Health care in Canada

While I have never been a nurse in Canada, I did live there for most of my life. I am currently an RN in the US.

There are pros and cons to the Canadian health care system. There are subtle differences between provinces as well. I was in Alberta. What I liked (and only after being able to compare it to my US health care) was the fact that you dont get sent different bills from different services for one procedure. If you get a CXR, you may have to wait, but you wont have a copay, a fee for the reading of it, a deductible, etc....When you go and have a baby, you dont have a huge hospital bill afterwards. If you have surgery, you dont have a huge bill either. Alberta Health Care costs are calculated based on income. I cant remember what the cost was, but it was minimal compared to what we pay here. I remember when my husband was out of work....I called Alberta Health Care to let them know, and they said, "Ok, we will waive your fee for 6 months." So for people who have no money or insurance, such a system would work better for them.

On the downside, I remember needing a pelvic ultrasound and being told the wait list was 3 months. My sister needed an MRI of her leg, and was told the wait was 1 year. If you need to see a specialist, you have to get a referral, and wait up to a year to get in and see them. The same goes for surgeries, CT scans, etc...BUT, it costs next to nothing.

Truthfully, I would rather pay the money and get the faster service here in the US....however, I have the luxury of having a full time job, good pay, and good insurance.

I am not up on the finer details of our system but basically we pay health care premiums through our taxes and this is used to pay for health care. The government does not run the healthcare system, just pays for it. Contrary to popular belief we are not told what doctors we can go to etc. All citizens are covered but not all things are covered. Dental care, prescriptions, some eye care, cosmetic curgery are not covered. Many people carry additional insurance to cover these things(and it is affordable) or have additional coverage through their employer.

I know our system is not perfect but I am grateful for it. Yes, we are working on getting wait times down, and some areas are short of doctors but I like it anyways. I am a single parent and I never have to stop and think about whether or not I can afford to take my children to the doctor or the ER.My oldest daughter was born at 26 weeks and received the best care from wonderful doctors and we never had to worry about the cost. I would have paid anything for my childs survival but I am glad i am not living somewhere that meant I would have to go bankrupt or negoiate with an insurance company for treatment.

Everyone has their own opinions and stories. This is just mine.

I hate waiting for care here and I hate that our family pays an extra $1000. per year for care but I am glad that I don't have to pay even more as my spouse is diabetic and my one son has severe asthma, the other child has had multiple surgeries. Also my family Dr. tells me that my spouse would not be able to obtain affordable health insurance in the U.S. So although we pay very high income taxes here in Canada, I am glad that I live in Canada.

It's been a while since you've been in Alberta. Alberta Healthcare premiums are a set monthly fee with free service for those on welfare or AISH. Most workers have employee coverage which pays up to 90% of the premium. Effective next year the province is ending the monthly premium.

Yes there are waitlists for ELECTIVE surgeries. If it is urgent you are pretty much on the table that week. MRI's have a waitlist currently for non-urgent tests of about 10 weeks. If you need one STAT in you go.

Yes, you do need a referral to see a specialist. But why should people be going to the OB/Gyn for a pap test? That's what your GP is for. In urban areas you usually can be into see a specialist within 12 weeks. Again if it is an urgent need you will be seen faster. My gynie refuses to see anyone for basic paps and will only see those with actual issues that need a specialist. For me, from my GP telling me I need a hyst. to seeing the specialist to getting on the operating table was a total of 15 weeks. Not bad considering it was an elective procedure.

My biggest concern with the state of healthcare in Canada is the public watchs too much American TV and expects to have House running around fixing them in 54 minutes. They want to order meals, have private rooms with cable and internet access. If you need to be in hospital it's for a reason, not a week of rest and relaxation. It's a hospital not a hotel. The government destroyed healthcare in the 1990s and now are expecting us to fix the problem overnight. Training spots for all healthcare professionals were reduced. Now they are seeing the error of their ways. Rather than give eduational access for the exising RNs and LPNs to upgrade to degree status they are importing nurses, techs, and Doctors.

I have noticed that when they are reporting wait times in the media they are including elective surgeries. As Fiona said if it is an emergency you get what you need right away. I have seen people get MRIs immediately as well.I think one big difference in the way Canadians access health care is that are proactive when it comes to our healthcare, instead of waiting until we are very sick.

Basically here in Ontario our taxes pay for the bulk of our basic services (hospital visits, diagnostic tests, Dr visits etc). Recently (2 years ago I believe) we started paying an additional annual fee based on our income. This also goes toward the healthcare system (OHIP). Our philosophy of healthcare is different in that it is not viewed as a business, but as a social service. Non-covered services include elective procedures, dental, eyecare (unless disabled or <18yrs), medical supplies and medications. I personally am very happy with the system regardless of the increased wait times for non-urgent procedures. I feel that the biggest drawback of the system is the lack of physician coverage (both in-hospital and community) due to (I'm told) lower wages... hope that helps

That's what I like about our system, even the poor and disadvantaged can get access to good care.

I think it is clear that we wouldn't give up our system. Several years I ago I was involved in a horrific MVA - had terrible injuries - many many broken bones, internal injuries, etc. I was airlifted to the nearest large city hospital, emergency surgery on my lungs and liver, orthopedic surgery on hip, legs and ankles. Spent some time in ICU, then step down unit, eventually transferred to a rehab hospital, Discharged after a few months, and after another 6 months of out patient physio, returned to work. Then a few years later developed AVN and needed to total hip replacement. No real waiting period at all as it was not considered elective.

Certainly wasn't the greatest experience a person can have, but I was not out of pocket at through all this. I shudder to think what things would have been like had I been in the US!

My son got a non emergency MRI in three weeks, which isn't bad.