caretaker

A lot of people who wouldn't buy a car or a computer or book a holiday or hotel without reading extensive product reviews will just go to any doctor that will take them. Take a few minutes to look up your doctor on ratemds.com and see what the other patients think of him.

plasticcanuck

I can't figure out whether I'm extremely lucky or have a well managed GP's office. If I call in the morning for an appointment I will be given one for the next day and sometimes for the afternoon of the call. As far as specialists are concerned the longest I've had to wait for a consultation has been one month, same for UltraSounds and MRIs.

Pulaski

And to think that the Canadian model of health care (government run, single payer, no private insurance allowed) is one that some agitators want in the US!

Alan2005

I still use my GP from when I lived in Vancouver. None of the ones here are taking patients and the walk-ins mean waiting longer than the time it takes for me to drive. I've never had a problem getting an appointment within a day or two.

Specialists on the other hand. The wait times are unbelievable. A lot worse than in the UK.

Alan2005

It's better than the US model is currently because it does, at least, cover everyone.

When it comes to the private sector here, it can't provide treatment, but it is legal to do diagnostics. If you need an MRI you can go and pay for that if you don't want to wait I believe.

Pulaski

I guess that depends on your perspective because if I have a "condition", I can make an appointment to see my GP as quickly as same-day, and easily within 3 days, and see a specialist within a couple of weeks. Our insurance premium tototals $160/mth for my wife, my daughter, and myself.

A system that potentially leaves me, and the 80% of Americans who have health insurance, having to wait for months for an initial consultation with a specialist, is totally unacceptable! Therefore I suspect that a large majority of Americans would disagree with you, and those that don't are labouring under the misunderstanding that government-provided healthcare is somehow "free".

R I C H

Yep, there's a private MRI clinic here in Kamloops. $1,000 per scan, then another 5 week wait to see my GP for him to recommend orthopaedic specialist treatment that's not available for close to 2 years. What's the point in an expensive quick diagnosis without access to treatment?

scrubbedexpat133

So you dont pay tax in the US?

The reality is that the yanks would rather spend billions lining the pockets of the wealthy few in the higher echelons of the health system their rather than front line services. Per capita they spend the most per head in the world and yet have lower out comes than the rest of the developed world.

The problem allowing private sector delivery of health care is that it will always favour those with the ability to pay the most. This is a sick notion indeed.

Alan2005

It would be better if private was allowed like in the UK. But the US spends twice as much per capita on health care as other western countries and it doesn't even cover everyone. It's also not good for those with long term conditions that need expensive treatment and they end up having to fight the insurance companies for the best treatment. When compared to health models in the EU it's very shitty.



Oh I agree. But when you finally get to see a specialist who then says you need an MRI it's something to consider given the wait times for those here.

Shard

This.

Oink

If you have a good enough job that will provide decent health insurance plus add some additional insurance to pay for deductibles and extended care etc it’s the best system in the world. Admittedly it sucks for poorer people but it’s a merit-based competitive socio-economic system, so health care is just another variable to incentivize education and hard work.

Pulaski

Yes, plenty thanks, but as the US healthcare system is substantially privately funded I don't see the relevance to this thread.
I can't control the per capita cost, but I can control what comes out of my pocket, and that is less than $3,000 per annum for my family, $3,000 in total - insurance, copays & deductibles, plus prescriptions. We also benefit from significantly lower taxes than I paid in the UK (total taxes, that is - income, property, and sales/VAT, and including health care costs as a de facto tax). Apparently many people are not very good at managing their relationship with the healthcare system in the US.

BristolUK

Looks like I'm one of the lucky ones, once successfully registered of course.

My wife and kids waited a year after we moved before getting one. Walk-ins were fine until then. When I got PR I was added with no wait.

Not used walk-ins since. Doc's receptionist is wonderful. Once or twice I've asked for an appointment the same day and either got one or said to come on in about whatever time and doc would see us when he can.

Once the doc phoned a specialist and said if you go there straight away the other doc will see you.

I can't really speak for other wait times as I've no UK experience to compare. Newspaper reports say slower than elsewhere.

I love that I can walk to hospital for a blood test and be home again within 20 minutes.

One time my wife needed 'walk-in' blood test and x-ray and we were in the building for less than half an hour.

We have 'French' and 'English' Hospitals (separate Health Authorities too) although both are fully bilingual and I do wonder if there's a certain level of spare capacity in some regards as a result. And, no doubt, some unnecessary duplication as well.

Pulaski

I am mystified as to why healthcare gets placed on a pedestal, and is considered worthy of central organization and funding by "the government" (BTW "the government" has no money, they just take what they need from people ). By that argument, shouldn't food, clothing, and shelter also be provided, as a right, by "the government", ahead even of healthcare?

Oink

I can see the appeal. The best "system" (imo) would be a mixture of government supported services for poorer people and private services for those that can afford them. It's when the government restricts the delivery of private services that it starts to become oppressive.