(disability) will pay for a 100mg pill but they won't pay for the 300 mg pill. I have to take 18 pills a day now instead of 6. If they increase this one medication again I could be taking 24 of those insead of 8.
But. . . I am still getting my medication I have seen upteen doctors since I have been here. The waiting ist for some things was very long - 3 years for the pain clinic. But my doctor was doing all the right things so the wait hasn't been that bad. I've had MRIs from my head to my toes except for the spine and that is next on the list. If I am willing to come in during non-working hours - after 4:30 and any time during the night I can get the MRI in a couple of weeks.
I cannot imagine having to pay for all these tests (bone scans, 3 MRIs, x-rays, ultrasounds, and the medications (22 pills a day right now). And all that just for one problem. Then there are other issues that needed to be dealth with that are not as serious but need to be done.
And I haven't paid a penny for it. I am lucky that I live in Canada instead of just 300 miles south of where I am now