$11,126?? That may be what PAYING Americans pay, but Isn’t it about half that don’t pay anything for their healthcare?
The things always missing from these arguments is the non quantifiable issues like “quality of care”.
It easy to get by paying half the US costs when you rely on the US to be the engine of health care innovation and development.
It also easy to produce cut rate medial costs if you willing to accept less then stellar medical care.
there is a reason the wealthy from around the world come to the USA for care rather then go to their local Government manged health care system.
A couple of years ago I looked into relocating from NYC to Vancouver, BC. Needless to say, even with the high combined state/local income tax rates we endure in NYC, total income taxes were much higher in BC than in NYC.
Then I added in the cost of my private health insurance and guess what - the total income tax cost PLUS health insurance cost is about the same in BC as it is in NYC.
The article raises the right point — what is an “average” Canadian and talks about how hard it is to determine that. Median is a good way to determine “average” rather than mean. But that can be distorted too. A large number of people don’t work and pay nothing. So should the measure be what does the average tax-paying Canadian pay? That seems more realistic. The remainder is how much does the average Canadian pay for other peoples’ healthcare.
And if you can get it. They come down to the US for CAT/MRI scans because you can get them scheduled in a week or so but up in Canada it’s up to three months or so.
They still have to wait months & months for an appointment.
Remember that woman who was so excited when Obama won because she thought she wasn’t going to have to pay her mortgage anymore?
Canadians are willing to tolerate a tax burden few Americans would accept.
The country’s founding values are different and equality not freedom is how Canadians see the health care debate.
That’s why single payer has a time gaining attraction in the US while on the other hand, Canadians live with the trade-offs that come with it.
What works for Canada doesn’t necessarily work for the US.
You just can’t transplant a country’s experience and expect people in another country to adapt to it.
Are there government mandated price controls and rationing in Canada?
Rationing can be that you can’t see a doctor for months; built into the system.
One case in point...I,an ordinary middle class American,have had both my hips replaced.One was done 9 years ago,the other was done last year.
On both occasions I found myself in the recovery room of one of the world's most famous hospitals (hint:it's in Boston) no more than 11 business days after having made the phone call to make an appointment for an initial consultation with the surgeon.
In Canada (and Britain) one typically waits months for a hip replacement and often waits 6 months or more.
Also,a few years ago the Premier of one of Canada's Provinces (can't recall which one) needed heart surgery.Although he could have gone to any hospital in Montreal,Toronto or Vancouver he had his surgery in the United States.It was a big deal in Canada...he was labeled by many as a "traitor".
I used to vacation up north some years ago and recall a conversation with the owner of a fishing camp in Ontario.
The bad news is that he had a heart attack. The good news is that he was life-flighted to the mainland, had a multiple bypass and recovered. More good news was the total bill which was a little over $4,000 and change for the whole affair. There would have been NO bill at all had he not requested a semi-private room. Here’s the kicker - His total taxes for the year on the fishing camp was in the neighborhood of 75% of his gross income. Free wasn’t really free after all.
There was another owner of a marina who injured his knee when he tried to catch a boat that was coming into the dock too fast. He had to wait quite a while to see an orthopedist and had to cancel his appointment because there was a 6 foot swell on the lake and he couldn’t get across. He got another appointment, three or four MONTHS later.
One of the biggest drivers for our health care costs in North America, but especially in America, is obesity. Private health insurance needs to scale health care premiums to obesity (just like life insurance), tobacco/alcohol use etc, which should in general act as a deterrent to poor lifestyle choices.
Government gets ahead by spending less on "customers" and focusing more on increasing its size, power, and tax take from "customers". I expect government run healthcare (or anything) to increase its staff and budget, but provide less service over time. This is happening in the NHS in the UK. Without the profit motive, there's only the number of people who work for you and the size of your budget to justify your salary and position.
One only has to compare the availability of MRI clinics in Ontario to those in the metro Detroit area to understand why there are months of waiting times for MRI scans in Canada as compared to S.E. Michigan. If needed, I can get one within two weeks..and it’s not due to a life threatening condition..........been there, done that.
Sickening alone that on AVERAGE we pay TWICE what anyone else pays.
Do you feel twice as healthy as a sweede or Aussie? Do you live twice as long? NO.
This health care program has too many rich people living off of it and telling too many lies. It is bull shit.
“”””Canada spent $5,543 per resident, more than the United Kingdom ($4,986) and Australia ($5,187) but less than Sweden ($6,245) and far less than the United States ($11,126).””””
This appears to have been written by one of Trudeau’s Leftist Journalists who want to make Canadians feel good about the high income taxes, sales taxes, gas taxes, liquor taxes paid by them to support health care.
Paying for ‘’free health care’’?