What's your resting heart rate?

[shootingstar]

I believe there is a federal arrangement with provinces for transfer of money to the provinces for each provincial public health insurance program.

But that's only part of the story. Yes, I agree there are provincial differences of what residents pay (or not pay), availability of doctors, etc.

I've lived in Ontario, B.C. and Alberta. For whatever reason there is a problem in Alberta of immediately securing a family doctor as a new resident....it's probably a combination of doctor shortage, more women doctors who choose not to work punishing long hrs. (my sister is a living example with 2 young children. Now up to 40% graduating med students are women in Canada.). But there are other reasons.

BUT in Alberta for wierd (and stupid) reasons a resident does not have to pay a quarterly govn't imposed premium which is the opposite of B.C. (and I think Ontario. But I would have to ask.) This has been in effect for last few years. I doubt that is helpful to provincial budget on health care, but this province is more "selfish", in terms of its social support programs, etc. in general.

Alberta is the only province that doesn't have provincial sales tax...personally I just think it's stupid. Tax payments from the oil firms could never possibily cover our provincial budget.

I just see less sophistication and social services advocacy in Alberta. Voices of marginalized and weak/sick are quite muffled, compared to Toronto or Vancouver. And Calgary now has 1+ million people due to rapid growth in oil and energy sectors.

Yea, I guess I better get on the waiting list for family doctor..


In B.C. a single person pays abit over $56.00CAN every 3 months to the goverment. So it's VERY reasonable to have access to physician care. Of course, with additional payments to an insurer (ie. Blue Cross), one can stay in the hospital longer, get their own private room, etc. These top up services vary across different provinces in Canada. I am aware of this only because I've worked for various employers and knew what additional health benefits I could pay into.


In Vancouver I just merely dropped to my family doctor down the street with an appointment of course. Sure there were line-ups (as there are in big cities with many people) ...but it wasn't as difficult to find a family doctor with several days advance appointment booking for first time.

May I explain the level of quality of health care that is possible if you are in the right province, better city in Canada:

My father is under the care of specialists at Canada's top cancer research hospital in Toronto. He was never discriminated, never put back somewhere in the lineup for appointments because he is 82 and has cancer, which is terminal/non-curable now. He has appointments every few months, spend time, etc. He takes drugs. I have not heard of my parents charged much (if any) for these highly specialized drugs.


Sorry for my rant. But there are long time Albertans who want less tax, it is a province with big C Conservative for many decades, etc. Well, guess what: this is the situation that's going on right now. Alberta is abit like Canada's version of Texas in a down-scaled way, probably.

So does all this mean I should start taking my heart rate. For me it means doing simple stuff often, maybe not perfectly....cycling, eating ok, etc.