..I am Canadian and grew up in their healthcare system. I have no complaints about it, really. It never failed me when I needed it but I am not a sickly person either so I am not sure I have the best insight on it...but there are some vast differences when you are looking at providing Healthcare for the population of Canada versus the population of the USA. And I am strictly looking at numbers, that's all. I am not here to piss anyone off, just look at the numbers and consider the cost. *Rounded for easier math*
Population of Canada: 30 million
Population of USA: 300 million
Based on someone making less than 100k:
Average % of income taxes in USA: Between 15-25%, and state taxes if applicable
Cost of healthcare per person in Canada for 2008 = $5,170 or $171.9 million
If we took this SAME number and applied it to the USA population, total cost would be:
$1.551 TRILLION dollars for one year based on Canada's 2008 numbers.
Canada's current debt: $483,005,600,000.00
USA current debt: $11,802,680,210,364.41
For the Canadian number: This is from:
http://www.debtclock.ca/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=1In fiscal 2008-09 the debt clock climbed by $123.67 per second, taking our federal debt up to $461,537,000,000. After April 1, 2009, the clock, and our federal debt began growing by $1,591.83 per second. That’s $95,510 per minute, $5.7-million per hour, or $138-million every day! By March 31, 2010, Canada’s federal debt will hit $511,737,000,000.
For the US number: This is from:
http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/U.S. NATIONAL DEBT CLOCK The Outstanding Public Debt as of 04 Sep 2009 at 05:09:06 AM GMT is:$11,802,680,210,364.41The estimated population of the United States is 306,856,619so each citizen's share of this debt is $38,463.18.
The National Debt has continued to increase an average of$3.96 billion per day since September 28, 2007!Concerned? Then tell Congress and the White House!
From
Wikipedia on Canada's
Healthcare link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_Canada:
Health care spending in Canada is projected to reach $160 billion, or 10.6% of GDP, in 2007. This is slightly above the average for
OECD countries, and substantially below the 15.2% of GDP taken up by
healthcare in the United States as of 2005.[4]
In Canada, the various levels of government pay for about 71% of Canadians' health care costs, which is slightly below the
OECD average. Under the terms of the Canada Health Act, the publicly funded insurance plans are required to pay for medically necessary care, but only if it is delivered in hospitals or by physicians. There is considerable variation across the provinces/territories as to the extent to which such costs as outpatient prescription drugs, physical therapy, long-term care, home care, dental care and even ambulance services are covered.[5]
Considerable attention[who?] has been focused on two issues: wait times and health human resources. There is also a debate about the appropriate 'public-private mix' for both financing and delivering services.
Canada's
healthcare spending is expected to reach $171.9 billion, or $5,170 per person, in 2008. Health expenditures are expected to be 10.7% of the gross domestic product. Hospitals account for the largest segment in spending at $48.1 billion, however, this amount is declining. According to the
OECD, spending was second amongst other countries, less than United States and more than Norway, Switzerland and Luxembourg.[6]
Canada has a federally sponsored, publicly funded Medicare system, with most services provided by the private sector. Each province may opt out, though none currently do. Canada's system is known as a single payer system, where basic services are provided by private doctors (since 2002 they have been allowed to incorporate), with the entire fee paid for by the government at the same rate. Most family doctors receive a fee per visit. These rates are negotiated between the provincial governments and the province's medical associations, usually on an annual basis. A physician cannot charge a fee for a service that is higher than the negotiated rate — even to patients who are not covered by the publicly funded system — unless the
physician opts out of billing the publicly funded system altogether. Pharmaceutical costs are set at a global median by government price controls. Other areas of health care, such as dentistry and optometry, are wholly private.
My point is CANADA CAN AFFORD HEALTHCARE...that is why they have it and it works for the country!
US Representatives, whether FOR or AGAINST the plan, should not be using Canada as a comparison tool for the PROS and CONS of a government run healthcare system. Population and cost wise, it is like comparing Apples to Oranges. Canada's system would not work here so quit using it as an example!
I am not against people having AFFORDABLE and DECENT healthcare, I am against having my grandchildren having to pay for it. Competition should be allowed in the healthcare industry across the country. It should not be that every state has different rules as to who can provide health insurance. We can get auto insurance from anyone, why not health insurance?
Chris and I experienced this first hand by moving from Washington State to Texas. We had an HMO, Kaiser Permanente in Washington. We paid $10/visit. And only $10 to have Ethan and Tristan. Then we move to Texas and find out that Kaiser is not offered here and we had to change to an 80/20 system from the same employer, different part of the country. We paid almost $3,000 to have Ronan (on Chris' employer provided insurance) and after healthcare premiums were added up maybe $1500 to have Coltan (on my insurance that I pay for weekly through my paycheck) BUT, it was a choice! I had a choice to sign up for my company's insurance plan. I WORK FOR MY BENEFITS. I am not asking for a hand out.
This was not written to offend anyone. This was written strictly to show a comparison in the numbers. If there was a way for the USA to afford this, there would not be so much opposition. But, unfortunately, in today's economy, there is not a way to do this.
Sorry for the rant but it is an important issue that seems to be skimmed over in the media with pictures of angry mobs against healthcare or others saying how great it will be not knowing what it will cost us in the end.
No one has been able to answer the question of cost. Defendants of the bill think opposers are just against the administration. Opposers think defenders just want to push their Socialist agenda.
My opinion? Tell me the actual cost and what the bill actually entails, in PLAIN ENGLISH and then I will form my opinion. Until that happens, the bill is of no use to any American.
