| larryziegler |
Here is what a Canadian thinks about their health care program. This should scare everyone if it is accurate. Can anyone from Canada verify it's accuracy or falacy?
I can find nothing on Snopes to contradict this.
Hey Guys; I saw on the news up here in Canada where Hillary Clinton
introduced her new health care plan. Something similar to what we have in
Canada. I also heard that Michael Moore was raving about the health care up
here in Canada in his latest movie. As your friend and someone who lives
with the Canada health care plan I thought I would give you some facts about
this great medical plan that we have in Canada.
First of all:
1) The health care plan in Canada is not free. We pay a premium every month
of $96. for Shirley and I to be covered. Sounds great eh. What they don't
tell you is how much we pay in taxes to keep the health care system afloat.
I am personally in the 55% tax bracket. Yes 55% of my earnings go to taxes.
A large portion of that and I am not sure of the exact amount goes directly
to health care our #1 expense.
2) I would not classify what we have as health care plan, it is more like a
health diagnosis system. You can get into to see a doctor quick enough so
he can tell you "yes indeed you are sick or you need an operation" but now
the challenge becomes getting treated or operated on. We have waiting lists
out the ying yang some as much as 2 years down the road.
3) Rather than fix what is wrong with you the usua l tactic in Canada is to
prescribe drugs. Have a pain, here is a drug to take, not what is causing
the pain and why. No time for checking you out because it is more important
to move as many patients thru as possible each hour for Government
re-imbursement
4) Many Canadians do not have a family Doctor.
5) Don't require emergency treatment as you may wait for hours in the
emergency room waiting for treatment.
6) Shirley's dad cut his hand on a power saw a few weeks back and it
required that his hand be put in a splint - to our surprise we had to pay
$125. for a splint because it is not covered under health care plus we have
to pay $60. for each visit for him to check it out each week.
7) Shirley's cousin was diagnosed with a heart blockage. Put on a waiting
list . Died before he could get treatment.
8) Government allots so many operations per year. When that is done no more
operations, unless you go to your local newspaper and plead your case and
embarrass the government then money suddenly appears.
9)The Government takes great pride in telling us how much more they are
increasing the funding for health care but waiting lists never get shorter.
Government just keeps throwing money at the problem but it never goes away.
But they are good at finding new ways to tax us, but they don't call it a
tax anymore it is now a user fee.
10) My mother needs an operation for a blockage in her leg but because she
is a smoker they will not do it. Despite her and my father paying into the
health care system all these years. My Mom is 80 years of age. Now there
is talk that maybe we should not treat fat and obese people either because
they are a drain on the health care system. Let me see now, what we want in
Canada is a health care system for healthy people only . That should reduce
our health care costs.
11) Forget getting a second opinion, what you see is what you get.
12) I can spend what money I have left after taxes on booze, cigare ttes,
junk food and anything else that could kill me but I am not allowed by law
to spend my money on getting an operation I need because that would be
jumping the queue. I must wait my turn except if I am a hockey player or
athlete then I can get looked at right away. Go figger. Where else in the
world can you spend money to kill yourself but not allowed to spend money to
get healthy.
13) Oh did I mention that immigrants are covered automatically at tax payer
expense having never contributed a dollar to the system and pay no premiums.
14) Oh yeh we now give free needles to drug users to try and keep them
healthy. Wouldn't want a sickly druggie breaking into your house and
stealing your things. But people with diabetes who pay into the health care
system have to pay for their needles because it is not covered but the
health care system.
I send this out not looking for sympathy but as t he election looms in the
states you will be hearing more and more about universal health care down
there and the advocates will be pointing to Canada. I just want to make
sure that you hear the truth about health care up here and have some food
for thought and informed questions to ask when broached with this subject.
Step wisely and don't make the same mistakes we have. |
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| dustino8 |
Here are my views:
1)The healthcare premiums depend on province. In SK, you pay nothing, but in AB, I pay $88 per month for my family. A lot of companies cover this cost. 55% of his earnings may go to taxes, but thats not only income tax. It would have to be taxes including GST, PST, income tax, and anything else that is taxed which would include alcohol, gasoline, etc.
2)There are long waiting lists for some surgeries, but not all. It depends on the type
3)I disagree. Any good doctor will try and find the root cause of the problem.
4)If you don't have a family doctor, its your own fault. Anybody can get a family doctor, but trying to get in to see a good family doctor right away may be difficult. Some good doctors in my area take a week to see.
5)Waiting times in the emergency rooms can be long, but the nurses prioritize. If you come in for a cold, you wait. If you have a broken leg, you'll be taken care of right away.
6)I find it hard to believe. I could see my doctor every week and not be charged.
7)Waiting lists exist, as mentioned previously.
8)I've never heard this before, and I don't believe it. The problem is shortage of doctors/equipment/rooms. Only so many operations can be performed given the circumstances.
9)Just an opinion
10)Don't believe it
11)I've had second opionions before.
I won't comment on the rest. This write-up seems to start exagerating more and more as the article goes on. Is our health care system perfect? No. Waiting times seem to be getting longer every year, and it's getting harder and harder to find a good doctor. The talk of private health care in becoming more prevailant in this country, and for good reason. IMO, each system has its faults, and I'm not knowledgable enough provide the right answer. |
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