A Canadian’s View on Universal Health Care Reform
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I am Canadian and have only ever had the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). This is a synopsis of how I feel about our health care, without having experienced the United States’ health care system.
The Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) is paid for through provincial taxes and income taxes. No one knows exactly how much they put into the health care system. Despite this fact, I am very thankful that every single person in Ontario has health care, regardless of their income level and insurance plan.
Necessary services (regular doctor visits, walk-in clinics, ER visits, x-rays, blood work, etc.) are provided, as are medications deemed necessary while you are in the hospital. Things that are not included are prescription and over-the-counter medications, optical, dental, chiropractic, massage and physiotherapy, as well as optional therapies like acupuncture and naturopathic remedies. Midwifery has been covered by our health plan since 1985.
The down side of our health care includes the following:
Wait times for routine procedures can extend into months and (very rarely) years. Sometimes even urgent procedures can take a week or more. People have died because they didn’t receive care immediately. (I’m certain that is the same in the States though, given that some people just avoid going until they absolutely have to.) But we have the option of going when we’re sick, without worrying about the cost and how many more visits we have.
Overall, I am of the opinion that I would much rather pay an extra percent in my taxes and have (at times) poorly run health care, but feel that I can go to see a doctor when I need to, than have to worry about how much it will cost if I have to go to the hospital. I think Canadians tend to get their regular checkups more that Americans since we know it’s already being paid for. As a result, even the lower/middle class folks who are just making ends meet can get regular health check-ups and catch life-threatening illnesses before they progress to a critical point.
9 Comments
I don’t exactly agree, but good article anyway.
Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. I wrote this up because a friend asked me to give an opinion as a Canadian.
Some may agree, others may not. but that is the beauty of Democracy.
Although I appreciate the benefit I receive as a recipient of a universal healthcare system (I am now on Manitoba’s version of OHIP) – I also like knowing that the same is afforded to all Canadians. Healthcare is not something that should be treated like retail where you get better quality service if you can afford it. If people are unhappy with their healthcare system they should be willing to have more tax dollars invested in this essential service, not shop around for a better (higher cost) alternative.
I do feel like our system is open to abuse, and do know people that visit the ER for things such as colds when there are other options. I have begun to feel as though people should receive a statement of their healthcare usage with their Income Tax return – so that there is some awareness of the cost, and what they received for their money in any given year. I think most would be impressed with just how much their money provides – given that our taxes cover more than JUST healthcare.
I also take some issue with the system providing, and pushing unnecessary things, while things that are still important to true recovery and rehab (such as physiotherapy) are not covered – even by prescription…
Good take, and our system continues (so far) to make me proud to be Canadian – and having American’s call me a socialist will not deter me from wanting to make sure that my fellow man has equal access to healthcare, and I will do my part to make sure it is QUALITY healthcare.
Thanks for your thought provoking article. I respect and appreciate your opinions on this sensitive topic.
As an American that has had the blessing of experiencing both American health care as well as OHIP (for 3 1/2 years while living in Ontario) I must say that I prefer the options we have in the States.
I appreciate that in the States I can open the phone book, choose a family doctor, and make an appointment within a week or two. It is my understanding and experience that it is difficult to obtain a family doctor in Ontario. There are waiting lists for a family doctor. Once a person has their proverbial foot in the door of a family practice it is very hard to change doctors if you are not pleased with the care you receive.
I gave birth to my first child in Ontario and gave birth to my second child in the States. I was 5 months along before the family doctor I was seeing referred me to an OBGYN (which are by referral ONLY). She gave me a choice of 2 OB’s. I was just weeks along when I called an OBGYN in the states and made my own appointment without a referral. The birth in ONtario cost $5 b/c we had a phone in the room. The birth in the states cost nothing because we had BCBS. If I didn’t like my OB in the states I could call any one in the phone book and change. In ONtario I didn’t like my OB but it was too bad for me. Hospitals aren’t allowed to have many nurses so nurses are overworked and don’t have the time to spend with patients like they do in the States.
As an extra little bit of info for American readers: my health insurance is about $8,000 per year for our family of four. Canadians pay 40% income tax (which covers more than just health care) and they also pay 13% on all purchases. I pay 6% tax on purchases.
That’s my 2 cents.
Wonderful write about healthcare! I am from Nova Scotia but have lived in Ontario as well as Brisitsh columbia,I think that it is certainly better to have healthcare added onto our taxes so that everyone has it, however;I do agree with Milinda about getting a doctor and than wanting to change doctors, a very difficult task indeed.The waiting lists are quite long but as you stated when it comes down to it many people do wait until it is too late,hoping their illness will go away on its own.I think that no matter where you go the doctors are over swamped and begin not to care about their patients just shoving you through like some kind of cattle, although, I do have to say given my experiences in both Canada and in the U.K, which has the same kind of healthcare plan,the doctors in the U.K are better in some ways, while slacking in others and vise versa.
Lukrisi – from your picture, it appears you are a young, healthy person. For that I hope you are grateful.
In your article you say the downside of the system is wait times and that some people die while waiting. I have also heard many stories that corroborate that fact. This is not a small minor issue, this is a big problem and older people who are past their prime are also being refused some treatments and therefore die. This is horrible, not a “downside”.
In the US, those that have health insurance will go see the doctor and not wait until it is too late, because their insurance covers their visits. And as for “Canadians tend to get their regular checkups more that Americans since we know it’s already being paid for. As a result, even the lower/middle class folks who are just making ends meet can get regular health check-ups and catch life-threatening illnesses before they progress to a critical point.” I do not agree. Overall statistics show that for serious curable diseases, the US has a much higher survival rate than Canada. Part of this is due to the fact that in the US, wait time are minimal.
As a Canadian, I have heard of many people who were diagnosed here in Canada with a serious illness and then put on a waiting list to see a specialist or for an MRI or treatment to begin. Instead of waiting, these people chose to go to the US and pay out of their pockets for faster service.
The issue with the new Health Care reform that is being bandied about in the US now is not that the average person gets coverage, because the US already has a program for people who cannot afford health insurance, it is about the loss of choices for US citizens.
The bill will force all employers to offer health insurance to their employees. In some small businesses, this additional burden could be enough to shut the business down. Not good in the current economic situation.
Another issue in the current bill is mandatory end of life counselling every 5 years after a certain age where doctors go over various scenarios with their patients as to “if this were to happen to you, would you rather not live”. Not in so many words but the reason for it is to coerce elderly into refusing treatment and dieing early rather than being a drain on the system. This is part of the “cost-cutting” strategies that the Obama administration has been touting. The elderly have paid their taxes and it is not beneficial to the Corporation of the United States (or Canada for that matter) to keep them on.
There are more issues with the proposed system, but I will stop here.
The Health Care system in the US is not perfect, but it does have advantages over the Canadian one.
In my opinion, Canada would be better if they allowed doctors to open private clinics and charge clients directly. This would relieve some of the burden on the public system, thus reducing overall wait times, and give options to those who choose not to wait for those who can afford it.
I appreciate your thought provoking article though. Thank you.
No health care system is free.
Sometimes people do not realize that with accepting government funding, there are always conditions that come with it. Take the WIC (Women, Infant, Children) program that the gov. offers. It’s a great program for those who need it — it offers free milk, cheese, juice, cereal, & formula for moms who can’t afford it. But, with that “free” food comes their invasive questioning into your lifestyle choices and the government becomes intertwined into your persona life.
My husband’s company switched insurance carriers this year. Either we accept the new company, or the one we had last year became incredibly more expensive…then no longer an option next year. (manipulating our choice!). Then, when we signed up for the company that THEY wanted us to choose, immediately, we had to sign up for a personal life coach & set 2 personal goals or we wouldn’t get the extra $200 each, off of our medical expenses (that should have been covered anyway). This program mandates that you log your persona habits everyday & talk w/a coach once/month. My goal was weight & exercise. I found it VERY Big Brother-ish, and quit about May w/telling them everything (although they ensured my ‘privacy’)…now, my husband tells me that if I didn’t keep up w/my coach, etc. I will not be eligible for the $200 next year.
Do you think the government, if they were in control, could resist controlling us & invading our personal lives? Trust me, it’ll be worse.
I would not like the Big Brother aspect of it, Angela. I just know that what we have here in Ontario works for me.