Why can't America have universal health care like Canada's?

Question

As I understand it, and I am no EXpert on the Canadian system:
1- All who work pay into the system. 2- All who need reasonable health care of all kinds get it free. 3- The government owns all facilities and buildings that are nice. 4- All Dr's, Nurses, Dentists, techs, (all personell) are govt employees. All are reasonably paid but no millionaires. They are compitent and good at what they do. People with bad performance records are fired. They all work reasonable hours for good benefits and there are enough of them to go around. In a new town, no worries! 6- Supplies are purchased with bids. Drugs are cheap by the truckload. Along with everything else! 7- If you want a heart transplant at 80 yrs old you can go to the states to get it yourself. They won't waste government money on it for you! 8- LET'S GET REAL AMERICA, we pay more for less health care than any developed country in the world. 9- It's a crime.

Bulldogtwo

Answer 1

I am in Canada, and our health care is getting worse and worse. They USED to cover things like eye care, but now you have to pay for all that. We have to pay for dentists, and physical therapy's...... every year they STOP paying for something, so we have to pay out of pocket. We're getting to be more and more like the US.

Answer 2

First of all, in Canada, doctors work 9-5 just like the government because the government runs the healthcare. Dr's offices aren't open on major holidays. Doctors work hard in this country, if you can't get in between 9-5, tough luck, no extended hours, no emergency on call unless you're dying!!! Imagine all the people that don't get treated because doctors only work 40 hour weeks, here they work 60-80 hour weeks. We pay more for healthcare because 1) doctors work more, 2) we have probably twice the illegal immigrants that Canada does, and our tax dollars pay the hospital bill when they can't!! Cause in Canada, if you can't pay, the government comes after you rather than some collection agency and a bad credit score. 3) price is controlled by supply, the more in supply, the cheaper the product, the healthcare industry has the power to produce more drugs, thus forcing the price down, but they won't, some people just love making money off of seeing people suffer, also, they don't want people to get "drug happy".
Why do you think doctors make so many mistakes in this country, they are worked 70+ hour weeks, on call at all hours of the night, worked 48 hours straight.
Who do you think pays for free clinics? Tax PAYERS!!! People without health insurance in Canada, would do without!!! Die on the streets, etc. etc.
Have some respect please. If you want to change the system, I would reccomend one of 3 things:
1-go to medical school and become a doctor
2-become a politician and force immigrants out of the country
3-move to Canada

Answer 3

Canada's system has it's own share of problems. Would you want to be put on a months-long waiting list for a coronary bypass or an angioplasty? From what I've read, their system results in a somewhat lower standard of care that's just more evenly distributed. Routine care is not a problem, but if you need something more costly or unusual...good luck trying to access it. As I see it, no one country has the perfect solution to the costs of health care. In the U.S., you can get some of the best care out there, but only if you have the big bucks; that said, our access to various procedures, drugs, and diagnostic tests is not predicated on limited availability and waiting lists. So there are pros and cons to both sides. Limited access to the best care, or wide access to less than the best...who decides which is worse? It's a tough call IMHO. I do agree, however, that the American system is on life support and needs some serious overhaul, pronto. The trick is how to overhaul it without discouraging scientific progress and innovation...and without completely undermining the basic foundation so much that everyone in the system would have to learn to think radically differently about their role(s).

Answer 4

Let's clear up some misconceptions:

1. All who pay taxes pay into the system. In some provinces with additional Health Care premiums, everyone pays.

2. Covered health care is limited. Dentist visits, eye glasses, ambulance rides, prescription drugs are not included and you will need to pay extra from private health plans for these 'extras'.

3. The government only owns the hospitals, and provincial health clinics. Private family doctors are independent consultants who bill the government at set rates, but are private companies.

4. Over 50% of the Dr's, Nurses, etc are not gov't employees, only those who work in Hostpitals and provincial clinics. Dentists are rarely gov't employees, and neither are family doctors or their nurses. Techs usually work for private labs and are also not gov't employees. All are NOT reasonably paid, as seen by nursing and doctor shortages from those leaving Canada to the greener pastures of the US. Small towns accross Canada are losing their doctors and nurses to the point where many don't have local medical treatment and are trying to induce doctors to come to small towns. Oh, and those who are gov't employees are unionized, so it is hard to get rid of people with bad performance, but they usually don't fire anyone because they need everyone they can get to stop working 12 hours shifts.

6. Supplies are bought through government bids....and when is the last time the government ever paid a reasonable price for anything? Drugs are cheap as the Canadian government enforces price reductions in return for longer patent protection for the Drug manufacturers (ie no generic drugs for a longer time).

7. Yes the government gets to pick and chose who lives or dies, and remember Politicans and federal criminals get to jump to the front of the line!!

8. Get real America, do NOT use the Canadian system as your answer. Like Canada, you need a hybrid of public and private health care, or you will end up like Canada where the system is so broken, the Courts have ruled that Canadians have the right to buy private health care in Canada just like the US.

9. It's not a crime. For the taxes an average Canadian pays extra each year, you can buy a lot of good health care. My last tax return would have afforded me over $12000 in the US to buy health care, and my parents pay less for their healthcare in the US then I pay for my provincial health premiums and blue cross....and their plan is superior in almost every way to mine!!

Answer 5

In many ways universal health-care would be harmful to society. First of all, sales and income taxes would both be raised to support the cost of this kind of health-care system. With the high taxes we are paying now is it really worth paying even more?
Secondly, The salaries of health-care practitioners would be drastically decreased causing many to not want to pursue jobs in this field. For doing 14 years of extra schooling the salary would not be worth it for some.
Thirdly not one government agency or division runs fluently or successfully. If our government cant even run the DMV how can we expect them to be in charge of our health-care?
Though others may say that Universal Health-care would be a great advance for our nation it would actually be harming every single American! Waiting times for medical procedures would drastically increase, putting many lives in danger.
Though universal health-care may sound brilliant in theory, it is not right for our county.

Answer 6

My Canadian friends say they wait months for doctor's appointments. They thought the Walk-In clinic in my town was the most amazing thing they'd ever seen. I'm a little scared of Canada's health industry...

Answer 7

Universal health care is not profitable for the rich who run the government and influence congress. That is the bottom line.

Answer 8

I do not think so, You would not want to be put on a waiting list for major surgery would you. there are Canadians who come to the us for surgery. I guess I value my life more. If you are not sick enough you will be put on a waiting list no matter what age.

I do not live in canada, but I have heard a lot of stories of candians come to the US for medical care because they can get it faster here in the US.

Yes we do pay for our medical insuranace but look at the care we get.

Answer 9

I agree with you, but, we pay that price because we live in America.

I don't think it will ever change. So if you want that, you will have to move to Canada.

I think America is just a money hungry country.

Answer 10

You're correct - you are no expert.

Americans are too smart for a system like Canada's

Why do so many canadians travel to Rochetsr, Syracuse and Buffalo for their MRI's? Answer : they don't want to wait 6 months.
'nuff said.