In an effort to enlighten further on the subject of Canadian Universal Health Care:
I had to switch provincial health care providers due to my more permanent move from Ontario to Newfoundland and checked the NL Health website to see if there were any minor differences in provincial coverage (i.e. seniors in Ontario get free eye exams, under sixes in NL get free dental).
Note this is all FREE, as in one pays nothing, not even a fee for the card, and nowhere is there a “death panel” mentioned or assignments of doctors or hospitals. I’m free to walk into any medical facility anywhere in Newfoundland (and in all of Canada for that matter as my health card is, like, PORTABLE from province to province when I'm visiting) and obtain FREE treatment. Just so y’all know.
This is the 100% paid coverage, no co-pays, no fees, in fact I don’t even get shown a bill. From anyone.
*visits to a physician's office, hospital or beneficiary's residence
*surgical, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, including anaesthesia
*pre- and post-operative care
*complete maternity care
*radiology interpretive services
*certain surgical-dental procedures which are medically necessary to be performed in hospital by a dentist or oral surgeon
This is what not-for-profit universal health care looks like. It should be a state given right. Like, oh, water, schools, police forces, firefighters, etc. Anywhere and everywhere in the world.
That's right, WWW. I live in the Netherlands an I have never seen a medical bill and I use the system extensively. I once had surgery in Belgium and the only bill I saw was a phone bill for a few Euros.
ReplyDeleteI live in USA and my Insurance Co raised my premium by more than 100.00 monthly with restricted procedures and less coverage. The Republicans lie, cheat and spread so much hatred that confusion is the mindset of the uneducated and those who refuse to be informed, however, I have faith that our President will do the right thing and push for a public plan with options. The Insurance companies will fight on & in the end Republicans will be more fragmented than they are today, they are falling apart, and I am cheering them on. There is no sense of helping one another or caring for those who ae less fortunate, Republicans care about money, money and more money.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly should. I just watched Obama's health reform speech, it was brilliant. I do hope he can get some radical reforms through and they aren't stymied yet again by all the right-wing loonies, vested commercial interests and stick-in-the-muds.
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed the correct way.
ReplyDelete*complete maternity care*
Glad you will be looked after when the twins arrive! ;)
Yeah, I am often shocked to find out what a procedure I get for free actually costs, since I never see the bill.
ReplyDeleteWe do take all this for granted, but the other night while watching the TV news at a neighbour's, and there was all that town hall hullabaloo over medicare in the USA, my neighbour reminded me that we here in Canada went through the same bug stupid fuss over almost exactly the same so-called "issues" when medicare was brought in here, back in the '50s (Saskatchewan) and '60s (whole country). The doctors teamed up with the insurance companies to urge folks into high hysteria over lies and half-truths. The fuss fizzled completely once it became the law of the land.
We need to changes things dramatically in the U.S. I don't understand all the fighting. What is so difficult to understand: health care should be available to everyone.
ReplyDeleteWe need to changes things dramatically in the U.S. I don't understand all the fighting. What is so difficult to understand: health care should be available to everyone.
ReplyDeleteThat maternity care sounds particularly useful WWW - I'd have a dozen! ; -)
ReplyDeleteYes, I have always been impressed by how sensible the Canadians seem to be - and so refreshingly free of hype and hysteria. Maybe that's why they have more cash left over for what matters.
This is slightly a complex matter.
ReplyDeleteFocusing on just one dot.
Reading your post which is - so to speak - confirmed by Annie, came to my mind:
So often when it comes to proposals (for the worse) we would be told "... but they do it / it works in the Netherlands, in France / Scandinavia etc..
Why would no one in Washington have noticed that something positive works in Canada?
As long as the (influential majority of the) have-more do think they do deserve better health care as the have-less, there is something rotten in the state of the United States.
Ahem ... no Anti-USAism. This goes for all countries the people of which call themselves civilised.