Canadians- are you happy with your national health care system?

Question

People here in the U.S. are always condemning Canadian health care, but then I've some wonderful things about it too.

What do you guys think?

Answer 1

Generally it is a superior system in Canada, as exemplefied by our longer lifespans and lower infant mortality rates. Even conservative politicians and talk show hosts in Canada who criticize and wand to change the system are adamant that they don't want anything like the American system. Also, not only are all Canadians covered but medical education (doctors and nurses) is also highly subsidized. The downsides are (1) waiting times for certain surgical procedures, and (2) the same system that makes medical education cheap also limits professional medical salaries.

Answer 2

Okay, I am writing this as an American with firsthand experience with Canadian health care, as well as with U.S. health care. My husband is Canadian, and I live here in Canada now.

The upsides to Canadian health care is that no matter who you are or what your income, you can go in to a doctor anytime you need to. As an uninsured or under-insured person in the U.S. a person often has to pick and choose when to see a doctor, and sometimes waits too long, causing worse health problems.

Also, in some provinces, if your income is over $1,200 or so, you still have to pay a monthly amount towards the national insurance. Also, it does not cover medicines, medical appliances, dental or optical, you pay for these out of pocket or pay monthly for private insurance for these things.

Another thing I have noticed, with my husband having three hospitalizations in three different hospitals in two provinces, is that U.S. standards and quality are higher, and the time factor is extremely noticeable even in small things like blood tests and such. What took me 3 hours to receive in a U.S. emergency room, took my husband 48 hours to receive in a Canadian emergency room (same tests, etc). Also, he had to wait 14 months for a hernia operation, and it's been 3 months so far waiting for gall bladder removal, and no firm date yet. At the same time, it was so good to not have been $25,000 or more in debt due to the hospitalizations ... which had it been in the U.S. most certainly would have been the case.

Also, Canada is beginning to get a two-tier system ... there are clinics and urgent care facilities, and even surgical centers where you can get immediate care (no waiting) if you are willing to pay for it.

While both countries need improvements, at least in Canada a parent can take their child in to a doctor without worrying about the cost, and people can get needed treatment without the worry of ending up bankrupt or homeless because of the cost.

Answer 3

Interesting question. Our health care although it is "free"- has its downfalls too. For example, just last week my grandmother went in for minor surgery and she was sent home with a catheter (which we had to pay for). No one in my family is a nurse and so we were sort of forced to deal with it the best we could- getting in touch with her general practitioner to find out when it could be removed took 3 days and we had no idea how long she could even safely have it in place. When we did get in touch with her GP, we were told to just show up at her office and wait for an opening when she had time- this took almost 3 hours.
We have alot if cut backs in the medical industry which means the people we have are working double time- which in turn means they are not always pleasant and aren't able to give as much care as they should. It's the nurses I feel for really. The doctors come and go pretty much as they please.
Doctors "recommend" c-sections now so the births will be scheduled and won't interrupt their golf games. They reschedule surgeries and the waiting lists for specialists is ridiculous. There are procedures being preformed that don't need to be done just so people can get paid and the drug companies give the doctors incentives to hand out perscriptions that don't need to be administered. You can walk into a doctors office right now and complain of pain and get a script for a narcotic and it just keeps coming. In Vancouver, there are over 10,000 people addicted to prescription pain medication that started with their family doctors. It is corrupt in some aspects. Some doctors are just there for a paycheque and some (if you are lucky) are genuine and care about what and who they deal with. They get paid regardless!
I had a cousin that had to wait 6 months for a brain scan to detect a mass- she opted to go to the US and pay for it. She was in and out in less than a week and she said the care she got was amazing. I guess it all depends on who your doctor is. Sorry about the rant ;)

Answer 4

As a Canadian I think it stinks..30% of all our extremely high taxes goes to health care..Many places don't even have a Doctor, because we don't pay them as well as dentists or vets. The doctor's that have offices are full of people who only go because they are bored and the visit is free. The government couldn't organize a rodeo in a one horse town. Goverment insurance, gov't health care are wasteful and inefficient. Wait times are ludicrous and getting worse..Don't get sick!

Answer 5

I am happy with it.

My opinion, as Canadians we debate how to fine tune our system to make it better. Obviously it is not perfect. (I think we need to go more of the way of Norway, or maybe Germany.) Americans then take our fine tuning debate and use it as an exaggerated example on why they should continue down their system based on having a right ideological theory.

So Canadians take our system and look around the world for ways to improve it. Americans exaggerate our flaws to justify their flawed system and then don't have to bother to try fix it.

Answer 6

ya of course i am!.. its practicly free... BUT to tell the truth i didnt even notice that our healthcare is pretty much freee. I learnt it from al the US saying it becuz im just use to it so i never noticed

Answer 7

I think they have good health care - it's here in the US that I can condemn our healthcare - (or lack there of)!!!

Answer 8

I really don't think either of them are good.
You shouldn't have to pay for a doctor.
But you shouldn't have to wait 6 months for cancer treatment either.