Hello, Canadians of Lemmy! Down in the USA there is a lot of conflicting information regarding the efficacy of y’alls healthcare systems. Without revealing my personal bias, I was hoping for some anecdotes or summaries from those whom actually live there.

  • SeaJ@lemm.ee
    1·
    1 year ago

    I mean the total cost. Yes you do not pay at the time of service but you still pay for it in the form of taxes. Canada spends about 12% of its GDP on healthcare. The US spends about 19%.

    • MajorHavoc@lemmy.world
      2·
      1 year ago

      I don’t particularly pay for it in taxes.

      I personally, make substantially less than our highest tax bracket of $578.126.00 per year, and I make plenty.

      https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/taxes/federal-income-tax-brackets

      I’m not personally worried about the taxes I’m paying for healthcare.

      I’m worried about being financially ruined (myself and my children) by a health event.

      1 in 4 of U.S. adults carries medical debt. One in four. Those are lousy roulette odds with a loaded barrel to the head. It makes some of us think harder about doing risky activities like driving a car to work. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/04/who-had-medical-debt-in-united-states.html

      Personally, I have no sympathy for those making over $578.126.00 per year. Let them pay a lot more, if that’s really necessary (it’s not, but if it is, let them). Hell, I’ll gladly pay more to eliminate the risk of being ruined, if it’s really necessary (it’s not).

      And no, as a relatively well off knowledge worker my private insurance does not eliminate the risks. One head injury could:

      • give me permanent ongoing medical expenses
      • take away both my ability to work (where I get my health insurance that pays my medical expenses
      • drastically lower my chances of winning a lawsuit (or even choosing the right representation) against a ln insurance company that doesn’t feel my health merits their expense column.

      This isn’t a terrible system for rich people with steady jobs. But none of us are rich people with steady jobs 100% of the time.

      • Chobbes@lemmy.world
        2·
        1 year ago

        This is a huge difference. Plus, even if you do end up paying a similar amount in Canada because you’re very well off (boo-hoo), you also don’t have to deal with the US insurance companies that cannot even accurately tell you which facilities are in network or whatever. It’s just so much simpler and the mental burden of dealing with health care is much less in Canada. You don’t have to worry about massive surprise bills or insurance not covering treatment you receive… It’s just not an issue.

      • SeaJ@lemm.ee
        2·
        1 year ago

        Preaching to the choir, my friend. I think anyone who prefers the American system is either fucking nuts or they are profiting off of it. The US pays 50% more overall to come out worse in most metrics. And you are correct that the additional costs fall on the working class. My healthcare costs were about 19% of my income when my wife and I were in the top 10% of households incomes. Lower income households spend more than that 19% here in the US. The ones in the top 5% he up spend only a small percentage of their incomes on healthcare costs. That is extremely fucked.

      • teawrecks@sopuli.xyz
        2·
        1 year ago

        Their point was addressing the “$0.00” you quoted. If you’re in Canada, and you pay taxes, some of your taxes go toward the healthcare that everyone benefits from, even if you didn’t have to pay anything out of pocket when receiving services. So even if you indirectly pay $0.01 in healthcare taxes, then it would not come out to “infinity percent more”.