Comments on: GET WELL SOON

By: paresh

paresh — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 11:35:53 +0000

thanks for sharing.

By: Duane Storey

Duane Storey — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:32:40 +0000

If our health system eventually becomes privatized (and in some provinces, it is already to some extent, even in BC), it will be because ultimately the public system failed. I spoke at length with my plastic surgeon the other day, and he said the situation here is fairly dire, mostly because everything is underfunded, even the doctors. No serious professionals want to work in Canada because they get paid peanuts here despite doing ten years of higher learning. In the states, operating on, and looking after, someone with breast cancer will net the doctor $8000. In Canada, the surgeon gets $750, and that is also meant to pay for time in his doctor’s office leading up to the surgery. They simply can’t stay competitive. In addition, many of our high tech surgical wards and under utilized, simply because there aren’t enough staff to keep them running as often as they need to be. That’s why surgical wait times are so long. The doctors want to perform more surgeries, but they simply can’t hire enough people to keep everything running.

When the private clinics first popped up on Quebec, it eventually went to court. The courts, however, ruled in favor of the clinics, since they were saving lives that probably would have been lost in the public system. The public system is in massive need of an overhaul, and a major injection of funding.

By: Spike

Spike — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:07:15 +0000

Here’s one U.S. expat who will never take our health care system for granted. I suffered a devastating wrist injury in a bicycle accident back in May. Emergency room care, x-rays, a CT scan, surgery, post-op care, occupational therapy, etc., all covered in full with no questions asked (beyond confirming that I’m a Canadian resident with a valid BC Care Card after hearing my thick southern drawl). I’d rather not think about what it would have cost me down in the States, even with insurance. And there’s the whole “drive past three hospitals to get to one in my network” thing that we don’t worry about here either.

By: Alice Bevan–McGregor

Alice Bevan–McGregor — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:52:17 +0000

Je ne sais pa a la Francais. Alas, I think I’d get shot by a local shortly after moving to France. :/ Couldn’t tell you why, I wouldn’t understand them if they tried to explain!

I’m voting for England. And Sicko a freaking awesome movie.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:10:10 +0000

very interesting…yes, I pay possibly $60.00+ per week out of my paycheck just IN CASE I need a doc appt. And then when i get there…it’s $25 for a reg doc just for the appt, $35 if a specialist, $150 for urgent care and $100 if it’s the emergency room. Prescriptions…anywhere from $15-$100.00…it is vert costly and it deters you from seeking proper medical care. And honestly I know I pay a lot less than most.
Funny that you mention the possibility of your medical coverage changing to be like America…bc many Americans are pushing for universal healthcare esp with the upcoming elections. Some concerns? Overcrowded waiting rooms aka not getting adequate & timely care…or having to book appts approx 4 months in advance for a specialist…like a dermatologist or such. Personally I don’t understand how those inconveniences can measure up against someones life or health but hey — Hmmm….but either way I’ll move to France with ya

By: Raul

Raul — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:37:58 +0000

Great post, Keira

Lots of people take the health care system for granted. I’ll go to France with you