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What is the impact on quality of outcomes, and on waiting times? Saving money is not necessary the #1 goal. I'm saying this as a Canadian that is seeing the dow
by version_five 5y ago
What is the impact on quality of outcomes, and on waiting times? Saving money is not necessary the #1 goal. I'm saying this as a Canadian that is seeing the downside of our socialized healthcare system. Like all government run things, everyone gets the same mediocre service. This may be cheaper, and may be better for some (although I understand the US already has Medicare and Medicaid which would be equivalent). Overall it's not clear to me that quality of life overall is better under Medicare for all. But I have not lived it the other way so I don't know- I'm mainly reacting to cost savings being what's touted, rather than better overall outcomes.
- WalterGR 5y agoIn Canada, can you pay out-of-pocket and go outside the government-run system?
- version_five 5y agoThere may be some exceptions I don't know about, but generally no. For example, I went to a walk in clinic a few years ago and there was a problem with my health card. I was in a hurry and it was something that would have been only a few hundred dollars, and I asked if I could just pay for it and was told they cannot take money from anyone covered (whatever that means) from our provincial healthcare plan. So I had to leave and go to the provincial authority to renew my card before a doctor could see me. A second example, a friend of mine needed an MRI and went to the US (we were near a border at the time) to get it done immediately there. It would have been 6 months or something here. It's not all bad, I have had diagnostics and procedures done very quickly at times, but you have no control over it - who does it, how long you wait, etc. That's what I think may lead to worse outcomes overall.