Universal Healthcare in Canada Compared to the USA
The costs of medical care in the USA is horrendous. The system is a private system with the exception of medicare and medicaid for the poor. Many people without health insurance fall through the cracks. The number one reason for personal bankruptcy in the states is due to medical bills.
Here is a list of the most expensive medical conditions and procedures in the USA.
Heart conditions cost Americans over 90 billion dollars a year for treatment.
Accidents and traumas bring 30 to 40 million emergency visits to hospitals every year costing the system 74 billion dollars
More than 11 million people in the USA have some form of cancer. The annual cost for cancer treatment is 73 billion dollars.
Mental disorders account for over 72 billion dollars in medical costs and affects roughly 26 million people.
Joint disorders such as arthritis are responsible for many hip and knee replacements. The cost of joint disorders is 57 billion dollars.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and chronic bronchitis, are the 4th leading cause of death in the USA; much of which could be prevented by not smoking. The cost of these lung diseases amount to 53 billion dollars.
High blood pressure which affects over 74 million adults, cost over 47 billion dollars.
Diabetes: there are approximately 26 million Americans who have diabetes. Diabetes costs Americans close to 46 billion dollars a year.
Hyperlipidemia: High cholesterol accounts for over 38 billion dollars in treatment annually.
Back problems account for about 38 billion dollars in annual medical costs.
Childbirth is the number one reason for hospitalization and costs American families 35 billion dollars.
All these conditions are covered by universal medicare in Canada. Emergency services are dealt with immediately. The biggest criticism is the wait time for non essential services. The average time for seeing a specialist is 2 - 3 weeks. In areas where there is a shortage of doctors, like in Montreal, it could be longer, but anything deemed life threatening is fit in immediately.
Sources:
Published by Carol Roach
Carol Roach holds a masters in counselling psychology. She worked as a therapist at the Douglas Hospital in Montreal before becoming a professional writer.Carol is the author of the book Picking Up The Piece... View profile
- Can Americans Adopt a Universal Health Care System?While the idea of Universal Health Care sounds appealing, the nuts and bolts of an affordable and functional solution are extremely complicated.
- Chapter 7 Bankruptcy & Healthcare CostsIn the United States, millions of Americans are opting to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy, ever six years, as an option to controlling significant, and rising, healthcare costs.
- Commonwealth Study of Flawed U.S. Health Care System Mirrors Personal ExperiencesUnited States healthcare rankings fall below six other countries, mirroring not only my personal experiences but also those of celebs like Dennis Quaid.
- The United States Should Not Adopt a Government Run Health Care SystemThe United States is considering adopting a government-run health care system. Before it does so, it ought to consider the failures that exist in the UK health care system.
- Time to Discharge the State from Our Health-Care SystemIn the mid-1900s, there was another health-care crisis. Medical care was too cheep! The Government easily fixed that. Today, they'll fix it again.
- The Pros and Cons of the Public Option for Universal Health Care in the United States
- Real Alternatives to the High Cost of Health Care in the USA Without the Governmen...
- High Cost of Health Care in America
- Health Care Reform - a Public Option to Save America?
- Turning Back Time on Women's Health Care
- Education and Health Care in Australia
- Big Government, Promises, Accountability , Priorities, Real and Fake Benefits, the...