Quote:
Originally posted by KillerYoda
Whoa now, I was just stating what the news said. And I said "I guess" because I <i>really</i> don't know how the Canadian healthcare system works. So before you attack the US healthcare system, let me just clear up, I wasn't attacking yours.
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No problem.
As one who has lived in the USA before i will give you the overview of how it works / doesn't
The doctors and hospitals are paid by the gov't.
The provinces all run their own programs with money received from the Federal gov't and their own taxes. Employers have to pay health care premiums also. (I think in Alberta, people have to pay a certain premium, i dunno for sure)
Everyone gets a health card, looks just like a driver's licence only it's green instead of blue.
You go to the doctor, you give them your card, you get the treatment - that's that's all. You don't pay anything ever for any medical anything, except for plastic surgery, etc. Though if you have a big nose, or a disfigurement, then plastic surgery is covered.
There are certain set amounts that the gov't pays the doctors for certain work.
Doctors still make an excellent living, albeit, probably not as good as the US. BUt, they don't have to worry about being a business, or having accountants, etc. I am not sure how the malpractice thing works to be honest. Doctors are free to be doctors.
The draw backs are that sometimes you have to wait for a certain proceedure if it is not life threatening. For example, a hip replacement, you may (or may not) have to wait a year.
The big bitch that i hear about is wait times. But wait times are part of medicine and no-one who NEEDS treatment has to wait.
The other problem is that modern medicine is getting expensive, so there are always more and more demands for more money. The money has to come from somewhere.
The bonus is that you are never denied medical treatment, you don't have to mortgage your house for a bypass surgery. And you can never have your premiums hiked ever (since there are none)
No-one goes without health care ever. It's the law of the land.
Given the size of the USA, there is no reason why the US couldn't set up a similar system, but, I don't see that happening.