Any thoughts on Canadian Health Care System?

[Renegade67]

This thread has taken a bit of a detour... Now its seems we should live healthier so we require support later rather than sooner? Hmmmm. There are many curves that can be thrown at you which places you in need of our health care system. Granted the healthier you live the less likely you will be found in the system but things happen. Cancer does not grant you a pass because you ate your wheaties and went for your morning walk. How about autism? Why is the number of children suffering from this on a continual rise?

 

If you want to speak of issues with the health of our society as a hole you don't have to look far to see that we are headed in the wrong direction. How many kids nowadays rot in front of some digital device most of the day. Parents are to blame but they turn a blind eye as the kids are not fighting, screaming, or causing any grief. When the kids are walking around most have their heads down which can't be good. Why play a sport when you can do it on the couch virtually? Both parents need to work to keep the house afloat so there are less and less parental time available to get them and keep them moving. We are living in an age where the next generation is less likely to live longer than the present, which is a first in our history.

 

There are many reasons why the burden on our health care system will continue to climb.

Edited April 8, 2014 by Renegade67

[Squid]

_{Simple if you do not like our helath care system then move to the states. I gaurantee that you will stop the whining very quickly when you see what your bill is for getting you in so fast.}

Edited April 8, 2014 by Squid

[strik]

Four years ago my son was born.. Was air lifted to London, couple weeks in hospital released all is in the clear now.

 

I`m not sure what it would have cost me somewhere else.. I used to do a lot of whining about the same topic However now is a different story. When you need it you realize how lucky we are and how cheap it is.

[Moosebunk]

It was quite upsetting & helpless feeling to wait in ER seeing others & your loves ones in pain for hours.

 

- Acute care availability

 

What are your thoughts?

 

Don't think any strayed or really whined at all. The OP as above was asking for thoughts on this, and that's what he got. There's room for improvement with regards to "acute care availability and ER wait times," and that process could be approached from many different avenues.

[moxie]

This thread has taken a bit of a detour... Now its seems we should live healthier so we require support later rather than sooner? Hmmmm. There are many curves that can be thrown at you which places you in need of our health care system. Granted the healthier you live the less likely you will be found in the system but things happen. Cancer does not grant you a pass because you ate your wheaties and went for your morning walk. How about autism? Why is the number of children suffering from this on a continual rise?

 

If you want to speak of issues with the health of our society as a hole you don't have to look far to see that we are headed in the wrong direction. How many kids nowadays rot in front of some digital device most of the day. Parents are to blame but they turn a blind eye as the kids are not fighting, screaming, or causing any grief. When the kids are walking around most have their heads down which can't be good. Why play a sport when you can do it on the couch virtually? Both parents need to work to keep the house afloat so there are less and less parental time available to get them and keep them moving. We are living in an age where the next generation is less likely to live longer than the present, which is a first in our history.

 

There are many reasons why the burden on our health care system will continue to climb.

Lack of proper nutrition and excersise are key. A neighbour of ours lived almost 8 years with an inoperable brain tumor that would have taken a person of average health to the grave in the customary 6-10 months. You care to know why? He ate as healthy as he could and rode his bike and walked counltess kms. Doctors were amazed.

 

We are all going to die. Depends on whether you want to cash your chips earlier or later.

[emjay88]

Very interesting thread, and I'm happy to read everyone's different opinions and keeping things respectful. Personally I have nothing but respect for our system's front line workers and health care professionals and have always received great care for the few times I needed it regardless of wait times. I didn't mind waiting 6 hours to get an x rap removed from my thumb when there were clearly people in much worse shape than me (yes I tried to remove it myself, but the barb was stuck on my tendon). At the end of the day in terms of comparing our system with the American one, the question is who do you trust more with your money? The government or an insurance company? I realise this is not the ideal choice but our system is fundamentally better for a few different reasons. The government has voters to answer to, where insurance companies have share holders to answer to, which means in the States it's all about profits at the end of the day not the average U.S citizen. Hence why so many un-neccesary test are ordered, drugs with kick back incentives are prescribed by doctors (the drug advertising is beyond ridiculous), and a family member's illness could potentially bankrupt the family. There is a whole industry built upon advertising drugs to citizens that they probably don't need and give big rips to the doctors who provide them, to the hundreds of law firms set up to then sue "said" drug companies for not mentioning one of the 12 side effects they listed. Plus insurance companies reward agents if they can find a reason (usually in the fine print) to deny someone's claim. As far as political reasons go I think Canada has it right. As a fairly right wing person, I believe in less government involvement in our lives, except when it comes to health care and education. As a first world country, I believe it is in our best interest for our government to invest in its citizens to be educated and healthy, regardless of their tax bracket. The rest is up to us. I find it strange that the political right in the U.S based primarily in the bible belt calls our health care system fundamentally socialist because the government funds it for everyone?!?! If that's the case than I'd like them to try and make education a pay as you go system. Why is teaching a 14 year old calculus much more important than helping that kid through bone cancer without charging that family 100k at the very least. Yes our system needs work, of course, and there will always be things to improve on, but at the the end of the day there is no way the general public will receive better care with a for-profit system. Just my two cents.

Cheers,

Matt