(no subject)

[lenora_rose]

It's sad when the main reason I'm reconsidering describing my hospital visit for my miscarriage is to counter the complete and utter BS in the States about socialized medicine and how their systems is wonderful.

Short version: Yes, there was a wait, I started off in Emergency with a non life-threatening condition. I probably didn't wait any longer than a comparable situation in the US, and I didn't have to be grilled about the state of my insurance while I waited.

And I didn't have to pay out the wazoo for an involuntary and vastly unwanted situation. I didn't pay ANYTHING.

Canadian medical care has its problems. Our socialized medicine doesn't cover any dental or basic/nonessential optical, or most prescriptions that are voluntary or for a temporary condition (Birth control and antibiotics are out of pocket). These are things that require private insurance. There are wait lists for certain kinds of major procedures (Though not so much for emergency level this-person-will-die-without-it versions of those procedures). And right now, *because* the States' system is Fucked up, a lot of specialists go for the bigger money in the States. Yes, as far as I'm concerned, the biggest weakness in Canadian Health Care is caused by the US having an insane system where people go to the hospital with a heart attack and come out with a huge debt and difficulty getting any future insurance. Way to mess it up for the rest of us.

Now, Stop putting my friends, and acquaintances, and other perfectly normal decent people into drastic debt and bankruptcy just because you're afraid of the word "Socialized".

Comments

[eleanore-c.livejournal.com]

Believe me (I work in health care) when I say that in the Canadian system if "this person will die without it" there is no wait. Life-saving surgeries are done day and night and the patient DOES NOT HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING. As far as drugs, coverage varies from province to province. I'm sure in Manitoba anti-biotics are covered, but you have to exceed a "deductible" amount before you can claim for them. You and Colin likely never spend that much on medications in a year. (The deductible is in the range of $100 or so.) I am so infuriated by the ridiculous things being said in the U.S. news about health care that I am trying to avoid seeing any of it as its really upsetting.

[lenora-rose.livejournal.com]

There's been a lot of talk on nMaking Light, both about the need and the possible systems top put up, but also about the disinformation campaign, including the actual PLANNED attempts to get to every town meeting just to shout down the health care advocates. And the incredibly unbelievable accusation that covering end-of-life decisions = euthanasia. it';s not just infuriating because there are people out there believing these things, but watching the Astroturf* process itself.

*Artifical campaigning meant to look like a grassroots movement but funded by big companies and/or government opposition and not involving normal people at all.