Should Canada adopt Swedish Health Care?
- Thread starter Machjo
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Health care in Canada - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Restrictions on privately funded health care
Main article: Canada Health Act
The Canada Health Act, which sets the conditions with which provincial/territorial health insurance plans must comply if they wish to receive their full transfer payments from the federal government, does not allow charges to insured persons for insured services (defined as medically necessary care provided in hospitals or by physicians). Most provinces have responded through various prohibitions on such payments. This does not constitute a ban on privately funded care; indeed, about 30% of Canadian health expenditures come from private sources, both insurance and out-of-pocket payments.[51] The Canada Health Act does not address delivery. Private clinics are therefore permitted, albeit subject to provincial/territorial regulations, but they cannot charge above the agreed-upon fee schedule unless they are treating non-insured persons (which may include those eligible under automobile insurance or worker's compensation, in addition to those who are not Canadian residents), or providing non-insured services. This provision has been controversial among those seeking a greater role for private funding.
In 2006, a Canadian court threatened to shut down one private clinic because it was planning to start accepting private payments from patients.[52]
Governments have responded through wait time strategies, discussed above, which attempt to ensure that patients will receive high-quality, necessary services in a timely manner. Nonetheless, the debate continues."
We have that already to carying degrees between provinces. Since they're all bilateral agreements, they canvary from province to province.
We have agreements but it is not promoted - This is a way to balance care - costs and waiting times.
Do you have any idea what you are suggesting? You are suggesting that we essentially have some sort of ``death court'' who judges who gets to have a heart transplant and who does not. How are they supposed to judge? I suppose they would be asked all sorts of demeaning questions about their sex life, about whether or not they donated money to the current government or--even better--donated to the judges themselves.
No thank you. The rest of your post is just bald assertions. I would be willing to argue if you would be so willing as to provide evidence.
As far as I know, it is insufficient enough across the country, that one cannot depend on it.
TueIf you leave your province, it's wise to find out before you leave what the rules are. I wouldn't be surprised either if some provinces have more complete agreements with neighbouring provinces than with distant provinces. In other cases, the agreements cover emergency care only, etc.
I think the way it works is that if you are out of province your provincial healthcare provider pays up to the rate they would have charged in your home province - If you leave your province to get treatment then you need permission.
Health insurance here costs me $586 give or take a buck.
Most people don't have to wait long for medical procedures. Juan's right. But "long" may mean months or years.
"The median wait time in Canada to see a special physician is a little over four weeks with 89.5% waiting less than 3 months.
The median wait time for diagnostic services such as MRI and CAT scans is two weeks with 86.4% waiting less than 3 months.
The median wait time for surgery is four weeks with 82.2% waiting less than 3 months." - "[URL="http://www.healthcoalition.ca/index-eng.pdf"]Healthy Canadians: Canadian government report on comparable health care indicators". http://www.healthcoalition.ca/index-eng.pdf.[/URL]
Most people don't have to wait long for medical procedures. Juan's right. But "long" may mean months or years.
"The median wait time in Canada to see a special physician is a little over four weeks with 89.5% waiting less than 3 months.
The median wait time for diagnostic services such as MRI and CAT scans is two weeks with 86.4% waiting less than 3 months.
The median wait time for surgery is four weeks with 82.2% waiting less than 3 months." - "[URL="http://www.healthcoalition.ca/index-eng.pdf"]Healthy Canadians: Canadian government report on comparable health care indicators". http://www.healthcoalition.ca/index-eng.pdf.[/URL]
The thing about statistics is that they can say almost anything. I'm one of the older members on this forum and I've watched our healthcare system since it started. I raised a family during the evolution of our system. Our healthcare system works very well for most Canadians. There are areas in this country where the population density just doesn't allow another doctor to bring the level of service up to where we would like it. There is not much we can do about it except throw more money at the problem areas and that doesn't always work. I don't believe our system is unsustainable. I also believe the system cost will go down as it develops, and we'll find better ways to solve the problem areas.
If you aren't careful about conducting statistical research they can say anything. As those I posted were from the GOC I would think it counterproductive for it to publish exaggerated wait times rather than accurate ones. It is the gov't of Canada that provides our "universal" healthcare. As the stats pointed out, there's only about 10 to 20% of the population that the system fails. Nothing wrong with that.:roll:
The wait times have a considerable amount to do with the lack of doctors available for patients. The average family physician has almost 500 patients and that is increasing as the demographics of Canada leans more towards the older generations like the boomers. And to compound this, Canada refuses to recognize medical degrees from other countries and we aren't growing enough of our own doctors. Hospitals aren't nearly as clean as they used to be and more people are getting HADs ( http://qnc.queensu.ca/story_loader.php?id=3f2fb55a816fc ) these days. But, you're right, there's nothing wrong with Canada's healthcare.
Not at all. I am simply suggesting that people must take care of their own lives. I don't see it as any different than auto insurance. If you don't want to contribute to certain things then you don't get to collect on them either. Nothing to stop anyone from paying their own way. I am not in favor of people who deliberately abusing their bodies costing the medical system to treat self induced illnesses. Nor do I believe that everyone has the right to have the taxpayer pick up the tab to keep them living long past when nature intended them to die. There simply isn't enough money. Basically technology has passed our ability to pay for it and some limits are required.
As I said earlier I already pay over $1100/yr. for "free" medical and it does not cover the few things that I require like the several medicals I must take for various licenses that I must keep valid and of course since they are required by various government bodies all must be separate. Average cost $120.each.
Your dopey sarcasm is noted.
My doctor doesn't have 500 patients. I have my own doctor, but if I stop at the clinic to renew prescriptions or whatever, and my doctor is away for one reason or another, Somebody else will take over. If I have a need to see my doctor, I make an appointment and that usually takes only a day or two.
You want to tell a horror story that isn't there.
I don't believe the system fails 10 to 20 % of the people but you keep reporting it if it makes you feel better.
I remember reading that private MRI practitioners were renting time on public MRI machines, implying that public MRI machines were being underused by the public system. Which I suppose would imply not enough doctors. That or they needed the money to pay for the machine.
As for statistics, they tell you exactly what they are designed to tell you, nothing more nothing less. A percentile tells you exactly what percentile of people lie below or above a line, it certainly does not tell you how spread out people are on either side. The 20% who have to wait more could only have to wait a day more on average (likely not, but it is possible). People like to be dishonest with statistics because rhetoric is so imprecise while statistics are very precise.
As for statistics, they tell you exactly what they are designed to tell you, nothing more nothing less. A percentile tells you exactly what percentile of people lie below or above a line, it certainly does not tell you how spread out people are on either side. The 20% who have to wait more could only have to wait a day more on average (likely not, but it is possible). People like to be dishonest with statistics because rhetoric is so imprecise while statistics are very precise.
Having worked on an ambulance I can come up with a few horror stories around ER. Large part of the problem is how our system is missmanaged. Get to the ER with a trauma case and find the waiting room full of people with sniffles that should not be there, others wanting pain killers because their prescription ran out and there is no other place to go. Aside from the Waste of expensive manpower trauma patients should not be anywhere near sick people.