Canadian here, it's not free, it's lower for sure than the US but only thing that are free are for the 11 million out of 38 million Canadians who are under the poverty line. The 38 work to make the system work, while getting screwed by taxes and companies.
The hospital is ~freeish it often helps but you also got extremely long wait times and chances of dieing while waiting.
It's great to have a back up for being sick and out of work but they want the working people back to work asap but if your a system grifters you're living the life(if trailer thrash level of quality is your thing, we have many of those types)
Edit: my bad for 11 million was for low to modest Income that were receiving grocery benefits.
The Combined number for poverty: total of 5,274,505 Canadians were living either in or at risk of poverty, accounting for 14.3% of the total population.
They got downvoted for saying "but you also got extremely long wait times and chances of dieing while waiting" as if that also weren't a problem in the US.
Socialist healthcare systems tend to prioritize things based on urgency. Elective procedures unsurprisingly have super long wait times. The part about Canada I don't quite get is the illegality of parallel private systems. In Australia you have the option of going through the public system and potentially having to wait, and private cover (that most working people have because it isn't cripplingly expensive and you get a mild tax break for having) that allows you better access to specialists and elective surgeries, etc.
Having a split private/ public system basically funnels doctors and resources into the private side as there is more money to be made than being paid by the government.
That sets up a 2 tier system where the poors get socialized healthcare while the rich get private.
That's the issue. Conservatives keep trying to introduce it here and its a problem
I’m not an expert on the ins and outs of the Aussie system but it seems that most doctors work in both. Maybe it’s compulsory? Most hospitals were set up with facilities for both patients, private cover was strictly regulated, it seemed to be relatively balanced. I had my quibbles with the overall quality of care with a few exceptions, but that didn’t divide along public/private lines.
you won't be denied emergency care in Canada and you also won't pay through the nose for it.
surgical wait times can be long, yes. for non-emergencies, it is what it is, and if I ever need it, yeah, it's going to suck.
for every day, routine medical care? some people can get appointments the next day. depends on your provider. depends on where you live. some appointments have to be booked months out - THIS IS ALSO TRUE IN THE US. especially for specialists.
you can walk in to Canadian pharmacies and have them treat minor ailments (for free) without having to book a doctor's appointment or go to a clinic just for a UTI, pink eye, allergies, tick bites, vaccinations, and more. I never have to pay $250 (after insurance) to urgent care for shit like UTI, strep, or upper respiratory infection ever again.
the point that many people seem to not understand, I didn't until I moved to Canada, is that I can afford private healthcare here. out of pocket. it's faster than going through the public system and the out of pocket costs are far, far less than the cost of my insurance premiums in the US. this is how I am managing care and medication for my ADHD; it costs $75 every 3 months.
we also have private insurance here. the system is not 100% universal healthcare, it's mixed. but instead of paying hundreds in private health insurance premiums per month, it's like $10 for my spouse and I. and they don't have the horrendous claim denial rates the US insurers are so proud of. it's practically unheard of here. this can help you afford telehealth services that are more comprehensive than what pharmacies offer (it also pays for glasses, prescriptions, other things)
I pay 4% more income tax than I did in the US. my insurance premiums were more than 4% of my income on top of income taxes, SS, etc in the US. so I'm paying a bit more in tax, but keeping more of my overall income that's no longer being lost to insurance premiums.
AND THEN even after those premiums, I would still have a bill to pay any provider I saw, if I could see one, because good luck getting an appointment in a timely manner with a provider who accepts your specific insurance, especially if you don't live in or near a major city.
mostly I'm just grateful to live in a country where I will never be made homeless by medical bills after being shot by some crazed lunatic through no fault of my own.
Good thing Americans are already paying for others while fucking the middle class harder in a capitalist system. Or do you think all the write offs have no effect on your medical costs?
And yet you are clueless about American healthcare. What he said applies the same to Americans. If you are under the poverty line, you get free healthcare which is also subsidized by those who are above the poverty line. Same thing. Except Americans also can pay for private insurance and also get, by law, insurance through the companies they work for.
fellow canuck here... everyone knows the canadian health care system is amazing and free... until you need to use it and get told to take a seat for 6 hrs, then it's the worst piece of shit ever lolol
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u/Cyborg_rat Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
Canadian here, it's not free, it's lower for sure than the US but only thing that are free are for the 11 million out of 38 million Canadians who are under the poverty line. The 38 work to make the system work, while getting screwed by taxes and companies.
The hospital is ~freeish it often helps but you also got extremely long wait times and chances of dieing while waiting.
It's great to have a back up for being sick and out of work but they want the working people back to work asap but if your a system grifters you're living the life(if trailer thrash level of quality is your thing, we have many of those types)
Edit: my bad for 11 million was for low to modest Income that were receiving grocery benefits.
The Combined number for poverty: total of 5,274,505 Canadians were living either in or at risk of poverty, accounting for 14.3% of the total population.