ghost2006

Hi,

We are thinking of moving to the US. However, I have just recently discovered their insane health care system. I was offered a job and they told me how great their employee health cover was. I looked deeper into it and realised just how absolutely crap it is!

I currently pay $44 per month in Canada for family health cover including dental and vision. My current employer and the government cover the rest of the costs.

If we move to the US my employer will pay about 60% of my family health + dental insurance, which leaves an insane nearly $250 US per month that I must pay! And this cover is not even as good as the $44 CAD coverage we had in Canada! If my wife gets pregnant I have to pay a $500 admission fee for delivery and $15 each time for pre-natal care. This is completely insane!! How do they get away with this?

Bob

Able to get away with it because the people don't know there being screwed, or the one's that have good cover don't care enough to do anything about it.

And shouldn't complain, the jobs at least offering medical insurance at all...

Holiday time is also kack.

AdobePinon

No kidding. I certainly count myself lucky to be screwed in this way....

scrubbedexpat099

Sounds like everybody could save themselves money by cutting out the screwing.

elfman

Generally by accusing proponents of universal healthcare (or "socialized healthcare") of being dangerous communists.

Mrs Danvers

And by saying that people in Europe die on waiting lists for simple surgeries.

AmerLisa

Bob, I'm very sure they know they're getting screwed..... The people that usually have the really crap healthcare coverage are the ones that can least afford it and really are not in a position to do a lot about it.

snowbunny

Ahahahahah....

I pay $700 USD in premiums per month for myself and my immigrant Dutch husband. He does not yet have insurance through his employer. I am always out at a very minimum $200 per month in non-covered expenses and copays.

If I were to also insure my children I would pay $1000 per month or $300 extra; my ex-husband can insure them for *$60*. Benefits vary wildly and as you can see you are actually at the "good" end of the spectrum.

Which province do you live in? As you know things vary from province to province.

Dan725

To be honest with you, for a family plan $250 a month is pretty standard for some of the biggest companies with the best benefits here. It really isn't half bad, I wouldn't go complaining too loudly before you consider that many people who work for smaller companies or are self employed get screwed many times over this with far worse plans.

The fact that there is maternal cover at all is a big plus over what loads of companies offer.

I agree with you that the system is utterly bollocks, however, but it won't change for the better in our lifetimes. All the election winning advocates of tax cuts and the fraudulent medical billing industry and other middlemen reap what they sow.

nethead

My husbands company won't let us add our 3 month old twins to our insurance as we missed the cut off date in telling them, they have to wait until jan '07 until they are covered. I just got back from the docs where I took the babies for a well baby check and their first set of shots, we only had to pay the administrative fee for the shots as pinnacle provide cover for the uninsured on vaccinations. Even still it cost us $364 for both babies

Giantaxe

Not going to defend the insane US healthcare system, but the OP does need to take into account the amount of taxes paid in Canada to fund healthcare versus the amount in the US.

Manc

less than what it costs us to be in Iraq I guess.

gsnichol

Occasionally when I'm bitching about something that's up my nose (usually things discussed here; banks, standard of driving, shop assistants etc) one of my colleagues usually stops me with "what the hell do you have to complain about, you have socialised healthcare"...

I didn't realise quite how expensive the health insurance premiums are until I looked at what I pay versus the subsidy from the employer. I'm off now to count some lucky stars.

scrubbedexpat099

I know the US pays more per head on Medicare than UK does on NHS, my guess is that the cost to Canada per head is also less.

ghost2006

It doesn't matter that our health cover in the US would be good compared to many in the US. They are the most powerful and technologically advanced country in the world and yet have the worse health care system in the developed world.

Some of you suggest that it because other countries have higher taxes. This is not true for most middle income earners. Many other countries have higher tax credits for family, child care, etc.... In addition there are other incentives for families in other countires. And don't forget US medicare+social securty+ state income taxes. The lower US taxes really only make a big difference when you are earning over the medium salaries.

People need to get out of this habit of thinking, just because my employer provides good cover its ok. The fact is 90% of the US population is being screwed by the other 10%.