Canada’s health care system is not perfect, but it works.

Canada’s health care system is not perfect, but it works. And most importantly, it works efficiently.

There is a stormy discussion about the future of medical reform – it has both passionate supporters and categorical opponents. But everyone agrees that we must follow the developed countries here. What in practice is the medicine we are dreaming of – Europes who live abroad and know about it not from the rumors will tell.

My family and I arrived in Canada about 14 years ago and settled in the most populated province of Ontario, or more precisely, in Toronto. And perhaps, perhaps most of us in Canada were struck by the health system.

Maximum free medicine in Canada

Compared to the Europe medical community, Canada is more orderly and well-regulated. Every citizen or person holding a residence permit has a medical card – a state health insurance policy. For the poor, elderly people have additional types of state insurance.

We received our medical records by mail approximately three months after arriving in Canada – having just gained the status of permanent residents (the speed of bureaucratic procedures made us very impressive, but this is a separate topic for conversation). Without this card, you will not be accepted by any doctor. Of course, nobody will leave you there in the event of an emergency, but if you suddenly for some reason do not have state insurance, then you will have to pay a bill for it all out of your own pocket.

In general, medicine in Canada is free. Almost (why, almost, I’ll explain a bit below). Government insurance allows you to receive medical services from any public hospital in Canada and visit a family doctor. The services will be free for the patient – the doctor will bill the state on the basis of medical card data.

The health care system is funded at the provincial level, but there are practically no differences in health care costs across the country. Public funding includes family doctors and specialist doctors, diagnostic procedures, ambulance, most operations (appendicitis, removal of cancer tumors, etc.).

And now I’ll explain why it’s almost free. For example, the cost of one call, the “fast” carriage is more than 2600 kang. doll. In the presence of a state medical card the patient will have to pay 45 can. dollars, the rest – will cover the government. In addition, the state program does not finance visiting a dentist (except for emergencies and for children under 17 years old from low-income families), ophthalmologist services, prescription drugs. Read more here:

Government insurance allows you to receive medical services from any public hospital in Canada and visit your family doctor.

The prices for these additional services can be quite a bit to hit the pocket. For example, brushing teeth can cost 200-300 can. dollars , seal – 400-600 can. dollars, building and crowns from 2000 can. dollars and above (that is, from about 44 500 USD). One visit to an ophthalmologist costs from 150 can. dollars and additionally an individual selection of glasses – from 200 can. dollars A prescription drug (calculated on one course of treatment) can cost from 25 can. dollars and above. Also, the state does not cover the cost of additional and alternative treatment: massage, acupuncture, physiotherapy, etc.

Given the high cost of these services, most Canadians have additional insurance policies – either from the employer (beneficiaries) or private. The part of the cost of health insurance from the employer is deducted from the monthly wage, on average, 80-200 kin.doll. The amount depends on what services the worker wants to cover the cover. Everyone individually negotiates this with his employer, who takes over the bulk of the cost of insurance.

A separate private insurance policy will cost a lot – from 300 to 500 can. dollars month. With such policies you can apply to state clinics, and to private ones. Private clinics in Canada are few and they are not too popular. Firstly, due to the high cost of services, secondly, state clinics can also boast of all the necessary modern equipment, professional staff and careful treatment of patients. The only thing private clinics are fundamentally different from the state, except prices – the lack of queues. One way or another, health insurance, and often even a few policies, has all the Canadians.

For the financing of the health system, the Canadian Government spends a total of 141 billion Canals each year. USD, which is approximately 3961 Can. dollars for a citizen. And this is a very significant burden on taxpayers. Thus, a person who earns 42 000 can. dollars per year (this is the average salary of the Canadians, about 935 000 USD), as well as for the year, it pays to the budget approximately 4250 can. dollars (~ 10%) tax on maintenance of the health care system. As for the salaries of the doctors themselves, they are very and very decent in Canada – on average, a specialist doctor receives 339,000 people. dollars, and the family doctor is 271 thousand people. dollars per year.