~Health Care Stories from Americans in Canada

Alive & Healthy in Canada

As a landed-immigrant in Canada originally from Boston, I have had both shoulders totally replaced, triple by-pass heart surgery, prostate surgery, and a hernia repaired.  In every case, procedures were flawless, and follow-up (e.g., physiotherapy) outstanding.  I never received a bill and I never paid out a dime.  The United States should be so lucky as to have such a system.

Dr. R V d'A

Toronto, Ontario

A Doctor Visit

My husband & I live in Canada but are in Arizoa for 3 months this winter. We took out Blue Cross travel insurance. I have had 2 medical emergencies...the first one Blue Cross paid but I had to pay the second one.

When I paid the $125 to see a doctor I thought "for some families this would be like making a decision to go to the doctor when you needed medical attention or putting food on the table for your family."

In Canada, I would simply call and make and appointment to see my Dr. If it was an emergency, I'd be in the same day - otherwise it would be a case of waiting till the next day. Then I would receive care, a prescription or whatever. We never see a bill or know the cost involved. 18 years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had surgery within 2 weeks of my diagnosis and then had radiation, took Tamoxifin for 5 years. I picked up a 3 month supply at our local cancer clinic and went on my way.

No bills, no stress or wondering if I would be covered. And EVERYONE has care...it's worth the extra we pay in taxes for such piece of mind!!

Anonymous

Arizona

Open Heart Surgery

I had successful open heart surgery at Hamilton General Hospital in Ontario Canada November 26th 2009.  The care I received was first class and I actually got to choose when I could have the surgery to suit my schedule. Cost to me $ 0.00.  When I checked with some friends in Boston who had offered to put me in touch with surgeons there, I was told the surgery would cost approximately US$500,000.

3 years ago I was set to move to Florida, if I had followed that path I would now be bankrupt or dead!!!

A dual citizen.

D.F.

St Catharines, Ontario, Canada

Congressman Anthony Weiner on Jon Stewart's The Daily Show

Vote in Texas in 2010

Texas will hold its State primary election on March, 2, 2010.
 
This is a follow-up to the global alert that you may have received recently.
Please forgive this mailing, but Democrats Abroad Canada wants to ensure
that all of our Texas voters are fully informed.
 
If you are eligible to vote on March 2nd, and received an earlier ballot for
the November 4, 2008 presidential election, you should have received an
absentee ballot by now, unless your mailing address has changed.
 
You can confirm your registration status in Texas at:
http://team1.sos.state.tx.us/voterws/viw/faces/SearchSelectionVoter.jsp
 
The registration period for new voters in March 2nd primary closed on
February 1st. If you did not vote in the 2008 election, it is not too
early now to complete your registration for the November, 2010 election
using our VoteFromAbroad wizard. Registration for the November elections
closes on October 4th. You can register now at:
http://www.votefromabroad.org/
 

What does health care reform mean to me?

The phrase "how does health care reform affect me" is the #1 search phrase that people use when they find the Health Care Stories from Americans in Canada blog. It's not a surprise -- health care reform is a complicated beast as it is being described and debated now.

CNN surprisingly is doing something about it. Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains how your care may change and how much you'll pay if the current health care bill is approved. It's all part of the "Colourful Conversations" segment of his show on CNN.

In part 2 there is a clear case for middle class people suffering as a result of losing health care -- the personal argument is the one that people understand. "What if you lost your health care tomorrow and you got sick?"

Update: The Senate bill is being voted on tomorrow - CNN reports on what your or your family will receive right away.

UPDATE 2: The health reform bill has passed. Here's an explanation for the final approved bill in simple terms.

Single Payer in California? What will they think of next?

Can you imagine what California would look like if people had access to health care no matter what their income level or employment? How many more people would be productive in the state? How many more would go work and contribute to the economy of the state? Someone needs to do the math on California being the first state with a modern health care system that takes care of all of its citizens.

The California Senate approved creating a government-run health care system for the nation's most populous state on Thursday, ignoring a veto threat from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

A Health Care Story from a Canadian Helping Haiti

Elsa Cade, a Democrats living abroad in Canada in Lethbridge, Alberta has raised enough money for 107 shelterboxes -- ready-to-go shelters for those in need. The shelters will go to Haiti, and Elsa is raising more money every day. VIsit shelterbox.ca for more info.

Danny Williams could have stayed in Canada for top cardiac care

There is some good news in this story -- being a premier and an important politician doesn't mean you can just jump the line in front of any other patients deserving cardiac care. And if it was that bad your health care system in Canada would send you to the US anyways, Mr Willliams, you just have to work through the system rather than just bail to the US.

Pennsylvania Democrats Unanimously Endorse Single Payer Senate Bill 400 and House Bill 1660

The Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee today unanimously endorsed a resolution calling for passage of single payer healthcare, Senate Bill 400 and House Bill 1660, also known as the "Family and Business Healthcare Security Act."

And Pennsylvania is not the only state considering health care reform legislation. Virginia is looking at some of their own legislation as well. As a way to attract home-buyers, small businesses and people moving to their state, this could provide a huge incentive for demographic shifts across America. 36 states are looking at health care options now, according to the New York Times article.

UPDATE: Bill Moyers had a piece on his TV program regarding getting medicare-for-all back into the limelight of the debate.