#91
RE: Americanization of he
Dec 30th, 2005
ITN, the actual numbers don't matter, especially as these examples range over two decades' time and the lines for who qualifies for what have shifted during that span, as have the buying power of a dollar AND the cost of insurance premiums.
The whole point is that insurance not sponsored by an employer is prohibitively expensive for many people and their families, and that there is a far-too-large grey area in which people find themselves without access to health insurance.
Not only that, but even people who get coverage through their employers can have problems that don't occur with a Canadian style system. When you change jobs, you usually wind up having a change in insurance as well, to the new employer's plan. Quite often, there is a period of anywhere from 3 months to 6 months with the new employer where a new hire is not eligible for coverage under the employer's plan, and the only option is to purchase coverage independently, with the prohibitive cost this entails. Now, one can hope that the new job pays enough to allow for that, but often this is not the case. In addition, even if coverage can be afforded, there is the issue of preexisting conditions. If you wind up having to change jobs in the middle of your spouse's chemotherapy, guess what's not going to be covered under your independent insurance OR your new employer's plan? Ditto for your son's diabetic care, your daughter's scoliosis, or your own thyroid condition.
This sort of "gapping" doesn't occur with Canadian-style healthcare provision.
The whole point is that insurance not sponsored by an employer is prohibitively expensive for many people and their families, and that there is a far-too-large grey area in which people find themselves without access to health insurance.
Not only that, but even people who get coverage through their employers can have problems that don't occur with a Canadian style system. When you change jobs, you usually wind up having a change in insurance as well, to the new employer's plan. Quite often, there is a period of anywhere from 3 months to 6 months with the new employer where a new hire is not eligible for coverage under the employer's plan, and the only option is to purchase coverage independently, with the prohibitive cost this entails. Now, one can hope that the new job pays enough to allow for that, but often this is not the case. In addition, even if coverage can be afforded, there is the issue of preexisting conditions. If you wind up having to change jobs in the middle of your spouse's chemotherapy, guess what's not going to be covered under your independent insurance OR your new employer's plan? Ditto for your son's diabetic care, your daughter's scoliosis, or your own thyroid condition.
This sort of "gapping" doesn't occur with Canadian-style healthcare provision.
