A question to Canadians?

Question

I've heard a great deal of complaints about the taxation and the inefficiency of the Canadian health system. I'm wondering, however, if there is another side to the story. Are there any Canadians out there who prefer what they do have to the American insurance system?

Answer 1

I am a Canadian. The Canadian health system is vastly more efficient than the US system, at least in terms of overall costs. I don't just mean patient costs, but overall in the grand scheme of things.
The Canadian system, while not perfect, has many positives, such as being able to see a GP for free, whenever you need to. People tend to be pro-active, as they know they can go to the doc when they are a little sick, and don't wait until they are seriously ill b/c they are worried about the cost. I have several American friends who almost died or got extremely ill just because they couldn't afford to go to a doc in the early stages of an illness.
In the Canadian system, no matter how rich or poor you are, we all have access to specialists and high-tech tests. Granted, you sometimes have to wait for several weeks or months, but for life-threatening illnesses, they move very quickly in most cases. It is a very comforting feeling to know that you can take your child for heatlh care whenever necessary, and that there is a very solid health network in place. No one ever has to worry about being able to afford to seek treatment, about having to get a certian job just because it comes with health insurance, or having to fork out cash for personal insurance.