I live in Canada where everyone has medical coverage provided at reasonable cost (around $800.00/year), although what we have access to is not what it is cracked up to be. There are people who can't find a PCP taking new patients which leaves many to rely on walk-in clinics, long waiting periods to get in to specialists and to have tests/procedures done unless it is an emergency.
We can wait days just to have a broken bone attended to and months-years to have elective surgery like joint replacements or heart surgery. To see a neuro for the first time can be 2 years of waiting in some instances; and to call them up to speak with them, like it seems you can do in the USA is as rare as...use your imagination.
I waited nearly a year to see my MS neuro for the first time and to contact him now, I have to go through the MS clinic and wait days to weeks to get a reply back through them. He no longer wants to see me as I have refused to participate in his drug trials .

I’ve been following the problems that some of you are having with medical insurance coverage (or lack thereof), as well as the new Obama Health Care thing because I have friends in the USA (including all of you). It seems that both systems can be an inefficient, frustrating hassle. Not good when one is not feeling well in the first place.

I just wish that there was a happy medium between the two systems; where we didn’t have to worry about insurance coverage being out of a reasonable price range and where we could get the care we need when we need it.

With love, Erika

Amen Erika..

Although we are neighbors there is a vast difference between the two countries?

You live in a country bigger than the USA, with the population around the size of California. " Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver account for 35% of population "
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/02...rown-the-most/

It stands to reason, at least to me, if you have people scattered all over a very large area, with limited population centers to make major healthcare facilities practical in all areas that there will be scheduling issues?

You also have a lot more limited resources to fund expansion or creation of new facilities?

You have us as a neighbor, any doctor in Canada can probably leave his practice and come to the USA and double or triple their income?

LOL, we have a lot more golf courses, and some are green all year. It makes finding lost balls a lot easier after September?

Actually the scheduling issues stem from the last difference rather than the population distribution or even resources.
There is simply more demand for care than we have doctors to fill it...seems that they're down in the USA looking for those lost golf balls all year long .

With love, Erika

All things considering, I think ours is better. But we haven't fully experienced the Obama care yet. And DH and I have good insurance but both of them are Medicare now but with good supplement. But the Medicare may become an issue.

They both could use some help with better planning/preparedness..
I also think that hospital/healthcare cost should be held down.
Our economical system sucks of greed.

Absolutely correct Sally,

Up here it seems that planning is rather short term. Heavens only knows what will happen in another ten years when the baby boomers are a decade older. We can barely keep up now.

Our costs are pretty reasonable for hospital as most are non-profit and many are teaching hospitals. A good deal of funding comes from the priovate sector. In my small town, it was the citizens that purchased our one and only CT scanner 3 years ago for $1.2 M after the gov't said that they would fund its operation and maintenence.

The doctors are raking it in though; as they are paid/visit or proceedure. Thus it is common to have an MD seeing 40-50 patients/day...all for around 5 minutes. They even restrict you bringing only one thing to their attention/office visit so they can rush you through. If you have 2 or more things going on, you have to make an appointment for each one. How greedy is that!
It really is 3rd world health care here sometimes.

Ah well, as they say, it is what it is.

With love, Erika

Erika what does your health care do for a heart attack? Do they make you wait or are you treated on the spot. The same with a stroke

Anything life-threatening is an immediate admission to hospital, assessment and usually treatment. If it can't be done at the local hospital, then the patient is transported to a hospital that can handle it.
That aspect of our system also adds to our waiting lists and time spent waiting for elective surgeries; as well as to see specialists. Some people can wait years for their surgery only to get bumped by someone who is in greater need.
The ultimate juggling act.

With love, Erika

Good points Erika,

It is very hard for people waiting months to years to have a very painful condition dealt with, or to have surgery when it is considered elective surgery.

I think we do better around critical issues, and people are treated right away.

I had a huge medical crisis 5 years ago which came out of the blue. I was put right to the top of the priority list, almost died but received my surgery and had excellent care.

Both sides of the border, and I think we could improve on our health care. Thanks for the interesting post

Island Mist Woman