Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire About that ideal health care system in Canada...

I knew some clean-hands oil company workers in Calgary who were paying over 50% of their income in taxes. This was back in the mid 90's.

That Dale, is at least one, "Fly in the Ointment".

I find it odd. I was talking to a Canadian doctor on a flight one time and he was telling me how great Canada was and how screwed up the USA was.

Of course I asked him why he was in the states, and it was to make money.


Liberals are the same every where.

I can tell you, even when this was back in the mid to late 80s and early 90s... I was involved in the cardiology market, calling on hospitals and teaching hospitals in 9 states...

Wisconsin, Minnesota, The UP of Michigan, Iowa, Nebraska Missouri, Kansas and North and South Dakota...

They had cardiology programs at the Hospitals in Marquette Mich, 2 in Duluth MN, 2 in Fargo ND, 1 in Grand Forks ND, 1 in Minot ND and 2 in Bismarck ND.....

Each one of those programs, had over 50% of their business and cases come out of Canada. The Canadians had to pay cash on the barrel before the procedures, but also paying in advance they did get substantial discounts, since the hospitals didn't have to deal with the health insurance run arounds.

These Canucks had to cross the border to get the medical attention they needed in the time frame their doctors would tell them they needed it done in.

They would be told they needed a procedure to save their lives within the next 6 months for example or they would die... so they have to go elsewhere to get on a waiting list....

They would be told they couldn't get them in for the next 18 months... and they would respond they needed the procedure in 6 months or they would be dead... and the bureaucrat would once again respond like he never heard then, 'we can get you in in 18 months, would you like us to schedule that?'....

So they would have to cross the border and pay cash for the procedure... that is social health care for you...

My wife is Canadian and never had an issue with the health care system. I'm sure it could vary from province to province though. She thinks it's insane what happens here in the States.

Let see... wait 4 hours for care, or wait 2 hours for care and get a 10k bill. Boy, that's a tough one. I'd wait 10 friggin hours with a broken arm and be seen by a 1st year doctor from india to avoid the mystery billing that happens here in the USA. I work too hard for my money.

And tax rates.. Well, if you are shelling out 15-20k a year for premiums, plus a big deductible, (thanks obama), you'd really have to be making some cash to not come out ahead.

I'm from Saskatchewan. You're a hundred percent correct. Our health care system is a joke.

I've had both. Three major surgeries in the states while I was playing hockey. I can't compare that to ours though. We had team doctors that got me in right away. All I know for sure is you won't find too many happy people around here about parts of our health care system. Saskatchewan has one MRI machine in the entire province.

This sums it up

I'll take my chances with living long enough to pay it off...

I wrote a fairly long reply but lost it when my internet connection crashed (I live in a semi secluded spot and poor internet service is one of the prices I pay). In short, I have lived on both sides of the border since I was seven years old. As an adult, I have experienced health care or had family members who experienced it on both sides of the border.
In Canada, health care is a service provided by health care professionals and administered by federal and provincial governments. In the U.S., health care is provided by medical professionals and administered by private insurance companies.
In Canada, the system has suffered under increasing administration costs and top-heavy management. Hospitals over-pay for supplies and budgets are spent on more administrators rather than on more front-line professionals.
In the US, the problems are similar but the money flows differently.
I am aghast at the cost of medical insurance in the US (pre-Obama or post-Obama). The entire system seems to be set up to provide maximum benefit for the insurance industry. Even the US military personnel have their health care provided by a private insurance company.
Ultimately, working people are almost undoubtedly better off under the Canadian system. The executive class might be better off under the US system. They can afford it and their employer pays for their health insurance.
By the way, the "clean hands" guys in the oil industry who are paying 50% income tax are likely dragging in close to a grand per day, or better, sitting on their duff in an office. The guys actually producing the wealth are probably making 1/4 as much and paying income tax at around 25 percent. GD

not 50 % income tax. 50% of their income in taxes. but that was just what they told me about 25 years ago

I knew a gal from Ottawa that blew out her knee running and was on a waiting list for an MRI. The last time I talked to her she had been waiting 8 months and kept getting pushed down the list by people that came in with more serious ailments like brain tumors, etc. They did keep her in pain meds while she was waiting however. She said that if she had the money she'd go to Buffalo and have the MRI but she couldn't come up with the money. If you wanted to get an earful then get her on the subject of the Canadian health care system, you'd better have a few hours though. That was one Canadian that was NOT happy about their health care.

I know a lady from Swift Current, Alberta. She said she never had the problems Rush Limbaugh mentions about Canadas healthcare. She is a very active , health conscious woman. A Christian , most likely fasts one day a month, no alcohol , or cigs , , , very happy person too. She most likely seldom went to the doctor neither because of this. I am also dismayed at our cost of our healthcare costs. We pay about 9k but my wife works for the hospital so she gets a discount. I went for a yearly physical , told the doctor I had a bump above my abdomen. One look and said it's likely a upper abdomen rupter. Went for a council at the hospital on advise from my doctor. It was a 3-5 minute consultation. I get the bill, it was $ 1,000 dollars. I get the revised bill, insurance pays 678, I pay $ 323 for a 5 min. doctor visit. I just payed it and won't even bother to get the hernia done. In all honesty, what would the operation cost , if just looking at it was $1,000 ? I imagine $ 50,000 ? Not joking, what would it be. I am sure it will set me back my deductible of $5,000. It's been there for 35 years. Very likely will be there when I die unless it starts to hurt. My biggest prayer is " God , don't let us get sick" .

My number one response to people that want America to suck is "Why don't you just live in Canaduh?"




Dave

12 pack of Blue $24. Had to go to the hospital once while on a hunting trip. Shared a double room with a woman. Quote from a hospital worker, "the rooms are dirty and there's no money to clean them up". Just a few rambeling thoughts.

I went hunting in Ontario a couple years back. I was speaking with the guide and he said he drove 6 hours to get to an appointment for a torn rotator cuff in his shoulder.

It took 6 months or so to get the appointment. He got there and they said nothing was wrong with his left shoulder. He was furious and got up and left. He told me that they had someone else's medical records and he didn't trust them to do the surgery. He was thinking of coming to the U.S. and paying cash to have the surgery done.

I am from swIft current. It is not in Alberta. It is in Saskatchewan and the problems are so bad here people are driving 2 hours to regina to have babies.

...people are driving 2 hours to regina to have babies.


They could try the bark method, but I would not recommend it.

I have had extensive medical care on both sides of the border, each as a local resident.

Mixed bag on both sides. Some examples:

1. I got a serious rare disease while living in the US, worked my way up through specialists, had Regency Blue Shield lie to me in documented communications and then cancel my insurance in mid-disease, concluded from research that the best specialist in the world for my case was in Canada, had my top US specialists follow the Canadian doc's treatment protocol for me and three other patients with surprising success, and then on the advice of the US docs, went to the specialist in Canada for the corrective surgery needed since he had more experience with that surgical procedure than anybody.

2. Wife had disabling sciatic nerve pain while living in Canada, with severe pain. Worked our way through the Canadian system, were given urgent status for an MRI which meant a wait of six weeks to six months, went to a private MRI clinic, paid cash and got same day service and the first progress in identifying and curing the cause of the pain.

Observations: irresponsible people who use emergency care for routine medical needs are hurting the Canadian system financially and clogging the system. Medical care is erratic on both sides but especially so in Canada, from excellent to poor, depending on where you are and who your doctor is. Having lived half of my life on each side of the border, some of the best doctors in Canada have gone to the US in years past because they could make more money. I.e our kids born in Los Angeles were delivered by Canadian doctors who moved to L.A. We like our family doctor but he is in a town 20 miles away from us and our local hospital, so we checked on changing doctors. Impossible. They are all maxed out with patients and taking on no new ones (which contributes to use of ER for routine medical needs).

She is in her mid 40's however , and does not live there anymore and dont know when she left. But you guys have big bucks to shoot .