Nova Scotia Op/Ed: Canadian In U.S. For A While Says Health Care System Must Change Or Collapse

[Hissyspit]

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Columnists/1147775.html

Health care system must change or collapse

By MARK PARENT
Fri. Oct 16 - 4:46 AM
RECENTLY, I had the opportunity to spend a month working at a marina in the United States. It was fascinating to listen to the various opinions on President Barack Obama’s health care plan. One neighbour, who at first avoided me like the plague, found out I was from Canada. One morning, he asked me: "You have state health care in Canada. What do you think of it?"

"I like it," I replied. "I like not worrying about whether or not I will go broke if I have a serious accident or illness." "Mmmm," he muttered quietly and continued on his way.

The next time we crossed paths, he burst out, "But don’t you mind paying for someone else’s health care?" "I see health care as a universal right, like education," I responded. A louder "Mmmm" expelled from his lips.

Later that day, as I was getting into my car, he leapt, seemingly out of nowhere, and said, "But what about immigrants? Surely they are not covered?" "I think they are," I answered, "although I think they have to be in the country for a while before the coverage kicks in."

Interested in further exploring the thoughts of my American marina neighbours, I bought a used copy of Michael Moore’s documentary Sicko. I invited my curious neighbour over to watch the movie with me. "I don’t know," he replied, "I don’t really like Michael Moore. I’m pretty conservative. I think I’ll pass."

My other neighbour agreed to come watch. He sat mesmerized during the whole documentary and at the end said, "There is nothing I didn’t know. I am living it right now."

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[FlaGranny]

1. Ten percent of the residents

in my community (32 of them) are Canadian "snowbirds." I hear nothing but good things about their health care system.

[Hissyspit]

2. The Horror Stories are real.

Really in the United States.

[riverbendviewgal]

3. I'm Canadian by choice, born in NJ.

I find interesting what Americans say about our health care system. Last March I was in North Carolina at a car dealership waiting for a oil change. In the waiting room there were other customers. One man noticed my license plates were from Ontario. He began a conversation about going to Toronto with his wife for her special allergy treatment he couldn't get where they lived. He loved Canada and felt that the medical costs were so reasonable. Nothing but praise from him.

On the other hand, I have relatives in NJ who fight tooth and nail that the health system in Canada doesn't come to him. My niece works at Lockheed Martin and told me outright to shove it. She says that she has a good health insurance plan and dose not want to pay for anyone else's, especially illegals. She also told me that her friends who work for the pharma industry like their high salaries and taking doctors out to dinner. Yes, she said this!!!!

My brother, her dad, who goes by Bubba, hates Obama. I am sure it because Obama is black.

They are like this even when they saw what my family went through with cancer. My younger son, at 24, had seizures for the first time in 1998. 3 days later he was being operated for a brain tumor. 2 months later his dad was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Long story short, between them 4 operations, stem cell harvesting, chemo, radiation, home nurse visits, palliative care for my son, 1 week. Palliative care for my husband, 3 months. Both in hospital. My son was in intensive care for 4 weeks after his last operation. We even had counseling, individually and as a family through the Cancer Center in Toronto
Cost to us - NOTHING.

I am a retired widow, not bankrupt. I do have supplementary insurance at $130 a month for dental, prescription, eye care and hearing aid, semi-private hospital room etc. I don't pay for single payer basic health care in a set monthly fee because the health care payment comes out my taxes, which I pay combined federal and provincial, at 20 percent. That is for all government services. I think it is fair. There is no waiting times when you are really sick. I can see my doctor during the week during the day the same day or his associates. The wait is about an hour if I have no appointment. I lived in Toronto most of the time I lived here but moved up to rural north Ontario 4 years ago and find the health care is just as good. I may have to travel further for MRI but get this, I get paid for travel gas and also have my motel room paid for if I have to go further than 100 km. I did go over my maximum amounts last year for prescription drugs, a hearing aid (which the government covered 500 bucks for me) eye care and dental care. I could include the cost of what I paid AND what I paid for my supplemental insurance. It was $5000 total, I ended up getting back $3000 from my income tax. Nice.

What is so bad about this? Everyone here in Canada is taken care of. I go for annual physicals and the first sign of something wrong I see the doctor. At 65 my prescription drugs will be 2 bucks a prescription with an annual fee of 100 bucks. I am 61 now.

If we can do it in Canada so can America. we still have private insurance companies for the supplemental needs. Eye tests used to be covered by the basic now they aren't but I had an eye infection this year and got a eye test and it was covered by basic because is was an illness.

[JBoy]

4. This is an insightful column. Canada needs to keep a lid on costs to keep the system viable.

The article discusses the need to accept the inevitability of death, which I think is really at the root of spiralling costs.

I've just witnessed the death of my wife's grandmother, at the age of 91, who spent the last 6 months in and out of hospital. I don't know specifically what got her in the end, but it was a combination of heart problems and diabetes. They did nothing particularly heroic, but I'm guessing that over $100,000 was spent, and it perhaps bought her an extra 3 months. 3 extra months living in a hospital, being poked and prodded, at the age of 91.