Canada’s healthcare system beats the USA unequivocally.
Political considerations
There is an important preface to comparing Canadian and American healthcare costs: life philosophy. What is your view on government regulation vs government involvement in the lives of citizens? What is your economic status?
Cost comparison
Surgery for perforated gall bladder cost comparison:
Canada – $25,000 Cdn
USA – $35,000 US
The Canadian government pays the bill Americans pay individually, personal medical insurance nothwithstanding. The cost burden is shared payment by all Canadian citizens whereas in the USA, it is an individual’s personal expense.
Socio-economics vs political autonomy
Political philosophy is the issue here. Most Americans prefer political autonomy over any other political philosophy. Government regulation smacks of autocracy and for Americans personal liberty and superiority trump everything.
Canadians seem less paranoid politically accepting government healthcare regulation as the price for making healthcare a universally shared financial burden. To a Canadian, it is simply a matter of all of us sharing health costs so that no one individual is overburdened. Americans see government payment as the road to political perdition, erosion of personal freedom and a threat to the ‘great American democracy.’
Economically elite survive
The American system demands high level personal income. Those that have the money, have healthcare, those without, suffer the medical consequences. The Americans prioritize personal independence. They reject healthcare altruism or any benefits of social interdependence. Their attitude is “take care of your own business or suffer the consequences.”
Canada has a more socially benevolent approach. We are a more united country rather than just a conglomeration of autonomous individuals. Canadians support mutual care and benefit at an equally shared cost. The American attitude is autonomy of citizens above all else, individual needs secondary.
My personal out-of-pocket cost in Canada: $0 with full healthcare coverage. The American cost: $3500+ payable by the patient, personal health insurance assistance not considered. An unpaid health bill in the US means the health consequences are the patient’s alone.
My preference, I like ‘big brother’ forcing me to help every Canadian by sharing health care costs universally. Financially and philosophically, I prefer the Canadian model without reservations.
A final note: Trump passed an executive order cancelling the medicare legislation created by Obama removing medicare from over 20 million Americans. Now according to Democratic presidential hopeful, Bernie Sanders, more that 80 million Americans have no healthcare.
