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As a Canadian who's had two immediate relatives undergo surgery to remove breast cancer, survive, and had paid nothing, while I pay a very reasonable $35/month

As a Canadian who's had two immediate relatives undergo surgery to remove breast cancer, survive, and had paid nothing, while I pay a very reasonable $35/month to be covered by this care AND the provincially run health insurance system reports a surplus, I must disagree.

rayiner 8y ago
The $35/month is meaningless, because the insurance premium doesn't cover the whole cost of care: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/average-canadian-family-paying-more-than-12k-to-fund-public-health-care-study-1.4034416 https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/average-canadian-family-paying.... > The average single adult makes $44,348 and pays $19,759 in taxes, with $4,640 going to health care insurance. That's about 45% tax for someone making an average salary. In Maryland, that tax would be under 25%. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that public healthcare isn't a good idea. (I think it is.) My point is that Canada didn't get public healthcare by declaring "we don't care about economics" (like OP). They figured out how to pay for it in realistic ways. That means they decided to tax the average guy on the street 45%. And cut taxes dramatically on corporations--to less than half the U.S. rate--in order to keep that dude employed and paying into the system: https://www.npr.org/2017/08/07/541797699/fact-check-does-the-u-s-have-the-highest-corporate-tax-rate-in-the-world https://www.npr.org/2017/08/07/541797699/fact-check-does-the... (Figure 2). Canada isn't fantasy Bernie Sanders world where we declare "screw economics," give everyone free healthcare, and raises taxes on rich people and corporations.
- ddingus 8y ago
  Actual, out of pocket, spends for care tend to make that tax number a lot less shiny.
- whytaka 8y ago
  The Fraser Institute that the article cites is a notoriously conservative leaning Thinktank. You can refer to this tax calculator for a more accurate estimate of a single persons tax obligations at $44,348. https://simpletax.ca/calculator https://simpletax.ca/calculator As you will see, it’s no where near the 45%.

rayiner 8y ago

The $35/month is meaningless, because the insurance premium doesn't cover the whole cost of care: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/average-canadian-family-paying-more-than-12k-to-fund-public-health-care-study-1.4034416 https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/average-canadian-family-paying.... > The average single adult makes $44,348 and pays $19,759 in taxes, with $4,640 going to health care insurance. That's about 45% tax for someone making an average salary. In Maryland, that tax would be under 25%. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that public healthcare isn't a good idea. (I think it is.) My point is that Canada didn't get public healthcare by declaring "we don't care about economics" (like OP). They figured out how to pay for it in realistic ways. That means they decided to tax the average guy on the street 45%. And cut taxes dramatically on corporations--to less than half the U.S. rate--in order to keep that dude employed and paying into the system: https://www.npr.org/2017/08/07/541797699/fact-check-does-the-u-s-have-the-highest-corporate-tax-rate-in-the-world https://www.npr.org/2017/08/07/541797699/fact-check-does-the... (Figure 2). Canada isn't fantasy Bernie Sanders world where we declare "screw economics," give everyone free healthcare, and raises taxes on rich people and corporations.

ddingus 8y ago
Actual, out of pocket, spends for care tend to make that tax number a lot less shiny.
whytaka 8y ago
The Fraser Institute that the article cites is a notoriously conservative leaning Thinktank. You can refer to this tax calculator for a more accurate estimate of a single persons tax obligations at $44,348. https://simpletax.ca/calculator https://simpletax.ca/calculator As you will see, it’s no where near the 45%.