Health Care in Canada: A Few Questions?
826690
Health care is handeld on a provicial basis.  In Ontario that is handled by The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
908614
Try looking into Medicare or Medicaid.  If that doesn't work, try ordering your meds illegally from Canada.  Good Luck!
416139
Yes, I am from Saskatchewan.  However, I do not necessarily like it here and I, like many others, am sick and tired of the government.  The Health Care System, in particular, is letting people down.
171910
The quality of service would go way down. A lot of good doctors in Canada left because they can make more money in the US. \n\nAnd because the government would be controlling it, the bureaucracy would cause you to wait for months or even years just for needed basic procedures.\n\nIt's just bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad.
224971
How can you specialize in Canada? I suppose you could visit it, read a few books, maybe take a course on Canada. But why would you want to specialize in Canada? Surely there's more money in Medicine.
445316
Definitely not.  Nothing in life is free.  Canada's system is not free.  They pay for it with less than state of the art health care, and with higher taxes.  Let's look at what happens.  In Canada, the state dictates how many doctors there will be based on a budget, that is, how many tax dollars that can be spent on it.  They also dictate how much money the doctor will make on any given operation.  If you need an operation and there is a doctor available, you will get it, but chances are, in Canada you will have to go on a waiting list to get it.  You may well die, or suffer other problems waiting for the doctor.  Also, since the state is in control, and not the market, the doctor may not be the best at what he does.  Now let's look at what happens in the United States of America:  A young medical student happens to have a passion for heart surgery.  He has the talent and the knowledge.  He gets a bunch of student loans, and gets his education complete.  He becomes the very best at this specialty, and subsequently charges a lot for it.  He makes a lot of money doing what he loves, and the public pays it because they want the best heart surgeon available when it comes cutting time.  This kid may have elected to go into computers instead of medicine in Canada, because it pays more.  Also, you don't have to wait for a doctor, because the market balances out the supply of medical care with the demand far more efficiently than any government official could.   Please read Ecconomics In One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt for more insight into supply and demand and the natural, efficient way of regulating ecconomy.  Please also, ask Canadian medical patients who come to America for medical care what they think ?
11615
If by "free" you mean socialized health care, then you could start with Canada, France, and Germany amongst the most prominent. It should be noted, however, that there is no such thing as "free" health care. Citizens residing in nations with "free" health care pay more income tax to cover state medical expenses.
865418
Can you phrase your question a little more clearly please...;\n\nEDIT\nSmall countries would not generally have a problem with healthcare as long as they have to money to fund it.  The problems arise when a country has not got the finances.  Some small countries such as Switzerland and Monaco have first class, world renowned services, well funded and with top class doctors and surgeons.  \nIm still not really sure if I have helped but I hope I have
957708
I enjoy provincial health care.  We still pay for prescriptions and stuff, but the visit to the doc is free. (well not free in the sense that we pay out the bum for taxes! lol)\n\nI like our warm summers and white Christmases (although I HATE snow)\n\nI like how we are viewed as "the nice guys".  Not entirely true, but in gerenal I suppose it is.\n\nI also love our "mosaic" society and our multi-culturism.\n\nAnd I love Canadian jokes.  They make me laugh =)
1106934
I am Canadian - I booked an apointment with my dentist last week and will see her next Tuesday.  By the way, Dentists are not covered under Canadian Health Care - never have been, unless it is as a result of an accident, a workplace injury, you are on social assistance, or you have a disability.\n\nMy son was born premature - 2 1/2 months - I did not have to wait for care - he is a healthy and educated 20 year old - and I did not receive a bill for one cent even though i do not have an insurance policy.  My doctor told me that in the US, he was a "million dollar" baby.\n\nMy brother required knee replacement surgery - every step of that process, from pre-op apointments with the best specialists (of his choice I might add - no one tells us who to see) through home care to perform rehab after surgery was completed within 3 months of the first visit and did not cost us one penny - with or without insurance.\n\nI had Leukemia (chronic myleogenous) and chose to go to whatever doctor and hospital I wanted, free of charge, in whatever city in Ontario had the shortest wait time - all free of charge, including the cost of gas or airfare if necessary to get to the appointments.\n\nI haven't had to wait 2 months, let alone a year, at all - although it does happen and it is not good when it does.  I also don't have to fork out one single penny to be seen by the best heart/lung/cancer specialist in the country, they are accessible to everyone regardless of income.\n\nI have a step-sister in LA - she relies on Medicare - she says it is appalling in the US if you don't have private insurance -it's kind of hard to describe what is wrong to the clinic doctor, who didn't speak english, after a 7 hour clinic wait!  Even if you have insurance , you probably have an HMO - a group of non-professionals with little or no medical training who are deciding who you can see, what they will treat, and which hospital you can go to.\n\nYou're trying to tell me that is better??
281472
Only one thing?  \n\nIn this order:\n\n1.  Universal healthcare.  There is no excuse that one of the wealthiest and most powerful nations in the world can not take care of its own.  As to those who are saying that people are dying in Canada because they can not get an operation - where on earth are you getting your information?  I would much rather have a slow health care system and actually know I'll get treated than have a fast system that I can not afford to utilize when I get sick.  As far as dying goes, I'll betcha more people die in the U.S. because they can not afford treatment than are dying in Canada waiting for treatment.\n\n2.  Raise the minimum wage.  Most people who work minimum wage jobs are trying to support themselves and their families, and that can not be done on 5.15 an hour.  Most people who work minimum wage jobs work two or three jobs just to get by.  I don't understand, as another poster stated, that this would take jobs away from teenagers.  That just doesn't make sense, as teenagers would still be hired by McDonald's, whether they paid 5.15 an hour or 8.00 an hour or 10 cents an hour.  \n\n3.  Release funds for USAID and UNFPA, which supplies contraceptives and education to developing countries.  Because AIDS and unwanted pregnancies are bad.
453716
The Canadian Health System is based upon the same system that exists in Britan or Sweden. Only the US does not have this type of system
711806
You would have to apply in whichever province or territory you are moving to. The site I gave you will show you how to apply.\n\nAccessing Health Care\nAccessing Canada's health care system involves first applying for a provincial health card. Excluding inmates, the Canadian Armed Forces and certain members of the RCMP, the Canada Health Act requires all residents of a province or territory to be accepted for health coverage. There is a waiting period in place for new immigrants that cannot exceed three months.\n\nOnce a health card is assigned, it is used whenever visiting a physician or health care provider. The health card contains an identification number, which is used to access a person's medical information.\n\nAfter obtaining health coverage, one can register with a primary care physician. For routine visits to a physician, one needs only present their health card. There are typically no forms to be filled out or individual service fees.\n\nThe availability of physicians depends largely on the number of doctors and the current demand for medical services. Currently there is about 1 primary care doctor for every 1000 Canadians.\n\nHealth care in Canada is funded at both the provincial and federal levels. The financing of health care is provided via taxation both from personal and corporate income taxes. Additional funds from other financial sources like sales tax and lottery proceeds are also used by some provinces.\n\nAlberta, British Columbia, and Ontario also charge health premiums to supplement health funding, but such premiums are not required for health coverage as per the Canada Health Act.\n\nAt a federal level, funds are allocated to provinces and territories via the Canadian Health and Social Transfer (CHST). Transfer payments are made as a combination of tax transfers and cash contributions. The amount of funding provinces and territories receive is significant, and topped $35 billion in 2002-2003.\n\nIn 2000, the new budget injected an additional $23 billion of investment into the health care system.\n\nCanada's health care has a large impact on the Canadian economy. Here are a few facts and figures about the economy and health care:\n\nHealth care expenditures in Canada topped $100 billion in 2001.\n\n\nApproximately 9.5% of Canada's gross domestic product is spent on health care. In comparison, the United States spends close to 14% of its GDP on health care.\n\n\nIndividually, Canadians spend about $3300 per capita on health care.\n\n\nAt a provincial level, funding is between one-third and one-half of what provinces spend on social programs.\n\nAbout three-quarters of all funding comes from public sources, with the remainder from private sources such as businesses and private insurance. \n\nOne of the forefronts of debate in Canadian politics is its health care system. There are many factors in the debate, but some key issues are:\n\nFederal involvement in health care: Because provinces and territories are responsible for the actual administration and delivery of health care in Canada, friction is apparent whenever policies are set at a federal level.\n\nPrivate health care: While privately funded clinics do provide certain services with shorter wait times than the public system, there are those who object to any privatization of the health system. The arguments are that a "two-tier" health care system will unbalance the system and favor those with higher incomes.\n\nThe shortage of doctors and nurses in Canada: Some feel that Canada's health care system does not adequately compensate health care providers. This has led to a "brain drain" of Canadian doctors and nurses, which have left Canada to pursue careers in the United States. Attracting and keeping skilled medical workers is a priority if Canada is to be able to provide proper medical services.
422291
I'm a Republican, and I've always been against public health care.  I've always thought that if I had to work for a living (and insurance) then everyone should have to.  No freebies.  Well, after actually having to use my insurance, and along with paying deductibles, co-payments, and 20% of all other bills, and having racked up medical bills in excess of $1,500 (which I most definitely cannot afford!), I have changed my mind and would love a public health care system.  No necessarily along the lines of Canada's health care system, but at least something to help those without insurance, and those who are low income.  Maybe have government run clinics set up in each county where anyone that is below a certain income level could receive full healthcare, including MRI, CT Scan, X-Ray, vision, dental, etc at a reduced rate.  Something like that anyway.  I got a bill from the emergency room for $1,400...for two shots.  That's it.  If the government isn't ever going to offer free healthcare to its' citizens, it should at least put a cap on what physicians can charge for their services.  I understand that most of them went to school for 8+ years, but charging $180 for a 5 minute office visit or $1,000 for ONE shot in the emergency room is just plain robbery.
774917
Canada \n\nThey have universal healthcare and a healthy nation is a successful one. \n\nI'd move there if it weren't so freaking cold.
1140098
It's not communism, Canada has free health care as well. As I recall the Clintons tried to bring it into the States and it was voted down. We all pay enough taxes that healthcare should be free.
879592
Wow! I'm amazed by the bias and misunderstanding evidenced in the answers so far. . . I have lived in a country with "socialized medicine" (Denmark) so I know something about it.  To answer the question, I believe that the U.S. may now be the only western country without a national socialized health-care system.  \n\nAs some mentioned here, in socialized medicine, taxes or other federal and state revenues would pay for our individual medical costs.  But to assume that this would automatically be a big hardship for the taxpayer shows a misunderstanding of the way such a system works and the options in the set-up that we would need to consider.  \n\nThere are many ways to pay for socialized health care, and they don't always involve raised taxes.  For one example, consider this: right now, our tax dollars are wasted to an enormous degree on the pet projects of various legislators - projects that most of us do not know about and wouldn't care to be paying for!  I would like to see some of this "pork-barrel" spending done away with (and I believe that we are moving in that direction as people educate themselves about it and demand change) - that would go a long way toward funding things like a national health-care system.  Other forms of government waste exist also, where funds would be better spent on insuring all our citizens.\n\nThe biggest thing that would worry me personally about such a system, and that may be much of the reason why we don't yet have it in the U.S., is that its establishment would necessarily require some level of federal-level regulation.  Americans (myself included) have a traditional distaste for too much government control on the federal level.  \n\nBut in this case, federal regulation and the meddling that would come with it,  may be a necessary evil that we need to consider - because the alternative is to keep going along the path we are on, in which with every year we see fewer employers able to insure employees, the costs of individually-purchased policies grow more outlandish, and the numbers of uninsured citizens increase by thousands.\n\nI think that it is telling that we are the last free-world, western, civilized nation to NOT be insuring ALL its citizens.  In America, we believe that citizens have a birth right to some things - like education and social security.  I believe we need to start believing as a nation that everyone has a right to be treated when they are ill without it bankrupting them.  It's really a right to LIVE.  It seems elementary that we would want to keep all our citizens healthy, not just the wealthy and lucky.  Something is going to have to give, and soon. \n\nMac at ASKEW\nhttp://askew.blogharbor.com