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Canada also has free healthcare. There are an infinite number of cultural differences that could affect the mental health rates in EU/CA more positively than in

Canada also has free healthcare. There are an infinite number of cultural differences that could affect the mental health rates in EU/CA more positively than in the US.

glonq 3y ago
"free", but you often get what you pay for. source: am canadian.
- groby_b 3y ago
  As opposed to overpaying for things that aren't actually helping you, but sure make the insurance company happy? Source: Am USian. (Also worth noting that you can add private health care to your menu. If you balk at the cost, welcome to the US model)
- grumple 3y ago
  In the US, you'll empty your bank account and still get terrible service - you've spent money but received terrible care. Maybe things change if you can afford your own full-time doctor for 500k / year. Canada ranks above the US in every healthcare measure.
  - glonq 3y ago
    Well thankfully in my case, cancer treatment in Canada has been both free and quite competent. But for lesser things, you might linger for an intolerable amount of time waiting for care. I recall getting good, quick care when I worked in the US and had a good HMO.
  - korse 3y ago
    How/where? Is this actually a 'solid insurance is hard to get problem'? Neither myself or family (extended included) have experienced problems and we certainly don't have private doctors. The whole 'american healthcare bad/unaffordable' argument is something that I hear quite a bit on the internet, but pretty much never do in real life.
    - grumple 3y ago
      > The whole 'american healthcare bad/unaffordable' argument is something that I hear quite a bit on the internet, but pretty much never do in real life. What bubble are you in? For some of us, we make enough money that paying 400/month for insurance while our employer does the same isn't a big deal. For us software engineers, it's no big deal. For the 50% of people making under 60k a year, that's a large chunk of their income. I hear it constantly from friends nationwide (I have a very large extended circle for a few reasons), media, and my wife, who is a healthcare worker and deals with insurance constantly (as does anyone in healthcare in the US) or my mother (also in healthcare). And of course, we have lots of friends who are in healthcare. And I hear it from my parents, who, as aging people, have more healthcare needs. Your insurance company gets to delay or prevent access to prescriptions, surgeries, or physical therapy as long as they desire. I'm in Philadelphia, which is one of the biggest cities in the US and where healthcare makes up a much larger than usual portion of our local economy [0]. You can find numerous other sources to support this, Philly is a huge biomedical / healthcare hub. It's almost like being in LA for film or SF for tech. Where insurance really starts to suck is if you and your healthcare providers think you need care, but the insurance company says no. My wife experiences rejections from her patient's insurance companies daily. Happens with Medicare too. 0. https://www.besthealthdegrees.com/careers/the-top-10-cities-with-the-most-health-care-jobs/ https://www.besthealthdegrees.com/careers/the-top-10-cities-...
    - glonq 3y ago
      I've lived & worked in both countries. Like in many other things, the US is a country of extremes. At its best, the US health system is better than Canada's. At its worst, it's worse. So it's pretty much down to whether you are a have or a have-not.
    - throw0101c 3y ago
      > How/where? Is this actually a 'solid insurance is hard to get problem'? Insurance can be contingent on different things: > Where can I receive care? > If a provider is not in a plan’s network, the insurance company may not pay for the service(s) provided or may pay a smaller portion than it would for in-network care. This means the enrollee who goes outside of the network for care may be required to pay a much higher share of the cost. This is an important concept to understand, especially if you are not originally from the local Stanford area. * https://vaden.stanford.edu/insurance-referral-office/health-insurance-overview/how-us-health-insurance-works https://vaden.stanford.edu/insurance-referral-office/health-... If you happen to be in a car crash, make sure your ambulance drive takes you to an in-network hospital.
- throw0101c 3y ago
  > "free", but you often get what you pay for. You pay your taxes and you gets your health care. As opposed to the US where even if you pay your premiums you may not get coverage if you go to the "wrong" (out of network) hospital, or the "wrong" (OON) doctor even if in the right hospital. Be sure to inform your ambulance driver of your in-network hospitals so you get taken to the "correct" hospital after a car crash. When my father had to get new heart valves the most that had to be paid was hospital parking. source: am canadian.
  - glonq 3y ago
    [flagged]
tptacek 3y ago
Right, this is my point. I don't think mental health is as traceable to city planning as this thread hopes.

Canada also has free healthcare. There are an infinite number of cultural differences that could affect the mental health rates in EU/CA more positively than in the US.

glonq 3y ago

"free", but you often get what you pay for. source: am canadian.

groby_b 3y ago
As opposed to overpaying for things that aren't actually helping you, but sure make the insurance company happy? Source: Am USian. (Also worth noting that you can add private health care to your menu. If you balk at the cost, welcome to the US model)
grumple 3y ago
In the US, you'll empty your bank account and still get terrible service - you've spent money but received terrible care. Maybe things change if you can afford your own full-time doctor for 500k / year. Canada ranks above the US in every healthcare measure.
- glonq 3y ago
  Well thankfully in my case, cancer treatment in Canada has been both free and quite competent. But for lesser things, you might linger for an intolerable amount of time waiting for care. I recall getting good, quick care when I worked in the US and had a good HMO.
- korse 3y ago
  How/where? Is this actually a 'solid insurance is hard to get problem'? Neither myself or family (extended included) have experienced problems and we certainly don't have private doctors. The whole 'american healthcare bad/unaffordable' argument is something that I hear quite a bit on the internet, but pretty much never do in real life.
  - grumple 3y ago
    > The whole 'american healthcare bad/unaffordable' argument is something that I hear quite a bit on the internet, but pretty much never do in real life. What bubble are you in? For some of us, we make enough money that paying 400/month for insurance while our employer does the same isn't a big deal. For us software engineers, it's no big deal. For the 50% of people making under 60k a year, that's a large chunk of their income. I hear it constantly from friends nationwide (I have a very large extended circle for a few reasons), media, and my wife, who is a healthcare worker and deals with insurance constantly (as does anyone in healthcare in the US) or my mother (also in healthcare). And of course, we have lots of friends who are in healthcare. And I hear it from my parents, who, as aging people, have more healthcare needs. Your insurance company gets to delay or prevent access to prescriptions, surgeries, or physical therapy as long as they desire. I'm in Philadelphia, which is one of the biggest cities in the US and where healthcare makes up a much larger than usual portion of our local economy [0]. You can find numerous other sources to support this, Philly is a huge biomedical / healthcare hub. It's almost like being in LA for film or SF for tech. Where insurance really starts to suck is if you and your healthcare providers think you need care, but the insurance company says no. My wife experiences rejections from her patient's insurance companies daily. Happens with Medicare too. 0. https://www.besthealthdegrees.com/careers/the-top-10-cities-with-the-most-health-care-jobs/ https://www.besthealthdegrees.com/careers/the-top-10-cities-...
  - glonq 3y ago
    I've lived & worked in both countries. Like in many other things, the US is a country of extremes. At its best, the US health system is better than Canada's. At its worst, it's worse. So it's pretty much down to whether you are a have or a have-not.
  - throw0101c 3y ago
    > How/where? Is this actually a 'solid insurance is hard to get problem'? Insurance can be contingent on different things: > Where can I receive care? > If a provider is not in a plan’s network, the insurance company may not pay for the service(s) provided or may pay a smaller portion than it would for in-network care. This means the enrollee who goes outside of the network for care may be required to pay a much higher share of the cost. This is an important concept to understand, especially if you are not originally from the local Stanford area. * https://vaden.stanford.edu/insurance-referral-office/health-insurance-overview/how-us-health-insurance-works https://vaden.stanford.edu/insurance-referral-office/health-... If you happen to be in a car crash, make sure your ambulance drive takes you to an in-network hospital.
throw0101c 3y ago
> "free", but you often get what you pay for. You pay your taxes and you gets your health care. As opposed to the US where even if you pay your premiums you may not get coverage if you go to the "wrong" (out of network) hospital, or the "wrong" (OON) doctor even if in the right hospital. Be sure to inform your ambulance driver of your in-network hospitals so you get taken to the "correct" hospital after a car crash. When my father had to get new heart valves the most that had to be paid was hospital parking. source: am canadian.
- glonq 3y ago
  [flagged]

tptacek 3y ago

Right, this is my point. I don't think mental health is as traceable to city planning as this thread hopes.