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[smilingcat]

Oh ohhh. Talk about health care/insurance and I get more than earful. Let's just say that its another reason for me to emigrate out of US. I pay through the bloody nose for no-health care. Deductible is sky high, premium is sky high. I'm getting fleeced just to avoid the penalty from IRS. And for what?

Some may complain of excessively long wait in ER. but most self respecting ER operate on a strict rule of who is in dire need. If you have a simple fracture and not a compound fracture you may wait while a gunshot victim is rolled in taken care of first. This happens here in US as well as in any other civilized country. Well they may not have a gun shot victim but you get the idea.

So I paid how much last year for nothing.

[shootingstar]

[QUOTE=smilingcat;709229]Some may complain of excessively long wait in ER. but most self respecting ER operate on a strict rule of who is in dire need. If you have a simple fracture and not a compound fracture you may wait while a gunshot victim is rolled in taken care of first. This happens here in US as well as in any other civilized country. Well they may not have a gun shot victim but you get the idea.[QUOTE]

That's correct smilingcat, serious emergencies are handled immediately. My sister is an emergency medicine doctor.
I was and actually had a CT scan. (No I wasn't charged.) I was unconscious and wasn't even aware I had this done to me. I was put on a spinal board because they weren't sure what happened to me. So I woke up a few hrs. later on a spinal board in the hospital bed.

I did have an ultrasound for soft tissue damage while in emergency care. No, I was not charged for that.
Helene, for non-urgent ultrasounds it has been just a month or so wait in Calgary for me. No charge if ordered by doctor.
I was lucky to find a family doctor who I like, not far from home and work when I moved to Calgary. At the time of my accident, it was critical, that I had already established a relationship with a family doctor after moving from Vancovuer.

Alberta has its own problems for available family doctors and part of it, is due to rapid population growth. 35,000 people moved to live in Calgary area. It was the fastest growing city in Canada before the oil bust. Economic recession has caused some oil workers to return back to Maritime provinces, etc., but we still have a bigger population.

Same for regular lab tests for physical checkups ordered by doctor. No charge. It is part of the health care system.

YEs, Helene is right, dental care is not covered at all by the Canadian public health care system. Nor is counselling. For the latter, there might be some access (free or discounted) for low-income and IF there is a non-profit organization with counselling services but sometimes that is more group oriented which really doesn't fit initially a lot of needs. I just happen to have some access because of an employer benefit.

Dental care is very expensive in Alberta. More than British Columbia and Ontario where I've lived for several years. There was an news article a few months ago that compared the different provinces.

Germany I have heard has a good public health care system..but their personal tax rates are higher.
I was a bit shocked that Alberta govn't was dumb enough to nix the personal monthly payment rates. B.C. is now $75.00 monthly payment for individuals to B.C. Mionistry of Health, if you are in highest income bracket: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/he...dents/premiums Regardless of whether or not, you use any health care services. I see that payment as simply necessary for maintaining the health care system.

I can't find a fee for Ontario residents. But anyway, here are some general conditions, etc.: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/publi.../services.aspx
My father had prostate cancer and had excellent top specialist care in Toronto for ..5 years. But then 1 of Canada's major cancer research hospitals is in Toronto. He saw doctors every few months. I have not heard from siblings about costs and would have by now, if there was any or if it was exhorbiant or unreasonable. My father was low-income senior.

He was also admitted to palliative care at a hospital for remaining 2 months of his life. He could not get out of bed nor walk. Again if it was unreasonable costs..I would have heard by now (and probably asked to share costs with siblings for care).

As long as CAnadians can get medical care for needs via their family doctor and then seeing specialists when they need to, then it's not worth getting pissed off about paying higher taxes. I think the waste may be on the administrative side, (million dollar computer technology contracts that get screwed up for health care. THat's a problem of govn't not placing strong contractual controls on consultants.)

I'm biased : I have several siblings who work in the health care system in different facilities and different jobs in Metro Toronto. I honestly don't know why people think they can get more services for less taxation, yet not contribute out of their own wallet.

[Helene2013]

My husband is on wait to have an inguinal hernia surgery. The surgeon said the wait is between 3 to 6 months (3 months if all goes well, 6 months if he gets many calls for cancer surgeries). Nothing to pay either. We saw our generalist who referred to 3 different surgeons, doing surgeries in various hospitals. It was up to us to decide which one he wanted to get the surgery done.

We saw our generalist mid-October, saw surgeon mid-November, pre-op tests were done at hospital on Dec 15 and are good for 6 months. Now we wait for the call. All this is "free" through our province plan. Surgeon said that if husband has any pain until surgery day to get to the ER.

If he wants to get the surgery done faster, we can go through a private clinic. The actual surgeon does not do private, unless the companies pay for it (probably need to be a COO or something). A private surgery costs around $2000 for this. My BIL had it a few years ago. Since he is in no pain/discomfort, we will wait. When he gets the call, it will be 48hrs (sometimes it can be 24hrs if cancellation) and he can refuse twice before being put back at the end of waiting list.

I told him he could go private but prefers to wait.

If I can pay $2000 for my dog's hip surgery (done 2 weeks ago), pay for his physio, etc... I can't complain if I have to pay something for us humans.

If people in Canada truly knew the price of medical care, those who complain about it, would probably be very surprised if they'd see the details of a visit or surgery.

Someone mentioned to me last week tat in Canada they were talking about showing bills to patients so they were aware of how much a surgery or a visit can cost. I know some blood tests I had to take at some point were over $700 (standard blood/urine panel) if I'd go to private lab. I did not as I did not mind waiting an hour at the CLSC to get it done publicly. My private insurance would probably cover it but I hate "abusing" the system as premiums in the end, end up increasing for the whole people at work. So I try to use it wisely.

[Crankin]

Wise statements, Helene and Shooting Star. I feel the same way about people who complain about paying for health insurance here. Don't like the 50.00 co-pay? Well, your procedure might actually cost 2,000. Or maybe 10,000.
Taxes are for the common good. That includes health care, roads, police, fire, and schools. Everyone uses these services and it is part of living in a civilized nation that we pay for these things. I don't deny that the US still needs to figure out a way to do this more equitably. It seems like the "red" states have more uninsured people (still) and people who are stuck in those high deductible/co-pay plans because they have opted out of the exchanges as part of the ACA. And then the people blame it on Obama. I thank G-d I live in a state that understands that health care is a right.

[smilingcat]

Please don't think that I'm bad mouthing ACA aka obamacare its a baby step in the right direction. It's far better than nothing. I just can't get relief from ACA.

[shootingstar]

Smiling cat, I kind of gave up trying to understand the complexities of ACA as it was being rolled out. So whatever I say is about publicly funded health services is within only what I've experienced...after living in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta as an adult.

I just found out from my sister that my father's care for cancer chemotherapy and palliative care, did not require costs by him. He was an ideal patient: made very rare use of health services before he had cancer. He had appendix removed....minor surgery. Very healthy. His greatest pain was experienced in final 3 months of life. He was diagnosed with cancer 5 years before.

In all of this, I still believe that it's best I remain as healthy as possible. When there is serious injury/unforeseen major illness, recovery is faster/living is made less painful because there's less/no other pre-existing medical problems. It really is about quality of life. It is not (for me), taking advantage of a public health care system in unwarranted ways.

[Crankin]

I don't think you are bad mothing the ACA, Smiling Cat. You are self employed, so it makes it all more difficult. This is kind of what I am talking about; if we funded the national health care plan (through taxes and other appropriations), self-employed people would be able to have the same kind of medical care I have. It should not be employer dependent. But, I am seriously doubting that will happen in my lifetime.