I gather your doc doesn't pay rent, doesn't have any employees, has no examining tables, no office equipment, nothing.
That's pretty cool.
HEALTH CARE - User fees
- Thread starter JLM
- Start date
I gather your doc doesn't pay rent, doesn't have any employees, has no examining tables, no office equipment, nothing.
That's pretty cool.
No, I wouldn't go quite that far, doctors are good at treating injuries, but you are right, in that people who take good care of their own health have very little need for doctors.
Here is the information that I copied from the Help, under Medical Expenses allowable deductions, from the CanTax program. I stand corrected above, it indicates that you cannot deduct the Health Care Premiums paid to Ontario, Alberta and BC. Having said that, I have deducted those expenses for years.
Canada Revenue expenses allowed:
Your total expenses must be more than either 3% of your net income or $1,962, whichever is less.
This is a list of the more common medical expenses that you can claim, provided you were not reimbursed for them (for example by your employer or a private insurance or drug plan):
- payments to a medical doctor, dentist, nurse, or certain other medical professionals, or to a public or licensed private hospital;
- payments for prescription medicines and drugs;
- dental services (including x-rays, fillings, extractions, oral surgery, dentures, and tooth straightening);
- ambulance charges to or from hospital;
- premiums paid to private or non-government health services plans (other than those paid by an employer);
- artificial limbs, aids, and other devices and equipment (including artificial eyes and limbs, iron lung, a rocking bed for poliomyelitis victims, wheelchairs, crutches, spinal braces, a brace for a limb, ileostomy or colostomy pads, a truss for a hernia, laryngeal speaking aids, hearing aids, pacemakers, an artificial kidney machine, and certain prescription medical devices;
- repairs to and replacement batteries for the above;
- laboratory tests;
- laser eye surgery, prescription eyeglasses, or prescription contact lenses;
- hospital services (including anaesthesia, oxygen masks/tents, vaccines, and x-rays);
- amounts paid for attendant care, or care in an establishment, provided no one claimed the disability amount for the person receiving the care;
- devices designed to assist in daily living (for example, to enter or leave a bathtub or shower);
- special telephone devices to help people who are hearing-impaired.
- expenses relating to guide and hearing-ear dogs;
- cost of diabetic testing supplies;
- incremental cost of gluten-free food (compared to the cost of non-gluten-free food) if required due to celica disease; and
- reasonable travel expenses (such as meals and accommodation), if medical treatment was not available locally.
I understand your feelings, the rest of us are in the same boat and we're still coming up short. I think the problem lies with the Gov't. getting it's nose into it and a lot is getting syphoned off through bureaucracy. The $20 solution is probably just a band aid. The proper answer (and very few would stand for it) would be private insurance coverage where the premiums are establihed for each person according to risk. Watch for about 300 irate posts just after sun up. :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
Premiums paid to private and government extended health plans are deductible. Premiums paid to provincial health plans for basic services are not( see Schedule 1, eligible medical expenses, on the 2009 return at cra.gc.ca) and have not been deductible for at least twenty five years.
Last edited:
It is not a band aid. It is an infected band aid. Put an infected band aid on the wound and you will make matters much worse.
As to you wanting American style health care system here, why should that be a surprise? I thought it was well known that those who support user fees, what they really want is an American style health care (after all it is the rabid right, like Fraser Institute, which supports it). User fees are just the first step to privatizing the whole thing.
What is interesting though is that those who admire American health care system (from afar) would never even think of moving to USA.
What is interesting is that the 3% income can be of lower earning spouse, it doesn’t have to be of higher earning spouse. If one is earning 50,000 $ and the other earning 30,000 $, then any expense above 900 $ would be deductible.
" User fees are just the first step to privatizing the whole thing."
And that would be bad? Worse than government run?????? It might even provide people who know what they are doing a chance to run it. How is that bad?
And that would be bad? Worse than government run?????? It might even provide people who know what they are doing a chance to run it. How is that bad?
"what they really want is an American style health care (after all it is the rabid right, like Fraser Institute,"
We already established just the other day that the Fraser Institute is non partisan.
We already established just the other day that the Fraser Institute is non partisan.
Of course many admire the American form of health care. after all it is the best in the world, for one thing, we do not reuse single-use medical devices to save money, best to think of patients safety first. As for moving either to Canada or the U.S., there are a lot of variables involved, job, family, friends etc. Nor are many people willing to change location just for the health care, unless there is something specific one plan may offer over another. (in this case it is only cost and you get what you pay for.) This subject we have beaten to death, and if your happy with what you have then so be it, but without using the U.S. plan other than for emergency care one wouldn't have any idea of what it was. There is nothing wrong with having a user fee, might help recruit more qualified doctors and nurses if it was given to them.
Sure it would be bad. Having the lowest life expectancy in the developed world will be bad. Having one of the highest infant mortality rates in the developed world will be bad. Having tens of thousands of families declare bankruptcy every year; because they cannot afford to pay the health care costs will be bad.
A single mother having to choose between food and health care will be bad. Having more than 15 % Canadians without any health insurance (as is the case in USA) will be bad. If you want US style health care, your best chance is to move to USA (but then as I said before, these who admire US health care system from afar wouldn’t even dream of moving to USA).
They have user fee in USA. What are the consequences?
Lowest life expectancy in the developed world.
Highest infant morality in the developed world.
Hundreds of thousands of families each ear declaring bankruptcy because they cannot pay for health care (accruing to CNN, 70 % of bankruptcies last year were because of health care costs).
More than 40 million people without any kind of medical insurance.
Well, you can keep your health care system; I don’t think Canadians will want it. Oh, and take people like JLM with you, who love your health care system and have very low opinion of Canadian health care system.
Really? I suggest you put your house in order first, before you try to help others with advice. According to CNN, there will be a shortage of 40,000 to 100,000 Family Physicians in USA in the next few years.
Yep, once in a blue moon a couple of intelligent people happen to cross paths........:lol::lol::lol::lol:
Back on topic about 20 years ago when we were holidaying in Reno, my wife had a minor emergency pop up out of the blue (we did have travel insurance) anyway I took her over to the nearest hospital, where the people were so kind and she was treated professionally and in a timely manner and was back to enjoying the holiday within about two hours. So perhaps I have a tad more experience than some yammering away here.