Upscale wrote:
"Tim Daneliuk" wrote in message

OK. Fair enough. I happen to have direct experience with
the healthcare system in Canada
They are not enthused by the system. By *their* testimony
(not my opinion - theirs), the system is bloated, inefficient,

And as a Canadian so do I. My experience is and was directly on a
professionally basis for many years and also for many years as a person in
dire need of medical care. If I lived in the US, the only way I'd get
sufficient medical care to actually survive would be for my living status to
be reduced that of a person of abject poverty living totally on the welfare
system. I don't call that living. Criticise the Canadian system as much as
you and your relatives want Tim, but don't for one second try state that the
US system is better until you've actually experienced multiple, long term,
medical difficulties.

Note that when people need the best possible care, they don't fly
to Canada, Norway, Sweden, UK, or Germany. They come to the US
most of the time. There is a reason for this. The reason is
that the profit motive brings the best and brightest to the playing
field.

And, that profit motive limits that best possible care solely to those who
have the money to pay for it. It certainly is not available to those of
middle or lower income. Is that the kind of medical system you'd like to see
in Canada? God help you in that kind of system if you become seriously ill.

I am happy to voluntarily contribute to causes the help the
genuinely underprivileged ... and I do, as do millions of
Americans.

And I say to you again, to benefit from that kind of system, you have to
become genuinely underprivileged to benefit from it. Imagine, working all
your life to achieve a certain level of comfort and then suddenly becoming
sick or getting into a serious accident. In the US system, all you've worked
for all your life is suddenly snatched away from you to pay for your
survival and then what's next when you eventually wind up broke?

I am unwilling to see *my* care diminished to help
those whose problems are repetitive and largely self induced.

Those self induced problems as you state it are a matter of opinion. There
isn't a person on this world who doesn't partake in some type of dangerous
or unhealth acts, you included. Exactly who is to state what is dangerous
and what isn't? Almost everything anyone does on a daily basis can be termed
unhealthy at some point or another.

every year? I think I'd prefer the Benz driving doc because
it signifies some level of financial achievement, and probably
some level of skill. But that's just me ...

I'd prefer the Benz doctor too if I could get him to treat me, but that
wouldn't be likely would it? I can tell from the way that you're talking
that you've never really experience anything close to a long term, seriously
affecting illness. Oh sure, maybe you've talked to people or read a bit, but
until you've actually experienced what it's like to be on both sides of the
fence, don't for one second think that you actually know what you're talking
about.

I for one, am glad that I'm part of and benefiting from the Canadian medical
system. Sure, like any other system it isn't perfect and there's always room
for improvement. Am I being selfish? Damned right I am. I want to survive as
much as the next person and I'd like being able to do so with a certain
level of self respect. That wouldn't happen in the US system.

In the past, I've been offered well paying jobs in the US and I've always
turned them down because of what it would cost to pay for my medical needs.
The reality is that I'd be working to survive in the US while up here in
Canada at least I can work to live with some hope. There's a big difference
between the two.


I am one who has been in need of medical treatment as well as my wife.
I have medical insurance that I pay for from the long term investments I
made during my working career in the US. Granted that my employers
provided low cost health insurance when I was employed, however I
decided early on that I should try to be self sufficient at the earliest
possible opportunity - which meant putting aside 10% of gross all during
my working career. By the way, this is less than the SS and medicare
deductions made by me and my employers during a longer period and
provides me with about 5 times the income that SS provides. I did all
this on a middle class income while several of my fellow employees
making much more than I lived paycheck to paycheck because they wanted
everything now.

I have been treated and survived colon cancer and my wife has survived
two strokes and carotid artery surgery as well as multiple stents. We
had zero waiting periods for treatment.

Is there some reason Canadians can't save during their working careers
so that they can afford medical insurance in retirement?