Canada’s Single Payer Healthcare: The Pros and Cons
What is it?
Instead of multiple insurance agencies competing in a private marketplace, a single government agency or multi-government agency pays for the entire bill of health care for all of its residents.
Every person has all the medical needs covered under one plan and includes all the services: Doctors, hospitals, long term care, prescription, drugs, dental and vision care.
To top it off, everyone gets to decide where they want to receive their care.
Sounds amazing, right? How soon can you move to Canada? And in many ways it is an incredible healthcare system. But like anything human made, there are pros and there are cons.
Pros
- Everyone’s Covered
In America and many of the non-single payer countries in the world. Many people, usually the poor lack any kind of health insurance. Even the cheapest health insurance plans costs a pretty penny.
- Cost Control
Because non-single payer health insurance exists in a competitive marketplace, costs for health costs are always incredibly high. The average Doctor visit cost $95 in US in 2012, where Canada the average cost is $30.
- More Incentive to Help Public Measures
Since healthcare in operated primarily by the government in a single payer system, public measures such as funding and education for diabetes.
Cons
I know what you’re thinking. How could this system ever be a bad thing? Well….
- Long Wait Times
A survey by the Fraser Institute in 2016, found that the average wait time in Canada for “medically required” treatments and procedures was 20 weeks! -
- Mental Health isn’t Covered.
According to the Canada Health Care Act, unless you’re Psychologist or Psychiatrist is also a doctor, therapy and mental health visits are not covered.
- Availability
While most types of care are available to residents of Canada. Not all types are couple minutes away.
For example, if you want cosmetic surgery and there are no cosmetic surgeons in your province. You can still get it, you’ll just have to drive to another province.
So there you have it.
Hopefully this has been helpful to you. But more importantly, I hope this helps you appreciate the benefits of your country’s health insurance.