Media Bias

[Buzz]

Blind Ambition, I see you're in Canada. How is your healthcare up there. I'd like to hear from someone who lives it.

[blind ambition]

I love it but I think we are charged too little each month for our coverage.

My rate has been stuck at $35.00 a month for the last 30 odd years, any time I hear news that our system might be in peril I ask myself why don't they just raise the rates? Hell if I could afford $30 a month when I was first in the work force I could certainly pay ten times that now.
I cannot imagine the heart break of being a hard working citizen in a wealthy country like yours and not being able to afford coverage.

[Buzz]

Thanks, I have in-laws in Winnipeg. They think we're nuts, and the get pretty hot under the collar when they see criticism of their system in the US media.

[dnf777]

I love it but I think we are charged too little each month for our coverage.

My rate has been stuck at $35.00 a month for the last 30 odd years, any time I hear news that our system might be in peril I ask myself why don't they just raise the rates? Hell if I could afford $30 a month when I was first in the work force I could certainly pay ten times that now.
I cannot imagine the heart break of being a hard working citizen in a wealthy country like yours and not being able to afford coverage.

Wow! Those crickets you hear are because I bet alot of our jaws are still on the ground!

I took the liberty of doing a little math on your numbers. At $35/mon, for 30 years, your lifetime premium total to date is roughly the average cost for an American family health insurance policy for ONE YEAR, assuming no prior conditions or claims!!! (12,600)

In fairness though, am I correct in my understanding that your income tax (or total tax burden, however it's levied) is significantly higher than ours?

Very interesting discussion, thanks

[Buzz]

I cannot imagine the heart break of being a hard working citizen in a wealthy country like yours and not being able to afford coverage.

Imagine the heartbreak of seeing your 50 year old cousin's husband loose his job in this current economic crisis. Then imagine them loosing their insurance because they couldn't afford the cobra payments, regardless of the fact that they and his employers paid into the insurance system since they were both 18 years old. Then imagine your cousin being diagnosed with breast cancer several months after not having any health insurance for the first time her 50 years on the planet. Then imagine them loosing everything they worked for in their 32 years together.

Well, I don't have to imagine it. It's happening to my cousin Linda. Makes a guy think really hard about moving his business and family to Canada.

[Cody Covey]

crappy to hear Buzz and i am sorry but how is that anyone elses fault why should they be FORCED to pay for her cancer. If she wants to open up a fund at a local bank and people can donate that is fine but stealing someone elses money to take care of someone elses problem is hardly my idea of fair.

[Buzz]

crappy to hear Buzz and i am sorry but how is that anyone elses fault why should they be FORCED to pay for her cancer. If she wants to open up a fund at a local bank and people can donate that is fine but stealing someone elses money to take care of someone elses problem is hardly my idea of fair.

So, I guess you believe that a system that leaves you high and dry because you loose a job after paying into it for 32 years is a good system?

[luvalab]

crappy to hear Buzz and i am sorry but how is that anyone elses fault why should they be FORCED to pay for her cancer. If she wants to open up a fund at a local bank and people can donate that is fine but stealing someone elses money to take care of someone elses problem is hardly my idea of fair.

Because when SHE was healthy, she was paying for everyone else's healthcare through her insurance premiums.

This particular argument has to do with people who pay insurance being insured--not sick people stealing cash.

[Mike Noel]

Wow! Those crickets you hear are because I bet alot of our jaws are still on the ground!

I took the liberty of doing a little math on your numbers. At $35/mon, for 30 years, your lifetime premium total to date is roughly the average cost for an American family health insurance policy for ONE YEAR, assuming no prior conditions or claims!!! (12,600)

In fairness though, am I correct in my understanding that your income tax (or total tax burden, however it's levied) is significantly higher than ours?

Very interesting discussion, thanks

I am interested as well in the answer to that tax question. In the numbers I could find a family of 4 pays twice the effective rate of taxes in Canada compared to the US. Additionally I would be curious to hear if Blind Ambition has ever experienced any delay in care for a diagnosis that led to a major procedure.

[Franco]

Blind Ambition, I see you're in Canada. How is your healthcare up there.

One can't compare Canada to the USA. Canada doesn't have the millions of indigents and illegals to take care of.
It all boils down to a government takeover so that those with some money can pay for those without. Not that we already don't have charitable hospitals and health care, it is just that those that work and pay for health insurance shouldn't have better coverage than the wards of the state.I live in a large medical community, large for this part of the world and we are the medical hub for the state. Why are so many Canadians coming here for their health care?

I'm not saying that we don't need some insurance reform and Tort reform but the goobs taking over a business is a recipe for disaster.