Good news......and bad news

[janesy]

....I guess all my perceptions with the Canadian Health System was incorrect and jaded...

....So maybe I should consider moving the great country of Canada.....that is when your liberal Prime Minister; True Dough is out of office.

Anthony

It's ok Anthony. It isn't perfect and things happen that doesn't seem right, but for the most part it's pretty good and theres lots of fake news and alternative facts about our health care. But just like in the US, you just cannot take one sides story as a fact.

To add to that, it's also took 50 years to get to where we are at. It won't be a free ride at first, yes people who don't pay tax don't pay for healthcare at first, but eventually it evens out and does it's thing.

[janesy]

Anthony on another encounter that makes me appreciate our system in general .
This past weekend my brother , his wife and myself went out to do some scouting for the upcoming season . We get by one of the first stand locations and me and my brother get stung by some wasp/hornets . I got 3 stings he gets 5 . He said he is feeling funny so maybe we should go back to the truck . He made it 100 yards and collapses . Sister in law phones 911 from in the bush . We are over a mile back in without any idea what the fire code number at the road is . So I ran all the way back out . Amazing what adrenaline can do . I phoned when at the road and ambulance was there shortly . The two paramedics and me walked back in with all their equipment . They hit him with epi and then the fire guys from the local station came with a back board . They got another fire department to come with their UTV back into the bush . We got him out and to the hospital .
All of this outstanding care and response costs us nothing but our gratitude .

Glad to hear he's ok.

He will probably get a bill for that one. Ambulance rides do cost us. Usually between $80-200. Althought their billing practice is strange and lots of invoices get lost in the mail so to say

[Stepnoutnb]

I'm happy with the Canadian health care. By no means perfect but it's what it is! 2015 our daughter while pregnant almost lost our first born Granddaughter. Well that was a really high risk pregnancy. She likely had 12 or more ultrasounds was under the care of 3 specialists didn't cost a thing other than super high income tax . Three weeks later my wife had her appendix bust, emergency surgery and she was 5 days in the hospital. Didn't cost a penny other than the taxes. December 2017 my parents as of today 87 and 83 wrecked their car Dad's been in the hospital 13 times since congestive heart failure and Kidney. They are holding their own now. Didn't cost them a penny.
Our health care is by no means perfect but I'm glad to be a Canadian.

Wayne

....Do you pay an additional income tax when you utilize the Heath Care System or is it that that your tax rate is high to begin with?

Anthony

PS: if any of the democrats become president in the States we will have free everything....but not as much as the illegal immigrants get!

We just pay HIGH taxes up front! Just a part of living In Canada. In saying that I am a very fortunate to have made a great living for my Family. My Dad (I love him) is the youngest son of Christian Lebanese immigrant parents they arrived in Canada around 1904-1907. My Mother is French Canadian, I have 2 brothers and 3 sisters.
What my father taught us all was life lessons and respect. When I was 10 years old, people gave him cases of beer for a job he done. He did not drink and bartered the beer to a crew on the road clearing the ditches to increase drainage. In turn they dumped truck loads in our yard. We boys picked, shoveled and wheelbarrow dirt every day all summer to level the yard. I had calluses on every finger between every joint including my thumbs and palms. In September my dried calluses broke and I used the needle on my Geometry compass to break them and cut them off my hands. I did that kind of work allot of summers. In the winter it was snow lol. The first part time Job I had in High school I made 21 dollars. I walked in the house I told my dad how proud I was. He said great job from now on you PAY YOUR MOTHER $7 a week room and board. I've been paying my own way ever since.
Sorry rambling a little.
Please take Trudeau he is the Canadian form of a Democrat! Really please take him!

[Reinyrooster]

I had quadruple bypass surgery in October 2016.....I was lucky and did not suffer a heart attack, so it was more a case of rerouting some plumbing but it gave me a very great look into how great our system is when you really need it. The care that I got was amazing and after a week, I walked out and the only thing I had to pay for was the ambulance ride to the hospital. I couldn't begin to guess what that would have cost me if I had to pay for it......I would be broke.
I am grateful to live in this country.

[Doe Master]

SIL works for Canada Post . Ambulance is covered .

[robertyb]

.... that’s the Canadian health care system!

Anthony

And it cost him zippo!

I remember getting the hospital bill when I had my shoulder surgery done and it was on an out patient basis and did not include the Surgeons fees etc. It was a tad under $120,000. I was there for less than 5 hours.
I would have loved FREE.

[janesy]

.... that’s the Canadian health care system!

Anthony

And it cost him zippo!

I remember getting the hospital bill when I had my shoulder surgery done and it was on an out patient basis and did not include the Surgeons fees etc. It was a tad under $120,000. I was there for less than 5 hours.
I would have loved FREE.

if I may ask, did that come out of pocket??

[ComfyBear]

Got to love the misconception of getting things for FREE. If we've learned anything in life, we've learnt that NOTHING is FREE. The correct word is SUBSIDIZED.
Like other kinds of insurance, the mass populace pays dearly, through insurance rates, or in the case of health care, through taxes. Luckily, then those who unfortunately need to use it, at least get a break and don't have to bear the full price. The ones who are fortunate not to have to use it, can at least get the "fuzzy" feeling, that they are subsidizing their fellow countrymen.

Granted, the insurance companies, or in the case of health care, the government are seen as covering the costs.
However, have you noticed that the Insurance companies after covering these costs, have millions of dollars left over to pay their employees and build skyscrapers with the remaining profits.
In the government's case, after bearing the cost of all the social services, it still has millions left over for "foreign aid", not to mention the millions of dollars that are consumed in "graft".

Yet Canadians are seen as not paying for their health care costs.
Got to love Socialism, it does work for some.

[Reinyrooster]

I don't believe Canadians are of the opinion that we receive "free" health care, rather we are much more comfortable subsidizing our health care system through the many various taxes that we pay in smaller increments rather then having to come up with a huge lump sum of tens or hundreds of thousands after a hospital stay.

[Boo]

Lou, it's there for those who don't presently need it when they need it. You use it now and will need it more in the future. Even those who aren't at the doctors at all have it waiting for when they need it, so in having it waiting is still using it in a way. That part of socialism is working for you right now.
I appreciate our health system.

[ComfyBear]

Lou, it's there for those who don't presently need it when they need it. You use it now and will need it more in the future. Even those who aren't at the doctors at all have it waiting for when they need it, so in having it waiting is still using it in a way. That part of socialism is working for you right now.
I appreciate our health system.

Don, I was just making a point, I didn't say that I didn't appreciate it.
Personally, I have been fortunate to use it only occasionally and burden the government minimally, and I hope and to be fortunate to not need it much in the future.
If everyone was like me, the government would love it. Especially when it comes to E.I.
I worked since I was 13 years old, and never collected a "red cent", and never will now that I am retired, and that's fine by me.
However, I'm sure others have made up for my lack of use, and I ain't Dixie.
...and the beat goes on, so let in the clowns, There ought to be clowns...

[Boo]

Lou, it's there for those who don't presently need it when they need it. You use it now and will need it more in the future. Even those who aren't at the doctors at all have it waiting for when they need it, so in having it waiting is still using it in a way. That part of socialism is working for you right now.
I appreciate our health system.

Don, I was just making a point, I didn't say that I didn't appreciate it.
Personally, I have been fortunate to use it only occasionally and burden the government minimally, and I hope and to be fortunate to not need it much in the future.
If everyone was like me, the government would love it. Especially when it comes to E.I.
I worked since I was 13 years old, and never collected a "red cent", and never will now that I am retired, and that's fine by me.
However, I'm sure others have made up for my lack of use, and I ain't Dixie.
...and the beat goes on, so let in the clowns, There ought to be clowns...

As they say, they're already here.
Lou, I didn't think you didn't appreciate our health care. You aren't stupid. I surely haven't used it much but my mother did, especially in her later years. What I like is knowing that people won't face a financial disaster if they or their family gets seriously sick. I love the fact that I pay minimal amounts for prescriptions. I like knowing that if I were to end up with a long term terminal illness, Karin will not worry about losing what we worked so hard for all of our lives. I don't want that to happen to anyone.
Speaking of ambulances, I've been in one once when I cut my forearm with a circular saw. I didn't get a bill for it and I always heard that there is a charge.

[ComfyBear]

No doubt, even if we haven't used it much ourselves, we've been fortunate or unfortunate, depending how one looks at, to know or have known folks who had the need to use it. So in the end, it's good to know it is there if we need it, but hope that we don't.

[paulaboutform]

Anthony, what are the tax rates like through the U.S.? I'm curious. I also appreciate having subsidized health care but I'm curious what the cost difference would be? My sister in Connecticut pays $1800.00/month for medical and I believe a comparative low percentage of income tax vs the 47% income tax I pay. Let's call a spade a spade here. It's great having it available but at the same time, I believe we don't get the same level of care as an American with good insurance. What I mean is that where I'm told an MRI wait will be 12-16 months, my sister will be in < week. I'm actually curious what the price difference would be comparing say a $2000/month insurance cost and 20% income tax vs 47% income tax??? ....and come on all you guys slagging justin Trudeau. He's great if you look beyond the morally and ethically challenged thing!...and just look past the outright stupidity and evil....then he's great.

Paul

[Tom]

Here is another take on the health care difference between Canada and the US.

A while ago someone I knew in the US (from another forum, trail camera) told a little story about a man he wanted to hire to work for his small company. He owned a small company and employed 30-45 people (depending on the times). He said when he received this man's resume he was ecstatic, he was just what he wanted and what the company needed.

The trouble was, this man had a heart attact years before. Even though he was deemed healthy now, his company health care provider deemed this man as high risk, and if he hired him, his policy would increase 40% across the board, that is for all employees. He couldn't afford to hire him.

This man worked for years and was covered but when his company closed and he lost his job, he lost his medical coverage. Because of his previous heart troubles he couldn't even find coverage for himself that wouldn't bankrupt him.

In Canada, our coverage is Province wide, might soon be country wide so if we do have an existing condition, we can't be dropped and we will have coverage.

I feel sorry for people that get put into situations like this man was in. Yesterday it was him ..... tomorrow could it be you or someone in your family. If it is you that is put into that situation, you are out of luck. I feel at ease knowing that I will get health treatment, even if it might take longer than we think it should at times. Our system is like an insurance policy incase we might need it at some time.

How many members here have an extra bow or more just incase it might be needed. If it is not needed great, but if it is, your covered.

Tom