Things that are different in Canada

[Rear_Intruder]

Will there be any family criticism about this forced migration?
Video or audio of what the kids think please.
-
00:46 beautifully sung rhyme

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOR38552MJA

 

[ColdDog]

That is weird, because no govt official has told me which family doctor we need to choose. We have had some recommendations from friends and family, you call them up, you ask if they are taking new patients. Thats it.

I've got to admit I have never had to deal with Canadian health system... but every rumor/story/lie has a little bit of truth to it. Anyway, this thread is not about health care... its about your new life up North and we hope you love it. Vancouver is beautiful and I still am very fond of my neighbor to the north.

 

[Sirus7264]

At least you can play music with your money in canada

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXl3wGWMMV4

so what your telling me is the more expensive the money you use the better quality music you get....

 

[Blind Owl]

Canadian Government gets to choose your doctor for you.

That is weird, because no govt official has told me which family doctor we need to choose. We have had some recommendations from friends and family, you call them up, you ask if they are taking new patients. Thats it

have had very long conversations on this topic and I can tell you with 100% certainty that what we hear in the states about the horrors of any other system, is massively over exaggerated at best and most of the time, completely false.

I've got to admit I have never had to deal with Canadian health system... but every rumor/story/lie has a little bit of truth to it. Anyway, this thread is not about health care... its about your new life up North and we hope you love it. Vancouver is beautiful and I still am very fond of my neighbor to the north

And here I was going to chime in, @ColdDog, but it looks like @Montoya beat me too it.

Yeah, from talking to my American TESTies, I can say with no degree of uncertainty that what you guys hear about our health care system, and and truth, are very far separated.

The system has its faults, but it's still pretty dang awesome.

@Montoya, I'm assessing that you ended up in the Pacific Northwest from the conversation with Hasgaha. If so, congrats! You've landed in one of the most beautiful spots in the country.

 

[Aramsolari]

Where you at boss? Pacific Northwest somewhere?

 

[Vavrik]

Where you at boss? Pacific Northwest somewhere?

First post here or here

Hasgaha sharing some wisdom with me about the Pacific NW

Im learning so much, thank you @mr-hasgaha

testsquadron.com

 

[Aramsolari]

First post here or here

Hasgaha sharing some wisdom with me about the Pacific NW

Im learning so much, thank you @mr-hasgaha

testsquadron.com

Asking because I'm in Vancouver myself. :)

 

[FZD]

So... why would you want to choose a doctor? Assuming they're all qualified to treat your ailments / can refer you to a specialist who can treat you, what difference would it make?

(For clarification, I can choose from various public and private doctors, however I've never had any trouble just going to a random doctor who happened to have convenient time slot open)

 

[Blind Owl]

So... why would you want to choose a doctor? Assuming they're all qualified to treat your ailments / can refer you to a specialist who can treat you, what difference would it make?

(For clarification, I can choose from various public and private doctors, however I've never had any trouble just going to a random doctor who happened to have convenient time slot open)

I think for family doctor is the only time I'd really choose. Other than that, I have no idea. When I'm hurt, I go to emerg, and I see whoever is on call.

 

[Vavrik]

So... why would you want to choose a doctor? Assuming they're all qualified to treat your ailments / can refer you to a specialist who can treat you, what difference would it make?

(For clarification, I can choose from various public and private doctors, however I've never had any trouble just going to a random doctor who happened to have convenient time slot open)

You have a doctor that is familiar with you, and your family. You can go to any doctor you want, but it's kind of nice to find one that you know too. Believe me, when you wake up in intensive care, wondering where you've been for the past week... it's nice to see someone you know and trust show up and look in on you.

 

[Montoya]

Asking because I'm in Vancouver myself. :)

You need to leave, there is only room for one of us.

 

[Blind Owl]

You need to leave, there is only room for one of us.

What will you ever do if I come back to visit my hometown? Will we drink? Fight to the death? Hahaha

 

[Crymsan]

You need to leave, there is only room for one of us.

Wow compared to the UK I thought you had lots of space! Its tree covered but its still there. Your both paying less for gas than us and runners/sneakers are trainers. I would say portion wise they maybe smaller than both but obviously we make up for it elsewhere as we are not noteably slimmer. At least when you see a price for something its the price you pay......

 

[Montoya]

So... why would you want to choose a doctor?

Im in a unique position to answer that question accurately because I lived in both countries.

In the US, American exceptionalism is hammered into you from a young age. For the most part its completely true, America is in many ways the greatest country in the world!

One of these exceptional qualities is freedom, which includes the precept that you have full control over what happens to your body, and by who. You want health insurance? You can go buy it. You don't want health insurance? Don't buy it! (Until Obamacare... thats a different story all together)

The concept of freedom and being the master of your own domain, not subject to a faceless bureaucrat is a core principle in everybody's life.

Here comes the bamboozle now, they have managed to convince a large part of the population that a system that every other developed nation is using, is bad. To prove this, they cherry pick the worst case scenarios and for some reason "not being able to choose your doctor" turned out to be one of them.

I never understood that one because in the decade of living in Toronto before coming to the US, I picked my doctor every time based on proximity.

The irony is that in the states you do not have the same freedom, even though they say you do.

When I got insurance in the states, there is in-network and out-of-network. I can't go pick a random doctor, I need to pick an in-network doctor! So I get a false choice in reality. To be completely fair, in Raleigh where I lived almost all the doctors in my area were in-network, so I never had a problem, but that is not always the case.

I can give you a long run down of the pros and cons of both systems, but the bottom line is, when you zoom out and look at the bigger picture, which country offers better outcomes at what price? The answer to that, Im sorry to say, is Canada.

The American system is not going to be the best for every single American, and likewise the Canadian system is not always going to be the best for every single Canadian, but cherry picking the worst parts of a system in an attempt to blanket its entirety is disingenuous and misleading.

 

[Sraika]

Im in a unique position to answer that question accurately because I lived in both countries.

In the US, American exceptionalism is hammered into you from a young age. For the most part its completely true, America is in many ways the greatest country in the world!

One of these exceptional qualities is freedom, which includes the precept that you have full control over what happens to your body, and by who. You want health insurance? You can go buy it. You don't want health insurance? Don't buy it! (Until Obamacare... thats a different story all together)

The concept of freedom and being the master of your own domain, not subject to a faceless bureaucrat is a core principle in everybody's life.

Here comes the bamboozle now, they have managed to convince a large part of the population that a system that every other developed nation is using, is bad. To prove this, they cherry pick the worst case scenarios and for some reason "not being able to choose your doctor" turned out to be one of them.

I never understood that one because in the decade of living in Toronto before coming to the US, I picked my doctor every time based on proximity.

The irony is that in the states you do not have the same freedom, even though they say you do.

When I got insurance in the states, there is in-network and out-of-network. I can't go pick a random doctor, I need to pick an in-network doctor! So I get a false choice in reality. To be completely fair, in Raleigh where I lived almost all the doctors in my area were in-network, so I never had a problem, but that is not always the case.

I can give you a long run down of the pros and cons of both systems, but the bottom line is, when you zoom out and look at the bigger picture, which country offers better outcomes at what price? The answer to that, Im sorry to say, is Canada.

The American system is not going to be the best for every single American, and likewise the Canadian system is not always going to be the best for every single Canadian, but cherry picking the worst parts of a system in an attempt to blanket its entirety is disingenuous and a misleading.

Well written, and good points. 10/10

I'd also like to add, "canada is better, neener neener" :p

 

[Bambooza]

Im in a unique position to answer that question accurately because I lived in both countries.

In the US, American exceptionalism is hammered into you from a young age. For the most part its completely true, America is in many ways the greatest country in the world!

One of these exceptional qualities is freedom, which includes the precept that you have full control over what happens to your body, and by who. You want health insurance? You can go buy it. You don't want health insurance? Don't buy it! (Until Obamacare... thats a different story all together)

The concept of freedom and being the master of your own domain, not subject to a faceless bureaucrat is a core principle in everybody's life.

Here comes the bamboozle now, they have managed to convince a large part of the population that a system that every other developed nation is using, is bad. To prove this, they cherry pick the worst case scenarios and for some reason "not being able to choose your doctor" turned out to be one of them.

I never understood that one because in the decade of living in Toronto before coming to the US, I picked my doctor every time based on proximity.

The irony is that in the states you do not have the same freedom, even though they say you do.

When I got insurance in the states, there is in-network and out-of-network. I can't go pick a random doctor, I need to pick an in-network doctor! So I get a false choice in reality. To be completely fair, in Raleigh where I lived almost all the doctors in my area were in-network, so I never had a problem, but that is not always the case.

I can give you a long run down of the pros and cons of both systems, but the bottom line is, when you zoom out and look at the bigger picture, which country offers better outcomes at what price? The answer to that, Im sorry to say, is Canada.

The American system is not going to be the best for every single American, and likewise the Canadian system is not always going to be the best for every single Canadian, but cherry picking the worst parts of a system in an attempt to blanket its entirety is disingenuous and misleading.

I still wonder how any medical system in any country stays even mediocrity solvency, or if its all just a giant bubble waiting to collapse.

 

[Blind Owl]

Im in a unique position to answer that question accurately because I lived in both countries.

In the US, American exceptionalism is hammered into you from a young age. For the most part its completely true, America is in many ways the greatest country in the world!

One of these exceptional qualities is freedom, which includes the precept that you have full control over what happens to your body, and by who. You want health insurance? You can go buy it. You don't want health insurance? Don't buy it! (Until Obamacare... thats a different story all together)

The concept of freedom and being the master of your own domain, not subject to a faceless bureaucrat is a core principle in everybody's life.

Here comes the bamboozle now, they have managed to convince a large part of the population that a system that every other developed nation is using, is bad. To prove this, they cherry pick the worst case scenarios and for some reason "not being able to choose your doctor" turned out to be one of them.

I never understood that one because in the decade of living in Toronto before coming to the US, I picked my doctor every time based on proximity.

The irony is that in the states you do not have the same freedom, even though they say you do.

When I got insurance in the states, there is in-network and out-of-network. I can't go pick a random doctor, I need to pick an in-network doctor! So I get a false choice in reality. To be completely fair, in Raleigh where I lived almost all the doctors in my area were in-network, so I never had a problem, but that is not always the case.

I can give you a long run down of the pros and cons of both systems, but the bottom line is, when you zoom out and look at the bigger picture, which country offers better outcomes at what price? The answer to that, Im sorry to say, is Canada.

The American system is not going to be the best for every single American, and likewise the Canadian system is not always going to be the best for every single Canadian, but cherry picking the worst parts of a system in an attempt to blanket its entirety is disingenuous and misleading.

Well said sir. Having lived here all my life, I can honestly say that I'm quite partial to our system. It has its faults, as all systems do, but overall, Canada is a pretty damn great place to live.

 

[Vavrik]

I still wonder how any medical system in any country stays even mediocrity solvency, or if its all just a giant bubble waiting to collapse

This is hard to explain to an American, because they lack relevant experience. Most social healthcare systems in G20 countries, are not short of cash. In the Canadian system, it is funded mainly through the disbursement of corporate income tax, which just replaces the benefit that they'd provide you anyway. This pays for the bulk of the healthcare system. Some of the price is funded by individuals too, but it is not the lion's share, and depends which province you live in.

One way to think about it is, there is only 1 insurance company in Canada, and it has 10 plans depending where you live. They can negotiate pricing as a block. The problem with the current American system is mostly that it doesn't go nearly far enough, and it requires special training even to be able to make reasonable choices on providers and plans. Obama care, is good for the insurance industry, not the consumer. That's what I see.

In Canada, and you need medical care? Go to the doctor! Doctor not open, or you have an emergency? Go to the nearest hospital. No copay.

 

[LoicFarris]

That is weird, because no govt official has told me which family doctor we need to choose. We have had some recommendations from friends and family, you call them up, you ask if they are taking new patients. Thats it.

Ive lived in both countries and I can give you a long list of pros and cons.

I have had very long conversations on this topic and I can tell you with 100% certainty that what we hear in the states about the horrors of any other system, is massively over exaggerated at best and most of the time, completely false.

Yeah I can say the same thing, haven't lived in Canada but I have family that lives on the west coast. Basically when some US politician makes a claim about their health-care, I just ask them and they look at me like I'm a retard.

 

[August]

Let’s get back to congratulations and not debate healthcare.

Spoiler: I started writing this and realised it’s just further derailing the thread.

Here in Australia we have bulk billing; a system which means that GP’s get paid X dollars per short consultation and Y dollars per long consultation. GP’s may choose to add a co-payment, or not bulk bill at all. It’s up to you as the patient to choose who you choose to see based on what you need.

If you need a medical certificate for work (you have a cold and are taking the day off), go to a bulk billing super clinic which has a stack of GP’s who rotate through and which doesn’t have any co-payment. You can also use those clinics for more serious problems or issues which require follow up. They’re all doctors and many of them part time in the bulk billing places in addition to working in their own practices.

There are also private practices who offer bulk billing, or who bulk bill kids, but who charge a co-payment for adults. This is common with family doctors.

Specialists usually have a co-payment if you’re referred to them by a doctor, but will charge you full price if you just walk in. This is because the Medicare system doesn’t apply without a doctors referral; it’s assumed you’re a private patient in that case.

There is also ... holy fuck this will be a long post.