"Free" health care!

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2003
"Free" health care!
250
Thu, 07-22-2004 - 7:15pm
I wonder how many of you have had to live without health insurance? You say that health care is not a right? NO WONDER! You have always had a place for the bills to go other then your mailbox! How many of you have ever asked what the actual cost of your prescriptions are? Do the math! Do you have any idea what it is like to call around from doctor to doctor trying to find one who would see you WITHOUT insurance? Have you ever stood at your doctor office and humbly asked for samples instead of a prescription because u know that your $360 check wont stretch enough to cover your $280 med bill AND the doctor appt. Don't even mention medicaid! If you make enough money to buy food and scrape by...you do not qualify.

Go ahead and be technical but if you ever run into some bad luck you will see things in an entirely different light!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2003
Sun, 07-25-2004 - 5:19pm
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Yes we are having problems with waiting lists (though I recently read an article where that also happens in the US). However, I know of no one personally who died from having to wait so long. I know many many people who when diagnosed with cancer or other life threatening illnesses were whisked into quality treatment extremely quickly (days) after the diagnosis. Perhaps the fault lay with the doctor who failed to make the right diagnosis. You CAN and SHOULD go and get second and third opinions here if your doctor isn't giving you the quality of care that you deserve. I think people have to take responsibility for their own health care to some degreee.

I do know of one man who needed a hip replacement operation and the waiting list was extremely long. He did get his operation in a timely manner however, by seeing other doctors and calling and calling hospitals until there was an opening/cancellation. The squeaky wheel does get the grease. This man was out of pocket for absolutely nothing (except for a little time needed to call around and get the treatment he wanted).

This current government that just got elected has pledged to cut waiting times down dramatically. Hope that they can keep this promise.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2003
Sun, 07-25-2004 - 5:39pm
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This is an attitude I find difficult to fathom in the US in regards to taxes. In Canada we pay huge amounts of taxes compared to the US but I know of no one who really begrudges that if the money is well spent. It is looked upon as contributing to the greater good. I have no problems knowing that my tax money is going towards paying for someone's children to be immunized regularly (as an example) or to fund a mother's chemotherapy just as tax dollars took care of my operation when I was a struggling university student. In regards to keeping the nation's children healthy and immunized against contagious disease, I can think of no greater place to invest my tax dollars.

I also know a number of people from Europe where they make Canada's tax burden look like a walk in the park. Again, there was really no complaint about it. In fact, there was a tremendous amount of pride at the quality of their infrastructure, hospitals and education accessible to all the citizens of that country.

On the other hand, we are quite intolerant of government mismanagement of our tax dollars and make every effort to hold them accountable for that.

Quite frankly, I find this whining that a great many American's do about their tax dollars helping someone else shockingly selfish and rather hard to believe coming from a country where so many people are so well off and where the wasteful spending on superfluous crap is a national artform.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2003
Sun, 07-25-2004 - 5:50pm
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In Canada we have that same attitude. We realize that healthcare isn't free but it is a national priority for everyone and therefore, we have made it a "right" in this country. Unhealthy people cannot contribute anything substantial back to society. Unhealthy children cannot learn to their full potential. Nor can those whose parent may have died because they could only afford health care for the kids and thus did not insure themselves. To be forced to make this type of choice is terrible. To be denied healthcare because of a pre-existing condition or age is also terrible.

Also, since your husband is in the military and therefore fair game to be called up to serve and die for any cause the administration of the moment deems fit, it is only fair that he and his family (at the VERY least) be entitled to have his healthcare expenses taken care of.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2003
Sun, 07-25-2004 - 5:59pm
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There is no arguing about the need to properly manage these tax dollars. Governments often spend these precious dollars as if they belonged to THEM personally (particularly this Bush govt) and not to the citizens of the country.

By the way we have that problem as well with some of our governments.....irresponsible spending. Should you really begrudge your tax dollars helping to pay for someone's cancer treatment? I don't. However I DO begrudge my tax dollars going to my governments' attempts to discredit his opposition in an election or to pay for first class junkets to go to meetings that could easily be handled by a conference call.



iVillage Member
Registered: 08-31-2003
Sun, 07-25-2004 - 6:02pm
Suemox, you wrote"

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This is an attitude I find difficult to fathom in the US in regards to taxes. In Canada we pay huge amounts of taxes compared to the US but I know of no one who really begrudges that if the money is well spent. "

What type of taxing system does Canada have? Do those that make higher amounts pay more? Have you ever worked hard to get a promotion or raise, only to have your take home pay be less? Do people in Canada feel that that is also ok? Do people in Canada begrudge governmental agencies that waste away money entrusted to them? Personally, I don't begrudge paying taxes that are well spent, it's the ones that are lining officials pockets, directly or indirectly, and the ones that keep able bodied citizens recieving government support to pay their bills instead of allowing them, or expecting them, to someday become self supporting. When people can get themselves fired so they can have 6 months off from a job, or are happy to live on what the government will give them so they never gain employment, I don't want they money I work hard for going to that kind of a system. I've personally known people that have taken this money when they didn't need to, and others that refused it and forged ahead with their own intestinal fortitude, as well as people in the middle that took what they needed and did the rest on their own. Who do you think are the most successful and happy ones out of the bunch? It's not the first group.

I think that most Americans probably don't mind taxes that are well spent, but I'm not for raising my taxes even more unless the waste of my tax dollars is addressed.


Edited 7/25/2004 6:04 pm ET ET by alicia2210

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2003
Sun, 07-25-2004 - 6:07pm
I want to point out that while doctors make more money in the US than in Canada, doctors here make quite a pretty penny thank-you very much. Enough to have a large house, annual trips a couple of cars, maybe a cottage or vacation home, a retirement fund, a good education for their kids, etc...Sheesh! How rich do people have to BE?

A great many Canadian doctors do go the the US for the money (often the best and the brightest). I read an article recently that many are also coming back. They did mention the astroniomical amount that US doctors have to pay in malpractice insurance that cut substantially into their profits.


iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2003
Sun, 07-25-2004 - 6:30pm
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That isn't necessarily true.

http://www.jhsph.edu/Press_Room/Press_Releases/PR_2004/Hussey_healthcare.html

Canada does have good quality health care and doctors educated here also have a good reputation worldwide.




Edited 7/25/2004 7:08 pm ET ET by suemox

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2003
Sun, 07-25-2004 - 7:12pm
Excellent post. It explained perfectly the Canadian attitude towards universal health care. I especially liked your fourth point about social conscience.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2003
Sun, 07-25-2004 - 7:21pm
Thanks for the links. I'd seen the last one and the first one before but couldn't find them again when I did a search.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2003
Sun, 07-25-2004 - 7:35pm
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Yes, however with rich people they are always able to find ways around paying as much tax as they should.

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Yes

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No we don't feel it's OK that government agencies waste the money. I'd mentioned that before. However, it isn't the taxes that are the problem here. It's those who manage the money. Therefore the answer isn't to whine about one's tax money going to people who need it. Its to hold the government accountable for how they spend (or waste) that money. In regards to welfare, that too needs reforming to ensure that abuses do not take place as regularly as they do. I happen to know people who had to resort to welfare for a short period of time and then got their feet under them and ended up contributing to society and raising educated healthy children who in turn, contributed to society.

In Canada we don't pay as much attention the the personal, religious or family lives of our leaders. We pay attention to what they say and what they DO in regards to leading the country and managing our money. If a leader running for office came across as phoney as some of the campaigning American politicians do we'd drop them in a heartbeat. We also have a Parliamentary system where our leaders stand up and must regularly answer tough questions in a public forum. This gives one a real insight into what makes them tick.






Edited 7/25/2004 7:42 pm ET ET by suemox

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