It's not free anywhere. It's just administered differently in different
countries. And it is generally acknowledged that healthcare in the US is
roughly double the cost of anywhere else in the first world. It is also
generally acknowledged that healthcare in the US is not considered "the
best" even though we pay so much more.
If that's the way you like it; vote for the status quo. If you don't
like it, push for something better.
bp
<part15sbs{at}gmail{dot}com>
On 1/14/2017 10:06 AM, Jay Weekley wrote:
I thought healthcare in Canada was free.
Paul Stewart wrote:
Canada isn’t all it’s cracked up to be neither …. ;)
the $2100/month for health insurance sounds like it’s a lot of parts
involved though…. sounds more like a mixture of health coverage and
benefits.
So in Canada, we have provincial and federal healthcare coverage
which various from province to province. I didn’t know until Eric
mentioned it now about folks in BC having to pay out of their own
pockets for provincial health care (a portion).
Ontario for example, where I live, and much like other provinces in
Canada, have very high taxes in my opinion. For me, here’s what I see:
healthcare coverage - included by province for “most” things… doctors
visits, hospital coverage if needed (ward coverage only). No out of
pocket expenses, however a lot of doctors are fed up with the way
they are being treated by the province and coming up with “nickel and
dime” fees such as a $30/fee every time they need to write a
prescription. This varies wildly amongst areas and doctors offices.
Benefits coverage from my employer - upgrades your hospital stays to
private room and covers a few more “corner cases” that province won’t
cover. Vision coverage of $200/year per household member
(glasses/contacts etc). 100% of prescription drugs covered at zero
cost (with some exceptions that I’ve never come across). These
benefits cost me zero as an employee but cost the company quite an
amount - taking a guess of around $400-$600/month per employee.
These benefits also include short term and long term disability
coverage too…. massage therapy, chiropractor treatment etc… (all with
limits though but enough to get some “basic” stuff done)
The stuff that really kills me is all the other stuff …. simple stuff
like cost of groceries and gasoline … electrical bills, property
taxes etc…. income taxes
Quick breakdown for me (all averaged prices):
$800-$1000/month in automobile gasoline
$400/month for home/auto insurance
$500/month property taxes (includes water bill @ $100/month)
$300/month in highway tolls
$80/month for natural gas
$350/month for electricity
$60/month in bank fees
$300/month in cell phone bills (3 phones on plan)
$100/month for satellite TV
$120/month for Internet service (two providers)
$1200/month for food/drink
This is for family of 4 and doesn’t include any alcohol,
entertainment (movies/dinners) etc… also doesn’t include mortgage if
I had one etc… doesn’t include things like savings/retirement
planning etc etc….
Total monthly of about $4400 for family of 4 and let’s add a mortgage
of $1800/month and that would bring it to roughly $6,200 to live
comfortably but not luxury by any means. In my personal case I also
have about $1300/month in car payments too ;)
To top it all off, 39% of my income immediately goes to various
income related taxes
Paul
On Jan 13, 2017, at 5:25 PM, Sterling Jacobson <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
Then I would have to defect to Canada…
Seriously though, this is why it’s such a big issue in the USA.
My middle class-hood is killing me here.
*From:*Af [mailto:[email protected]]*On Behalf Of*Eric Kuhnke
*Sent:*Friday, January 13, 2017 3:10 PM
*To:*[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
*Subject:*Re: [AFMUG] OT Slightly, Cost of Living
$2100 a month for health insurance???
My wife and I pay $150 Canadian a month for both of us for the BC
provincial health insurance... Part of the federally funded system.
I cannot even fathom the idea of paying $500, $1000 or more for
health insurance for a family of 2 people, or 2 people + children, etc.
It's true that income taxes and other taxes are higher in Canada,
but if you consider that $2100 as a "tax" on your life and add it up
to your federal payroll deducations for US income tax, you may
actually be paying a lot more in a year than I do. No matter what
income bracket you're in.
On Fri, Jan 13, 2017 at 9:57 AM, Sterling Jacobson
<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
I'm guessing this information is like a lot of you out there.
Except maybe my earnings because I am making about double median
gross salary for my city.
I'm not saying I work double, but I do fulfill many roles as the
only salary employee of my startup ISP.
I don't think I can replace myself for the same cost to the
company, so I feel ok with that.
I don't live extravagantly, but I do live comfortably.
I have a 3100 sqr foot rambler I've lived in since 2001 with a
house payment of around $1500 a month.
But my biggest expense is health/insurance and medical.
I now pay about $2100 a month for my family health insurance
through IHC.
I just signed up for a good Dental Gold plan at $100 a month for
my family, but since it's not company I have to wait 6-12 months
for a lot of the benefits :(
The insurance deductibles are I think around $6000 a year and I
have medications that eat up most of that.
I just upped my life and disability insurance on myself and my
wife to make sure things don't go bad if I die, that's around
$550 a month.
I think I spend about $1000 a month on eating, groceries and
movies/date nights, at least that's what I came up to in December
so that might be a bit off.
I've got real estate I'm still trying to sell, but it's not the
panica everyone says it is, lol!
I just feel like finances don't go as far as they used to a few
years ago.
I'm not sparking a political debate, just wanted to see if
everyone see things in a similar light?
Or am I just doing the wrong things?
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