Glad I'm A Canadian

[Kathleen_Mc]

Guys: I feel sorry for you all in the United States. I think it's terrible that you have limitations as to what doctor you can have based on an Insurance Company's "approved list".
Kathleen

[Battyp]

I feel sorry for us too!  If you dont' work for a huge company you can't afford your health insurance and when you get something like this and can't work you can't afford to cobra your insurance..OUCH

[Mark]

Being somewhat familiar in a general way with the Canadian healthcare model I would suggest there are pros and cons of each depending on one's situation. The US system at a very simplistic level involves a balance of choice and cost where as the Canadian system is the same acess and level of care. Those in an HMO in the US choose to have a lower out of pocket cost in exchange for less physcian and medical center choice. If you are in a PPO type of program generally you pay a higher premium but have virtually unlimited access to your physcian of choice. For most people with generally good health and just looking for basic family care and check ups and HMO works great however in the case of a significant  health issue requiring access to specialized docs like an acoustic neuroma, it becomes an obstacle.

That being said , unless the Canadian system  has undergone some significant changes in the past 4-5 years since I last looked at it there are disadvantages to it as well. It essentially is set up as a national HMO, much like in the UK. I can't speak to physcian access but the speed of getting a treatment performed is much slower than the US. How critical the situation is obviously comes into play but from what I've read it can take months for procedures to be scheduled. The other drawback is access to technology. What is available in Canadian medical facilities is typically not as advanced as in the US. When I lived in Minnesota there was always a significant percentage of my hospital customers patient load coming from Canada because they either a) wanted the procedure done faster or with b) some new technology.

I do believe the US healthcare system is broke in many ways ( legal costs, third party payer system etc) and would never hold it up as the ideal model. The canadian system is very effective system which reflects what it's society will accept and that is the key issue. The American society reflects some different expectations and I think most people would struggle with the restrictions other country's models impose. Most people in the US , when faced with a significant health issue want access to the best and they want it now. An HMO gives people a feel for what other country's models look like and it generally frustrates people in serious situations.

Obviously, Healthcare delivery is a very complicated discussion, but my point would be that there are a variety of perspectives to factor in when comparing them

Mark

[Battyp]

Mark can I have half of your smarts?  Please oh pretty please?  I have a ppo which is great as long as you can afford to pay for it.  Just to insure my son and I when I lose my insurance is 850 a month.  Pretty steep when you aren't working.  It's all so frustrating!

[Raydean]

I'm alittle confused, perhaps things have changed in the past 5 years or so, or maybe differs region to region, but I knew a lady in western Canada who had a larger tumor (around 3 cm) who wanted radiation as first choice for treatment.  But the panel of Doctors stated that surgery was her only option. it wasn't a matter of her choice, but their choice for her.  As I remember it went before a board or panel of Doctors who made the decision.   I discussed with her the possibility of comming to our area (United States) for treatment. Her reply was if she did, she'd have to pay all expenses, which she couldn't afford.

By posting this, I don't mean to bash the Canadian Health System, I just confused knowing what my friend went thru.  I think "no choices" crosses the boundaries of both countries.   Maybe a Canadian member could explain.  We also watch Canadian TV ( love airfarce, or this hour has 22 minutes) but noticed commercials for health insurence coverage, in fact the person leaves thier house half dressed, stating you wouldn't leave home half dressed, why be covered by half.    If you're covered by the goverment health care, why is the added insurence needed.  I think the comercial was for Blue Cross?

 Improvements are needed in both systems.  Healthcare should be a right, not a privledge.  Here in Washington State to qualify for State Health Assistence a person must be

Pregnant
Blind
62 plus years of age
or disabled

That leaves alot of cracks to fall thru.  I know during the worst of my husbands treatment time we made choices between paying $650. a month for Ins. and other bills. We had to maintain coverage while we sorted thru the outcomes.  Due to outcomes it was important that he be seen by specialists not covered by a HMO's  By the way as an added fact when I turned 56 years of age, the cost for the same insurance jumped to $965. a month based on my age only.  This was not based on usage (which I would of understood).  We had BC Premera, with a fairly large deductible ($2000.)  The above quotes of costs were for 2 adults only, no dependents.  

It's a shame, that a person either has to rob a bank to afford coverage, or by robbing the bank and getting arrested, and placed in jail, now has medical covered.  Go figure!

OK, I'm stepping off my soap box now
Best to all
Raydean

[Battyp]

I applied for disability due to not being able to do my job and was told I had to wait 2 years to qualify for medicad.  I'm scared what the 2 years without coverage can bring!  Might have to think of a crime where I only get a 2 year sentence  lol

[Raydean]

Battyprincess

Do you think a Google search would turn up a sentence structure time list?  You want to make sure that you get time off for good behavior to go on that cruise mentioned in the Good Morning thread, or else the gang from the cruise list would have to bust you out <g>

Raydean

[Battyp]

I know I'm really tired when all I could think of with "sentence structure time list" was some grammatcial thing I must have done...DUH I get it...

I know a gun in Fl with get your 10, 20, or life so def. that would be a bad idea...Drugs maybe?  Heck I have enough to start my own pharmacy  lol 

Heck I think most of us wenches are already busting out  lol 

[Mark]

BattyPrincess,

Half of my smarts and $5 might get you cup of coffee at Starbucks, wouldn't expect it to be worth more than that 

Mark

[Battyp]

Wouldn't need the coffee froms starbucks just the five bucks..

See I'd be smart and I'd have 5 dollars more than I had so then I'd be happy too, could dance a jig but I might fall down and lose my 5er

[Kathleen_Mc]

Yes it is true that before we got gamma knife in Canada if you wanted the governement to foot the bill for it you had to go in front of a "board" of sorts to determine if OHIP would foot the bill and if they determined not to that you had to pay it yourself or have surgery. I think it's all in the hands of your doctors now that we have gamma knife now though. My point was that I wouldn't like to have to worry about looking for the best doctor my insurance would cover for treatment, just have to look for the best doctor in general. The ad's for blue cross you see is to have things like semi-private coverage, dental care, medication not for hospital care, surgeries and basic care. I didn't mean to open a discussion/debate around the topic of different health care systems just give my sympathies to those who have to spend so much time and energy looking for a doctor with restrictions placed on them based on thier health coverage provider.
Kathleen

[Larry]

Goodness me. I thought health care was expensive in Oz.

To fill you in. medicare is 1.7% on top of your tax and provides you with free public hospital care (2 year waiting lists don't help). Mosty GP's bulk bill so a trip to the quack is free. For those that don't bulk bill, it may cost you up to 420 on top of the medicare rebate for the visit.

My provate health fund costs me $320 per month (top cover for a family) and I get free private hospital plus some additional rebates on specialists and the usual other crap like physio etc.

My MF op cost about $15,000 all up and i got back around $5,000. I went private. The surgeons fee was $6,500 and i got back $1,000 (i had 2 of those) plus the other quacks whop were in surgery - I had no idea about.

there is a big thing happenning now where the insurance companies want a 4% increase and everyone is going ballistic about it. Amazing the differences.


Larry

[Battyp]

Lar you lost me..how'd you get to OZ?  I thought you were an Aussie?

All total mine was 100K mostly paid by insurance or I'd be living out of a box under the interstate somewhere. 

[Larry]

Oz is slang for Aussie / Australian. We tend to shorten everything and bung a z on the end, thats zed not zeeee


Laz