i'm not 100% clear on your system...

but i DO know one thing that has been in the news incessantly over the
past few months - Canadians going to the US for surgeries and various
other medical procedures, because the process to get things done here,
due to wait times, Doctor shortages, etc etc etc is bad enough that they'll
pay extra to have a private consultant find them a doctor, book them an
appointment, and whatever else they need to do so they can go to the states
and get things taken care of asap.

so while our system may be better in some regards, there are certainly
those that it isn't working out for. and 'universal coverage' isn't exactly what
we have... not everything is covered, and of course the quality of care varies
in some cases with what you can afford.


all that said - it does fine by me. but my medical needs are minimal.

Rich, sadly I don't think Americans are going to get universal medical coverage like in Canada. This is a good article on how corporations are destroying that possibility to ensure their massive profits are safe...

tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/tal....php

Actually a lot of private health insurance covers chiropractors and other pseudomedicine - it's often cheaper than providing best treatment.

Canada's universal healthcare system has been under attack by corporate lobbyists for at least two decades and, like most nations, there wasn't the necessary planning, mentoring or investing by the boomer generation to ensure that our social systems can support the massive tsunami of aging citizens (them!)...or at least leave any crumbs for those of us who follow them. They inherited great prosperity (partly due to their own parents' sacrifices) and this is what we're left with...it didn't need to be this way! (Canada's current PM was a lobbyist for corporate concerns that want to privatize healthcare in Canada, he gave the science portfolio to a chiropractor who believes wearing shoes and walking on pavement is "evolution"!, and all kinds of sketchy neo-con shennanigans...the whole Big sCAM/vitamin&supplement/snakeoil industry in Canada and the US is much more connected to Born Again Christians and Fundies than it is to the new agers who buy into it, though like in the US it reaches across the political aisle here too). Even with all that, I still think we have a superior system simply because looking after each other and those who can't care for themselves is the basic mark of a caring and compassionate society - not to mention makes everyone's life better. And you know your doctor is there to deal with your health concerns not milk you as a cash cow. There's an integral conflict of interest between the patient's needs and corporation's desires in for-profit medicine.

So, Canada's universal healthcare system is under attack by Big sCAM, Big Pharma and Big Insurance because it cuts into all their profits. Despite there being a doctor shortage in Canada and the gross negligence and underfunding of universal healthcare

There is a simple way to improve the medical coverage of folks...

Remove it from Employee Benifit Schemes in Private Enterprise and increase taxes. That never seems popular in America..

Australia has a mix of Private and Government Health Cover, and even the Government Provides paid extra cover you can buy.. but in any and all instances it means if I walk into an Emergency Ward of a Public Hospital, I am gonna get treated and not get a bill at the end... and a decent standard of care..

The system is not that simple.. nor is it perfect.. but it is better than many countrues have..

We seem to have higher taxes than in the US. We not only have a GST @ 10% but also a lot of company taxes and other duties.

Personal Income Tax is;
Tax rates 2007-08
$1 – $6,000 Nil
$6,001 – $30,000 15c for each $1 over $6,000
$30,001 – $75,000 $3,600 plus 30c for each $1 over $30,000
$75,001 – $150,000 $17,100 plus 40c for each $1 over $75,000
$150,001 and over $47,100 plus 45c for each $1 over $150,000

Tax rates 2008-09
$0 – $6,000 Nil
$6,001 – $34,000 15c for each $1 over $6,000
$34,001 – $80,000 $4,200 plus 30c for each $1 over $34,000
$80,001 – $180,000 $18,000 plus 40c for each $1 over $80,000
$180,001 and over $58,000 plus 45c for each $1 over $180,000
Source www.ato.gov.au/individuals/content.asp

We also have a Medicare Levy (Tax)
"What is the Medicare levy?

Warning: This information may not apply to the current year. Check the content carefully to ensure it is applicable to your circumstances.
Medicare is the scheme that gives Australian residents access to health care.

To help fund the scheme, resident taxpayers are subject to a Medicare levy.

Normally, we calculate your Medicare levy at the rate of 1.5% of your taxable income. A variation to this calculation may occur in certain circumstances."

some info on that is here www.ato.gov.au/individuals/content.asp & www.ato.gov.au/individuals/pathway.asp

In all Honesty I dont know much about different and our financial model of providing care.. But I do know if I am hit by a bus or get sick, the State will provide a good standard of care for me..


I wonder how that compares with America.. and I think each State has income tax, yes ? Here that is done Federally..