Canada's socialised medicine (Page 4): But it is free,entirely.Because of my age I pay nothing in,. I get free health care,free medicine,free hearing aids,free eye checks and my wife...

viscountdriver Loc: East Kent UK

But it is free,entirely.Because of my age I pay nothing in,. I get free health care,free medicine,free hearing aids,free eye checks and my wife also gets food supliments because she is bed ridden. She also gets financial help with the carers she needs.
I had a scare a few months ago and the doctor thought it could be cancer and I had all the tests with fourteen days.
I am sorry my American friends but our system is better and I would not be surprised if Hilary tries to copy some of it.

shangyrhee Loc: Nashville TN to Sacramento CA

I think both systems work well for those intended beneficiaries : society in general vs medical care industries. I personally experienced Medical care in Uk when my wife had acute kidney infection. She had over night hospital stay and received various diagnostic studies and treatments. As a retired physician I give their care A. Their facilities were not plush. They charged none for the acute medical condition while in UK even though we are US citizen. One might consider it waste for UK. However I was deeply thankful and at the same time I was shameful for our system. We spend 16% vs 10-13% of GDP and yet we are still arguing if all citizens should covered. I believe it is matter of conscience of our society. Shang

Carl D Loc: Albemarle, NC.

Having had the pleasure several years ago of having a Canadian doctors or for a neighbor, I asked him if he thought that the Canadian system would be better here in the US. He said that you don't want the Canadian system be cause of so much bitterness of doctors against the govt. He went into the house and came back with this book as big if not bigger than a dictionary that listed every procedure, office visit, surgery, pharmaceutical, you name it. It gave the the amount of time to do it in and what it paid the doctor. Some of the times and payments were ridiculously low. So maybe we don't want their system.

Murray Loc: New Westminster

But...... more people, more taxes, same level per person payment. It shouldn't cost you folks any more than us. Personally, I had an unknown aortic aneurysm discovered by accident during a routine MRI. Would have blown within a short period. Bam. Fixed at no cost to me above basic premiums. 15 years later, no problems & still walk in' around.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

viscountdriver wrote:

But it is free,entirely.Because of my age I pay nothing in,. I get free health care,free medicine,free hearing aids,free eye checks and my wife also gets food supliments because she is bed ridden. She also gets financial help with the carers she needs.
I had a scare a few months ago and the doctor thought it could be cancer and I had all the tests with fourteen days.
I am sorry my American friends but our system is better and I would not be surprised if Hilary tries to copy some of it.

It is not free. You are stealing the money from some other poor sucker who is getting screwed by your so called "Free" medical.
Nothing is free. There are freeloaders though and producers in today's world. Unfortunantly they let the freeloaders vote and they will always vote to maintain their freeloading ways.

tusketwedge Loc: Nova Scotia Canada

In my family we have 7 people working in the health care system,3 of them doctors. I don't see any of them starving or wanting for anything and neither are the other 4. I guess it's a matter of what you are satisfied with. Not everyone has the same priorities in life. Yes I know that the pay in the States are superior to ours but the stress level here in the rural area on N.S. is next to none. We may pay more for food, cars, gas utilities etc. but just getting up in the morning ,grab a coffee and going on my deck or down to the gazebo and relax listening to the birds and watching the sun rise over the Atlantic with no interruption of traffic ,next door neighbors etc , it more than offsets the extra expense of spending the rest of my life here. And knowing that I will be in good hands when I have medical occurrences.

rps Loc: Muskoka Ontario Canada

Of course it's not free. We pay taxes for it. But it is money well spent. I am puzzled by the US system where a diagnosis of serious illness is also a diagnosis of personal bankruptcy. Medical expense is the main cause of personal bankruptcy in the US. Our system was started in the sixties thanks to the late Tommy Douglas who a few years ago in a nationwide poll was voted Canada's most important person. Saskatchewan, where it began and then Canada underwent the same arguments and controversies now swirling through the US. Some doctors dislike it. I met one Canadian doctor who moved to California after medicare started but he is the exception. The US is the only industrialized nation without some form of universal health care. When all the dust about Obamacare settles, will Obama be chosen the most important person in the US?

JustMissedItDon Loc: Carson City, Nevada

tusketwedge wrote:

Over the years I've read and heard a lot of negati... (show quote)

We Had an experience in the UK while we were there and couldn't believe the knowledge and professionalism that we encountered. I don't understand why we Americans fight the single payer system that would cost less and be more efficient. Off course there is the failures of bureaucracy, but large corporations have the same problems and some times much worse than government. Just ask doctors who they hve the ost problems with, medicare or insurance companies.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Every Canadian with whom I've spoken has had nothing but praise for the medical system in place there. The only thing I've heard from this side of the border is the tax rate to cover it. I counter with this. Add your medical insurance premiums to the tax you pay. The result is pretty close to the same percentage of tax Canadians pay.
--Bob

tusketwedge wrote:

Over the years I've read and heard a lot of negati... (show quote)

JustMissedItDon Loc: Carson City, Nevada

JustMissedItDon wrote:

We Had an experience in the UK while we were there and couldn't believe the knowledge and professionalism that we encountered. I don't understand why we Americans fight the single payer system that would cost less and be more efficient. Off course there is the failures of bureaucracy, but large corporations have the same problems and some times much worse than government. Just ask doctors who they hve the ost problems with, medicare or insurance companies.

Agree with that!

shangyrhee Loc: Nashville TN to Sacramento CA

We have square wheels on our car. It is no shame to change to round wheels as most other people.Let us not obsessed with failed system. No advanced nations on this planet spend over 16 % of GDP and yet 15% of our citizens have no health ins coverage. No other nation has medical care related bankruptcy as US. Look carefully the expense rates of medicare vs private health care industry. Look also at the outcomes of medical care including infant mortality,longevity & satisfaction of life.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

Yes, the Canadian system is good. So is Britain's, France's, Germany's, Jaoan's and many others. To get an idea of what health care is like across the globe try reading T.R. Reid's book "Healing of America." In it you will discover how many countries figured out how to take the profit out of health care that was consistent with each countries set of values. From the British government-owns-all to the German all-insurance models. The oldest government health care system is that of Germany. At the close of the Franco-Prussian War the manhood of Germany stood decimated. Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck used health care as one tool to unify the German Principalities into the German Nation. Of course, with typical German practicality the Iron Chancellor saw that a strong Wehrmacht required health men and the healthy men came from healthy women. In those years Germany had a long borders with arch rivals France and Russia.

Orhers studied Reid's book, so the pharmacuetical and insurance industries knew exactly what the ACA should not contain. See Steven Brill's "America's Bitter Pill" and Wendell Potter's "Deadly Spin" to see how it was done.

latebloomer Loc: Topeka, KS

I have friends who have dual citizenship. None of them will choose to not use Canada's medical programs.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

Considering your wallet, does it matter where your dollars go: gov't program or insurance company stockholder pockets. The trick is how to take the profit out of health care that is consistent with the Constitution, its Preamble, the Declaration of I dependence, and Founders Intents as written in the Federalist Papers.

When the little nation of Tiawan was developing their health care, they carefully studied every other country's system to frame theirs'.

tusketwedge Loc: Nova Scotia Canada

Thanks to everyone that has participated in this thread. Although I did not respond to all , it was appreciated. The main reason was a little pole that I think went the way that I presumed it would. The way I see it is that most of the responders were in favor of some kind of medical program away from privately run health. On the other side ,I can see their point of view also, they are the ones that demand you take care of me immediately sort. Let's say they are at the least selfish ,it's what is known as the ME,ME,ME syndrome . We need those kinds also in this world. Basically to remind us( that are not) that we are blessed.