Reply #167: In Canada I have one payer but also supplemental insurance [View All]

[riverbendviewgal]

I am retired. I don't pay any one payer insurance fees but get it. My taxes, Federal and Provincial, are about 20 percent of my income. I think this is fair...this covers all those lovely things, police, military, education, health, etc.
When I retired I chose the middle health follow me plan to cover my dental, eye care, prescriptions, semi private, ambulance, therapy fees and hearing aid. It cost me $130 a month. I maxed out my prescriptions last year, my dental and got a hearing aid and also eye glasses. The one payer covers $500 on the hearing aid, my insurance covered $500 and I had to pay $1000. I had a total of $5,000 of accumulated medical/dental/hearing/eye care bills last year. This includes the cost of the supplementary insurance I got back 3k from my income tax.

I am 61. When I am 65 I will pay $100 a year for a prescription drug plan and pay only $2.00 per prescription, no matter what it is. :)

My son and husband were diagnosed with cancer in 1998, two months apart. My son had a brain tumor, same as Ted Kennedy's. He had the same treatment as the senator. - 3 operations, radiation, chemo, 4 weeks of intensive care after the last operation and a week of Palliative care.
My husband had Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. His treatment was an operation, radiation, chemo, stem cell harvesting and severe month long in hospital chemo. He had nurse at home visits, and 3 months in Palliative care. They both had numerous Ct scans and MRIs.
They died in 1999 and 2001. I have no complaints with their care or waiting times. My son had his seizures on Friday (first time having any) and three days later was getting brain surgery. He was almost 25. He was going to get married, athletic, healthy and in great shape It was a total surprise. My husband was 52 when he was diagnosed. Life has a twist in the road you can't always count on. They fought the good fight with the help of excellent doctors and staff.

I had fybromyalgia while they were being treated. And was treated with drugs and therapy. The cost for us all ...NOTHING. We even had family counseling and individual counseling from the Cancer center for no cost.

I feel that one payer health insurance is like the lottery but you always hope you don't "win" but if you do get a sickness you are covered and can just concentrate on the illness and making a good quality of life to get better or die comfortably after trying all means to get well. No denials of treatment. and no bankruptcy. At the first sign of illness I go see my doctor. He is part of a walk in clinic so I can see him or the other doctors the same day. I wait about an hour or less for this visit. There are no fees for hospital tests.

I love Canada. I was born in the USA and came up to Canada 40 years ago and have no regrets. I consider myself Canadian. I am a citizen and have a Canadian passport only.