"This was sent from Canada to a friend in the
States.
I saw on the news up
here in Canada where Hillary Clinton introduced her new health care
plan. Something similar to what we have in Canada. I also
heard that Michael Moore was raving about the health care up here in
Canada in his latest movie. As your friend and someone who lives
with the Canada health care plan I thought I would give you some facts
about this great medical plan that we have in
Canada.
First of all:
1) The health care plan in Canada is
not free. We pay a premium every month of $96. for Shirley and I to
be covered. Sounds great eh. What they don't tell you is how
much we pay in taxes to keep the health care system afloat. I am
personally in the 55% tax bracket. Yes 55% of my earnings go to < /STRONG>
taxes. A large portion of that and I am not sure of the exact amount
goes directly to health care our #1 expense.
2) I would not classify what we have
as health care plan, it is more like a health diagnosis
system. You can get into to see a doctor quick enough so he can tell
you "yes indeed you are sick or you need an operation" but now the
challenge becomes getting treated or operated on. We have waiting
lists out the ying yang some as much as 2 years down the
road.
3) Rather than fix what is
wrong with you the usual tactic in Canada is to prescribe drugs.
Have a pain here is a drug to take- not what is causing the pain and
why. No time for checking you out because it is more important to
move as many patients thru as possible each hour for Government
re-imbursement
4) Many Canadians do not have a
family Doctor.
5) Don't require emergency treatment
as you may wait for hours in the emergency room waiting for
treatment.
6) Shirley's dad cut his hand
on a power saw a few weeks back and it required that his hand be put in a
splint - to our surprise we had to pay $125. for a splint because it is
not covered under health care plus we have to pay $60. for each visit for
him to check it out each week.
7) Shirley's cousin was diagnosed
with a heart blockage. Put on a waiting list . Died before he
could get treatment.
8) Government allots so many
operations per year. When that is done no more operations, unless
you go to your local newspaper and plead your case and embarrass the
government then money suddenly appears.
9)The Government takes great pride in
telling us how much more they are increasing the funding for health care
but waiting lists never get shorter. Government just keeps throwing
money at the problem but it never goes away. But they are good at
finding new ways to tax us, but they don't call it a tax anymore it is now
a us er fee.
10) A friend needs an
operation for a blockage in her leg but because she is a smoker they will
not do it. Despite paying into the health care system all
these years. My friend is 65 years old. Now there is talk
that maybe we should not treat fat and obese people either because they
are a drain o n the health care system. Let me see now, what we want
in Canada is a health care system for healthy people only. That
should reduce our health care costs.
11) Forget getting a second opinion,
what you see is what you get.
12) I can spend what money I have
left after taxes on booze, cigarettes, junk food and anything else
that could kill me but I am not allowed by law to spend my money on
getting an operation I need because that would be jumping the queue.
I must wait my turn except if I am a hockey player or athlete then I can
get looke d at right away. Go figger. Where else in the world
can you spend money to kill yourself but not allowed to spend money to get
healthy.
13) Oh did I mention that immigrants
are covered automatically at tax payer expense having never contributed a
dollar to the system and pay no premiums.
14) Oh yeh we now give free needles
to drug users to try and keep them healthy. Wouldn't want a sickly
druggie breaking into your house and stealing your things. But
people with diabetes who pay into the health care system have to pay for
their needles because it is not covered but the health care
system.
I send this out not looking for
sympathy but as the election looms in the states you will be hearing more
and more about universal health care down there and the advocates will be
pointing to Canada. I just want to make sure that you hear the truth
about health care up here and have some food for thought and informed
questions to ask when broached with this subject.
Step wisely and don't make the
same mistakes we
have."
