Is Canadian Health Care system really better? I thought it was, but a friend told me that your taxes are SOOOO

Question

high to cover the cost of it and that you have to wait a long time for care because of it being universal. Is that the case-please tell me about it and why it is good or not so good!

Answer 1

There is a lot of misinformation in the US about the Canadian health care system. I think the insurance lobby is at the bottom of it as they have the most to lose, Billions in fact that would go for heath care for everybody. For those that argue it is to expensive, the US is ranked number 1 in the world in cost of health care. For those say the quality of health care will go down, the US is currently ranked 14th in the world in quality of care. It is a shame when the richest people on earth will not care enough about their fellow citizens to provide health care for everybody.

Answer 2

Canada's taxes do seem high but the taxes are spent on other things. Health care receives only a small percent of the tax money; In-fact during many Canadian elections the demand for increase funding is always mentioned as a concern.
Canada believes that everyone in our society has a right to live. Though some Canadians want many of the American ways, like more speciality health clinics and priority given to those with more money. Our Health Care system needs more funding to make improvements but is really a beautiful thing.
The quality of our Health care system is also a beautiful thing. We have family doctors that we can visit in case of an emergency instead of a hospital.
It is true that we do not have many pharmaceutical advancements and their are many drugs for treatments that may be allowed in the US that are not allowed here. The reason is not lack of money or lack corporate development; It is the difference in laws and regulations. Money or the want for money has the capacity to corrupt and that is why we have strict regulations regarding how long must medical products be tested before it is available for public use.

Answer 3

It is a myth that Canadians are taxed at an extremely high rate. Most pay 10-15% income tax, which isn't overly obscene. That and everybody regardless of medical history, income bracket or location has the same standard of care. Think about how much carry supplemental insurance costs your employer or yourself personally on a monthly bases. Does you insurer cover all treatments as long as they are approved? Will you insurer pay for you to go to a facility with better equipment, that is more suited to your needs? Mine will (OHIP Ontario Health Insurance)

If you are in a non urgent situation and you walk into a hospital for treatment, you are going to wait. The same is true for many American hospitals as well. If I want a refill on prescription or have a common cold I may as well book a day off to sit in the ER. However that is why we have GP's and walk in clinics. If I am having elective surgery I too will wait. The system does work upon priority. The more life threatening ailments go first.

The system could use some fine tuning, but there is a peace of mind in knowing that you have insurance and will always have insurance. Unfortunately life brings the unexpected nobody should have to face bankruptcy , loss of insurance, and really loosing everything they have in times of illness.

As a side note Canada does still contribute to medicine, since research is done via universities which are not funded by the government. Canada has been on the leading edge of using inter-operative MRI for stoke diagnosis and treatment. Canada is also very active in the use of amniotic and embryonic stem cell research for neuroregeneration.

Answer 4

The US spends 14.6% of its total production on healthcare.

Canada spends 10% of it's total production on healthcare.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/healthcare/priceofcare.html
It would seem the real bill for healthcare is actually lower in Canada - is the quality of care lower?

Many of the worlds best drug companies are American, so this 14.6% figure must record some of the billions and billions which are spent in research and development as part of GDP, which will show up as a higher %age of production.

However, I think hospitals in the US have the characteristics of a monopoly, and that's why bills are so shockingly high for many routine operations and treatments if you don't have insurance.

I believe in universal healthcare, even for people who cannot at that stage or time in thier lives afford it, which they may be able to later on.

What should happen is that the patent is given part-credit/part-insurance by the nation if he cannot afford the care, which he will later have to pay back or part-pay back, so its in his best interests not to spend the money, or to spend it wisely. This way, It would also be in his best interests not to smoke, get fat etc..

That fat slob smoking and drinking his way to an early grave, generating profits for McDonalds and US tobbacco, or the jobbing farmhand missing an arm spurting blood from a farm accident, he and his family have helped build the great nation we see today.

Just because he cannot afford care for his eventual cancer, doesn't mean he should be written off. There is a concept of citizenship, which means people do not have to drink from posion rivers due to free market industrial needs, or die from an accident because they do not have funds.

Answer 5

You know it may be great. It's a matter of opinion.
But the fact remains, and I've debated this with several people over the years that their system cannot work if we down here in the USA develop a similar system.
New cures, new medicines, new surgical procedure and new equipment will never be developed in a socialized setting. Those thingscome from people investing their money in those corporations that develop those things, in exchange for a share of the profits. You take away the profits, the you take awy any motive for investment, funding and ultimately development of new cures, drugs and techniques.
I debated in a chatroom once, I asked a Canadian woman, what has Canada developed in the medical industry? She came up with all kinds of examples, insulen comes to my mind as one of them. But when I check each one on the internet, everyone of her examples was developed BEFORE the Canadian health care system was put into place.
If we took on a similar system, even the countries that the democrats cite as successful models we should follow, would suffer, because they benefit from our innovation.

Answer 6

Friends in Canada have told me the healthcare tax is different from province to province.
However I would still welcome universal healthcare in this country, health insurance premiums are around $400 a month per person for just hmo coverage, and no healthcare tax imposed is going to be 25-30% to make it anywhere near the same.
I've worked in medical billing, and it is sad, the things the insurance companies do.

Answer 7

we won't have to live on the streets or lose our hose if we get sick or need an operation or if we get into a bad accident, the waiting isn't so bad , it just seems like that when your sick or you think your the only one that matter, i have friends in the US, that have lost every thing because they had to have an operation that their medicare didn't cover plus they had to wait just as long as we did for the same thing soooooooo what better paying the extra taxes or losing everything you fought and paid for all your life or pay alittle extra on your taxes, is there a better system, i don't really know

Answer 8

the money really isn't a big deal. the money you pay in taxes is less money than you currently spend on health care.

the waiting is harsh. so is he fact that people don't always get procedure approved.

which is why private insuranced is offered for those with the money

universal health care is still a great system for many citizens

Answer 9

I have a canadian friend who I was discussing tax rates with, his were ridiculous. I couldnt believe it.

I want no part in anything like that

Wolf you are wrong, I spend minimal amount on my insuracne premiums, the taxes that it would take to supply everyone with "free" healthcare would be way more than I spend on HC a year.

Answer 10

Its worth it the taxes aren't that much higher they jus tgo to health care and education instead of military
you have to wait a little longer for pills for a cold but if you are truly sick you will get top quality care right away
its totally worth it becuase poor people will get treatment htey need instead of just rich
also your taxes are higher but you don't have to pay as much for surgery and such