5 ms·

In Canada (at least in my experience) it's the opposite. Vet clinics look a lot like US medical centres, including the state-of-the-art equipment and correspond

by skeeter2020 6y ago

In Canada (at least in my experience) it's the opposite. Vet clinics look a lot like US medical centres, including the state-of-the-art equipment and corresponding prices. Meanwhile the limited for-profit medical services are (mostly) affordable because they do general procedures with relatively low barriers for competitors. Generic drugs are dirt cheap when available; non-generics cost as much as the US. Dental care is all over the map from very affordable to ridiculously overpriced.

adventured 6y ago
Vets vary widely in the US. Vet clinics are wildly expensive in many locations here, with veterinarians earning well-paid doctor wages and using modern vet equipment.
- alisonkisk 6y ago
  Doctor wages and modern equipment are a small portion of human care, though.
mikepurvis 6y ago
Another Canadian here with a similar experience— friends with dogs even pay for insurance because of the potential for frightfully expensive private surgeries down the road. Though I do wonder if there's a psychological thing there where dogs form stronger bonds and so people go to greater lengths for them, whereas other animals are easier to let go of if circumstances indicate that the time has come. And yes, dental care is all over the map— it feels very much like what I imagine US healthcare to be, with co-pays and mystery charges and having to log into my insurance company's online portal to do stuff. The NDP made a bunch of noise in the last election about a national dental plan, though even that effort would only have covered family incomes up to CAD$90k [1], so it wasn't anything like the universal no-questions coverage we have for core healthcare. 1: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ndp-dental-plan-fact-check-1.5289005 https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ndp-dental-plan-fact-check-...
- perardi 6y ago
  Immigrant to Canada, from the US, here. Do people in the States not pay for pet insurance? We sure did go for it in Toronto. Vets seem to charge by the pound (wait, sorry, kilogram, immigrant…). Large dogs seem to come with large medical bills, and we were strongly advised by friends and family to go for pet insurance. Now, I am not actually sure that pet insurance, versus setting up a dedicated savings account that we sock money into, was the best idea. If anything, we went for it because I am from the States, and I assume any non-trivial medical issue will be cripplingly expensive.
  - throwawayboise 6y ago
    It's available, and some people pay for it. I would be very careful to read all the fine print though. For me, the cost of routine care, spay/neuter, and a certain amount of unforseen expenses should be part of what you plan for when you get a pet. Beyond that, it's a judgment call as to whether the cost of some treatment is worth it. I know people who have spent thousands of dollars treating cancer in an old dog, and others who have euthanized younger pets who developed expensive but in theory treatable health problems. I don't think either approach is wrong, it's up to the owner.
  - frongpik 6y ago
    I don't. Part of the reason is I'm ok with a small chance of a few thousands dollars bill, but a bigger reason is I don't trust insurers: their standard contract would first explain how I have no rights and then add that if I have a problem with that, I can go to their pocket court (arbitration) to learn that I really have no rights.
  - briffle 6y ago
    My dog just had major knee surgery (TPLO). Its cost will be total of about $5k when we have some x-rays in a few weeks. I don't have pet insurance, however, most companies don't cover it. There are tons of loopholes, like human insurance.
- com2kid 6y ago
  > And yes, dental care is all over the map— it feels very much like what I imagine US healthcare to be, Funny enough, dental insurance in the US is very straight forward. I have always gotten quotes up front with very clearly explained charges. The way it has worked is dentist talks over with me what they want done, billing person runs the numbers and gives me paper with estimates, and if I agree I pay whatever balance I owe on the way out. Amazingly straight forward, kind of like how everything else should work... FWIW Eye doctors and insurance on glasses works just as well.
bonestamp2 6y ago
> non-generics cost as much as the US They can, but they vary. I'm a citizen of both countries and there's one allergy medicine I take where the generic price in the US is the same as the name brand price in Canada. The name brand in the US is 7x higher than the name brand in Canada.

adventured 6y ago

Vets vary widely in the US. Vet clinics are wildly expensive in many locations here, with veterinarians earning well-paid doctor wages and using modern vet equipment.

alisonkisk 6y ago
Doctor wages and modern equipment are a small portion of human care, though.

mikepurvis 6y ago

Another Canadian here with a similar experience— friends with dogs even pay for insurance because of the potential for frightfully expensive private surgeries down the road. Though I do wonder if there's a psychological thing there where dogs form stronger bonds and so people go to greater lengths for them, whereas other animals are easier to let go of if circumstances indicate that the time has come. And yes, dental care is all over the map— it feels very much like what I imagine US healthcare to be, with co-pays and mystery charges and having to log into my insurance company's online portal to do stuff. The NDP made a bunch of noise in the last election about a national dental plan, though even that effort would only have covered family incomes up to CAD$90k [1], so it wasn't anything like the universal no-questions coverage we have for core healthcare. 1: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ndp-dental-plan-fact-check-1.5289005 https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ndp-dental-plan-fact-check-...

perardi 6y ago
Immigrant to Canada, from the US, here. Do people in the States not pay for pet insurance? We sure did go for it in Toronto. Vets seem to charge by the pound (wait, sorry, kilogram, immigrant…). Large dogs seem to come with large medical bills, and we were strongly advised by friends and family to go for pet insurance. Now, I am not actually sure that pet insurance, versus setting up a dedicated savings account that we sock money into, was the best idea. If anything, we went for it because I am from the States, and I assume any non-trivial medical issue will be cripplingly expensive.
- throwawayboise 6y ago
  It's available, and some people pay for it. I would be very careful to read all the fine print though. For me, the cost of routine care, spay/neuter, and a certain amount of unforseen expenses should be part of what you plan for when you get a pet. Beyond that, it's a judgment call as to whether the cost of some treatment is worth it. I know people who have spent thousands of dollars treating cancer in an old dog, and others who have euthanized younger pets who developed expensive but in theory treatable health problems. I don't think either approach is wrong, it's up to the owner.
- frongpik 6y ago
  I don't. Part of the reason is I'm ok with a small chance of a few thousands dollars bill, but a bigger reason is I don't trust insurers: their standard contract would first explain how I have no rights and then add that if I have a problem with that, I can go to their pocket court (arbitration) to learn that I really have no rights.
- briffle 6y ago
  My dog just had major knee surgery (TPLO). Its cost will be total of about $5k when we have some x-rays in a few weeks. I don't have pet insurance, however, most companies don't cover it. There are tons of loopholes, like human insurance.
com2kid 6y ago
> And yes, dental care is all over the map— it feels very much like what I imagine US healthcare to be, Funny enough, dental insurance in the US is very straight forward. I have always gotten quotes up front with very clearly explained charges. The way it has worked is dentist talks over with me what they want done, billing person runs the numbers and gives me paper with estimates, and if I agree I pay whatever balance I owe on the way out. Amazingly straight forward, kind of like how everything else should work... FWIW Eye doctors and insurance on glasses works just as well.

bonestamp2 6y ago

> non-generics cost as much as the US They can, but they vary. I'm a citizen of both countries and there's one allergy medicine I take where the generic price in the US is the same as the name brand price in Canada. The name brand in the US is 7x higher than the name brand in Canada.