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HEALTH CARE: Costs are all relative?
I had lunch earlier this week with a new Canadian immigrant from Germany and among our many discussion topics was Health Care. In Germany, he claimed (and I think I remembered correctly) that Health Care monthly costs were in the range of $300-500. He said that the cost was high and contentious but that there were no waiting lists. Of course this is just one person's opinion so he may have been completely incorrect but it did make me think hard about what we pay and the whole issue of waiting lists. I know that our family would gladly pay double our $108 monthly family costs to have waiting lists removed or dramatically reduced. It seems like a very small price to pay with such a high returned value. What do you think? Would you pay $250 a month per family and guarantee no wait period for your family or anyone else? Perhaps a Poll is in order.
- Bosco's blog
- 433 reads
germinator
No. The money is provided by the Government. The incentive is for the user to use the system efficeiently. Save up for the broken hip as opposed to sending Johnny for a check up every time he has the sniffles.
Germinator
Germinator, thanks for the input. Given that "Each family is given a budget." does this imply that each family must contribute $3k above and beyond its basic taxes just as we contribute $108x12 annually? Or is this covered in the basic taxes?
I guess it's a bigger picture kind of answer - how much total tax to do we pay as compared to what we get back for our "investment" in our society?
germinator
Hi Bosco. There are many jurisdictions where high costs guarantee immediate access. In Singapore, where there are private and public options, each family is given a budget of 3K for their yearly healthcare needs. If they are underbudget they get a re-bate that they can either bank toward future healthcare costs, or spend as they wish. There are no waiting lists for healthcare. There are private and public services.
Although your family would gladly pay double to avoid line-ups, what about the many families that can't?
This is really the crux of the issue.
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