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UK or Canada--nationalized health care

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 3/30/2009 12:00 AM (GMT 0)
Jjc2007,

I reread that and I think you are right! I over reacted. I will delete that.

Please forgive me Mackster.
Posted 3/31/2009 4:12 AM (GMT 0)
The other thing Americans often forget about Canada's supposedly wondrous health care system is that it is actually a series of separate provincial health systems of greatly varying quality. Also, the provincial plans are not particularly portable either- if you get sick in a province not of your residence, and the hospital's bill's exceed what your home province would pay for that service, you can get strapped for the difference.
Posted 3/31/2009 4:42 AM (GMT 0)
I'm not sure how it works in other countries - but in New Zealand there's a choice between public and private. People that can afford it will go private for opperations and things like that because public hospitals tend to have quite long waiting lists. But this has never affected me with UC - when I was in hospital being diagnosed I got seen by him right away & iven a stigmoidoscopy (not sure that's right, but I think you'll know what I mean) within a few hours of being admitted.

Also, my meds are all subsidised by the goverment - I've paid a total of $6 so far for 4 different pred perscriptions, and $3 each for my pentasa tablets and enemas. In total - and the endless repeats don't cost me anything either. So I'd say that universalised healthcare's prety darn good.
Posted 3/31/2009 4:47 AM (GMT 0)
It appears what may happen in the USA is a sort of hybrid system where by the Government is going to offer a an alternative to private insurance for those not eligible for coverage under medicare or medicaid. This will be in competition with the private already existing insurance and will be an income based, premium driven, subsidized but cost controlled program. This has the private insurance companies shaking the poop out of their pants (something some of us can relate to). There will be cost controls that only the government can impose and already do with medicare and medicaid. This leaves the basic infrastructure of the system intact but should make insurance available to many people who do not receive it through their employers and either can't afford it or are refused coverage for various reasons. I wish them well in this endeavor as should all of those with UC. You may have insurance now through a spouse, parent or employer but if you find yourself one day outside of these situations and look for private insurance it is very difficult to get and really impossible to get decent coverage at an affordable cost.
Posted 3/31/2009 11:41 AM (GMT 0)
What rdm said. It combines the concept of universalized healthcare and the current US healthcare system, so that everyone can have the opportunity to have health insurance but not everyone has to deal with the type of problems in Canada.
Posted 3/31/2009 8:44 PM (GMT 0)
I think there is a lot of promise in the reforms being contemplated now.

The insurance industry hates the idea of competing with a government health plan offering. But it has also said that it will "guarantee issue" (not deny anyone) if the government adopts a mandate that all individuals secure insurance (with subsidies for the poor). If everyone had insurance, there would not be the cost-shifting to the insured patients to cover the cost of charity care, and charges should start to make sense.

Ah, but if it were just that simple...but I am hopeful!
Posted 3/31/2009 9:24 PM (GMT 0)
I am in Ontario. I have been here all my life so I can't offer a comparison.

I can speak to the fact that I am satisfied with the health care system here.

My daughter has hydrocephalus. She has had numerous hospitalizations, surgeries and medical appointments with more specialists than I want to think about. We never wait when it is urgent. We wait when she can. We use the full spectrum of the health care system: family doctor for check ups and referrals, walk in clinic for urgent easy diagnosis, specialist for complicated issues and the hospital only for emergencies.

This has also worked very well for me. I was seen in my GP's office on a Wednesday (I had called on Tuesday). He called the specialist I had seen 13 years earlier and they booked me for a colonoscopy the following Monday. It was urgent and I received urgent care.

I do not worry about paying the bills or what the insurance people will say. I am lucky because I am also covered by a work group insurance plan that helps with medications and dental.
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