This is what universal health care looks like…
Today I had to go to the clinic to see a doctor. When Jonathan visited last weekend, he had a cough. Nothing too serious… as a matter of fact he’s already gotten over it. But my little man loves to share so he passed that cough onto me and unlike him, my health has gotten worse as the week progressed. So I went to the clinic to get checked out just to make sure it was nothing serious.
So I arrived at the clinic, Ontario health card in hand and there was no line to get to the counter. She took my card, verified information and asked me to sign a form. I spoke to her for about a minute or two and then was immediately shown to a room to wait for the doctor. Yeah, I didn’t wait a single minute in the main waiting room. None.
I sat there for a few minutes, about ten of them texting some friends and family who were concerned and then the doctor arrived. He took a look and about ten minutes later broke the news to me: I have strep throat and bronchitis. Fuck me.
The Doc write me up a prescription for pills and two puffers and said if I followed instructions, I’d be better in no time. I picked the drugs up at my local pharmacy on the way home, took my meds, had a cup of tea and then went to bed.
Would you like to know how much it cost for the appointment and the drugs I was prescribed? Nothing. Nada. Ziltch. Zero. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what Universal Health Care looks like.
To my American readers, how much would it have cost you to see your doctor and get the meds that were prescribed?
This is the sad truth about mess that is healthcare in the United States. The truth is America pays more per capita. In 2007, it was determined that Canada spent a little over four thousand per person on healthcare. Now compare that with the US which spends over seven thousand, five hundred per person. And what exactly are you getting for all that money being spent? Not much if you ask me. If you still have to pay for your own health coverage, where is all this money going?
My country’s universal plan isn’t perfect, despite how amazing it worked for me today. I’ve had the long waits, but the price was still the same. My future sister-in-law broke her foot, was in a cast and required to surgeries to fix it. Same thing, she paid sweet fuck all for it. So it’s easy to say the average Canuck is getting a lot out of our four thousand per citizen.
This is what upsets me when I hear the GOP whine and cry about government overreach. The United States is the ONLY industrialized nation that doesn’t have universal health care. That is shameful. The reason why the GOP fights Obamacare and Universal health care so much is that their people stand to lose amazing profits they make of the suffering of others. That’s the GOP for you.
This is why the GOP can kiss my ass… they can try to bash my system as much as they want but the fact is I’m at home with meds that are helping me get over a serious illness and I didn’t have to spend a dime to get them prescribed or the script filled. That is the kind of health care that Americans deserve, and what the GOP is hell bent to prevent.
So the next time you hear someone oppose Obamacare, ask they why. Chances are they don’t even know why. This is a good law that’s going to help and possibly save a lot of people. It passed legitimately and was signed into law. There are no tack backs… especially after the people gave Obama a vote of confidence in 2012. The GOP lost the battle on Obamacare, so it’s time to tip your cap to the opposition and move on.
Their hostage taking of the debt ceiling will hurt more than the US economy, it will hurt the world globally. They need to get their heads out of their arses and pass a clean resolution to most the government back into business like the did for Bush without question over half a dozen times during his terms. This kind of hypocrisy won’t do the GOP any favors. The longer they hold out, the more their chances of keeping the house in 2014 slip away.
They’re committing political suicide. They need to back away from the cliff and get back to work.
Peter
Canadian here. Well said
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I’m a health care provider in America and work at a clinic that serves both American and Canadian patients. My canadian patients have a significantly different experience than what you described. 100% of the time they opt for American hospitals (canadian medicare pays for it) when it comes down to the wire. The reason I have so many Canadian pts is because they cannot get in to see their GPs
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I had one that was taken to the local American ER for chest pain, then was shipped to the closest Canadian hospital where she was told that “there is nothing wrong with you, they just sent you here because they didn’t want to deal with you.” They tried to discharge her but her family put up a fuss. Turns out she had five major blockages that required stents.
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I do think American health care is pretty messed up, but from a provider’s perspective, I feel it’s because we as a country are pretty lazy and don’t find the need to take care of ourselves until something major goes wrong. Plus, for whatever reason all my Canadian patients have to pay for their own medications, so they ask that I prescribe them to Walmart in America because it’s cheaper.
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nineohseven: I stated in my entry that my system is far from perfect, but compared to the US… it’s doing quite well. I live in a city, a big one and the fact that I’ve never had an issue with waiting or care when it was urgently needed says something about our system. When I’m asked to wait for non-urgent care, I always bring an e-reader or a movie on my blackberry. I’m willingto give up some time, especially considering the price of my treatment. Cheers,
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Here is one American who agrees with every word you wrote. Truthfully, there are millions of us who do. Millions who wish The American Care Act was a single payer plan, bypassing the for-profit insurance companies. / We are the same people who think people who hate government don’t belong in government office. And elected officials who stonewall to get their way don’t deserve re-election.
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I appreciate our health care system too
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Peter, every single person that I know from Canada has said the same thing as you including those that I deal with in the Mental Health Industry. I have yet to meet anyone personally that has said what nineohseven has stated in their comment except for the American Republicans that are trying to put Socialist Fear into the mix. Thank you for the truth!
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GOP voters will keep voting for these fascists no matter how badly they screw things up it seems
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I can do one better then just a appointment with meds. I had 2 babies via c-section. Both required a 5 day stay in the hospital for ‘recovery’. Bilal went into the NICU for 4 of those 5 days, underwent loads of tests including 2 x-rays and several blood tests. He had medicine and iv’s and was on oxygen. We can out of the hospital owing NOTHING for any of it. Not a single penny.
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This needs to be posted on Facebook…
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I have amazing health insurance through Brett’s work. It wouldn’t have cost me anything. When I was pregnant, I didn’t pay a cent for my doctor’s visits. I didn’t pay anything for labor or delivery, either. My sister, on the other hand, has to pay $2500 out of pocket before her insurance will cover anything other than preventative care. It took them two years to pay off their hosp bills…
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from having her son.
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I’d be for it if they’d follow that route. My premiums are going to go up about $250/month as a result of it.
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I agree with you. And those who oppose the ACA, at least in my experience are of the variety of people who don’t think we should be giving “handouts” or who legitimately are concerned about the impact on their own premiums (my dad’s plan will go up to $600/mo!??!). Some of us, like me, don’t like the ACA b/c it isn’t single payer.
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I think the current iteration of it is a really good example of the way America half-asses things. The ACA is trying to do two things and it’s not doing either of them well.
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