I haven't done enough research myself to know really. But I will give you the opinion of my friend who is from Cananda, but married someone over here, and now lives here. She hates our system. She loves Canandas system. She could go to whatever doctor she wanted. If you need the best care, you get it. She was appalled to find out what happens to people when they get old over here. She said in Cananda, everything her grandmother worked for she got to keep. She didn't have to have all her savings ate up, and sell her house to pay for good care. Over here, someone she knew only got good care until it used all her savings, and then it was off to a government run nursing home. She said eldery people should be put up on a pedestal, and honored, and she doesn't see that over here. She chose to have her first child in Cananda, and she is pregant again and having this child over here. Her husband has insurance, but they still have to pay a lot of money for the copays, and the actuall birth will be pretty expensive.

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I have nothing to declare except my genius."
- Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) upon arriving at U.S. customs 1882

I should add, that from what my friend tells me. If it actaully ended up working like she explains it is in Canada, I would be willing to pay higher taxes so everyone could get the same care.

__________________
I have nothing to declare except my genius."
- Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) upon arriving at U.S. customs 1882

Being as I used to live in Canada (born and raised) I miss my Ontario Health Care. Universal Health Care would be GREAT! I've seen both sides of it now, and I can whole heartedly say that I'd take Unversial health care over anything now. It's not as bad as people think, things here (at least IMO) are just the same as they were back home, except now, I have to pay out of my pocket for things. Right now I don't even have health insurance cause we just can't afford it.
We're looking into moving BACK to Canada within the next few years, (I'm the only Canadian, my kids just have to apply for their citizenship card but hubby has to immigrate) and health care is one of the MAIN resons why we want to move, that and there's better job prospects for hubby up there.

One thing I think people need to keep in mind is that a Universal Healthcare system in the US would probably not mimic Europe's or Canada's.

For the Canadians I have a question. Does your healthcare depend on what province you live in? I have a friend in Ontario and she loves her healthcare but my friend in Winnipeg hates hers (lots of issues with her pregnancies, her experience in the hospital and different dr.'s). I'm wondering if it has to do with the difference in the size of the city and population in the Province.

All the provinces have different 'rules' or whatever you'd call it, for their Healthcare, I don't know much about other provinces, I think Ontario has the best one, I know I have friends who live in other provinces who have to pay for a lot more than those in Ontario do.

My opinion is that nothing that the government controls runs right. The public school system, the welfare system, social security,foster care, etc.

Universal healthcare will offer alot of promises, but its kinda like when you see a comercial on tv for a burger, it looks perfect. Makes your mouth water, but the burger you get never looks like the one on tv. So will a government run system be. I dont like having choices taken away from me, and it scares me that Hillary has been pushing this idea since Bill was in office.
The more that government tries to "take care" of us the more control they have. Once we get Universal healthcare can we go back to the old ways if we dont like it? I dont think so......

Yes, each province is different. We lived in BC for a while where you have to pay depending on your income (and not much) but we were students and lower income so we never had to pay.

OHIP (Ontario Health Care) rocks. I even had my baby overseas and sent them the bill and they paid for the whole thing .. top of the line hospital, epidural, private room and all! I can see whatever doctor I like, go to whatever hospital I like. The only thing that sinks us occasionally is the high cost of prescriptions. Our Dr. is a family friend though and often gives us free samples. Eye check ups use to be free but now you pay if you are between 18-65.

I haven't lived in other provinces (other than these two) so I'd be curious to hear from others.

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No, thank you. The thought of everyone being covered gives us a nice, warm fuzzy feeling, but universal health care is not free. Someone has to pay for it. Based on the handy dandy little calculator over at the Frasier Institute if I lived in BC and made 60,000 a year my taxes (I am assuming for everything not just federal) would be 27,000 bucks. That sounds like an awful lot to me. Someone can correct me if I am wrong. I am just going by this website.

Now, my husband is in the military so I am not sure what people pay for health care, but government run health care isn't always a basket of roses. One example. If you need a medication, the doctor is only going to prescribe you what they carry in the military hospital. If it doesn't work for you then you get to appeal and file paperwork and wait for approval. They don't want to work for you.

I am not sure what the answer is. It does need to be fixed, but how it is to be done I don't know.

We (in the US) have been BRAINWASHED to think Universal Healthcare is bad. The US system is bad right now - a large portion of us do not have health insurance or could lose it at anytime.

This is what happens in America:

1. Lose your job and have NO healthcare or outrageously expensive healthcare due to pre-exisiting conditions. One serious family illness and you could lose all you've worked for. Do you want to have to choose between your house & 401k and your child's life?

2. Work for 45 years and retire early due to health (like my inlaws) and pay $1600/month for insurance that doesn't cover anything and then have to choose between food and heat.

3. Work and pay taxes for years, and then lose your health insurance while welfare moms and people in prison get free healthcare.

4. Contemplate committing a crime so you can go to jail to get free healthcare.

5. Don't get married: Have your children out of wedlock so they will get free healthcare.

I have excellent, cheap employer insurance right now, but I'd gladly pay extra taxes to ensure that my family would get the healthcare they need now and in the future. I want universal healthcare like Canada, Britain, etc. But I think there should be a copay for office and e-room visits so people don't abuse the system.

Watch Michael Moore's movie "Sicko" to see what it's really like for the rest of us and why we don't have universal healthcare.

I believe it's a bad idea. I know it sounds great, everyone gets cared for. But I know many people in countries with universal care. They are NOT happy. They don't get to choose their drs. They get poor care. They wait for MONTHS to be seen. If you want a second opinion... no way! And the drs don't seem as up on the latest info. I would take our system any day over what they go through in other countries.

That being said. I have health care. Most likely people without it would feel differently. At least I assume they would.

Is rotten health care better than none? Perhaps.

Melissa R