I wanted to add a clarification. I discovered this last night as I was explaining to a couple of American friends, and that is the difference between private and public health care plans.
In Canada, public health insurance (like the Ontario Health Insurance Plan--OHIP) covers visits to family doctors and referrals to and treatments by most specialists so long as the referral is made by the family doctor, and most anything carried out in the hospital setting--including MRIs and CT scans. It also covers medications and some specialist treatments for those that have life-long debilitating illnesses (eg: they will cover eye exams for those with glaucoma or diabetes.)
Private insurance covers dental, medications, allows you to have a semi-private or private room in a hospital, physiotherapy, psychological or psychiatric counseling...those things that wouldn't be considered "basic" health care.
I apologize for making it sound like everything was free. It's not. But the basics are covered for whoever needs it.
I don't know the details of Obama's plan. I can only say what has worked and what needs to be fixed according to my experience with the Canadian system. Will be watching with great interest.
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I wanted to add a clarification. I discovered this last night as I was explaining to a couple of American friends, and that is the difference between private and public health care plans.
In Canada, public health insurance (like the Ontario Health Insurance Plan--OHIP) covers visits to family doctors and referrals to and treatments by most specialists so long as the referral is made by the family doctor, and most anything carried out in the hospital setting--including MRIs and CT scans. It also covers medications and some specialist treatments for those that have life-long debilitating illnesses (eg: they will cover eye exams for those with glaucoma or diabetes.)
Private insurance covers dental, medications, allows you to have a semi-private or private room in a hospital, physiotherapy, psychological or psychiatric counseling...those things that wouldn't be considered "basic" health care.
I apologize for making it sound like everything was free. It's not. But the basics are covered for whoever needs it.
I don't know the details of Obama's plan. I can only say what has worked and what needs to be fixed according to my experience with the Canadian system. Will be watching with great interest.
August 6, 2009 - 5:36amThis Comment
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