I know that we have several Canadian members. I wonder if you could explain how the system works. Maybe a critique or two. Do you indeed have to wait 17 weeks to get an appointment. Is it true that there is a single outdated MRI machine in all of Manitoba?

Give us the whole skinny on it..

I don't know about the MRI in Manitoba but, on average you don't have to wait that long for a routine doctor appointement. A week or two at the most has been our experience. The main point is that we don't have to worry if the insureance premiums will bankrupt us. It is a universal social service that we will carry to the grave.
Overall, I am very satisfied with the level of service and the quality provided.

"wait....a routine doctor appointement. A week or two at the most has been our experience."
Ha! Here in FREE ENTERPRISE U.S. of A. my routine dental appointments require more than a month; routine M.D. appointments run 3-5 weeks lead time. Sure glad I don't have socialized medicine!

Down here in Nova Scotia there are some areas that one has to travel to see a Doctor but many just go to the nearest hospital outpatients and take their turn, depending of the severity of the patient with some rural only being open during the week. We have air ambulance for the whole province 24/7 to Halifax. Most dental is the same day even if you don't have Appointment but there usually is a charge.

One day when we were camping in the US, we had a conversation with our campsite neighbours about our socialized medical system. The funny thing was they honestly believed that we were assigned a family doctor and that we could not change. They also thought that we could not get a second opinion. To them, our system was pretty close to the system that Cuba or the former USSR would have had. I always wondered after that, how common this misconception was among our american friends.

Again folks, in tip toeing to avoid any political stuff I have been avoiding any consideration of a national medical system. I have always assumed that here in the US if someone needed health care, even if they didn't have insurance they would be taken care of. However, a good friend of mine, a bright 54 year old lady, (not my wife) was receiving treatment for diabetes and pancreatitis. She works on contracts, (which seems about the only way engineers get jobs these day). She has been unemployed for a while and her cost of continuing insurance was $600 a month and she just couldn't do it. Her endocrinologist called and canceled her appointments when her insurance ran out. They just didn't give a cr*p.

I am lucky because I have VA insurance, but what do folks do? Not everyone can work till 67 when Medicare kicks in, and if I didn't have VA, since I have a pacemaker I wouldn't be able to buy insurance for $1000 a month or any price.

I wonder if Canada extends the govt medical benefits to illegal or legal immigrants.

Tri-Care, being retired military, was the only reason I could retire at 60. Had I continued under the group insurance at the insurance agency I owned, at 63, (today) my premium would be $1,400/mo., and that's with a $2,500 annual deductible.

Good question. Each province runs its own medical insurance and they are somewhat different, but "universal" in that they can be used in the other provinces. And in other countries but may not totally cover you so we usually buy private out of country coverage when going out side the country for even a week.
In Ontario it is called OHIP and you need to present your "Health Card" at the hospital or doctors office for treatment.
So how does one get a "Health Card"? I have no idea since I've had one all my life. Someone who is a landed immigrant would be issued one I guess. An illegal would have a harder time I suppose.
The health card doesn't pay for presciption meds but if you have no insurance thru your work, are on welfare or over 65 you can get prescription drug coverage directly from the province.
Eveyone over 65 is covered by OHIP for hospital, doctors care and prescription drugs.
Also, private and gov't health care insurance may not pay for everything or every drug. There is, however, a gov't run "catastropic health" plan if you get a serious problem that would require expensive drugs and treatments that you can apply for to pay your bills, called Trillium. A friend of ours requires cancer meds that cost about $6K a month that are payed thru Trillium. As well as the usual radiation, chemo and specialized cancer hospital care.
It's not perfect, wait times for specialized treatments, organ transplants etc. are always in the news. Dental's not covered unless its accident related and you can only spend 182 days in Florida or you lose your OHIP coverage!
Don

quote:

Originally posted by bill h:
I wonder if Canada extends the govt medical benefits to illegal or legal immigrants.

Don, thank you for such a complete responce.

What is a "landed immigrant"? Is that an immigrant who just landed, or one who owns land?

Do you have illegal immigrants there?

A landed immigrant is someone who has applied thru official channels to live here. I am not sure but I think this is someone who has a job here or comes here as a refugee from some place in turmoil. There are lots of people here from places like Somalia in that catagory.
Oh yah, we have hundreds of thousands of people here illegally.
Don

quote:

Originally posted by bill h:
Don, thank you for such a complete responce.

What is a "landed immigrant"? Is that an immigrant who just landed, or one who owns land?

Do you have illegal immigrants there?

Our son-in-law is american. Him, our daughter, and their little girl now live in Montreal. When he first came to Canada, he had to apply for his landed immigrant status. This gave him a Social Security Number, a Quebec Health Card, and a right to pay taxes in Canada
Our SIL's dad wants to retire but can't. His wife has a long history of health problems. He has medical insurance thru his company but would not afford to pay for it on his own if he retires before reaching 65 years, he once told me. This is sad. He also told me that a lot of american couples are in the same situation right now and they envy the canadian system.
The term landed immigrant doesn't mean that you came from a third world country. It only means that you are not yet citizen of the country but have been cleared to work and live as long as you want (providing you don't cause problem).
By the way, since our S-I-L is still american, our grand-daughter has dual nationalities because Canada is still a country who recognize this.
Regarding illegal immigrants, there was an article in the paper last week about a woman in Toronto who, while being illegal immigrant requires a heart surgery to save her from death. Since she does'nt have a Health Card, she has been denied the free operation. She will have to pay to get it but cannot afford it. There is a debate right now on wether or not "society" should be kind enough and pay for it.

Here is a question for our Canadian friends. And this is not a loaded question, I really want your opinion.

Let's say (God forbid) you were diagnosed with cancer or needed a quad bypass and you lived near the border and had the opportunity to go to the US or Canada. Which would you choose?

Dave, in reality you would not really have a choice. The operation would be free in Canada. If I have that operation in the US I would have to pay for it in total then get reimburse by Canada using a price table that covers only the minimum. The difference between the two would be quite large and would come from my own pockets.

Thats why, since we do a lot of travelling in the US, we also carry a private health insurance for my wife and I. It covers that difference between the two systems. Our cost is around $150 a year for the two of us. If something happen to us while in the US, it will pay for everything just like at home.

Gentlemen, I am 61, retired at 57, not much matter, high blood pressure, etc, my insurance premium is $895 per month with a $1000 deductible, and 20% co-insurance on the first 5000 per year. $15 Dr. visit copay, $30 Specialist co-pay. No dental. Sky