Hello, Canadians of Lemmy! Down in the USA there is a lot of conflicting information regarding the efficacy of y’alls healthcare systems. Without revealing my personal bias, I was hoping for some anecdotes or summaries from those whom actually live there.
A good friend of mine is Canadian but lives in America.
He didn’t have good thing to say about the Canadian system in 2003 when he moved here.
He said the quality of care was similar and the cost was dollar. The difference is Canada you pay for each month in taxes and in America you pay for it at time of service.
Now he felt Canada was more willing to try new things. His other had hep c and they covered experimental treatment. In America that wasn’t really an option.
He also noted American wages were much higher and housing was cheaper.
Your friend is paying it today in insurance premiums. Same money, just a different line on the paycheck.
And then if he gets sick, he’ll pay again.
Our willingness in America to pay money to a company that is incentivized by profits, just to not pay taxes is astonishing.
We pay 150 a month for insurance . 500 dollar deductible and a max out of pocket of 3500.
I don’t think that’s bad at all. Our incomes are 300-500k a year. So it’s a small part of our wages. In Canada he was at 60k.
My health insurance premium + deductible (I always hit it due to ADHD medication) was almost $13k annually, and that’s the best value plan that was available to me at $60k salary, including Obamacare plans. My situation was worse than most people’s I know, but not way, way worse. Your situation is incredible, hang on to it for as long as you can.
I’ve had similar insurance my whole career. This isn’t anything special and it worse than I grew up with. Uaw Had the best insurance. No idea if it’s good anymore but it was the best.
That’s really lucky, good for you. I was, ironically, in insurance (but not health/life). My mom had insurance as a public school teacher growing up, and that was incredible too. She at one point had a treatment that cost $10k a week, which she paid nothing out of pocket for.
Unions make the difference.
Insurance seems the worst insurance. lol. My gf works in insurance and says hers is garbage.
To be clear. I think we need the Australian model. A system paid for by everyone but the option for private.
I don’t think it’s a “right”. I think it’s common sense to reduce cost and keep people working. I like to work. I’d hate to have to stop because I’m injured.
Americans are stupid when it comes to a better system. They only think of paying for someone care instead of thinking of cost and benefits.