What is Digg?210 Comments
- sentry21, on 11/10/2009, -7/+151And this is why I LOVE being Canadian.
- gvoakes, on 11/10/2009, -3/+92I love Canadian healthcare. I don't mind paying taxes for it. It's better than paying $20,000 for an operation you may need unexpectedly.
- bewareofthecow, on 11/11/2009, -5/+64Buried inaccurate for saying I have to wait a long time if I get hurt. This is not true. Seriously injuries are treated almost immediately. Walk in clinics (you don't need an appointment) sometimes have up to an hour wait. At least in my experience.
- AgeofMastery, on 11/11/2009, -3/+55Canadians don't come to the US in any great numbers for treatment
http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/ ... - crozon, on 11/10/2009, -3/+54The same trip here would cost you nothing and you could go to any clinic. X-rays are free too.
- joculator, on 11/11/2009, -1/+45Yeah, in Canada they don't have a 660 billion dollar defense budget.
- crozon, on 11/10/2009, -3/+42Those with money to burn that don't want to wait 3 months for an MRI head over the border. I wonder if that will change if Obama's Universal Healthcare goes through?
- bemaniac, on 11/11/2009, -2/+41I'm from Alberta, and I live in California right now, so actually my income taxes are higher in the states.
- elijahyossie, on 11/10/2009, -0/+38I'm British, and the National Health Service here is similar. You pay all the time, and get health care when you need it.
- MacBookForMe, on 11/10/2009, -4/+42Dugg for that Canada!
- thezoner, on 11/10/2009, -5/+41Here in the states. Just got back from the doctor. Waited a half-hour before being seen, then another half in the exam room. Referrals for x-rays. But I can only go to one specific place. So---this is different than Universal health care how?
- tgc1, on 11/11/2009, -1/+35Strange thing about the MRI you mentioned. My cousin got about 5 of them and she didn't wait more than a day. Was also seen by at least 5 doctors. All free. Go figure. Canadian healthcare.
- Riccallo, on 11/11/2009, -1/+34I'm British and 9 weeks post op after having a double lung transplant. I take 30 pills a day as well as extremely expensive anti rejection drug. All this was needed due to a pre existing condition. How much does it cost? Not to sound like a dick, but I don't know, don't care. My fellow Brits kindly paid for my treatment and after care. Thanks guys.
I have to wait a hour to see my consultant sometimes.
In America I'd be dead.
I'll wait an hour, and stop whining. Thanks. - nocturne81, on 11/11/2009, -1/+31http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/01/14/death-st ...
http://bungalowbillscw.blogspot.com/2009/08/averag ...
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/ohi ...
http://www.mta.ca/about_canada/study_guide/doctors ...
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/healthcare/price ...
There. Feel better? - canadaboy, on 11/11/2009, -2/+31So, over a persons lifetime, a US citizen will spend $255,022.50 more just on health care. I for one appreciate that at the end of my life, I will have had a quarter million more to spend on things that make me happy, like housing, transportation, education and other stuff.
Thinking about that, it's an amazing number. Every 4 people in the US will contribute 1 Million dollars to health care over their lifetime, that could be spent on something else. That's a lot of money to live a shorter life. - Velnich, on 11/11/2009, -2/+29Some of those trips were sent by and paid for by the Canadian government as part of their health care. The going south argument comes up again and again, but you love to leave out this tidbit.
- Velnich, on 11/11/2009, -1/+27Correction, this is one of several reasons why I LOVE being Canadian.
- pcyopick, on 11/11/2009, -0/+26My wife went to Roswell Park (near Buffalo) for cancer treatment that was not available in Canada (Interleukin 2). This was covered 100% by the Ontario government.
Without health care, the bill would have bankrupted my family (in excess of $300,000), and I still would have had no wife (as she passed away). With universal health care, I used her life insurance to buy a condo and put some money away for our three children. It's hard enough now to deal with the loss of my wife, even though it's been 3 years since her passing. I'd hate to have to deal with bankruptcy at the same time. - Allik, on 11/11/2009, -4/+29Because we don't need it other countries actually like us.
- frsrblch, on 11/11/2009, -0/+22I'd make a joke about our armed forces were it not the eve of Remembrance Day.
- canadabluesfan, on 11/11/2009, -1/+22That and the poutine.
- badqat, on 11/10/2009, -6/+27Canada has its advantages. Weather is not one of them, but they have us beat in many ways concerning health care.
- frsrblch, on 11/11/2009, -0/+20They go to the US because they would have to wait for elective treatments and exams in Canada. It sucks to wait, but priority has to be given to those that need treatment immediately.
- JeffD, on 11/11/2009, -0/+20They don't your news organizations just want to make you think we do.
Those "long" wait times also only apply to elective surgeries. Anything time sensitive gets dealt with immediately. - elijahyossie, on 11/10/2009, -2/+21If you are, say, a polar bear, the weather's great (-:
- Deadlyrose, on 11/11/2009, -2/+21Many of the times Canadians go to the US for special surgeries and treatments due to long wait times and/or lack of proper equipment. When a Canadian goes to let's say New York for some big fancy surgery, it's usually one of our Canadian Doctor's saying "Hey, you need this surgery now, we have the money you need to pay for it, but not the facility and manpower... here lets send you to the States to get fixed up as they got nothing better to do than take our money.... eh." :p
Not to bash the US system, but its a greed driven system, MONEY speaks louder than LIFE, and I HOPE your system improves for the sake of all Americans.. not everyone is a middle-class or higher citizen with the income to support health insurance. (And not to mention the horror that is being denied for a "pre-existing condition") - bemaniac, on 11/11/2009, -0/+18In Canada, health coverage is rolled into income taxes, and I'm sure you'd probably get thrown in jail for not paying those...
- CrackITJack, on 11/11/2009, -0/+18Same here. And in any province I'm sure.
- bemaniac, on 11/11/2009, -0/+18Because if you have the money to spend, you can get certain specialized treatments sooner.
This might start tapering off as some provinces are beginning to roll out a quasi-two tier healthcare system that allows doctors in the public system to do private work part of the time. - CrackITJack, on 11/11/2009, -4/+21Fines and jails is all you yanks understand. Why all the fuss ? Just keep your ***** system in place and STFU.
If being ranked 37th among industrialized countries is good enough for you, keep it up and leave us alone. - thezoner, on 11/10/2009, -4/+21exactly my point crozon, and the people that don't have insurance would get health care too.
- Antialias, on 11/11/2009, -0/+17Probably, because for them that would mean not paying their taxes. With our proposed system you pay the insurance directly rather than through the government. Really not having insurance is stupid anyway(even if you are young and perfectly healthy) unless you are independently wealthy and can self insure.
- CaptObvious, on 11/11/2009, -2/+19Too bad they didn't put up a fence when your ancestors tried to get here.
- Moralogic, on 11/11/2009, -0/+16Does anyone know what it takes to become a Canadian citizen to opt into this system? I might move to the boarder.
I just listened to a dumbass client of mine talking about america becoming socialists, then I returned with a reply of, so you watch Fox news? She then replied, yeah why?
That was a huge, I am going to bill you a little more now because evidently you are too stupid to know what is good for you. I rather use that money to help fund her public option for her. - Propethic, on 11/11/2009, -2/+18From who? The nordic hordes?
- jhewitt, on 11/11/2009, -0/+16Yeah, I agree. I'm in Toronto and if I call up my family doctor and ask for an appointment, it's usually scheduled for the next day. Last week, I walked into an x-ray clinic with a note from my doctor and got the x-ray within 10 minutes. Not saying this is the norm everywhere in Canada, or with all services, but it's my experience.
- frsrblch, on 11/11/2009, -4/+20"if you are rich or politically connected, you get to go to the good hospitals or to the US"
Pull stuff out of your ass much? - chikuten, on 11/11/2009, -1/+16Logic is void in the States. Even when illustrated.
- D2Much, on 11/11/2009, -0/+15You are treated right away, there are waiting lists for surgeries that aren't needed immediately, which is somewhat the only complaint I have.
- canadabluesfan, on 11/11/2009, -0/+15I agree, the idea of a fence separating you from my country is actually quite appealing right now.
- GrammerPants, on 11/11/2009, -0/+15Depends where you live in Canada I guess, here on the west coast we see a snow fall or two a year, then it's comfortable all year round.
- HyperionHK, on 11/11/2009, -1/+15That's more or less a myth. Some (rich) Canadians DO cross the border to get health care in the US faster. However overall the number of Canadians crossing the border is so small that it's completely irrelevant
A study from 1996 that had almost 18000 respondants showed about 90 respondants sought care in the US in the previous year, and only about 20 of those had gone to the US with the express purpose of getting health care there.
On top of that another study of US Hospitals in 2002 concluded that in comparison to the number of Canadians using the Canadian health care system, Canadians traveling to the USA to get health care was "barely detectable".
It's a farce. Sure, it does happen, but it's so rare it's irrelevant. Americans also cross the border into Canada to get health care and cheap prescription drugs, but you don't hear much about that - bemaniac, on 11/11/2009, -0/+14I've waited 8 hours in an emergency room in Canada, and I've waited 8 hours in an emergency room in the States. If you go to an emergency room with a non life threatening illness, you're going to wait.
- Canadian0207, on 11/11/2009, -2/+16There was no need for an infographic.
- cdnmoon, on 11/11/2009, -1/+15I love being Canadian. Whenever I'm sick - I thank my lucky stars I live north of the border.
- badqat, on 11/11/2009, -1/+15Actually, in most states, you can obtain referred services such as x-rays, MRI, CT, lab work, physical therapy, etc. from the provider of your choice. In some cases, your physician may be referring you to a service from which they stand to profit - i.e. he owns the place that provides x-rays.
However, if you live in a rural area, you probably won't have many options without travel. My primary care physician is in the next town over, which was more of a quality concern more than anything else. I'm still driving 70 miles to a dentist, again, more of a quality concern more than anything else.
I believe we should implement a single-payer health care system. I believe we should end the war on drugs, take the money from that endeavor and place it into health care. Take taxes on things like marijuana sales and place it into health care. It will pay for itself if we do it correctly. And it can also raise our standard of care. Win-win-win-win situation, folks. - GeneralFuzzy, on 11/11/2009, -0/+14It's better for the low and middle classes.
Strangely for a government monopoly, it seems to be quite efficient.
We have fewer doctors, nurses, and equipment (MRIs, etc) per capita, which is why wait times are worse.
As well, doctors and nurses are paid lower wages than their American counterparts, keeping costs down.
Canadians are also healthier, with lower obesity, smoking rates, etc which also helps with cost.
By most measures, Canadians are healthier than Americans and our health care system outranks yours according to the WHO, but both Canada and the US are far from the top. The top countries all have mixed public/private systems. - footfwd, on 11/11/2009, -3/+16Canadaz ***** yea!!!!
- stuffradio, on 11/11/2009, -0/+13My condolences.
- GrammerPants, on 11/11/2009, -0/+13That has nothing to do with Canadian system and everything to do with travelers insurance, which this Canadian wasn't smart enough to get.
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