Hi Regina,
I'm not sure either of which is the better system. I understand that if you
can afford the insurance in the USA that you are well taken care of. However I
also understand that it can be quite expensive for the premiums.
You are right that you do wait for a long time some surgeries. A lot of them
actually. Some people who need hip or knee surgery wait for up to a year and
maybe more in some cases. That is crazy.
Yes, there are NOT enough doctors here in Canada. Not sure exactly why. I
have read that some of the doctors who are new are going into specialized
medicines or even research as they do not want to be GP's because of the hours
etc. I have gone to the same GP now for 40 yrs and he is only a couple years
older than me. Says he will be around for another 10 yrs. Not sure about that
though. He has moved 3 times in those years within the mostly downtown area of
Calgary. However, with Calgary growing so doggone fast these days rental
prices etc are so high downtown that he has moved outside the downtown core.
He said that the overhead was getting to be so high that he moved. It is
actually the same timewise for me to get to him but actually easier as it is a
quieter area and I don't have to pay for parking and there is more parking so
that makes me quite happy. I only go to see him once a year even with TM. I
see the physiatrist once every six months since TM and that is okay too. You
say that housing etc is high where you are for the young doctors and I think
that combined with setting up an office of their own is high too.
I do not know what on earth the answer is. I just wish there were more young
people getting into the medical field. We are short of nursing staff here too
as well as many of the nursing homes are desparate for help. It doesn't seem
to be just in Calgary either as most of my family live in Ontario and they are
having the same problems with nursing, doctors too.
Heather in Calgary
----- Original Message -----
From: Regina Rummel
To: Heather & Pieter
Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2007 6:43 PM
Subject: Re: [TMIC] Wheelchairs
Frank & Heather,
I am trying to figure out whether you are better off in Canada or us in the
US. The more I try to educate myself, the more confused I become.
You both seem satisfied with your health care system. That's good. But we
hear about many in Canada who have to wait a long time for surgery. That's
bad. And one of you (don't remember who) said that there aren't enough doctors
in Canada. How come? Is it because of that $150,000 cap Frank talks about?
Incidentally, I'm told (where I live) that young doctors are having a hard
time getting started because homes are horribly expensive. Taxes and insurance
for doctors also very high, and so on...
All this talk about reforming health care we hear from our presidential
candidates is very interesting. I don't think we need to worry about
socialized medicine. There is too much money in the status quo.
Cynical as always.
R
Heather & Pieter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Frank,
You should only be paying 6% GST now. That changed when the Conservatives
got in.
In Alberta we pay only the 6% GST and no provincial sales tax. Not sure
about the income tax or what the "Cap" on Doctors are.
Right now I pay $64.00 (42.00 extended medical single + $22.00 alberta
health care single) per month for health care insurance through my old
employer (who is now paying me the Long Term Disability). All I pay for my
medications is 20% with my Blue Cross Insurance picking up the other 80%. I
can claim those payments on my income tax every year. When I have any kind
of tests MRI's, blood work, x-rays etc etc I do not pay anything.
I did not pay anything for my 2 month stay in the hospital.
When I was in hospital it was really good. I had great care. From doctors,
nurses, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, home care people etc etc.
I was in the accute care section for 3 weeks until there was room for me in
Rehab section. During that time (remember that the Foothills Hospital here
in Calgary is a teaching hospita) several doctors brought around their
students to examine me. I was more than happy for them to do this as I
thought that is these young new doctors in training got to actually see a
case of TM (who knows how many they 'would' see in their practice) that I
hope they would recognize it. I say this as the first doctor who saw me for
the first 12 hours in the hospital emergency didn't have a flipping clue
what was wrong and was trying to send me to another hospital where my
family
GP has privileges. The following morning another doctor came on as the head
one in emergency and he said there was definitely something seriously wrong
and got a neurologist to come and look at me. When he saw me he did the
Babinski test on my feet (that is what I was told it was) and in my fog of
morphine at the time all I remember of him was a large man in a suit with
lots of bushy hair at the end of the bed and as he was leaving I heard him
say "she is not going anywhere" and the word "paraplegic". Now in my fog
that DID strike fear.
I am now able to walk without aids in the house, use a walker in the store
or around a lot of people and a cane for more sane times. I use the
wheelchair occasionally.
When I turn 65 (in 3 more years - Aug 31, 2010 - yikes) I will not have to
pay any health care premiums as it is covered for seniors here in Alberta.
Hope this helps explain.
Heather in Calgary
----- Original Message -----
From:
To: ; ;
Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2007 2:52 PM
Subject: Re: [TMIC] Wheelchairs
>
>> I had heard that you pay a lot of taxes toward your socialized medicine.
>
> Here in Montreal, we pay 15% tax, 8% provincial and 7% National, Sales
> Tax!!
>
> The income tax rises very quickly to 50%.
>
> The majority of physicians have a "Cap." So after they have made-
> GROSSED- $150,000 ( or some other negotiated figure, depending on
> specialty) they don't get paid any more, except the cash with which I pay.
>
> F
>
>
> --
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.11.6/938 - Release Date: 8/5/2007
> 4:16 PM
>
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.11.6/938 - Release Date: 8/5/2007 4:16
PM
