Both systems have their problems, honestly. The American system is fantastic, so long as people have the money or insurance to cover it. But tens of thousands of working Americans have no insurance, nor alternative means to pay for health care, and that to me is a HUGE problem. And I felt that way before I spent 3 years with no insurance (which we should have); I felt that way even before my brother was working his tail off, with 80+ hour weeks, and yet couldn't afford both insurance and rent even when insurance was available.
Socialized medicine isn't the magic bullet, I agree. I've talked extensively to both American and Canadian doctors about the problems with that system. Because doctors aren't paid well for private practice, particularly in small towns, there's a shortage of family physicians. There are long waits for basic services like MRI's because there isn't enough equipment for the need. There are a lot of things that Americans take for granted that are not readily available in Canada.
Another issue with the Canadian system is that while treatment is covered, medication is not, so unless they have supplemental insurance, medication costs can be a real problem. My mom's on medications that costs, literally , thousands of dollars a month (fortunately, she has VERY GOOD insurance)--this would simply be impossible for her to afford without insurance.
On the flip side, when I was stressed about being able to pay for some kind of medical treatment, the Canadians I was with made the comment that they never even thought about it--because no matter their job status, Canadians are guaranteed at least basic health care.
But if you have good insurance, the American system is one of the best in the world.
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Socialized medicine isn't the magic bullet, I agree. I've talked extensively to both American and Canadian doctors about the problems with that system. Because doctors aren't paid well for private practice, particularly in small towns, there's a shortage of family physicians. There are long waits for basic services like MRI's because there isn't enough equipment for the need. There are a lot of things that Americans take for granted that are not readily available in Canada.
Another issue with the Canadian system is that while treatment is covered, medication is not, so unless they have supplemental insurance, medication costs can be a real problem. My mom's on medications that costs, literally , thousands of dollars a month (fortunately, she has VERY GOOD insurance)--this would simply be impossible for her to afford without insurance.
On the flip side, when I was stressed about being able to pay for some kind of medical treatment, the Canadians I was with made the comment that they never even thought about it--because no matter their job status, Canadians are guaranteed at least basic health care.
But if you have good insurance, the American system is one of the best in the world.