Is health care really better in Canada? (page 4)

dinah

Even people who hate Obama have to admit our system doesn't work. The illegals were mentioned. Hospitals pass the costs of the uninsured on to the people who have insurance, which in turn makes premiums and deductibles rise. We have good coverage, but we pay about $4,000 a year for it and part of that is paid by hubby's employer.

He got sick about 3 years ago and was in the hospital for 20 days. The bill was over $200,000, which was mostly covered but Jesus Christ on a cracker! He had 3 CAT scans, a TPN line and one of those pain medicine pumps, most of the time he was asleep. One illness like that with us uninsured would have wiped us out.

Bubblie

Let's hope something is fixed soon on our health care here in the US. I am starting to pay my own insurance. It is costly since I don't have a job yet. Maybe, I could work to get enough money to pay for the insurance or find a job that will give me health insurance. I am not sure that is something that can happen since right now not too much to choose from here in TN. Thank you all for your input. Guess I really can't move to Canada right now either.

sammielee24

As I said - it depends on your belief system. I happen to believe in Canadian style healthcare wherein every person, regardless of their income, condition, gender or age receives necessary medical care.

The USA has a lot of MRI machines - not everybody can get the chance to use them. You can have a million machines providing the best technology in the world sitting in a warehouse and they are no good to a soul if they have no access. If you think there are no waiting lists in the USA for replacements or scans you don't read much. Got money? Got great insurance? You go to the top of the pile. Got none? Get on a waiting list and hope for the best....hope.

Newsweek had a great article this week on Canadian systems including the stability of the Canadian banking system, pension funds, housing and health care -

It reports that the Canadian health care system is cheaper than America's by far and yet does better on all major indexes. Life expentancy is 81 yrs vs 78 in the USA; American car companies have moved so many jobs to Canada to take advantage of lower health care costs that since 2004, Ontario and not Michigan has been North America's largest car producing region.

I believe you will see a major change in the USA during the next 4 years and this conversation won't be had. Ultimately if the USA has a health care system like the one in Canada, there will be a better flow of care across the board and most likely across the entire North American regions. sammieswife.

Twitch

I personally know Canadian nurses and physicians that moved down to the US. Not really that much better according to them.
Canada has the lowest doctor/patient ratio in the Western world.
Canada’s doctor-patient ratio is among the worst of any industrialized nation: with just 2.2 physicians per thousand people, it ranks 24th out of 28 OECD countries (well below the average of three). And among the G8 countries, Canada ranks dead last when it comes to physician supply.

I've known nurses that moved to the US. Why? Because the pay is so much better. Attrition of professionals to the US is primarily for this reason.

From my experiance with the nurses union here, pay scales have improved but don't compare to the US rates and losing newly trained RNs and LPNs is/has been a concern.

shamus100

Hi Twitch,

It is my understanding too that Canadian RN's are closer to doctors in the U.S. - practical nurses have one years training, Rn's have two years in the states. It's double that in Canada.

I've heard of many that have gone down and gotten huge signing bonuses, and bigger pay rates. It's just adding to the problem here.

No health-care system is perfect.

sammielee24

I personally know Canadian nurses and physicians that moved down to the US. Not really that much better according to them

But we don't hear why the majority don't. I asked my own doctor that one time as both he and his wife, a doctor, worked in the same building. His answer - he believed that his duty, his job, his motivation, was to help people - and the system he worked in all the way around was the best for him. In other words, it suited his personal value system to remain in Canada working as a physician.

One country isn't for everyone and it isn't all about money. My sister is an LPN and despite travelling all over the world, will never move out of Canada because she likes what she has. Some go/some stay - when the USA becomes on par with the Canadian way of service, then those bonuses will cease to exist for the most part and even standards may streamline. sammieswife.

purplesofa

My comment is about MRI's. I worked at on out-patient MRI Imaging Center and the MRI dept at the hospitol. At the outpatient center, we had two scanners, and did about 35/40 scans a day. Many of the scans we did were same day service from leaving a specialist office, the MRI had to be done that day! Most of the MRI's were negative, even the radiologist, the reading physicians say MRI's are way overused. They get paid the same whether the tests are negative or positive. The cost to scan the brain and COW(cirlce of willis) a scan of the blood flow in the brain, to have the physician read it, is a little over $5,000.00. If the patient is on Medicaid or Medicare they group and hospitol will take whatever they pay, no additional cost to the patient.

I am sorry there is such a waiting list in other countries for needed MRI's. I found this happen with a friend of mine from London. It was a three year wait for him. The group I worked for offered to scan him for free on one of his visits here, but since he had back surgery he would have to get GAD, gadolinium, ( dye) and he refused as he thought it would be something that would mess him up for further care in the UK.

Some doctors that order MRI's do not understand fully just what procedures need to be done and they are needlessly ordered. The insurance pays for a needless expensive procedure. Happens everyday, while people who really need tests and procedures fight and wait to get these things done.

I am whole heartedly all for healthcare for every person on the planet. It should not be a deciding factor on whether you are employed or not.....healthcare should not be leverage to stay at an abusive job. People should not suffer because they do not have healthcare.

I find that my European friends have a sense of calm and security that Americans do not have concerning their needs for healthcare. An assurdeness that all is well. It would certainly help people to worry about more important things if healthcare were not a problem.

purps

cognizant dissident

In Canada it has been the standard since 2001 that RN's must have a bachelor of science degree in nursing. Not equivalent to MD but nurses who have a doctorate in nursing can be nurse practitioners, deliver babies and run clinics, conduct research, and do many of the procedures a doctor normally does.

shamus100

Thanks for the clarification, cognizant.

This further ads to they're demand over the border and overseas, making it worse here.

MRI's are given out for the most needy first. It's unfortunate that some people find out too late that they have problems much later than they should.

Is health care really better in Canada?

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