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| Subject: what u like in canada |
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Hmmm... just a question in one of the answers ....
EMERGENCY ... 8-12 hours is this for real??? is the free medical for real ... like in Australia ...
Here in the U.S. they do prioritization ... like when my wife had poison ivy ... we waited for some 1-2 hours .. only to be given a prescription for steroids .... but i noticed some were already irate coz they were there longer than us ... don´t know what there reasons are for going there ... but when my son had a cut .. they took us in ... at once no waiting ... is this the same thing? in Canada ....
Is that the 8-12 hours that the guy from India is saying??
Or it depends on the hospital .. like in the E.R. show ... where it´s too busy but in some hospitals ... it´s not really like that .. like in Houston ..
Please clarify
Thanks.
[15-01-2006,03:10]
[**.90.171.219]
Jowsie Texan |
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(in reply to: what u like in canada)
my mother went to hospital with a brain bleed this past Tuesday. they did not know what it was. the ambulance came to her house at 3am, had her examined several times by 6am by 8am had conducted a CT can and had scheduled her for surgery.
Last year I went to the hospital with a blood clot. Saw my doctor first and emergency was waiting for my arrival. within 30 minutes I was on blood thinners and having a ultra sound.
If you go to the emergency with a sore arm... you wait. If your life is at risk - you get the attention you deserve.
Income tax rate is dependant on your income... our friend that says we all pay 50% is full of sh*&
[15-01-2006,03:39]
[***.20.170.23]
Sharon |
(in reply to: what u like in canada)
Jowsie, in any hospital the patients woul dbe seen depending on emergency. If you go with a bug bite, the guy with brain hameeorage will take precedence.
An exception might be if a wasp/bee stung you near the neck and you are allegeric to wasp stings. Then you take precedence because, your wind pipe might be blocked by swelling. I have seen it happen.
[15-01-2006,07:41]
[**.2.21.27]
Anonymous |
(in reply to: what u like in canada)
Jowsie Teaxan and Sharon
As I mentioned in my previous message, this is a very subjective issue. My comments are based on my experience. Other may have different experience and opinion.
Regarding emergency waiting period, I had this experience just few months back with one of the best hospitals in Montreal. My mother went there with total breathlessness. She was hardly able to breath. Yes, they immediately put her on Oxygen but then we have to wait for 6 hours in the emergency ward corridor. After about 6 hours, the doctors started looking her. But I must say there after every thing went very fast. On the second instance, she was attended within few seconds of arrival in the emergency ward but this time she was dead. To also let you know the costs, she stayed in Hospital for 1 week. It costed me $22,000. She was a visitor to Canada and not covered by the public health care system. So I had to pay for the services.
For your information, one of the major issues during this election campaign is the health care system and wait periods. While Mr. Martin (Liberal) promised reimbursement of air fare to USA for medical care in emergency, Mr. Harper (Conservative) promised reduction in benchmarked wait periods. Just before elections, the Health Minister announced new benchmarked wait periods.
Further more, as said before this is all subjective. I have seen the quickest and best health care in the Middle East (Bahrain). Even in India, the health care is much better but only in private hospitals and if you have money.
Regarding Income Tax, let me re-explain, 50% is not the income tax, it is the total deductions from your salary which accounts for your Income Tax (I pay approx. 30% IT as I am in the highest tax slab), Employment Insurance, Pension Plan. Just to give you guys some feel, my gross income for 2005 was $97,573. I paid Federal Tax = 15,035, Quebec IT = 17,144, Employment Insurance, Quebec Pension Plan = 6,876. The total deductions are apporx. 41%. This is after considering rebates for ? 2 school going children and my wife is not working. If you do not consider these two rebates, the total deduction is close to 50%. These are facts and not just my dreams or full of shit as pointed out by Sharon. By the way, the tax rates vary based on the province. I live in Quebec, so my numbers are based on Quebec rates. I know, Alberta has the lowest IT rates.
Even higher rate of tax is well acknowledged by the politician and both Liberals and Conservatives are promising tax cuts.
I strongly recommend the promising immigrants to read Canadian News. Please read ?The Gazette? or ?Globe and Mail? to get the latest information.
[15-01-2006,10:50]
[**.49.60.2]
Anonymous |
(in reply to: what u like in canada)
Jowsie Teaxan and Sharon
Please have a look at this article on CTV website:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20051119/w5_broken_promises_051119/20051119?hub=WFive
I am not trying to paint a negative picture but want you guys to be aware about the facts of life. If you know the facts the expectations are not so high and chances of your success are much greater.
[15-01-2006,12:15]
[**.49.60.2]
Anonymous |
ER (in reply to: what u like in canada)
How busy was the E.R. that they had to put your mother in the corridor??
[15-01-2006,14:58]
[**.90.173.150]
Jowsie Texan |
(in reply to: what u like in canada)
If your earnings were under $60,000 your total income tax take would be about 35%.
Canada works on a sliding scale of tax. I don´t have the figures in front of me but the lower your income, the less you pay- percentage wise.
The thing about Canadian health care is everyone- regardless of income or insurance coverage gets the same access to hospital and health care.
60.2 - I am sorry about the loss of your mother. It is wise for every visitor to Canada to carry medical insurance for such emergency situations.
[15-01-2006,15:23]
[***.20.170.23]
Sharon |
(in reply to: what u like in canada)
Jowsie Texan:
ER in Canada is no different than the one´s in the US. I lived in US for 11 years (first 4 years in Texas). I´ve seen both sides, and both US and Canadian ER are equally slow to respond to non-life threatening cases. The only difference being, it is free in Canada, while you have to pay in the US for the slow service.
ER guys in Canada are not going to let you die waiting. They check for your vitals every hour or less to make sure that you condition is not life threatening. If it is a serious condition you go in and see the doctor immeditely, if it not life threatening, they you wait until beds open-up and there is no one else with a life threatening condition.
Canadian ER´s are not as dramatic as some people are trying to potray. It is just as usual as any other public ER places around the world. Rest assured you will not die in Canada due to lack of immediacy in the ER.
Most of all, it is (practically) a friggin free service man! What are people complaining about?
Take it easy, Canada is not part of the G7 for nothing. It is top 7 richest nations in the world. It is not like you are living in sub-saharan Africa. Please bear that in mind.
-Silly
[15-01-2006,15:26]
[***.59.34.41]
Silly |
(in reply to: what u like in canada)
While it may appear healthcare is "(practically) a free service", it is not exactly true. You and I pay for it through taxes, and is one of the reasons why Canadian taxes are generally higher than in the United States.
Until Harper blurred the lines recently by moving his party closer to the Liberal/NDP view on healthcare, it was also one of the defining areas on the differences between the major parties. The left and centre/left back universal healthcare so poorer people aren´t left out in the cold when it comes to expensive treatments, the right favours (or used to favour) a two-track system where the rich can pay for and get treatments quicker than with a public healthcare system.
One reason why the public system doesn´t work the way it should is that too many people abuse it by rushing to hospital when a doctor´s visit should do. I recall one report in the Star which spoke of upwards of 80% of people visiting hospitals not needing emergency care.
Everyone´s experiences will obviously be different, personally I have no complaints with the speed and quality of care on the rare occasion my family has needed to use hospitaal services.
[15-01-2006,16:29]
[**.229.156.223]
typo |
(in reply to: what u like in canada)
To 60.2, I am not saying your points aren´t valid.
However, you might be not be making fair points when it comes to comparing the healthcare systems of Bahrain and Canada.
The public healthcare system in Bahrain is not even close to that in Canada, as anyone who has the misfortune to be admitted to Salmaniya will attest.
One hospital that is good and popular is the American Mission, but you have to pay for all services. Good as it is, they do not have the resources to hire specialists in every discipline.
The only other option is the International Hospital which is so frightfully expensive you might as well fly to the States for treatment.
[15-01-2006,16:44]
[**.229.156.223]
typo |
(in reply to: what u like in canada)
Hi Typo:
Your statement:
"While it may appear healthcare is "(practically) a free service", it is not exactly true. You and I pay for it through taxes, and is one of the reasons why Canadian taxes are generally higher than in the United States. "
This is a true statement, but bear in mind, there are states in US where the income tax is around 35% (eg: California). In spite of paying 35% taxes, you get jack-squat back from the government. While here in Canada, even if you pay slightly more taxes than these US states, you do get something back from the government.
Taxes are quite comparable between an high tax state in US and Alberta, Canada. All my conparisions are based on these two states.
Lifes not all that bad here. The only thing that might make you think, things are not good over here in Canada is your expectations.
Canada is a living and a practical country just like any others. It has its pros and cons. It is not perfect by any stretch, but it is for sure a nicer place to live than 190 others. Have a reasonable and practical expectation before you land here. As long as you are not expecting an utopia, you will enjoy your stay.
Peace-out!
-Silly
[15-01-2006,20:10]
[***.229.11.154]
Silly |
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