Words You Won't Hear in Canadian Health Care

[thetreble 19]

you're in America, now.

if you really think that everyone in canada is paying the same amount of money for health care, you need to take another course in economics.

Yeah, and don't I know it. The land of the...wait..what?

I was an English lit major.

Don't need economics to know my own country. I worked there. I paid bills there. I was taxed. Didn't bother me for a second.

state funded health care spends money that has to be generated somehow. businesses and people are taxed to pay for it.

unemployed people and people with low salaries don't.

I do have a brain, actually, and realize that the money needs to be generated from somewhere and it is generated from taxes. In Ontario we are taxed 14%. What the unemployed gets taxed on a candy bar, an employed member of the nation gets taxed that exact same amount. Fair dos.

I worked for the Canadian government, now I work for the US government. I make more money here by salary, but take home less each month. You do that math.

Every one around me is spending between 7-25K in property taxes a year and you want to have a fight about paying an extra dollar or two for healthcare for someone else? You know? I just don't care at that point. I'm taxed. I have to live with that for the rest of my life. I'd love to not have to pay a ###### copay every time I walk in to see a doctor for 2 minutes for allergies, after I already pay every paycheck. Wouldn't that be nice?

as you get older and accumulate more wealth your perspective will change. i have faith in you. you will be successful, and if you are taxed heavily for someone else's benefit, you will resent it.

I'm not 12.

I don't need your faith, either. From what I gather, not a lot of people like your opinion around these parts of town and I understand why. Most of the time it's ridiculous.

[Krikit 1,166]

Yeah. My husband got Cobra'd for a year. It was costing his father $600.00/month. I don't think that's really affordable if you aren't pretty well off which most of the country is not.

Regarding costs and all... how much does Canada's medical insurance system costs Canadians per month or is it funded by other public means? Because there still are retards that think its free.

The funds are removed as taxes from salaries at the employer level and are on a sliding scale. Quite minimal, actually. You may opt in to supplemental coverage or not, depending on whether your spouse/partner has coverage also. It is usually within your best interests to opt in as the amount is negligible. Some plans are better than others so if there are ceilings on one plan you would claim the additional expenses up to the ceiling and then claim the remainder on the other plan. Medical expenses above and beyond the amounts covered by the healthcare plans can be claimed as a deductible expense at tax time.

[Emancipation 2]

Just thought of one more scenario that I wish Prez. Obama would address before he tackles the whole insurance for all situation.

Friend in Toronto has no insurance (Immigrant with no status yet in Canada therefore not eligible for health insurance): Out of pocket cost for having a baby in the hospital in ONT: Total cost including hospital stay : $3,000.00.

Friend who just had a baby here in CT for her hospital stay ALONE (not including delivery): $13,000.00

Zeee math she just don't add up people.

[HAL 9000 96]

Yeah. My husband got Cobra'd for a year. It was costing his father $600.00/month. I don't think that's really affordable if you aren't pretty well off which most of the country is not.

Regarding costs and all... how much does Canada's medical insurance system costs Canadians per month or is it funded by other public means? Because there still are retards that think its free.

The funds are removed as taxes from salaries at the employer level and are on a sliding scale. Quite minimal, actually. You may opt in to supplemental coverage or not, depending on whether your spouse/partner has coverage also. It is usually within your best interests to opt in as the amount is negligible. Some plans are better than others so if there are ceilings on one plan you would claim the additional expenses up to the ceiling and then claim the remainder on the other plan. Medical expenses above and beyond the amounts covered by the healthcare plans can be claimed as a deductible expense at tax time.

Yeah I just read that... 14%. A real bargain.

I am amazed how Republicans haven't caught on to this. They could kill several birds with one stone:

Propose a national system funded for all by a similar scale tax on income. And do so in a bipartisan fashion. This could get them votes in 2010 and 2012 if they woke up and smelled constituent needs instead of cold hard corporate cash.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I'm not 12.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I'm taxed. I have to live with that for the rest of my life.

You could just throw a tea party

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I hate the fact that when you think of US Healthcare, the first thing that comes to my mind is money. How much is this going to cost me. My husband would rather have risked his life to save us a few dollars!

No wonder other countries are outliving those in the US...they can't afford to live.

Yep... nailed it on the head.. my husband's ex tells her children not to jump or run up staircases because they might fall and break a bone and she can't afford another hospital visit

That disturbed me a lot when I was living in CA. Had to have a lymph node biopsy for possible lymphoma and co-workers I talked to about were aghast and said that if I were them, they'd take their chances.

Take your chances with cancer. What a terrible attitude to take to your own health!

[Krikit 1,166]

McGill for postdoc is going to be on my list.

Wow. McGill is awesome, and so is Montreal. I'm sure wherever you choose they'll be lucky to have you. Good luck.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

it's actually a little pathetic to hear people brag that they paid nothing for their own medical care.

it's more than a little pathetic. it's downright disgusting.

it's like listening to someone talk about how they stole their neighbor's car and used it to drive around for a few years.

it's what you get when you allow people to sluff responsibility for their own condition off onto other people's backs.

Yeah - you really don't know what you're talking about Mr Shooter, do you.

Its just the usual round of rhetorical conservative talking points, without any actual knowledge of the subject at hand.

you really don't like it when someone calls a spade a spade, and you're the spade, do you?

You add nothing to discussion, and you rant on your silly factually incorrect assumptions regardless of what the facts are, or what anyone else says.

The only spade here, is the one you continue to use to dig yourself into deep and smelly holes.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

I am one of the fortunate ones who has fantastic healthcare coverage and could never be wiped out by any catastrophic events mentioned previously. My out of pocket maximum is only $3000.

That is until a catastrophic event costs you your job and - with it - your coverage.

Under COBRA, if you are terminated for any reason other than "gross misconduct," you are

guaranteed the right to continue your former employer's group plan for up to 18 months.

COBRA comes at a cost most employee's, use my wife as example, can't possibly afford when not working. In fact, COBRA would have cost more per month than she was making. But keep telling yourself the current system has built in protection in the event of loss of work.

Everything comes at a cost. Open a friggin' savings account.

How can they do that when they always have a hand out? Gawd people are ignorant and lazy.

[HAL 9000 96]

McGill for postdoc is going to be on my list.

Wow. McGill is awesome, and so is Montreal. I'm sure wherever you choose they'll be lucky to have you. Good luck.

Thanks!

The chemical I was waiting for came in... time for more infections.

[KarenCee 3]

We pay monthly premiums in BC, so that ones wrong.

Yes but my Canadian husband says that it depends on the province...so that article was right to some degree.

[justashooter 430]

But according to some retards here, your family members don't deserve this because they can't afford it.

Hope all turns out well for you guys.

so you're calling us "retards" because we don't want to pay someone else's bills?

PM me your address and i'll send you my mortgage bill and utility bills for this month. pay them, or STFU.

[KarenCee 3]

I hate the fact that when you think of US Healthcare, the first thing that comes to my mind is money. How much is this going to cost me. My husband would rather have risked his life to save us a few dollars!

No wonder other countries are outliving those in the US...they can't afford to live.

Yep... nailed it on the head.. my husband's ex tells her children not to jump or run up staircases because they might fall and break a bone and she can't afford another hospital visit

Even with insurance I still ask myself this same question. I hear myself telling my daughter to be careful, don't do this or do that - can't afford an ER bill OR anything else like that. I'm grateful I have insurance but I still have to pay a buttload of money for my meds EACH month.

I can't wait until we can move to Nova Scotia...

[justashooter 430]

you're in America, now.

if you really think that everyone in canada is paying the same amount of money for health care, you need to take another course in economics.

Yeah, and don't I know it. The land of the...wait..what?

I was an English lit major.

Don't need economics to know my own country. I worked there. I paid bills there. I was taxed. Didn't bother me for a second.

state funded health care spends money that has to be generated somehow. businesses and people are taxed to pay for it.

unemployed people and people with low salaries don't.

I do have a brain, actually, and realize that the money needs to be generated from somewhere and it is generated from taxes. In Ontario we are taxed 14%. What the unemployed gets taxed on a candy bar, an employed member of the nation gets taxed that exact same amount. Fair dos.

I worked for the Canadian government, now I work for the US government. I make more money here by salary, but take home less each month. You do that math.

Every one around me is spending between 7-25K in property taxes a year and you want to have a fight about paying an extra dollar or two for healthcare for someone else? You know? I just don't care at that point. I'm taxed. I have to live with that for the rest of my life. I'd love to not have to pay a ###### copay every time I walk in to see a doctor for 2 minutes for allergies, after I already pay every paycheck. Wouldn't that be nice?

as you get older and accumulate more wealth your perspective will change. i have faith in you. you will be successful, and if you are taxed heavily for someone else's benefit, you will resent it.

I'm not 12.

I don't need your faith, either. From what I gather, not a lot of people like your opinion around these parts of town and I understand why. Most of the time it's ridiculous.

you seem to think that the only source of funding for health care in canada is the individual contribution. you also forget that employed people buy more candy bars than unemployed people do.

what kind of work do you do for the American government? i'm always interested in hearing how my tax dollars are spent.

health care for other people would not be just "a dollar or two", and my property taxes, which are entirely unrelated to health care costs and funding, are high enough, thank you.

you're not 45, either.

liberals who want me to pay for things that other people get won't like my opinion on the subject. i don't expect them to, so am not surprised. i understand who they are and the limitations upon their thinking, so am not offended. their limitations and their dislike will not stop me from voicing my opinion.

liberals are all for "tolerance" and "diversity" until someone disagrees with them or is determined to be different from them.