Americanization of health care in Canada

[tracy]

Re: RE: Americanization of health care in Canada

[
True, but a $3500 deductible can be an insurmountable obstacle for many people. If coverage doesn't kick in until after you've already paid out $3500 from your own pocket, the insurance is basically useless unless you already have an extra $3500 in your pocket to spend in the first place. The only case in which it would come into play would be some catastrophic situation in which you land in the hospital or something and the bill mounts up past $3500 from the get-go and the insurance picks up the tab for the rest and you get a bill later from the hospital for your $3500 portion. But if you're using it to pay for things like doctor visits, etc. (and especially if no meds are covered), and you don't have the money to pay for those visits out of pocket until the $3500 deductible has been met, you simply will wind up never using the coverage.
.

And that's the only reason I have it. I don't do doctors visits down here and don't take any prescription meds other than birth control (and trust me, that's worth the money!!!). Personally I don't consider $3500 to be a pittance by any means, but that policy was the best choice for someone in my situation. I could cough up $3500 if I needed to and it's not like it would have to be a catastrophic situation. One ER visit could easily top that.

I do think it's shameful that so many people fall through the cracks when it comes to job changes and insurance. That' what happened to my coworker and her husband (they couldn't afford cobra) and they will have those bills forever.

 

[tracy]

Re: RE: Americanization of health care in Canada

I really do not know how anybody gets by on less than $80000 in a major CA city (and that is as a single person).

I know lots of people who do. I live in the LA area and fortunately make over the 80K mark, but a lot of my friends are still going to school or working at low paying jobs. They all have enough money to live and have some luxuries (like cell phones, computers, etc). Many of my patients' families survive on much less than that.