CANADIANS!- Let's talk about heath care!

I just read a post from someone making that same tired claim about how dysfunctional the Canadian Health Care system is, how everyone is rationed care, and how you ALL have to fly down to the states to receive quality care. While this claim isnt as common today as it was a year ago during the heath care debates in the US, it is still a meme oft-perpetuated by the Right, often with 'studies' presented by think tanks like 'the Fraser Institute'.

So, I' like some Canadians opinions on this. Tell us about your experiences with Health Care in Canada, and how much legitimacy you think these claims hold.

Here you go straight from a Canadian woman:

www.lewrockwell.com...

Our Soviet-style emergency rooms have waiting rooms equipped with hard metal chairs, vending machines that sell junk food, and maybe a television in one corner. There is no access to any medical equipment, beds, or even stretchers. In the emergency room everyone passes through triage and is given a code based on a nurse’s cursory evaluation of their affliction. If you are not satisfied with the "care" that is provided there is nowhere else to go, except to an American hospital if you are close enough to the border and can afford to pay cash. Canadians know that if you call an ambulance you can bypass the 10–12 hour wait in the emergency room, but this drives up the costs of healthcare even further.

reply to post by incrediblelousminds


Yeah, the stay in the waiting room is generally a fair amount longer (though no where even CLOSE to the supposed ten to twelve hours mentioned above, think closer to two or three at worst), but I wouldn't speak out against the quality of the aid once actually seeing a medic. I've been in at St. Mike's (I'm a Toronto boy) a few times now for various amounts of stitches, and one or two broken bones, and its always struck me as competent, kind, and professional!

My curiosity, first and foremost, is that amongst any Canadians who think that their healthcare system stinks, how many actually think that the American system is better?

I had extensive back surgery and it would have cost my family perhaps tens of thousands but it didn't cost that much. We do pay for health care but in the form of taxes and work deductions. Granted I had to wait, but that's the price we have to pay to have affordable health care. That's the system I like. We can't have middlemen when it comes to health care.

reply to post by incrediblelousminds


None.

As long as in the US you have to sell your organs (joke) in order to receive treatment, there is no way the US HCS is better than Canada's, or any other european country for that matter.

The problem with the american mind, is that most americans have fears that come from pure propaganda. In any european country (as an example) you have multiple communist political party's.

The same with socialism. Americans are freightned of the same things they want. Everyone in the US (under all that BS about being the best country in the world) should have proper, free, medical care.

So, if you say "lets deduct 5% of your income to make a public Health-care system", most americans would agree. Either that, or cut spending in the military to re-direct it to HC.

However, if you actually put the word of what this is (a socialist way of doing this perticular actioin), most americans will climb walls and insult you and say "we are a free country". The bottom truth is most americans don't know s... about health-care. The US was sold out to the highest bidder in therms of health, and now all americans are paying the price for that.

Trully inhumane situations happen in the US, the same country that wears the flag of "freedom" and "human rights".

The only reason for the US having better equipment in certain cases, the only reason why americans have access to new treatments, is because they are payed by the PRIVATE sector. If you can afford it, yes, the US HC is top-notch. But the problem is, most people can't pay 30 thousand dollars to save their child, or even if they can, their whole life will be ruined by paying that single treatment, let alone if the poor soul has another breakdown.

As far as my knowledge goes, in Canada you have free health-care, which is a way to say that everyone contributes to a health-care system, and in case YOU need it, you don't have to pay. If you are lucky enough to never need it, then you are a better person for donating 5% of your income for saving lifes of those who can't afford the minimum help.

Yes, it's a heavy told on any country economy, to keep a national health-care-system. Yes, from afar it may look unfair for those who don't use it. But I assure you, I sleep better at night knowing that if I get injuried, I get help. And that, although most my taxes go to waste in a stupid governement, at least some of it is saving people daily, and nobody has to die at the doors of a hospital because they can't afford insurance.

Insurance is for your car, a luxury. Not your life.

Just MY opinion.

Note, this is not some Fox biased B.S. this is from direct personal experience:

Cut the tendon of my thumb on december 22nd... go to emergency room... see the doctor within 15 minutes, get diagnosed for surgery the next day.
Following morning go to day surgery, get operated and am out after noon. Wonderful treatment all around, and all my medication is given to me before I leave.

Step father's experience:

Gets diagnosed with lung cancer... the next day he is transfered, and housed at the regional hospital that will be performing his radiation therapy. Spends the week getting treatment, then is sent back home where nurses visit him daily to do some follow up care while he undergoes his chemotherapy at the local hospital.

Total out of pocket cost in both cases: $0. I wouldn't trade my healthcare system for any other.

the Billmeister

Originally posted by kro32
Here you go straight from a Canadian woman:

www.lewrockwell.com...

Our Soviet-style emergency rooms have waiting rooms equipped with hard metal chairs, vending machines that sell junk food, and maybe a television in one corner. There is no access to any medical equipment, beds, or even stretchers. In the emergency room everyone passes through triage and is given a code based on a nurse’s cursory evaluation of their affliction. If you are not satisfied with the "care" that is provided there is nowhere else to go, except to an American hospital if you are close enough to the border and can afford to pay cash. Canadians know that if you call an ambulance you can bypass the 10–12 hour wait in the emergency room, but this drives up the costs of healthcare even further.

Why doesn't this woman move to America then? She needs to stop bitching, literally. We all have to compromise. So what if it's not pretty? People are such douchebags.

My own personal experience, from being a dual citizen and living in both countries:

My first child was born in the hospital in the states. The stay was not ideal, we were booted out quickly (within a day after her C-section), and it cost me over ten thousand dollars (crappy insurance).

My second child was born in a hospital in Canada. The stay was wonderful, my wife was allowed to recover from her C-Section for several days before SHE decided to leave (at no ones request), my wife's mid-wife was covered and the mid wife was allowed in the room with us the entire time, she was our doctor! The stay cost us nothing.

Underfunding is a big problem in Canadian health care.

Dental should be included in health care.

reply to post by kro32

Here you go straight from a Canadian woman:

www.lewrockwell.com...

That doesn't sound like any of my neighbors...

E room waiting times can be anywhere from 3-9 hours, or slightly more, it all depends on who is coming in with what, and if a patient has a life threatening situation, there are numerous factors that come into play with E room waiting times.

Most of us in Canada share into a pot from our taxes (our paychecks) that allow us to not have to pay when we are seen by a doctor, we then have about 80% of the population with extended health care services coming from employers. In todays day and age if an employer wishes to get the best employees Group insurance coverage is a must and almost all employers have it.

If your company in Ontario or Quebec does not have any, send me a Private message and I can give you some excellent info on Group coverage.

needless to say I still value our medical system. There are times when I dont as well....But if you factor in the odds that we dont have to pay for most services even though we do through taxes, We have to give up something to get something in return, which is patience over immediate practice.

There are many private clinics that allow you to get treatments like MRI,s, EKG's, but there is a fee to pay...again...pay out of pocket and you are seen within 1 hr at most private clinics....If you want the free service you will have to wait along with the tens of thousands in line for free health care services.

reply to post by boncho


Well the op was just asking for stories so I gave him one. You can debate it if you want but that was the extent of my contribution. I don't know enough about it to comment whether it's good or bad however a search on the subject brought up far more negatives than positives so I went with what appeared to be the majority.

Originally posted by kro32
Here you go straight from a Canadian woman:

www.lewrockwell.com...

Our Soviet-style emergency rooms have waiting rooms equipped with hard metal chairs, vending machines that sell junk food, and maybe a television in one corner. There is no access to any medical equipment, beds, or even stretchers. In the emergency room everyone passes through triage and is given a code based on a nurse’s cursory evaluation of their affliction. If you are not satisfied with the "care" that is provided there is nowhere else to go, except to an American hospital if you are close enough to the border and can afford to pay cash. Canadians know that if you call an ambulance you can bypass the 10–12 hour wait in the emergency room, but this drives up the costs of healthcare even further.

That's not from a Canadian women. That's from an idiot.

When everyone has access to something, you have to triage. It's obvious...

It's called "the manchester method", and nurses apply it. It states the severity of your reason to be at the hospital, from a flu, to an severe accident.

And that's how things should work. Someone who is dying from blood loss, can't wait, thus having a signal (in my country it's a stripe around your wrist) of colors, red being an emergency, and green a mild case.

It's called "priorities". The US has that a little bit mixed up. While we (europe and canada) make priority for those most badly injuried, in the US you give priority to the type of insurance payment you have.

I'll take the first any day.

And btw, yes, you have alternatives. If you don't want the normal Health-care-system, and you do want to pay (or can afford it), you have private clinics that are all pretty, and do wonders for you....if you PAY.

What makes our system somewhat dysfunctional is that the immigrants don't understand our system and flood the emergency wards. Jeez, get a frickin doctor and go to her/him. Got a bad cold? Infection? Go to a clinic. They're open every day. Diagnostics and specialists are not long to get into.......... if referred from your practitioner. Thus... GET A FRICKIN FAMILY DOCTOR!!!!!

Originally posted by kro32
reply to post by boncho

 

Well the op was just asking for stories so I gave him one. You can debate it if you want but that was the extent of my contribution. I don't know enough about it to comment whether it's good or bad however a search on the subject brought up far more negatives than positives so I went with what appeared to be the majority.

Well, your search must be a little biased because throughout my entire life I can't recall any of my family or friends complaining about healthcare. *Recently surgery has been backlogged, that's about the only thing that comes to mind.-More so an annoyance than anything. We are not talking emergency surgery...

And no, us Canadian's do not refer to our medical coverage as being "from the Sovet Bloc"



Wow....

I'm in my 60's and have had a number of minor surgerys in my life .There have been some minor problems but have always thought I received good care.I live in a small city in Saskatchewan and I know our health care has some problems but I am very happy we have our socialised system rather then the pay private system south of the border.There is no such think as free health care,thats why our taxes are higher up here.I know they have some better health care systems in Europe but I live here and I am quite happy with our system and it is changing hopefully for the better all the time.

Originally posted by intrepid
What makes our system somewhat dysfunctional is that the immigrants don't understand our system and flood the emergency wards. Jeez, get a frickin doctor and go to her/him. Got a bad cold? Infection? Go to a clinic. They're open every day. Diagnostics and specialists are not long to get into.......... if referred from your practitioner. Thus... GET A FRICKIN FAMILY DOCTOR!!!!!

Right. It's all immigrants fault.

Are you under the impression everyone has access to a family doctor?

Emergency room waiting times are anywhere from 2-9 hours here in the US, too. Did somebody claim our wait times are short here? The last time I had to go to the ER was around ten years ago when a house guest became very ill. I drove her to the hospital down the street from where I lived at the time, in Mesa AZ, and we got there around 11 pm. It was around 6 am when she was finally seen and she ended up being admitted and staying in the hospital for a couple of weeks for a liver problem. Once she was admitted, the care was good, but nobody should be claiming superiority of the US healthcare system due to short ER wait times.

That said, it was admittedly ten years ago. We now have 24 hour Urgent Care centers where you can go and be seen much more quickly. It helps keep the ER flowing better for real emergencies like car crashes and gunshot wounds.

I'm just pissed than the Canadian Government doesn't consider Lactose Intolerance a disease anymore thus forcing me to pay for my own expensive pills that I'll need to take forever. Other than that, they're pretty good.