This isn't really news or debate, but it seems like the most reasonable place for this sort of discussion. Who knows, maybe it'll turn into a debate.


This is a question to those of you who live in, or have lived in, countries with national health care systems. The high taxes, but everybody gets healthcare sorts lol. What are youre thoughts on it? Does it work well?

I ask because depending on who you ask, or who is writing the article, you get such dramatically different accounts of how successful/how abysmal a national healthcare system is. I'm pretty sure the truth probably falls somewhere in between.

I know I'm not really being very specific here...but I just want to know in general how do you guys feel about it. How does it work when you're just sick and need a doctor and anti-biotics? What about if you need surgery? Elective-surgery?

Just wondering.

I'd give Canada's healthcare system about a C-. Canada is one of the few countries that does not allow you as a citizen to privately purchase healthcare.

The system has been set up so there is a monopoly on the delivery of healthcare. You can guess what happens as soon as more money is dumped into the system. That's right, every union affiliated with healthcare delivery goes on strike and demands more money. The government has to give in because it's against the law for citizens to use any other system for healthcare.

Canada's system works great if you are seriously ill. For day to day issues it sucks. If you move it may take you years to find a family doctor. You end up seeing the system horrendously abused by people as their is not cost to use it.

Universal healthcare may suck but it sure beats the alternative.

Wow, I had no idea that you can't privately purchase health care in Canada

Technically you can you just can't find a supplier. Canada law is set up so sthat a doctor is not allowed to work say 3 days a week in the public sector and 2 days a week privately. It's a rigged system, set up for the exploitation by unions.

as you said april, the truth or the solution is somewhere in the middle. As a Canadian, I know that if I have a lethal or terminal illness, I will be taken care of. I fully agree with taxing to support the public system.

However, as tyler mentioned, there is no private sector. A small private sector and a fully tax-funded public sector would be the best solution for everyone I believe. I have torn cartilege in my knee. It's not crippling pain but I've been a year (somewhat my fault) without having it corrected. It took me 3 months to see a joint spcecialist. Guess why? Most of our good physicians relocate to a place where they can practice privately. Way more money that way. I can't blame them, I'd do the same thing. I would have gladly paid to have an appointment within a week, gone through the surgery and already recuperated by now. I've already missed 2 outdoor paintball seasons.

Sadly, our public healthcare system has been going downhill for the last decade or so. There was a big cutback on nursing and support staff a little while back that is still affecting wait times. However, considering the secondhand reports I hear from US news sources, I really have nothing to complain about.

Anyone wanna buy some premium Canadian prescription drugs?

I live in France and the healthcare system, from an user point of view, works almost fine.
You must choose a doctor and you'll be given back the most part of your money by Healthcare (Sécurité Sociale) at the condition that the doc respect some prices agreement with Healthcare. This system applies to all french citizens, no matter what their incomes are. The poorest people have the right to have UMC (Universal Medical Cover) which insures them that they dont have to pay all the price of their medical consultation.

But and it is a big but, some doctors tend to select their patients, those with UMC have longer delays and are even discouraged to go to certain specialists (eye-specialists, dentists for example).

From a global view, the ever-increasing cost of medicine is putting the french healthcare system in a really difficult financial situation. And there is no governement that wants to take the problem without any electoral thoughts or ideological bias.

The biggest problem with Canada's system is that it's not sustainable. The costs increase year after year while the service provided decreases.

The system would benefit with more private options in my opinion. It seems to be going that way in certain provinces. Here in Alberta there are certain procedures and tests that can be done in the private sector.

My wife's a family doctor here in Calgary and it's ridiculous how "in demand" she is. There's such a shortage of health workers here now I can't see how they'll catch up. Line ups at Emerg and walk in clinics are crazy long every single day and there's often bed shortages. A new hospital's scheduled to be built but even when it's done (2010-12) I can't see how they'll staff it.

Canada would definitely retain more doctors and health professionals with added options for them to practice in and out of the public system.

But the general public is totally against it. Keep wasting money! It's the Canadian way.

I work for the Aussie public health. It does work, just not as good as it really should. The system here is based on the federal government allocating funds to the state governments who run the hospitals. The federal government takes charge of the public health insurance scheme, medicare, which everyone has access to. It also subsidises private health insurance, an attempt to save expenditure through less usage of the Medicare system.

The big problem in the next 20 years is something you Americans know about already- the baby-boomer generated ageing population.

There's problems with waiting lists for public dental care, available beds, elective surgery, and the occassional medical malpractice cover up.

I work in rehab, and there's clearly times where there's really a lot more we can do to get people in optimal shape before they return to their lives, whether through an inpatient, outpatient or home-based rehab service. Because of resource shortages, we have to juggle this balance between getting someone ready and having someone come in from the acute setting once they've had their medical condition stabilised.

I've recently taken on a brain-injury specific rehab role. Residential care is definitely a big problem for young people, but I guess your question focuses more on the acute side of things.

When you just need antibiotics, you go to your local GP and either use your Medicare or private insurance. If you have private insurance, you get to jump ahead of the Medicare queue for elective surgery. No queues for non-electives, and as far as I'm concerned the health system is covering that ok. In my specific field, however, there's no doubt there's people falling through the cracks and not getting the necessary rehab in the really crucial period because of bed shortages.

I'm gonna need to stop there. This could take all week, and I'd still be scratching at the services.