HMOs vs. Medicare

[Drea]

Where, if not from taxes, would funding for our health insurance come from?

Personally, I see some value in universiality, so I do think taxes are reasonable to cover those that are actually disadvantaged, say below $24,000 in household income.

Other than that, it should be somewhat premium based, so we all pitch $100 a month or what not. (Remember our tax bills would be reduced about 1/3 by that move so you'd have alot more money each month)

We do pay monthly premiums. I paid $93 per month for my son and I before I got coverage through my employer.

We also could generate a small amount of revenue through small user fees... say $20 a visit to the doc and $40 to the emergency room. Like I said before, a large part of the problem with our health care system is people making ridiculous trips to the ER for colds, or going to their doctor to have hangnails removed. Small user fees would end that without denying anyone care.

I agree completely. Nothing is worse than the people who have to see a doctor once a week for the sniffles! Perhaps user fees would eliminate these unnecessary visits and lower the overall cost of healthcare.

You and I are paying for it Drea, one way or another. It doesn't change if we pay it off our paycheque or pay it off our paycheque in taxes.

It's insurance, just like any other insurance. I've insured my vehicle for the past 25 years and have only used it once. I'm sure I've paid out way more than I've used.

I go to the doctor once a year but pay premiums and taxes the same as the person who goes once a week. I'm not disturbed by this. Why? Because if I get cancer or some other disease, I am covered because I've paid into my insurance.

No one is against having insurance. The question is why can't we have the insurance system set up differently. Some people think you should buy your health insurance like your car insurance. The American way for example (though lots of countries use this system). The problem with this, is that if you have enough accidents, you can't really get car insurance anymore, you'd be denied or it would cost incrediable amounts to insure. We can't have our sick people denied insurance coverage and left to die.

I agree, we cannot have our sick people denied coverage. And I also believe that we can't treat health insurance the same as car insurance. I had an accident last year and now my car insurance premiums are going up by $400 per year. One accident in 25 years of driving.

IMO it would be very difficult to "monitor" risk factors -- "did you eat trans fat?" "do you eat your 5-10 servings of veggies today?", "did you do your workout last week?"

Personally, I don't think we need to change the insurance system (besides premiums and user-fees) in Canada, we need to change delivery. Private competition in the health care sector, as firms battle for our services through top notch service, is what we need. All paid for by a single payer system.

Of course those like margrace will come out saying I want to dismantle Canada or something by saying that. But lets be realistic, our system doesn't work now, people have to wait. Why not try another approach, another approach where no one is left behind either, no one is jumping ques.

How about private clinics paid for by public insurance?

[geoffrey]

We do pay monthly premiums. I paid $93 per month for my son and I before I got coverage through my employer.

In supplementary insurance right? Like prescriptions and things like that? I was pretty sure Alberta was the only province with health premiums, but I may be mistaken.

We also could generate a small amount of revenue through small user fees... say $20 a visit to the doc and $40 to the emergency room. Like I said before, a large part of the problem with our health care system is people making ridiculous trips to the ER for colds, or going to their doctor to have hangnails removed. Small user fees would end that without denying anyone care.

I agree completely. Nothing is worse than the people who have to see a doctor once a week for the sniffles! Perhaps user fees would eliminate these unnecessary visits and lower the overall cost of healthcare.

Absolutely. This tactic has been highly successful in reducing health care costs in Europe.

How about private clinics paid for by public insurance?

That's what I advocate myself. I think that once most people in Canada see the value in having private delivery of services, with everyone still equally covered, we'll begin to move in that direction. Harper said outright in the campaign that if we need private clinics paid for by public insurance, we'll do it. And he won the election. So maybe Canadians are starting to change their dogmatic views on health care, and we'll all be better off for it.

[Drea]

We do pay monthly premiums. I paid $93 per month for my son and I before I got coverage through my employer.

In supplementary insurance right? Like prescriptions and things like that? I was pretty sure Alberta was the only province with health premiums, but I may be mistaken.

No, not for extras. I paid the $93 a month to the BC Govt as a premuim for my regular health insurance. Even when I was making next to nothing (minimum wage) I paid $65 per month for the two of us.

How much does the minimum wage earner pay in Alberta?

How much if you aren't low income and don't have coverage through an employer?

[geoffrey]

No, not for extras. I paid the $93 a month to the BC Govt as a premuim for my regular health insurance. Even when I was making next to nothing (minimum wage) I paid $65 per month for the two of us.

How much does the minimum wage earner pay in Alberta?

How much if you aren't low income and don't have coverage through an employer?

I don't think minimum wage earners pay premiums in Alberta, there is a structure for non-payment for 6 months (can be renewed) as follows:

Single - $1430/month in income

Family (no kids) - $2270/month

Family (w/ kids) - $2670/month

Source: http://www.health.gov.ab.ca/ahcip/forms/656.pdf

--

You don't pay full premiums until the following income levels:

Single - $20,970

Family (no kids) - $33,240

Family (w/ kids) - $39,250

Source: http://www.health.gov.ab.ca/ahcip/forms/208G.pdf

--

There are two regular premium rates:

$44 per month for single coverage

$88 per month for family coverage (two or more persons)

Source: http://www.health.gov.ab.ca/ahcip/faq/premiums.html

So it's cheaper in Alberta I guess. No one pays more than $88 a month for their whole family. Anyone with kids making less than $40k gets a discount lower than $88. Great system over here.

When looking at this, remember our minimum wage is lower, its $7 I think. Very few in Alberta are making that right now though, full-time at the Dairy Queen is now above $10/hr.

[ktk]

Please take the time to look at MedicareStories.com and register your sister's story if you like. I am trying to collect a number fo these stories to present to the current government and have the accountablity and success of the medicare system reviewed.

Thanks

Who is being denied diagnostic tests ? I feel the opposite is true - that I have been sent for needless tests in the past. What are the experiences of others here ?

My sister has yet to be diagnosed, even though she's had serious lung symptoms over the last two years. She was initially denied a physical lung exam (laparoscopy procedure), but due to consistant pressure by my family, the doctor ceded to the 'unnessesscary' procedure in anger. The results came back with some interesting evidence that has helped with the treatment of the symptoms, and lead towards a more complete understanding of a possible diagnosis. In the meantime, however, she has suffered greatly, and the hospitals refuse to deal with the problem and solve it.

We are fortunate enough to be able to afford US treatment, and we are exploring that option in the coming months, as two years of suffering for a teenager through high school days is unacceptable. My family is not for 'for-profit' healthcare, but we are left no other choice by our failed system in Canada.

If a diagnosis is quickly found by US doctors, the Canadian health care system should be responsible for the costs of the diagnosis and treatment, plus a reasonable amount of compensation for the suffering caused by their negligence.

However, we are unlikely to file any lawsuit, that's counter-productive. Further lobbying will be done though to push the Canadian government into single-payer, privately delivered services... were treatment levels have been proven to be greater with no change to the universiality of the system.

It just angers me that some Canadians can't afford US treatment, and instead, will suffer for the rest of their life, all for a failed political dogma.

[Biblio Bibuli]

Please take the time to look at MedicareStories.com and register your sister's story if you like. I am trying to collect a number fo these stories to present to the current government and have the accountablity and success of the medicare system eviewed.Thanks

HERE'S A GOOD ONE:

http://www.mapleleafweb.com/forums/index.p...449entry72449

He stopped posting here a few month back. Health reasons? Perhaps. But my BEST bet is that he ran afoul of T-bag. :angry:

[Biblio Bibuli]

Who is being denied diagnostic tests ? I feel the opposite is true - that I have been sent for needless tests in the past. What are the experiences of others here ?

Well, one time I had a chest X-ray done ... and two weeks later another doctor prescribed the same test for me. When I told him I had one done recently, he (basicaly) said that that was fine and that having another one wouldn't hurt me. (???)

I hope you DON'T get X-rayed daily, sir!