Canadian VS. American Health Plan

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Which is better?

I've heard stories about each system. Living in the U.S. and being part of the health system I see how our system runs. I'm limited in my knowledge of the Canadian Health Care system.

I had a patient's family member that moved to Windsor...he said, "Canadian's have the best health care system. It's not a thing like american's system." All I asked him was how the wait for routine testing was. He said there's no wait.

But my cousin's and some aunt's live there and tell me different stories.

Also I work with a lot of Canadian nurses. Is it true when you graduate you're limited where you can work. She said, "I'm working here because there's better opportunities in Canada I'd have to work in a nursing home" I forget how long she said she'd have to.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

I work with a lot of Canadians and there are a lot of Canadian visitors snowbirds. Almost universally when discussing their country health care is brought up. It's a source of tremendous pride (and an attitude of superiority for the snooty, and there are some of those, just as there are ugly Americans). As it should be. Here there are plenty of MDsand hospitals that accept their health plan, so their health care (along with their other monies) can follow them to Florida.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Originally posted by fergus51

I take home about the same percentage of pay here as I did in the US, mainly because I had to pay for health insurance in the US.

I have found most Americans are terrified of "socialized" medicine and think anything universal is socialized. They tend to think that we can't choose our own doctors, have little say in our treatment and have none of the high tech care they do. Of course, none of this is true. But, the US will never embrace anything "socialized", whether or not it would benefit them.

We are not afriad of socialized medicine. We are afriad of more taxes and big business and politics have "socialized" us to fear the world "socialization". But most Americans would certainly approve of universal health care. Except for the fact that we've been "socialized" to listen to big business, politicians and doctors. It will never happen with a republican president. Never.

However, it was also amazing to see politicians elected to office on health care reform get shot down to where at the moment it is a nonmovement. Bill Clinton could have had one of the greatest presidencies ever had he followed through and gotten through universal health care for all.

Right now paying high premiums and copayments, and not being able to choose who and where I go to without paying even more is not my idea of good health care. The fact that I can afford insurance means I'm also paying for healthcare for the uninsured who go to not-for-profit ERs for care.

Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.
Originally posted by 3rdShiftGuy

I work with a lot of Canadian visitors ... Here there are plenty of MDsand hospitals that accept their health plan, so their health care (along with their other monies) can follow them to Florida.

While that may be true, the provincial plans will only cover so much of the cost and the rest comes out of their pockets. My in-laws are Snowbirds, spending five months a year in Florida. They spend several thousand dollars a year for travel insurance to help with some of those costs. This year while they were down there, my father-in-law developed swelling in his neck. He was reluctant to pay for any care out-of-pocket so he waited three weeks until he was back in Canada, only to find he had a rapidly growing lymphoma. He died April 16th. :crying2:

3rdshift, I just disagree. I don't think anything socialized will ever be accepted in the US. Anything government run seems to bring out fear (fear of taxes, of waiting lines, paying more money, paying for the other guy's treatment, lower standards of care, no research being done, long waiting lines for everything, etc.). Americans need an American solution to their healthcare problems, not a Canadian one. There was a VERY lengthy thread about this a while ago that has only reinforced my opinion.

Americans have a health plan???:confused: :rolleyes:

Specializes in Geriatrics, Pediatrics, Home Health.

I agree with Fergus51. When I was pregnant w/ my daughter 17 yrs. ago, the welfare/social worker told me that if I threw my HUSBAND [and the father of our daughter] out of the house, the gov. wouid pay for everything!!!! Rent, food, gas electric, clothes, and medical!! If my husband stayed in the home, then I would get food and medical. He stayed.

What Americans need is CHOICE! If we choose to take laetreal [sp] [apricot pits] a holistic "cure" for cancer, then it should be between the dr. and his patient. If a scientist finds a new drug and it works then we should have the RIGHT to choose whether we want to try it or not. It shouldn't be up to the FDA, DEA, FBI, Health dept. or any other gov. agency to tell us what we can or can not try!

We are adults, but ISTM that we have decided to let insurance co., gov. agencies, and the news, magazines, and every other person with an opinion tell us that we don't have enough knowledge to CHOOSE how we want to treat our illnesses.

Now I do not want to be flamed. This is just my opinion. When did Americans give up the right to CHOOSE???

Thanks!!

As long as people give up the right to sue if their "choice" harms or kills them, I would be fine with eliminating regulating body's authority to prevent free choice in medical care.

Specializes in ER, CRNA.

I was just up in southern bc and I was talking to a family friend that said in his last few years of working he was making 80k and paying 53% tax!

I wasn't paying 53% tax when I lived in BC.

Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.
Originally posted by fergus51

I wasn't paying 53% tax when I lived in BC.

Betcha weren't making $80k either!!

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Originally posted by janfrn

While that may be true, the provincial plans will only cover so much of the cost and the rest comes out of their pockets. My in-laws are Snowbirds, spending five months a year in Florida. They spend several thousand dollars a year for travel insurance to help with some of those costs. This year while they were down there, my father-in-law developed swelling in his neck. He was reluctant to pay for any care out-of-pocket so he waited three weeks until he was back in Canada, only to find he had a rapidly growing lymphoma. He died April 16th. :crying2:

Sorry I didn't realize that. We did get a Canadian patients at our hospital and I see ads for medical clinics that take Canadian patients, but I didn't realize the out of pocket expense was so much. Thanks for setting me straight about that.

My condolences.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Originally posted by fergus51

3rdshift, I just disagree. I don't think anything socialized will ever be accepted in the US. Anything government run seems to bring out fear (fear of taxes, of waiting lines, paying more money, paying for the other guy's treatment, lower standards of care, no research being done, long waiting lines for everything, etc.). Americans need an American solution to their healthcare problems, not a Canadian one. There was a VERY lengthy thread about this a while ago that has only reinforced my opinion.

Actually, I'm afraid we agree. I more or less was saying it's not ever going to happen. Will never even be thought of during a republican administration. During the one democratic president's attempt to come up with some sort of universal health care it was shot down as well. So we agree, things in America aren't going to change.

Where we might disagree is my statements that we are not afraid of a universal health care system. Because I think if we are given the facts, most people would be for it. I believe during Cliniton's election and some others (I believe here in Florida we elected a senator who votes swung in his favor because of his health care reform stance) the polls showed the majority of Americans were in favor of universal health care. "socialized medicine" perhaps is a term one is afraid of. But having all citicizens with equal access to health care is an idea that at one time at least was popular. Until the drug companies, insurance companies, politicians and many doctors shamed the forward thinkers into wondering who was going to pay for it and how. Nevermind that those of us who pay a good chuck of our city/county taxes pay for hospital care for the uninsured. Never mind that the insurance costs we pay out the butt for (and our employers pay out the butt for) could be deferred to a universal health plan.

But we do agree that the far superior Canadian way isn't ever going to happen down here. But as you said that's another thread.

Editied to add: BTW America is a very socialized country. We just don't use that word. As was pointed above. Look at all the choices we've given up.

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