OT question for our Canadian friends

How would you rate you health care system in Canada

Not knowing any different,I would give our system very high scores on patient care.My Dad has had many serious health problems over the past 20 years,including heart opperations and bone cancer treatment,septic blood poisioning and to date they have taken excellent care of him.I do have an aunt though who moved to Pennsilvania with my uncle almost 15 years ago who probabbly wouldn't be living today if they stayed here.My uncle's an ENT surgeon who took an offer to move there.Shortly after they moved there she started to have bowel problems that they found to have stemmed from chrones disease.She eventually needed a small bowel transplant to save her life that may still not be able to be done here,which was done in Pittsburg.I agree that the health care in the US is years ahead of ours,but a person needs good insurance.My uncle said once that the opperation and all the related expensis would have totalled over 400 000 had they not had insurance to cover it.In most cases our health care is wonderfull,but it is in some areas behind yours.

A more meaningful question would be: "Would you be willing to swap your system for ours?"

You'll probably get many different opinions,but this is my experience. My wife had Multiple Sclerosis for over 30yrs and without this system,we would have been completly destitute years ago. There were times when one had to be patient,but we never waited,if the situation warrented immediate care. I firmly believe that many who decry the system are those who believe that the sun rises and sets on them alone,never get involved in the community and run to the Emergency with a hangnail! One has to get involved in any system in order to get things done.While our system may not be totally perfect,I thank God that we have it.

I'm not Canadian obviously, but I saw this the other day. Says it all for me.
Untitled URL Link

We were in Port Angeles which is just across the strait from Victoria,B.C. We were at a marina in the evening visiting a friend on his boat.Upon leaving we came across a rescue in progress as someone had fallen of his boat just offshore.We were there as he was removed from the rescue boat.Shivering badly,and severely hypothermic,he managed a few almost incoherent words.His words were,over and over,"Please don't take me to the hospital"
We were shocked. That would never happen in Canada.Our healthcare isn't perfect but it sure is better than none affordable healthcare where an aspirin costs $110.

Compared to what?

Maybe he did not want to go to the hospital because he doesn't like hospitals or doctors. Or maybe he was smart enough to know that the hospital would charge him an arm and a leg just to immerse him in hot water and wrap him up in blankets,things he could easily do for himself.

I have two brothers and a sister who married Americans. After raising their children in Canada they moved to the USA so their spouses could be near their spouses families. Without hesitation they agree that overall the Canadian system is light years ahead of the American system as far as affordability is concerned. On the other hand, free service and a shortage of doctors and nurses have lengthened our waiting times for some major services. One thing our USA family members recognize though, is the USA emergency waiting rooms aren't full of people with hangnails, scrapes, slivers and sniffles because it usually costs money to go there. Canadian emergency rooms are plagued with the problem of having to sort out issues that should be handled by a regular visit to the doctor, instead of plugging up emergency rooms.

I'm in my sixties and have had several major suguries over the years. Other than the very affordable monthly health care premium, (which in Alberta since Jan. 1st 2009 is covered by the government)they didn't cost a penny. Of course the money comes from taxation, but being spread out accross the population and industry, the increase in individual taxation is minimal. Certainly much less than the health care premiums were.

Even though our system covers the cost of most routine services while we are abroad, most Canadians buy short term health insurance while they travel. It too is very affordable.

Our system has served us very well. No complaints.

Believe what you will, he did not have to go to the US for that surgery, the guy is a complete jerk. The same surgery is available here in Canada. Danny Williams has more money than brains.

Sure.

the short answer, no never. not 100% sure how US system works so hard to comment on which is better. some time in our system there are quite long waits for elective surgerys or some high tech tests and you have to be patient as there are some long waiting lists but treatment and sugery is available to all and at no out of pocket cost. on the other hand if your in an accident and have some type of bad accident and injury, or say a heart attack or stroke you are in the system very quick and again at no cost. some people who have the money do deceide to go to other countrys to get treatment quicker or some treatments that are not covered or available in our system and i dont think that is wrong and only goes to shorten the wait for the guy who doesnt have the money. our system is far from perfect but everyone is coverad even that
"homeless person" and no one loses their home or retirment savings do to some long illness. now back at you. how are you covered in the USA, private insurance through work or at your own cost? are there many who fall through the cracks with out coverage? say you are insured and come down with some long drawn out illness and cant keep up insurance payments, what happens? not sure which system is better but i think and im sure the majority of Canadians would say were better off with the devil we know!!!

regards rocko

He's a politician, what do you expect? There are flaws with the Canadian health care system but one of the best benefits is that they will treat you if you need it. They don't check your bank account before they will treat you. I know people that have been injured the US and instead of paying thousands for treatment, they will do what ever they can to get back to Canada. I broke my collerbone and all I had to pay was $15 for the figure 8 brace. I think in the US you have pay for all the Dr's. and X-rays etc. Dave

If you'll do some research on the Canadian system as compared to ours, you'll see they can each be described as pyramids:
The Canadian has a wide, wide base: everyone is covered, and for 95-98 % of medical conditions, but it doesn't have the cutting-edge state-of-the-art developments high peak ours does;
Our pyramid has a much narrower base (and getting narrower with people getting laid off, short hours, or simply can no longer afford decent insurance) but the peak is very high: we have all the latest golly-gee-whiz developments---all out of financial reach except for a few lottery-chance charity indigents and the wealthy.

Rocko,

Thanks for your detailed answer. As for the US system, I don't know if I can answer without drawing a bunch of political posts that will surely get this thread deleted. But here goes:

There's no doubt that the US system has some of the most advanced treatments in the world. But it's also the most expensive. Since the 1930's, the system has been based on employer-provided insurance, which was OK until policies got so expensive that self-employed individuals couldn't afford them. Today, medical conditions are the leading cause of bankruptcy in the US. Even if you have insurance, if you have a serious medical condition you may still end up in bankruptcy.

I wouldn't say that we don't have the high peaks either. There is and always has been considerable research done here and new procedures developed. That is probably not as widespread here as in the US.... but also consider that our population, needs, specialiasts etc are about 1/10 of what the US is... I think by proportion we hold our own.
On the other end, everyone is covered for any procedure that is medically necessary.... that is to say, cosmetic surgery is not generally covered.

I for one would not trade what we have for a US style system.

Rod

I will take our system ahead of yours 100%. The fact that I have been self employed all my life (and therefore no employer offering health care benefits) may affect my opinion. We do have the option of private health care insurance if we choose to top up our "pyramid". The only people that go bankrupt in Canada paying for health care are those VERY FEW that choose to go out of the country for health care for WHATEVER REASON.

Actually, our emergency rooms are overflowing with non-emergencies. It's our de-facto health care system for the poor. Its against the law for an emergency room to turn anyone away, so now that is where the indigent go for routine care. Most of the time it looks (and sounds) like festival day in Tijuana.

Countries all over the world are making break throughs in treatments and procedures. Not too long ago the University of Alberta made headlines for a state of the art procedure. The Gimbel eye center in Calgary was one of the very first to do advanced eye surgery and had 1000's of US patients. My dad had cataract surgery there and it normally cost's $2000 an eye but my dad only paid $400 an eye because health care covered the rest. If my dad had waited to have it done in a local hospital, he wouldn't have had to pay anything. His optometrist highly recommended going to Gimbel because he has better equipment and a 99% satisfaction rate. Another person had cataract surgery at a local hospital and wound up with scratched cornea's and other problems. I think people outside of Canada paid up to $3000 an eye. Canada has had it's share of major developments in the health care field. Dave

I've experience both UK and Canadian Health system, and I won't trade either for the US. Both have their issues and problems, but it's nice to know that if you or a family member get's something bad, the treatment costs won't break you financially. Sorry, I'm not a big fan of insurance companies.
Chris

My apologies to anyone who took my comparisons of the US/Canadian systems to be any kind of denigration of the Canadian system---I wish ours was as good.
It"s also perfectly true that state-of-the-art developments in other countries seldom get the recognition deserved, or even any mention, in US medical/general media. The desperate search here for patients who can still afford our medical care creates a great deal of presuure by US medical groups to ignore or downplay anything that could possibly bleed off paying patients.
We have people here flying to India, for top-flight work, with the total bill--tickets, hotels, surgery-considerably less than US costs, but it"s seldom mentioned publicly, for fear of losing patients/income.

I think that the Canadian health care system is great. We get the care we need, and don't go broke or die waiting for it.