Health care
Health care: a short, sweet feature for my local paper about a thousand-page House bill that nobody really understands, but everyone has something to argue say about…
Health care reform is the story this August. Energetic town hall meetings, the debate over a public option and “pulling the plug on grandma” are all over the air waves. Often we compare our system to others in the world.
My friend has been living in Canada for a total of nine months and she kindly agreed to discuss her own experiences with the medical system and the Canadian public opinion about health care. For reasons regarding her work, she requested I do not publish her real name:
Amanda: So you’re back in the United States now for two weeks. What’s it like to return in the midst of this huge health care debate?
Julie: It’s definitely a strange adjustment because, while it’s being covered in Canada, I was surprised to see to what extent it’s been debated and covered in the U.S. And, a lot of the coverage in Canada is government officials there defending what’s being said about their own health care system.
A: Like long lines and inadequate medical practices?
J: Exactly. There’s a lot of talk about how Canadians don’t get to see doctors in a timely manner. But I think that, no matter which country you look at, there are going to be some examples of where things went wrong. Overall the Canadians I know are really happy with their system. The times that I’ve had to see a doctor in Canada, I have been more than happy with my experiences
A: Can you tell me a bit more about these experiences?
J: I’ve been to see a doctor three times - all for basic things, a cold, to get a new prescription, etc. Using their walk-in clinics I’ve never had to wait more than 15 minutes. While all those visits cost me money as a non-Canadian, they would have been free if I had citizenship.
A: What about prescriptions?
J: The prescription that I needed filled usually costs me $40/month on my insurance in the U.S., but was $5 for 3 months in Canada.*
A: So what do Canadians think about their system?
J: I’ve really never heard any serious complaints. Especially when comparing themselves to the U.S., Canadians seem really thankful for their health care system. I live in a really rural area, so there are some services that people have to travel to get in other hospitals. So, there are a few complaints about that, but I’d assume that there would be similar situations in rural parts of the U.S.
A: Have any of your Canadian friends said anything about our health care?
J: Generally they’re shocked by the costs - hospital bills look so different between the U.S. and Canada and it’s shocking to Canadians that you have to pay a co-pay to see a doctor
A: Do they generally approve of Obama’s health care plan?
J: From what I’ve heard, they think it’s definitely a step in the right direction, but they don’t think it’s going far enough towards lowering costs for everyone. They definitely admire health care pioneers though. In 2004 they voted Tommy Douglas, who is credited with starting their public health care system, as the greatest Canadian in history on CBC. [Canadian news source]
A: I wonder if any of our town hall meetings have been broadcasted in Canada.
J: I know a few of them have, a friend messaged me recently that he’d seen clips of the Specter town-hall meeting
A: Oh no…
J: Yeah, and I’ve gotten a lot of questions from my Canadian friends about “what Americans really think of them and their health care” - which is a really tough question to try and answer!
A: I don’t think I could answer that either
*A report on Vermont Public Radio says prescription drug costs in Canada have been rising the past few years. The Fraser Institute reports it takes an average of 453 days to approve drugs for public consumption, and sometimes an extra year for Canadians to find out if their drug will be covered.
Heading out to cover a school board meeting for the local paper. Girl gets to sit at the press table!
