As a Canadian in Canada I can assure you that there are two levels of health care one public and one private.
You know this... you posted on a semi-private one being built by the Kawacatoose first nation a few miles from where I'm typing.
Message 24375914
"You've made the same mistake we have. You've forgotten you won the Indian wars. That's why we now have casinos everywhere instead of just in Nevada.
BUT: A question. Assuming you are a non-Native American Canadian, are you eligible to go on that reservation and use their MRI machine? If not, it might as well be on the moon and your answer is meaningless. I can as well claim the US has a fully socialized health care system because such exists for enlisted military personnel.
Let me quote the NEJM:
With the Canada Health Act of 1984, the federal government entered into a matter of provincial jurisdiction by making its health care funding conditional. The act specified requirements that provinces must fulfill to qualify for the full federal contribution, including the provision of all medically necessary services, public administration on a nonprofit basis, universal coverage, portability of coverage throughout the country, accessibility of insured services, and a lack of additional patient charges. Financial penalties — mandatory dollar-for-dollar deductions from the federal payment — are imposed on provinces that allow "extra-billing and user charges." However, enforcement is limited to these penalties and political persuasion. Thus, the act does not directly bar private delivery or private insurance for publicly insured services. Although there are laws prohibiting or curtailing private health care in some provinces, they can be changed.
content.nejm.org
You might find this interesting:
snopes.com
Long, yes. I imagine the reference to ERs applies worldwide: If you arrive with a cold, you may wait for hours. If you arrive in the midst of a heart attack, they can't get those double doors open fast enough (my experience, anyway; I suppose you're mileage might vary). I imagine the same is true in Canadian hospitals: if you arrive in the midst of a life-threatening emergency, there is no line; you go right in.
If you go to an ER, complain of chest pain. :-)
Actual tax rates can be difficult to tell because of hidden taxes and taxes that are hard to keep track of, like sales taxes on some items and not on others. Saying the maximum income tax rate is 29% means nothing.
13 DAYS FOR AN ANGIOPLASTY???!!!!! You can be long dead by then. I had mine within 2 hours.
As noted, lack of a 'family doctor' means little. I got one recently only because a hospital insisted on it. Probably figure it will improve their bottom line at some point. I have relied on carefully selected specialists.
Read the "Urban Legends response following 'I can spend what money I have left on ...'. Or, yeah, you can opt out of the public system. Of course, you have to pay for that public system anyway. Same as private education here. AND your private CANNOT charge more than he could in the public system where all the overhead (office space, records transcription, scheduling, any drugs given in the office, etc.) is paid for by the state. So why in GAWD'S name would any doctor opt out? So he can make much less or even lose money?
I noted in an earlier post on another thread that, while private practice was legal in Canada, in made absolutely no economic sense to do it. You were simply punishing yourself.
Some quotes from your laws:
A health services review was undertaken in 1979 by Justice Emmett Hall. He reported that health care services in Canada ranked among the best in the world, but warned that extra-billing by doctors and user fees levied by hospitals were creating a two-tiered system that threatened the accessibility of care.
In response to Canadian's needs and wishes, The Canada Health Act was passed in 1984, receiving the unanimous consent of the House of Commons and the Senate. The Act replaced the two preceding acts, but retained and entrenched the criteria, or basic principles, underlying the national health insurance program that had been contained in the earlier legislation, the Hospital Insurance and Diagnostic Services Act (1957) and the Medical Care Act (1968).
The most striking difference between the old acts and the new Canada Health Act was the addition of provisions aimed at eliminating direct charges to patients in the form of extra-billing and user charges, with respect to insured health care services. These charges are discouraged under the Act by being subject to mandatory dollar-for-dollar deductions from federal transfer payments to the provinces and territories.
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Home > About Health Canada > Media Room > News Releases > 2002
Backgrounders
Canada Health and Social Transfer
Federal Transfers to Provinces and Territories
Fact Sheet CHA Dispute Avoidance and Resolution
Canada's Health Care System at a Glance
Information
November 25, 2002
Canada Health Act Overview
What is the Canada Health Act?
The Canada Health Act is Canada's federal health insurance legislation.
The provinces of Canada are constitutionally responsible for the administration and delivery of health care services. They decide where their hospitals will be located, how many physicians they will need, and how much money they will spend on their health care systems. The Canada Health Act establishes the criteria and conditions related to insured health care services-the national standards-that the provinces and territories must meet in order to receive the full federal cash transfer contribution under the transfer mechanism, that is, the Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST).
The aim of Canada's health care system is to ensure that all residents of Canada have reasonable access to medically necessary insured services without direct charges.
Evolution of the Act
The Canadian health care system evolved into its present form over five decades. Saskatchewan, in 1947, was the first province to establish public, universal hospital insurance, and 10 years later, the Government of Canada passed legislation to share in the cost of these services. By 1961, all 10 provinces and two territories had public insurance plans that provided universal access to hospital services.
Saskatchewan again pioneered in providing insurance for physicians' services beginning in 1962. In 1968, the federal government began cost-sharing of physician services and by 1972, all provincial and territorial plans had been extended to include these services.
A health services review was undertaken in 1979 by Justice Emmett Hall. He reported that health care services in Canada ranked among the best in the world, but warned that extra-billing by doctors and user fees levied by hospitals were creating a two-tiered system that threatened the accessibility of care.
In response to Canadian's needs and wishes, The Canada Health Act was passed in 1984, receiving the unanimous consent of the House of Commons and the Senate. The Act replaced the two preceding acts, but retained and entrenched the criteria, or basic principles, underlying the national health insurance program that had been contained in the earlier legislation, the Hospital Insurance and Diagnostic Services Act (1957) and the Medical Care Act (1968).
The most striking difference between the old acts and the new Canada Health Act was the addition of provisions aimed at eliminating direct charges to patients in the form of extra-billing and user charges, with respect to insured health care services. These charges are discouraged under the Act by being subject to mandatory dollar-for-dollar deductions from federal transfer payments to the provinces and territories.
Reporting to Canadians
In accordance with one of the requirements of the Act, governments are required to provide information on the operation of their health care plans as they relate to the conditions of the Act.
The purpose of the Canada Health Act Annual Report is to report to Parliament all relevant information on the extent to which provincial and territorial health care insurance plans have satisfied the criteria and conditions for payment under the Canada Health Act.
The Canada Health Act Annual Report 2000-2001 was presented to Parliament in February 2002. Health Canada has expanded the range and depth of information in its latest Report to facilitate a better understanding of how provinces and territories comply with the Canada Health Act. For instance, the Annual Report now provides an introductory description of each province's and territory's health care insurance plan, a review of how insured health care services satisfy each requirement of the Canada Health Act and a description of major changes and developments during the year.
The Annual Report is online at www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hcs-sss/pubs/care-soins/2003-cha-lcs-ar-ra/index_e.html, or you can order a copy directly from Health Canada Publications, (613) 954-5995.
Principles of the Canada Health Act
The Criteria
1.
Public Administration: This criterion applies to the health insurance plans of the provinces and territories. The health care insurance plans are to be administered and operated on a non-profit basis by a public authority, responsible to the provincial/territorial governments and subject to audits of their accounts and financial transactions.
2.
Comprehensiveness: The health insurance plans of the provinces and territories must insure all insured health services* (hospital, physician, surgical-dental) and, where permitted, services rendered by other health care practitioners. *See definition under Health Care Services Covered by the Act.
3.
Universality: One hundred percent of the insured residents of a province or territory must be entitled to the insured health services provided by the plans on uniform terms and conditions. Provinces and territories generally require that residents register with the plans to establish entitlement.
Canada Health Act
hc-sc.gc.ca
"
"Canada spent an estimated $142 billion on health care in 2005, or $4,411 per person, according to Health Care in Canada 2006, a report released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information. After taking inflation into account, this amounts to almost three times what was spent in 1975.
Of that, just over $98.8 billion was spent by governments delivering public health care. About $43.2 billion was spent on private health care."
"Define 'private health care'. It is noted in the references I gave that not all expenses involved are covered by the national system. If you want a private room, you pay extra, outside of the coverage provided by the national health system."
cbc.ca
I know facts confuse you but there they are....
"Are you capable of anything other than ad hominem attacks?" |
