tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post3062592228384646586..comments2024-02-05T00:16:50.221-05:00Comments on Loulou's views: Loulou's Anatomy (My take on Health Care)Loukiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03066879990007701379noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-66048704627262696782009-12-12T21:46:54.535-05:002009-12-12T21:46:54.535-05:00yoo... good thoughts ))yoo... good thoughts ))Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-60370582738322666302009-08-20T19:53:24.673-04:002009-08-20T19:53:24.673-04:00Great post Loulou, lots of interesting opinions.
...Great post Loulou, lots of interesting opinions. <br /><br />I agree with some of the other posters in that I don't think a two tiered system is the best. I don't think that just because you have the money your healthcare should be any different. <br /><br />I also work in healthcare and like the idea of having a fee to go to your doctor and to go to the emergency room. There could be something in place for people who can't afford it. But a doctors visit costs the Healthcare system 50 dollars and a visit to the emergency room costs approx. 500$. I see many people who visit the emergency when it's not really an emergency. I wonder if a fee would help to avoid that. <br /><br />JennJennhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09450173133642305438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-58621820657876338572009-08-07T15:36:51.192-04:002009-08-07T15:36:51.192-04:00I think we have a good system here in Canada. I...I think we have a good system here in Canada. I've heard a lot of scary stories about the US health care system. Have you seen the Sicko by Michael Moore? If you haven't you should!<br /><br />As someone mentioned before, I do worry about two-tier health care. What's to prevent the best doctors going after the money and migrating out of the "regular" health care system? I don't trust that that won't happen.andrea from the fishbowlhttp://www.quietfish.com/notebooknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-3636901880181681272009-08-06T16:11:09.890-04:002009-08-06T16:11:09.890-04:00I don't know what the solution is (boy do I wi...I don't know what the solution is (boy do I wish I did!) but I definitely think a plan closer to what you all have in Canada would work better for us. At least that's what my gut tells me. <br /><br />We (meaning my family) do fine because my husband has a good job and good insurance so we are "sitting pretty" so to speak. And, there are parts of the plan that is being proposed that I DO NOT like or agree with. However, I cannot imagine not having the money to make sure my sick children were taken care of and like you, I hate to see other people's children (and them for that matter) have to suffer because they cannot afford it.<br /><br />Again, I SO wish I had the answer and I pray that as a country, we can come to a conclusion that will work for all.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01044279582701415786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-45638368275723437592009-08-06T14:23:15.563-04:002009-08-06T14:23:15.563-04:00I am completely for a Nationalized Health Care sys...I am completely for a Nationalized Health Care system, in addition to the option of having private insurance. Here in the states, it is brutal, insurance bruhhaha, we have what is pretty much fantastic insurance....quite frankly it sucks! It is a constant battle, dealing with the insurance companies. I have my rants, beginning back when lil boo was born...I'll stop there.<br /><br />Here is what I want to know....You have massage therapy coverage????? That is freakin' awesome!!! :o)<br /><br />Cheers!<br />~daddy bdaddy bookinshttp://www.peasandbananas.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-38798405018309598652009-08-06T00:31:39.371-04:002009-08-06T00:31:39.371-04:00I haven't completely decided how I feel about ...I haven't completely decided how I feel about Obama's choice for a government run healthcare system. I would like to think that it would be great to give everyone access to a medical doctor without any fees (especially children) but it also worries me about the speed to get into the doctor as well as the quality of the care. <br /><br />I personally wouldn't want to go to school for 10+ years and not get paid enough to repay my loans. <br /><br />You are the first (as well as your commentors) Canadian I know who hasn't complained about the healthcare system there. Many of my friends have come from Canada and one of the main reasons was because they were not satisfied with their healthcare. <br /><br />I do not work, and we were originally going to pay for me to be a part of my husband's company's plan. We ended up setting my daughter and myself onto a Health Savings Account and an Individual Healthcare Plan. It was WAY cheaper (only about $100/month for both of us) and we had saved enough in our bank account that if something tragic were to come along, we wouldn't be bankrupt. In fact, we contributed the maximum amount to our HSA last year and it has almost completely met what our maximum out of pocket would be if we had a disaster happen.<br /><br />With that said, I do believe something needs to be done, I am just very unsure of the style of healthcare that is in Canada.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-26957942709936387812009-08-05T23:44:37.485-04:002009-08-05T23:44:37.485-04:00I just sat down with my husband and an insurance a...I just sat down with my husband and an insurance agent today to try to decide how my son and I should be insured now that we are no longer on my employer's insurance. Do we join my husband's company's plan, or go with individual insurance for half the monthly cost? Of course there's all the co-pays, deductibles, and co-pays AFTER the deductibles to consider....it makes a person's head spin. <br /><br />It is a nightmare to try to budget for 'maybe' or 'what if.' In fact, it makes me angry. AMERICAN HEALTHCARE IS BROKEN and I am so jealous of countries like Canada that at least TRY to make things work for the majority of the population. Even if it's not perfect, at least most people don't have to choose between paying for food and paying for medicine. <br /><br />Thank you for this post, Loukia. It is nice, as an American, to hear a Canadian perspective on the issue as the U.S. tries to muddle through some type of national health care agreement. I should get back to co-pay comparisons now. :-(Shannon @ AnchorMommyhttp://www.anchormommy.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-11330064397568072402009-08-05T23:41:31.828-04:002009-08-05T23:41:31.828-04:00I'm against the two-tier system too. I complet...I'm against the two-tier system too. I completely agree with Amy on this one - we need to work on the system we have to make it better. I believe introducing a two-tier system would only damage our current health care situation.Maria @BOREDmommyhttp://mommymaria.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-35339825703061495172009-08-05T23:23:31.291-04:002009-08-05T23:23:31.291-04:00Do we need some changes in our healthcare system? ...Do we need some changes in our healthcare system? Yes. Does our government who has nearly bankrupted social security and any other program that is funded with our tax dollars need to run healthcare? No. Please name one thing our government has had a hand in that runs effeciently. By the way that's a trick question there isn't anything. Beleive me I worked a govt. job for 6 1/2 years and it was sickening to see the waste. And by the way nobody in this country goes without being seen by a doctor right now anyway. That's why our emergency rooms our full of people who have colds. And I don't understand how national pride has anything to do with letting people take advantage of you or your country. And if this plan and our social security is such a great plan, why are our congressmen not on the same plan.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-3044065977819562122009-08-05T23:22:28.070-04:002009-08-05T23:22:28.070-04:00Thank you all for your well-thought out comments. ...Thank you all for your well-thought out comments. It's clearly an issue we all care about! I appreciate the feedback, and your thoughts, so much. If WE all worked together, I bet we'd eventually come up with a perfect plan, or close to it!Loukiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03066879990007701379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-68363619567042495622009-08-05T23:06:42.784-04:002009-08-05T23:06:42.784-04:00Very well said. I don't know much about Canada...Very well said. I don't know much about Canada's health care, but I do know it can be bad here in the US. I see a sign EVERY.STINKIN.DAY for a person {or 3} who are having a benefit because they are injured, sick, ect, and can't afford their medical bills. It is sad, that we have to be responsible for helping them rather than everyone getting the care they deserve.Sara @ Domestically Challengedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10245599062507705190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-62954245781160068202009-08-05T22:05:32.152-04:002009-08-05T22:05:32.152-04:00You know, so many people are only focusing on unin...You know, so many people are only focusing on uninsured. I personally am more interested in the under-insured issues. Most of my family (and in-laws) are self-employed and can never obtain (AT ANY COST) good coverage. They have insurance and pay dearly for it, but they are always scared to death of losing it.<br /><br />Also, I cannot get a private insurance policy for my son because he had a stroke when he was born. My husband would love to start up his own private practice, but we can't do it. <br /><br />I recently learned when talking with my professional friend (architect) and she cannot get private insurance AT ANY COST that will cover any sort of maternity coverage. <br /> <br />Lastly, I know a lot of people are worried about the big taxes on businesses, etc. But, I think we're already paying through the nose, but it's not as transparent. Our family policy costs about $18000 a year (family of 3) through our employer policy. Fortunately, the employer picks up about $15K for that (and I did not even pick the most expensive policy). The coverage is great, but I just don't think it's sustainable for employers to operate that way.<br /><br />I do have several primary medicine doc friends. They are working themselves to the bones because of the insurance payment structures. They are getting the short end of the stick, also. So much of their practice is devoted to haggling with insurance companies instead of treating patients. <br /><br />Sorry for the long comment, but I wish their was a bit more discussion on the barely insured, underinsured & scared of losing insured populations.Lesleyhttp://sillynothings.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-55115333113110980792009-08-05T21:03:56.672-04:002009-08-05T21:03:56.672-04:00Great post Loukia.
I am not sure how I stand on...Great post Loukia. <br /><br />I am not sure how I stand on the two-tiered part only because I fear that the good Doctors will all be too expensive, and the not so good ones will be left in the public system. But, if it worked well, then I would be happy because like you, I would be willing to pay to avoid waiting a long time.<br /><br />As for health care being 'free', I just want to clarify for the US readers that it isn't technically 'free' we do pay for it through our taxes. And it isn't cheap, at one time you had to pay for it up front and get reimbursed for it with your taxes, but they just rolled it all together now. I'd still take that any day over what is available in the US, I would not want to have to pay to go to Emerg.BeachMamahttp://www.lifeisgoodatthebeach.ca/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-64771153588038901532009-08-05T17:31:41.585-04:002009-08-05T17:31:41.585-04:00Excellent Post! I agree with you, America needs t...Excellent Post! I agree with you, America needs to follow in the footsteps of Canada. <br />Sure it is less then 40 million if you don't count everyone.... but hello... EVERYONE should be covered who is here.Crystal Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15725086250676773592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-44998250055995732222009-08-05T17:29:19.719-04:002009-08-05T17:29:19.719-04:00CaraBee:
You're a little (ok, a LOT) off in m...CaraBee:<br /><br />You're a little (ok, a LOT) off in much of what you said.<br /><br />First, a lot of those people you're talking about that "opt" not to get insurance in the US are "opting" to be able to feed and cloth their families and pay their rent and make their car payments instead. This gets called a "choice" not to have insurance based on some right wing policy analyst declaring that they could technically afford insurance if they really really wanted it, as an excuse not to count them as *really* being uninsured (even though they are) and make the statistics look less horrible and justify their obstruction of reform.<br /><br />On top of that, there are tens of millions more people on top of the uninsured in the US who have what is frankly totally inadequate health insurance that will leave them financially ruined in the event of any serious, expensive illness. And many of them don't even know it because that little fact is buried in the fine print on page 47, paragraph 6, sub-section 13a of their insurance policies. Which is why something like 75% of people in the US who reported that medical bills contributed to their bankruptcy filings last year HAD insurance but went bankrupt anyway. That simply does not happen in Canada.<br /><br />That's how it's different.<br /><br />And the US being ten times the size of Canada is a *good* thing when it comes to insurance. Insurance works *better* in large populations where it is able to more efficiently pool and mitigate risk. But instead of taking advantage of this by creating a very large single payer insurance entity that could do something with that the US instead carves their population into thousands of penny packet segments serviced by hundreds of private for profit insurers gouging each and every one of them with ridiculous premium payments for mostly sub-par coverage.<br /><br />That's assuming you haven't been rendered effectively uninsurable for having committed the heinous crime of getting seriously sick before you bought insurance ("a.k.a, possess a "pre-existing condition")... or having gotten sick when you HAD insurance but then lost it (good luck getting a new plan). Not to mention that would also make you highly unemployable to any employer with a company provided health insurance group plan since their insurance provider would jack up the rate for the entire company if they hired a known sick person.<br /><br />That's also how it's different.<br /><br />Oh, and the bankrupting the nation with completely out of control costs thing. That's a difference too.<br /><br />Clear things up?Granthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14151416582796784877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-54032831296685700552009-08-05T16:46:59.788-04:002009-08-05T16:46:59.788-04:00Don't agree with 2 tiered healthcare but do ag...Don't agree with 2 tiered healthcare but do agree with some sort of user fee for patients in Canada. I work in a Dr's office and can't believe the number of calls we get for ridiculous things. Today a family had lice and wanted to see the DR!!You can be damn sure that if they had to pay a small user fee for this appt they would think twice about coming in to see him for something so ridiculous. <br /><br />Canada also has A LOT of fraud in relation to their healthcards. It is quite sad.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-12930707452691252942009-08-05T15:57:41.853-04:002009-08-05T15:57:41.853-04:00Switzerland has a two-tiered health care system. T...Switzerland has a two-tiered health care system. There is no free healthcare, but insurance is mandatory. It is, however, taken into account in one's salary. And there are many different types of insurance, for different budgets. The quality of health care, however, is excellent no matter which insurance you have. With th lowest one you simply don't have access to private clinics unless you pay out of pocket.<br /><br />Every single experience I have had here has been excellent, and it is my beliefs that Switzerland has the best health care in the world, at least compared to the placed I've lived in: Italy, Scandinavia, the US. And every other expats I've met (who is a Swiss resident) said the same.<br /><br />I don't think the health bill for the US is quite the same as what is already in place in Canada or Italy. The proposed US bill is NOT good. It violates privacy, it violates freedom of choice and it is unfair, because congress gets a different treatment. <br /><br />It is possibly one of the worst ideas ever IMO.Elisa @ Globetrotting in Heelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13920820564549246339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-44452706775235284662009-08-05T14:24:30.141-04:002009-08-05T14:24:30.141-04:00Just to clarify, as OHmommy did, the number of peo...Just to clarify, as OHmommy did, the number of people who are actually uninsured, counting out the illegals and those that can get it but opt not to (like I did in my twenties), the number is actually estimated to be more in the range of 10-12 million. Which is still a lot of people but that is only 3% of our population. You say 5% of yours don't get care, so how is that different? <br /><br />IMO, we need to fix the programs we already have in place, like Medicare (which Obama and Co just cut funding for, does that make sense to you?) and Medicaid, not to mention SCHIP (that's the children's program). Fix and expand what we already have. Cut back on the BILLIONS of dollars in fraud and waste with those programs and we could afford to cover more people with it. <br /><br />Remember that we are 10 times the size of Canada and you guys can't even get it right. We already pay for medical care for more people (approx. 50 mil) than your entire population and then some. I just haven't seen any evidence that our gov't, that is mired in bureaucracy and inefficiency, can possibly run a program of this scale.CaraBeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04614627167922944626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-68605879408170260792009-08-05T14:18:31.401-04:002009-08-05T14:18:31.401-04:00I think we do need a change. Is nationalized heal...I think we do need a change. Is nationalized health care the answer? I don't know. However, the current plan? I don't think it will work.Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious?https://www.blogger.com/profile/02910477558968993067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-70739504493382647062009-08-05T14:11:59.215-04:002009-08-05T14:11:59.215-04:00Great post - I find it very interesting to read yo...Great post - I find it very interesting to read your viewpoint as a Canadian on health care.RuensOnTheRunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07667414160274366050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-36048006901154008462009-08-05T14:05:40.281-04:002009-08-05T14:05:40.281-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Maria @BOREDmommyhttp://mommymaria.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-13023244853229770042009-08-05T13:58:48.858-04:002009-08-05T13:58:48.858-04:00Oh Hot Topic. Always has been. I'm always th...Oh Hot Topic. Always has been. I'm always thankful that as a Canadian I don't have to think twice about taking my babe to the peditrician, or that I will not be charged for an ER visit. Down side, many of our talented Doctors are going to the US to work, wait time for minor things like ultrasounds can be months, even surgery waiting lists are ridiculous. Scary even. My Dad waited 6 months for prostate cancer surgery. No system is perfect, but at least here in Canada we are all treated equally. (Unless you are realted to a Doctor...then you are gold lol)Stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17218519474695662328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-86145109690913544432009-08-05T13:52:56.558-04:002009-08-05T13:52:56.558-04:00I think it was wonderful that you spoke politics o...I think it was wonderful that you spoke politics on your blog. And at this point, health care is not really politics anymore. I think everyone -- no matter what political party or view -- agrees that something is wrong, and that there are good and bad points about being TOO public and being TOO private. The most important first step is making sure everyone gets some sort of basic care.Neilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05191467009055093356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-74077526983158340142009-08-05T12:46:36.549-04:002009-08-05T12:46:36.549-04:00yeah not happy about the two tier idea..it is not ...yeah not happy about the two tier idea..it is not working in the UK.<br /><br />And here it wouldn't either..we see already the lure of specialty medicine for gen practice for the glamour and cash...we need to encourage more docs to be gp's..and in less 'cool`' areas..we need country docs and better care in rural areas.<br /><br />However..I have never had to wait or be denied a special test for anything..cancer scares, pregnancy, etc....but I live in a big city.<br /><br />I love our system..flawed as it is...I can't imagine being faced with huge hosp bills insured or not..or being turned away or turned down.<br /><br />How does that take care of your people.<br /><br />I don't get the bitching about paying for others or the worry about illegals...it seems to miserly and greedy and I don't see how that mindset goes with national pride...cruncchyhttp://www.crunchycarpets.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231649446485548787.post-7104096547195273522009-08-05T12:24:58.476-04:002009-08-05T12:24:58.476-04:00We live in New York and have to pay for healthcare...We live in New York and have to pay for healthcare through my hubby's job. And gosh it really puts a dent in his check.Cindyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12614960130477978933noreply@blogger.com