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Universal Healthcare

Comments (81)

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Posted 10/04/2012

I live in USA, but we had interaction with Canadian system when my MIL fell sick in Canada. We stayed there for 6 months. Yes, canadian system has long wait times, however, if someone has an acute illness there are walk in clinics EVERYWHERE that they can use, there are ERs everywhere that they can go to.

Anyone who tells me that US system doesnt have long wait times got to be kidding. Cardiologist appointments are usually 8 wks to 6 months out depending on where you are. My ob gyn apts are 2 months out. The ob gyn I wanted to go to had no appointments available for the next 6 months at all and I was forced to choose another one. This is because the severe shortage of doctors that we have.


Last edited 10/04/2012

Canadians may pay more in taxes for everything but our minumum wage is an average of $10/hr.  I can go to the hospital 1000 times a month and pay nothing.  I can have this baby and the next and any other future babies for free, and if god forbid they become sick and end up in the hospital, that's covered.  I am a SAHM and my DH makes approx. $50,000 a year, and we are well off!   BTW having your government control your healthcare isn't a big deal if you're not afraid of your government.  Canadians are able to stand up for what they want and deserve, Americans seem to sit on the side lines and let the governement make all their decisions for them.  


ETA: Also I read on here once that a womans doctor gave her an unncessary episiotomy.  To which a nurse responded that she heard of doctors doing this because then they can charge you extra for surgical costs.  That would NEVER happen in Canada.


Sarah (30) and Josh (32)

Benjamin Kane (6/11/11)

Noah Joshua  (2/17/13)

Posted 10/04/2012

And yes Kelly, if you are training to be a nurse it is natural to be scared. Im a doctor but I opted to work in public health. Many of my doctor friends have same fears that you mentioned. Pay checks being smaller, guidelines being different. But NOT ONE PERSON I know says that it would be bad for healthcare in USA or for the population. I dont find it fair to prioritize personal benefits over the benefit of the whole society, small children and helpless elderly population. Even with smaller pay checks, doctors and nurses will have abundant jobs and a higher income than most other professions. Like they have in other countries like Canada, England and France.

Posted 10/04/2012

I'm for universal healthcare also. I think its rediculous with people saying "I dont want to pay for someone else" its sick. We're so detached and don't care who lives and dies, who is able to get their meds, etc. and as the OP stated, this would make it were the people saying it could actually benifit from it. Enough complaining. So taxes are higher in that country. Oh well. I'd rather have higher taxes and KNOW that if I find out i have cancer, or something else, i'll be covered. 





Posted 10/04/2012
I am torn on the united healthcare concept. As a young woman/ mother I am all for it. On the other hand as a fairly new optometrist(graduated in 2009) I am totally against it. I have seen reimbursements cut significantly in the last 3 years. Education costs continue to rise. When I entered optometry school it was estimated to cost $125,000. By the time I graduated(4 yrs later) it had doubled to $250,000. Interest rates went from 2.4% to 6.8% in 4 yrs time. I can get a better interest rate on a house or car. That's ridiculous. I know everyone thinks we make a lot of money, but the starting salary is $80,000-$85,000/ year. If healthcare reimbursements are cut anymore we won't be able to pay our loans back. If healthcare reform is to take place it needs to start from the ground up starting with education costs.

Married to DH 07/09/2005


Posted 10/04/2012
My hubby is a health insurance broker, and he thinks its the answer. He works so hard everyday to get people who would be denied coverage, and he knows it will allow everyone to be insured even ppl with pre existing health issues. Go obama!!!
Posted 10/04/2012

Ammoll, I understand your situation. As I said earlier, healthcare reform has to go hand in hand with educational reform. Without bringing cost of medical education down, it will be impossible to control the cost of healthcare or provide universal healthcare. Budget cuts frustrate us as well, in Public Health. Because it is the health sector which has taken the highest number of budget cuts. However, on one hand we have lower income and lower budget, and on the other hand, a system that relies on private insurance which we or our children can God forbid lose anytime.

Posted 10/04/2012

I think a lot of the issue is that we live in, and prid ourselves on bing, a capitalist society. We try something out, and if we don't like it we have the ability take our business elsewhere. With universal health care, that wouldn't be the case. I don't think in a country as diverse as ours is that anything universal is the best option.

However, I am all for healthcare reform. I just personally don't think universal healthcare or obamacare are the best solutions.


Mimi + Jojo

*angel baby 01/12*

Love our little Bunny Buns 2/18/13

Last edited 10/04/2012

I'm Canadian and I love Universal healthcare.  I don't know if our taxes are higher overall but I do think that they are more than reasonable especially considering we don't have to pay for health insurance. When I read of high insurance costs, co-pays and deductibles I can't believe how much some of you have to pay for basic maternity care.  The thing with universal healthcare is that every dime taken from taxes for healthcare goes towards actuall healthcare costs.  Whereas an insurance based system has to have dollars allotted for profit. I can't see how a profit-motivated system can ever work for the people using it.  On average you're paying way more for your healthcare than you would be in a universal system to pad the pockets of big insurance companies.  American procedure and prescription costs are way over-inflated because of this. The same procedures and prescriptions in Canada cost much less to the tax payers so healthcare is more affordable overall.

Is the Canadian system perfect? No.  Yes there are waits for some things but the waits are based on priority.  Nobody dies because of long wait times because life-threatening conditions are always prioritized.  My Aunt and Grandmother both beat breast cancer because they were treated quickly and recieved amazing care.  Emergency care and urgent care walk-in clinics are readily available. My maternity care has been top-notch. I would never willingly chose to live in a country without universal healthcare.  I love how secure I feel knowing I'll never have to worry about medical bills or serious health issues.




Posted 10/04/2012

And our Canadian friends here on this board will have a one year long maternity leave too! All thanks to Universal healthcare. While some of us here in USA will be struggling to find childcare for our 6 week olds.

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