One thing that’s been striking to me while living in the US is that the health care system is not good. Canadians grow up hearing how much better the US system is, but I really wish all Canadians had to live in the US for a year – then they’d stop whining.

The times I’ve been to the hospital I’ve always had to wait. When I go to the doctor I have to wait. I’m then handed bills for things even though I have health insurance! I’m told I can’t get all my dental work done this year because my insurance ran out after the first visit.

I work for a company that has decent, although not great, health insurance. But I’m sure our health coverage is better than the average American. I can’t imagine what they go through. Then not to mention that 40 millions Americans don’t even have health coverage. They can’t even get help in an emergency. Either that or they’ll be paying for it for the rest of their lives.

One of the most interesting arguments against the Canadian system I’ve heard down here is how expensive it is. This claim is completely false. The US spends over 14% of GDP on health care, whereas Canada spends just over 9% (the average of G7 nations).

I’m not saying the Canadian system doesn’t need improvement but I think we need to identify the real areas of weakness. “Not being like the American system” (as many Canadians would propose) is definitely not a weakness.

Some info:
Health Care Systems: An International Comparison
Health Care in Canada. Part II: Facing New Challenges