well as we all know, nothing is for free. when I see how money is spent in canada relating to healthcare, I see a huge amount of waste…. things liking doing 1.5mil dollar fiber builds to connect a doctors office in a remote area that is only open 4 hours a week kind of crap…. seen LOTS of that kind of spending…..
> On Jan 14, 2017, at 1:06 PM, Jay Weekley <[email protected]> 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? >>> >> >> No virus found in this message. >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com <http://www.avg.com/email-signature> >> Version: 2016.0.7996 / Virus Database: 4749/13764 - Release Date: 01/14/17 >> >
