I can!Why?Because I have lived in two countries that have two totally different health care systems!
Which one do I prefer?USA
Where we have now lived for 4 years, 11 months and 1 day
-or-
Canada
Our home and native land, where we were born and raised
We work for a Canadian company and we have one of the best health care programs in the US.
Well, that's what we are told!
When we arrived we were a little over five months pregnant. Let me tell you...a little stressful changing doctors as well as systems!
We would
pay out so much money each paycheck (on top of the insurance payments) to go towards the hospital bills; a lot like a layaway plan or one might say,
just like TAXES!
Anyway, what was great was that I went to the doctors office, I had three doctors looking after me. It was for sure that I would have one of
MY doctors, that I had been seeing, delivering my baby.
What was also great was everything was done in that one office. Blood tests, in one room, ultrasound in another. I remember, a week before Geordie was born asking the doctor if he was in the right position. She looked at me and said, "let's go check!". To the ultrasound room we went (ten steps away...tops!).
Since then for the most part things have been okay. We were having some problems with bills being paid from the provider
but that was due to Callum's HR department not knowing how to do their job.Then, back in the spring,
this happened?!?
Do you know how much this cost us?!?!
FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS
yes, $500.00
In Canada, we would have left the hospital and never had to deal with it again! Here, we have to come up with $400 (we had already paid the $100 co-pay) right now to pay it!
As we're trying to get the hell out of dodge (ie. sell the house, leave this country owing nothing as well as money to leave it with)...$400 is quite a sum! Well, really, it's quite a bit at any time!
Here's the thing...the whole ER experience was just as long as it would have been in Canada, possibly a bit longer because we had to deal with the whole money thing.
That blows that whole 'you wait forever with universal health care'!When going to the doctor, you also wait just as long here in the States as you do in Canada.
Yes, there are waiting lists in Canada for various tests and operations but there are also openings left for emergency cases.
Here, in the US, money is taken out of our paycheck by Callum's employer and goes to the insurance company. The insurance company then only pays for a percentage of the bills, we have to pay the rest. I'm not even going to go into the fine print of things...I have heard people in the medical field have problems understanding the system. Now, the 'rest' that we pay, only is so much per year. It's something like after $2000 the insurance company steps in and takes over 100% of the bill.
In Canada, taxes are taken from your paycheck. You do not have to 'top off' any medical bills after that.
What I think people do not understand is that in this country you are paying out, just as much
(sometimes I think more) as what Canadians do with Universal Health Care. Difference being... everyone has health care in Canada! AND you don't have surprise bills popping up!
So, I do believe in
Universal Health Care?!?
Yes, maybe for the most part because that's what I grew up with but it's also because I think it makes sense!
With that being said, I do think that there are some things that Canada can do to make it better. I'm all for a two tier system (basic health care for all, and a private sector for those who want to pay more). I also like the idea of the co-pay. Paying $5 dollars when you go to the doctor is not much to ask. Maybe $25 when you go to the ER. Might make people think about if they really have to go!
Sorry, I am going to get a little hypocritical here as
I am a firm believer in the separation of church and state! But one thing that I really do not understand, specifically down here in south (a.k.a. The Bible Belt) where they are all wild about
WWJD and they seem to be the most against Universal Health Care!
Seriously...What Would Jesus Do?!?I think that Jesus would be all for Universal Health Care...don't you?
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