For the average Canadian family, between 1997 and 2017, the cost of public health care insurance increased 3.2 times as fast as the cost of food, 2.7 times as fast as the cost of clothing, 1.9 times as fast as the cost of shelter, and 1.8 times faster than average income.
Here’s how the cost of coverage increased by family type:
• 78.2% for the average family consisting of 2 adults and no children (from $6,893 to $12,283);
• 74.7% for the average family consisting of 2 parents and 1 child (from $7,103 to $12,410);
• 68.6% for the average family consisting of 2 parents and 2 children (from $7,152 to $12,057);
• 102.0% for the average unattached individual (from $2,276 to $4,596);
• 122.6% for the average family consisting of 1 parent and 1 child (from $2,108 to $4,693);
• 93.8% for the average family consisting of 1 parent and 2 children (from $2,061 to $3,994).
I could have retired by now and gone to live in the Philippines on what I have paid for healthcare that I will not receive.
The northwest coast of Florida used to have a summer tourist season when lots of money flowed into local businesses and a dead depression level winter season. Then back in the 80s the Canadians started coming down in the winter months to get their medical issues taken care of that they could not get in Canada because the waiting lists were already being used as a costs reduction tactic. Make the cancer and heart patients wait several years for their ‘procedures’ and you don’t have so many of them and thus money is saved. Now the tourist waxes and wanes but it is all year long.
And its mediocre healthcare. My own analysis is (I have many friends and relatives in Canada) its generally good for emergencies and clearly treatable issues, poor for chronic problems, and very heavy on bureaucracy.
In our post-modern, individualist society, what Canadians are really paying for is a temporary reprieve from having to bear personal responsibility for themselves, and for others.
My wife is a Canadian and we visit there often.
She has a standing order from me : Get me the hell out of Canada should I need hospitalization!! For that reason, I always buy “travel insurance” for our visits that includes transportation back to the USA.
Most working Canadians pay over a thousand per year and more for additional health care coverage above and beyond what they pay for in taxes... Drugs, eye care, physiotherapy, dental care... All of that comes out of our own pocket.
And waiting is essential. Waiting to see a specialist usually is a matter of months, sometimes many months and you can wait over a entire year and more for common Medical procedures such as cataract and hernia surgeries. Emergency surgery is quick and efficient, but emergency means emergency. Merely requiring a heart procedure such as stints or a bypass is not an emergency unless it’s life threatening.
Surprisingly, we do have some of the best medical doctors in the world working in Canada and the reason why is because of the lifestyle situation. You can usually send your children to public school and the need for living in gated communities is pretty much eliminated. So while Doctors make more stateside, there are some awesome perks to living in Canada.
Not only do they pay more than we’re allowed to know, but when patients need really important and excellent care they come to America.
Notwithstanding the cost, socialized HC is rationed HC. You can’t put a price on that.
Total Canadian health care cost divided by total Canadian population equals $6,100
A very inefficient system especially emergency room services where it costs over a $1000 to triage everyone who comes in...most of whom have a cold or stubbed a toe. $599,000 of every $600,000 spent in emergency rooms of one Canadian province is wasted triaging colds, stubbed toes and the like. If such wastes were stopped the Canadian system would be much more efficient and be able to provide better and faster treatment of serious medical conditions.
On the other hand the Canadian medical system while frustrating has saved my life, which would have bankrupted me in US...and I would be broke and dead. At $6100 (actually less for me at my income level) I am glad to be alive and not homeless.
Years ago, I had a Canadian smugly tell me their healthcare was free. I knew better, and didn’t care to argue with a fool.
Two nuggets from news from a few years ago.
Liam Neeson’s wife, Natasha Richardson, died from an accident in Quebec when she fell and hit her head. Trouble was she was so far from the nearest hospital that could treat her that she was doomed from the moment she fell. Apparently there were no medivac helicopters in entire province. (We have two in my town of 40,000). They brought her to NY for treatment, but it was too late to save her.
There was a story from BC about a woman was about to give birth to triplets. No hospital in the province had a neonatal unit big enough to handle the load, so they sent her to a metropolitan hospital in the US. Bozeman, Montana.