The doctor and nurse shortage is worse in Quebec as they are the LOWEST paid
in all of Canada. They are recruited to work in Ontario (nurses are highest
paid there) and the USA especially. And yes, most MDs do not want to be GPs
as they are the lowest paid specialty. I have 4-5 friends who graduated MeD
School in the last 3 years, one of them became a GP and she did her
residency in Ontario and stayed there to practice.. The others all went into
specialties that will bring in more $$.
I am in nursing school and plan on stayiing in Qc, ONLY because I have TM
and am getting very good care here and am not sure i would be well accepted
in hospitals that do not know me. Having been in clinical rotation in 4
hospitals here in Montreal, I know that it can be tough to be accepted when
you have a disability, but that I have proven myself capable and have gotten
job offers already. But yes, in a perfect system, there would be no waiting
times, no shortages and much better wages and working conditions.
Marieke (Mtl, QC)
From: Heather & Pieter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: TM Internet Chat <[email protected]>, Regina Rummel
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: [TMIC] Wheelchairs
Date: Mon, 06 Aug 2007 13:04:44 -0600
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
>
>
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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
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