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teherie · 03-01-2011, 11:11 PM

As a U.S. Citizen, I just made a trip to the Emergency Room two weeks ago. I have a top shelf plan that I contribute a portion of the premium to each month along with a $500 deductible, 10% co-insurance plus my $75 ER co-pay as well as my monthly contributions toward the cost of my insurance coverage. Overall, it costs around $12,000 annually for my wife and me between me and my employer. I might add that I received excellent, compassionate treatment from everyone I came into contact with that night.

In my case, I will pay the first $575 out of pocket plus 10% of the next $1,500. The irony is that my U.S. hospital ran a CAT scan and sent it to Australia to be read at 2 AM in the morning. I was in the ER for 4.5 hours. My insurance carrier will be overbilled by the hospital who will in turn accept the actual payment that my insurance company pays since the provider participates with Blue Cross/Blue Shield. In essence, those with private health insurance subsidize those on medical assistance or without coverage or lacking the ability to pay.

Contrast that with a trip to the ER with my son at Parry Sound, Ontario about 8 years ago. We waited 15 minutes, saw the doctor and he sent us up the street to a pharmacy for an over the counter remedy that fixed the problem in about two days.

In the end, does it really matter whether you pay your premium via a payroll tax imposed by the government or by salary deduction from your paycheck? In either system, those with the ability to pay or connections will always move to the front of the line for treatment.

03-01-2011, 11:11 PM	#29
teherie Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Erie, PA Posts: 78	Re: Canadian Health Care As a U.S. Citizen, I just made a trip to the Emergency Room two weeks ago. I have a top shelf plan that I contribute a portion of the premium to each month along with a $500 deductible, 10% co-insurance plus my $75 ER co-pay as well as my monthly contributions toward the cost of my insurance coverage. Overall, it costs around $12,000 annually for my wife and me between me and my employer. I might add that I received excellent, compassionate treatment from everyone I came into contact with that night. In my case, I will pay the first $575 out of pocket plus 10% of the next $1,500. The irony is that my U.S. hospital ran a CAT scan and sent it to Australia to be read at 2 AM in the morning. I was in the ER for 4.5 hours. My insurance carrier will be overbilled by the hospital who will in turn accept the actual payment that my insurance company pays since the provider participates with Blue Cross/Blue Shield. In essence, those with private health insurance subsidize those on medical assistance or without coverage or lacking the ability to pay. Contrast that with a trip to the ER with my son at Parry Sound, Ontario about 8 years ago. We waited 15 minutes, saw the doctor and he sent us up the street to a pharmacy for an over the counter remedy that fixed the problem in about two days. In the end, does it really matter whether you pay your premium via a payroll tax imposed by the government or by salary deduction from your paycheck? In either system, those with the ability to pay or connections will always move to the front of the line for treatment.