American Reacts to Canadian Healthcare Stories 

I think it's important to note, at the time this video was made BC was one of the only Provinces in Canada that had a provincial Healthcare monthly premium. She said it cost $108/month. As of January 1st, 2020 premiums were eliminated in BC as well, so you don't even pay monthly anymore.

I’m a Canadian living in Canada. 15 years ago, I did not feel well. So I went to emergency on a Monday morning. Took some tests, stayed overnight. Diagnosed with colon cancer on Tuesday. Had surgery on Friday. Stayed in the hospital for a week. Had chemotherapy for Six months. Total cost was $0. Still cancer free.

As a Canadian, I think it's a little sad that most of us (Canadians) don't appreciate the health care system we have. Certainly improvements can be made, however when I hear people complaining about "long wait times" in a clinic or hospital - I consider how many people in other countries don't get any care or can't afford care at all. I'm sure those people wouldn't mind waiting hours for a couple stitches without cost or concern. My baby brother was born with Cystic Fibrosis - died at age 15 in 1987 ... exemplary care for his entire lifetime and insanely expensive ($2,800 per day) medications at no cost to our family and there were no bills for the many, many times he was in the hospital for treatments. Yeah ... he would never have seen his second birthday in the states.

I can’t imagine living with the American health care system. I am so grateful to be Canadian!

As a Canadian, I am glad to pay taxes so our healthcare takes care of ALL Canadians . Same for our education system.

Two stories here, one from each side of the border. Canadian here. My daughter is married to an American and lives in Washington State. When she was 8 years old, my granddaughter had a life-threatening lung shut down. Was in the Seattle/Tacoma Children's Hospital for a few weeks. She was on life support equipment but she was not expected to go home. She is 17 now. The hospital bill was over 1.3 million US dollars. My son-in-law, God bless his soul, is a very responsible person and had good insurance. He had to pay around $30,000 which, because he is who he is, he was able to manage. When my oldest son was 17 he was diagnosed with brain cancer. If, at that time, I lived in the US and was in a similar financial situation as I was then, my son would have died. He is now 45. I have no idea what it cost to save his life. It never came up in any discussion with the doctors or hospitals. American medicine and hospitals are very, very good . . . for those that can afford it. Canadian medicine and hospitals are just as good . . . for everyone. Many Canadians complain about the long waits for non-emergency surgery but I think that is a small price to pay for the many lives that are saved because we have universal health care.

I don't mind paying a bit more in taxes so that kid out in BC can get the treatments he needs.

I'm so proud to be Canadian 🍁

My father turned down a well paying American job due to my health. In the 40 years since I have had several hospital visits, I have done 24 years of dialysis, 3 kidney transplants, almost died 3 times, several other surgeries & never once did my parents fear losing their house. In all those years we have never paid a penny. Thank God my father thought ahead and we stayed in Canada.

Canadian here (living in Nanaimo actually 😊). I’m 67 with a 64 year old mentally challenged sister that is declining and requires comprehensive 24/7 medical care. My sister has received government subsidies for her entire life but now she has moved into a care home that is 100% paid for by the British Columbia healthcare system. She even requires a specialized wheelchair…also paid for by our healthcare system. Her care is excellent and she is happy there. She has a team looking after her consisting of a: physiotherapy, nursing, dietician, social worker and physician. She still receives a monthly amount to cover things like toothpaste, haircuts, manicures, pedicures and the like. Honestly, so glad to be living here….I visit her everyday and I am so grateful for the care she is receiving. 🇨🇦

In Canada , health care is a right . In the USA , health care is a business .

Our system is not perfect, but I'm eternally grateful I live in Canada where our medical needs come before whether or not we can pay for it. ❤️ being Canadian! As a Native, the majority of all medications and other things are covered for me. Generally, most people can pay for supplemental insurance through their work or privately to offset meds, and any other therapies etc that are not covered by their provincial insurance. FYI, it was 3 Canadians who invented insulin.

Three months ago my brother collapsed and vomited blood. Ambulance took him to hospital, there for four days, they cauterized 3 bleeding ulcers and packed two because they were so big and couldn’t be cauterized. Only cost was the ambulance ride, which was still cheaper than a taxi. He’s also had several follow-ups. I’m good with paying taxes for our health care. Even if I never had any need to use it, I’d still support it for peace of mind and for my fellow Canadians. It would break my heart if we were a country where people had to use a go fund me to pay for an operation.

Did you know that Keifer Sunderlands grandfather Tommy Douglas is considered the father of publicly funded health care in Canada. These stories are all part of his legacy.

Just wanted to say thank you for this video, I am Canadian and I am guilty of getting frustrated with how much we pay in taxes. I thankfully have no health issues, but this has opened my eyes to those who do and makes me much happier about where my money does go ❤ so thank you for the perspective.

American taxes go towards the military. Canadian taxes go towards Health care for its citizens.

I used to live in Niagara Falls (Canadian side) and worked at a hotel. Many Americans visiting would make fun of our healthcare system because of misconceptions…my answer to them was this…”when I go to a hospital the first question I’m asked is where do you hurt not do you have insurance “ it was enough to make them stop and think

I am a disabled person, I have multiple medical conditions. Last year I ended up in the ER after my initial workup I was told if I hadn't come in I would have been dead by morning. They gave me a medication in the ER, one IV that they told me cost 20K to save my life. Then I was admitted for 24 hour a day IV's I was in hospital for 14 days. I never got a bill for all of this I can only shudder how much that would have cost in the States. In the past 3 years I have been in hospital a total of 54 days. I have no idea how much that would have cost in the States and I am thankful that Canada cares enough to make sure I am still alive! All of my medical problems were caused by a drug my mother was given when she was pregnant with me, it changed my DNA and gave me these medical conditions, so it was no fault of mine

I'm a Canadian and at the time all this happened I lived in Manitoba. I had four craniotomies (brain surgeries) in a two-year period. All of them took six or more hours to complete. After the first craniotomy, I had a stroke caused by complications from the craniotomy completely paralyzing my left side. I took over four months as a patient in the hospital doing PT/OT before I could go home. Then it took another six months of PT as a patient at the outpatient rehab hospital before I could use my left side. The second and third craniotomy had no major complications. They just required a two-week in-hospital recovery. After the fourth craniotomy, I developed a staph infection. Again I was in the hospital as a patient, this time for two and a half months receiving twice-daily IV antibiotics after they put a P.I.C.C. line in me. Then after two and a half months they sent me home where a nurse came to my home twice a day and gave me two daily IVs for two more months. Since then, I go to a pain clinic every week to get nerve block injections because of the chronic pain. There have been countless Specialists and Doctors that I've had to see. I've lost count of how many MRIs/CTs/X-rays I've had to do. Then there is all the different medications I have had to take and still take. I haven't paid a thing! I know every province has it's differences it's all basically the same. If I was in the States I would have died.

Canadian here. I lived in the US for about a year, working as an attorney. I had a green card. I had the choice of staying there, but I decided to move back to Canada. The healthcare system was one of the factors in my decision.

As a Canadian who lived and worked in the US for a number of years, I had excellent coverage through my employment. I moved back to Canada some years ago but commuted daily from Canada to my job. So I had US coverage as well as the government provided Canadian healthcare. Two years ago I was diagnosed with cancer and knew immediately I would want to receive my treatment in Canada. I know my care in the US would have also been excellent (I worked at a large U.S. medical Center). But I also knew I would incur substantial co-pays and deductibles. There was no waiting for treatment in Canada. From the time of my diagnosis I had lab work done, CT scan and follow up with a surgeon all within 2 weeks. After surgery I was hospitalized for several days and had follow up visits with the surgeon and additional CT scan. My cost for all of this was $0.00. I am grateful that I live in Canada and grateful that we have universal healthcare. The doctors I know in the US are excellent as well but unfortunately the care you receive is dictated by insurance companies.

The next time a Republican senator stands up and tells you all about the imaginary number of Canadians coming to the US for treatment, tell them about all of the real Americans that live in Canada who cannot go home due to health care costs.

In the USA, healthcare is a business. In Canada, It's a service. Canada is amazing. We have a lot of bad wait times for care in our country, but if you ever need urgent treatment due to life or death situations you will get it without having the added anxiety of wondering if you can afford to survive the neccesary care.

I’m 68 yrs old living in Ontario. Over the last 15 years I’ve had 2 foot surgeries, 5 years of monthly spinal injections, Stage 4 cancer surgery and chemotherapy, a hip replacement as well as the usual medical visits. I have never paid for anything. I love my country for loving me.

First of all, I love your channel! I just watched this video and want to chime in as a Canadian. This last fall (2022) I had quite a few medical issues. I won't go into too much detail, but I had 2 MRI's, an x-ray, a CT scan, oral antibiotics, a week's worth of IV antibiotics, and many in hospital blood tests. The only things I paid for were parking at the hospital, and the oral antibiotics. The whole time, I kept saying I was soooo grateful to be here. I cannot imagine what my financial state would be had I been an American.

I'm canadian from Montreal but I lived in the US for many years. When my son was born I was living in Santa Monica, CA. I had a C-Section, which was thankfully covered by my health insurance that i got from work. When I was in the recovery room after my son was born, a nurse came in to tell me that an instrument that was used during the procedure was missing. So they needed to do an x-ray to see if it was left inside of me. So they did it and thank God it was not in me. About a month later a got a huge bill to pay for the x-ray because it was not part of what was covered for C-Sections. I coudn't believe it!! I had to fight the hospital, but I eventually won and they covered the bill! I'm very grateful for the health care system in Canada, event though I know it is not perfect!

I am a Canadian and a few years ago my wife became very ill during a trip we took to San Francisco. She had to be taken to the hospital to be treated there. It was weird going to the emergency room there on a typical day. The first thing they asked was "How are you paying for this?". The doctor and emergency room was hidden until you passed the cashier. Fortunately we purchased travel insurance before our trip. Once we got our paperwork done we got to go into the emergence room. It was EMPTY. Like no patients. That was very eerie to us. Obviously we got to see a doctor right away. He checked her over did some blood work and a CT scan because she had passed out in the hotel room prior to going to the hospital. She was given an IV to increase her fluid level and we were sent back to the hotel. The total cost for a 2 hour visit was $11,000. That's when it hit me that many people are afraid to go to the hospital because of the cost. I asked a nurse about it and she said that even those with insurance are afraid as they are not sure that their insurance will approve and cover the costs. The next day we headed home with my wife still very ill. Once we landed I took her straight to the hospital. Yep back in Canada and to a full emergency waiting room. She was triaged by a nurse and was given a bed right away skipping many of the people who have been there a long time. In Canada we are not treated by first come first serve but by the severity of your need. After some initial assessment she was transferred to a bed in the hospital for further diagnosis. By this time she was extremely ill. Her only symptom was sever diarrhea which would happen 10-15 times a day. She was constantly dehydrated and very low on potassium despite being given plenty of IV fluids with potassium. After a battery of tests and scans it was determined that she had a rare pancreatic cancer called VIPoma. She went into surgery and had the tumor removed. Her total time in the hospital was 2 months and it cost us $0 dollars. So even though the Canadian system is flawed I can say that I will take it over the American system just based on cost alone.

Canada is having a bit of a healthcare crisis these days like most of the world. I hate that my government thinks the solution is bringing a two tiered system like the USA. 😢

Canadian here. When I gave birth to my son, it cost us 225 $ because we chose to have a private recovery room for the three days afterwards. We also got offered a home visit from a nurse once we got home and as many pediatrician visits we needed. We didn't pay for anything else healthcare wise. Being hormonal, I was really touched about how my community cares about new families. I felt like our child was welcome. I'm always curious watching American shows about having to fill out a bunch of paperwork when you get to the hospital for an emergency. The only paperwork you have to fill out is if you are admitted to the hospital after the initial doctor evaluation and there is only one main form which is basically a consent form. In the US it seems like the first thing healthcare providers seem to care about is being paid, makes me wonder about priorities.

I live in Manitoba, I can go anywhere in Canada and have my health costs covered. I'm not sure we Canadians fully understand what our Americans neighbours go through with healthcare. An intellectual understanding, but not an experienced understanding. We take it for granted our health won't bankrupt us. Thank you Tommy Douglas (SK) for our healthcare system.

I’d be bankrupt many times over living in the States. I needed open heart surgery when I was four, I’ve had multiple surgeries because of pregnancy complications, my youngest spent a week in the NICU… just, yeah. The most I have ever had to pay was $20 for a parking pass and for my snacks at the cafeteria.

I live in Toronto, recently I had a minor heart attack and had two stents placed in my heart. I was admitted right away and spent 7 days in the ICU. Amazing care at Sunnybrook hospital. Total cost was $40 for the ambulance ride :)

Here is my Canadian healthcare story, 2013 i had to have my gallbladder removed, I went into emergency on a friday evening , got admited in 15 mins, they ran some tests,, had surgery around 2:30 am , spent the rest of Sat. and Sunday and half of Monday recovering , was discharged late Monday afternoon. to this day i have no idea what it cost , didn't cost me a dime out of pocket.

My wife and I did power walking for years. In 2001 I started feeling shortness of breath and couldn't keep up with my wife. It got bad enough that my wife, a British trained RN, told me I should see my doctor. When I did, he immediately put me on nitro, which helped a lot. The only cost so far was the pharmacy fee for filling the Px, $9.99 each time. When I later, in 2002, visited my doctor and told him I had to use the meds before gong to bed he immediately put me on an urgent list. When I saw the heart specialist at St. Michael's hospital I was told I had a 98% blockage in an artery feeding my heart. The result was the insertion of a stent while I was still lying on the examination table. I was able to watch the procedure and could have walked to a bed right then. The next day, after release by the head nurse, I walked back to my hotel, had breakfast with my wife and son and went home - an hour and a half drive btw. Through all of that the only bills I got were for pharmacy fees. Waiting time that you hear about seems to be a question of how critical your doctor thinks your case is.

As a Canadian I love our health system. I had heart surgery in 2006 and it didn’t cost me a dime.

I fell down a flight of stairs in 2016 and separated my foot from my leg. Calling 911 was the start of a year long healing process. Emergency surgery, 2 months in hospital, daily cast changes and xrays, CT scans and MRIs. 6 months in a wheelchair, 4 months of physiotherapy, a year in a cast, and a second surgery on my 1 yr anniversary. I am also a heart patient with a rare heart condition. Ive had 7 heart procedures since 2019 along with care from cardiology and electrophysiology . I am currently in process of getting a power wheelchair due to my ongoing health condition. I am Canadian. The cost for ALL the above? $0.00

Thanks for the video from Ottawa Canada. There are a lot of doctor shortages here, very long wait times and many other issues, but at the end of the day people aren't left bankrupt or dead and that's always great to know as a Canadian.

Whenever I’m asked by American about our healthcare system I tell them the easiest way to understand it is that if you end up in the hospital for anything in Canada you will not have to get a second mortgage on your house.

I had a baby here in canada. I got blood tests, monthly OB appointments, gave birth with a 2 night stay, had a midwife check up on me for 6 weeks and i didnt have to worry about any costs. I also went on maternity leave for a year

Had the most extreme pain in my middle back, then my lower abdomen. I thought I was dying. Arrived at the Ottawa Civic Hospital at 9pm. Checked in triage and immediately was given pain medication that within a minute made me feel normal. They took blood at the same time and I was sent to the Cat scan within 42 minutes of arrival. Was released four hours later after seen by a specialist. Walked home and felt 100% at 1am. Kidney stones. They shattered them and now I feel great! Cost……zero.

There is private insurance here in Canada but it's typically for prescription drugs, dental, glasses, medical equipment and depending on province used for private rooms in hospitals

Here in Quebec, until a few years ago, hospitals attempted to recover some revenue through higher parking fees at hospital lots. The government put an end to that and now in Quebec by law, the first two hours in a parking lot at a hospital are free. The price for parking between two and four hours starts at $6, depending on the region, with a maximum $10 fee for a 24-hour period.

the best thing about free health care in canada is one less thing to worry about when your sick or hurt

I am in Canada and my husband had a massive heart attack in 2018 (which he thankfully survived). His first chest pain was at 3:10 AM and we were at our local hospital by 3:30 (we are in a small town) where they told us he was actively having a heart attack. They took him by ambulance to a world renowned cardiac hospital 45 minutes away (it only took them 25 min to get there) and I grabbed some necessities for him at home and followed a few minutes later. The whole time I was driving (upset and panicking about his possible outcome), I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to be worrying about the financial implications on top of my main priority of his well being. I arrived at the cardiac hospital about 45 minutes after he did and when I got there he had already received 4 stents surgically and was resting comfortably in a room. Our total cost was $0. The only thing we have paid for as a result of this catastrophic event is dispensing fees on his medications (he has insurance through work for prescriptions). I can't tell you how blessed I feel with my husbands outcome and our healthcare system. It's definitely not a perfect system...long wait times sometimes in emergency departments, patients waiting in halls for an open room, sometimes long wait times for specialist appointments, but I'll take it. True emergencies get taken care of quickly. Thanks for reacting with an open mind.

Up in Canada here, my father has been on pill chemo for the past 4 years, and that one pill/day alone, would have cost us close to $4,000 per month. So I am very glad we live up here.

My brother in the States had an operation after an accident which cost him $75,000. He knew my Canadian brother had had a triple bypass heart operation and asked how much he paid for his operation. My Cdn. brother placed his Cdn Health Care card on the table. My other brother cried.

I had a test done were I needed to be sedated, and a surgeon did the procedure. I was thankful the entire time I wouldn't have to pay for it. All the staff were so nice as well. Glad to be Canadian.

When I had my son I ended up with an emergency c section after 36 hours of labour. I had a private labour room and a private post delivery room. I left the hospital with zero bill, never even something I thought about. My mom right now is in the process of being diagnosed with Cancer. She just went for some radiation treatment in a different town, 4 hours ride in an ambulance. She is in hospital, and a bill is not a thing that we are even thinking about.

I'm Canadian. In July of 2021 I had a double mastectomy, then in January and February I had 2 separate surgeries to remove kidney stones that had been caused by an infection. Just that alone likely would have bankrupted me if I'd been living in the US. In Canada though, I paid nothing (well, I did have to pay for the medication I took after the fact, but I think that came out to a total of $20)

I can’t imagine living in the states and having to go through something so horrible and being stuck with these huge bills that does damage your life so much. That’s infuriating. I had cancer in 2012 and I didn’t have to worry about any bills at all and I went through many many treatments and operations. Everything was covered

One of the main reasons they can’t move back is it would be considered a pre-existing condition so in the US it wouldn’t be covered or your medical treatment would be extremely expensive. Every province pays different amounts toward your medical coverage between $100-300 per person & family and on average $1000 out of your taxes per year( directly for a middle class person)also each province has a prescription drug coverage.15 years ago in the US in a hospital a Tylenol was between $9-12 each. Even if you travel to the US and you get sick and have no insurance you are charged the full amount. People get cancer and it bankrupts people. America is the only country that doesn’t have Universal or Socialized medicine and charges such a huge amount. It’s also a business and medical CEO’s and administration get paid millions a year. Doctors in Canada & the USA make roughly the same amount each year.

I've worked in both the US and Canadian systems. I came back to Manitoba partly because of healthcare. It's not perfect by any means, and since 2016 when Pallister went after health (while praising the US system), we are hurting. But as someone who couldn't get coverage for asthma controlling meds, and went through 4 rescue inhalers a month, I still will go for the Canadian system every day.

I'm on Facebook support groups for my own health issues and often see shocking stories from Americans about their insurance companies not covering basic treatments for the disease, that I take for granted here in Canada. People were foregoing treatments that could keep them alive or using less preferred older options. Some were actually in the middle of a medical emergency and were asking for advice instead of going to the ER because they were worried about the cost. It really was shocking to those living outside the US.

Im Canadian, one day after a few life changing things caused me tons of stress, i keeled over in my seat and couldnt move. I was rushed to a hospital and was diagnosed with severe Crohns Disease. I had dropped to 72 lbs(i was 5'10 and 20yo at the time). If i didnt get to the hospital that night i wouldnt of lived, over the next 4 months i was hospitalized to recover just to have a surgery, which i got and a week later i was home and fairly healthy. I got a FULL team of doctors, nurses nutritionist, and more to look after me during the stay, food provided even from their own pockets if it wasnt at the hospital itself. Fantastic people who had saved my life, all i had to pay after 5 total months of care.. was $50 for the ambulance to rush me there. All my meds (too many to list), food, visitor care, wifi to keep me entertained, heck they even gave me a free card for tea in the coffee shop downstairs just to get me to be active and walk around more! I love yhe healthcare system and even if i need to wait a while.. i will never complain about it.

Great video Tyler! As a Canadian, born and raised here in Ontario, I haven't known any other system, but have friends & family in the U.S., so I do have comparables. Also, as a family man with a wife & 3 kids, I don't take our system for granted! There has been multiple trips to the doctor, some to emerg., and not once, do I need to ask myself the question 'can I afford the treatment'! Indeed, there may be 'significant' wait times for non-urgent or elective procedures, but if it's truly an emergency, you get the care you need - and don't need to remortgage your house to do so. My father had a double valve heart surgery in 2019 - between the operation & his 5 day stay after, it would have cost - at minimum - $130,000 in the States. His cost here in Canada, $0 for the procedure, but around $500 (that was $100/day) for special medication & physio for the 5 days after. We may not have the perfect system. It does have it's flaws, but I will take those flaws over the US model.

I lived in The US for a couple years but the stress of the medical system was too much for me. Never knowing what would be covered. Never sure how much my share would cost. Being told things would be covered only to receive a bill and have to submit an appeal to my insurance company. I took meticulous notes during calls with my insurance provider and always documented the call reference number. I don't imagine that's something I'd ever have to do in Canada. I left and moved back home and have one less thing to worry about. I often wonder how much simply the stress of the system contributes to an individuals health and healing. I certainly did me no favours! Glad to be home and not have to worry about cost of my heathcare.

The $100 a month she mentioned was a monthly fee charged by government in BC and usually.paid by employers as a benefit. It was a fee per family regardless of family size. This was eliminated a couple years ago. So today there is no premium. You do need to be a Canadian resident for the "free" health care as it is 100 percent covered by taxes. Visitors from outside Canada would have to pay.

I'm an ER nurse and most definitely notice that more people come to the ER here in Canada for non emergencies vs the USA. I always wondered why the US hospitals seemed to be more high acuity and more trauma based. It makes sense why people try not to go unless it was a true emergency... Due to all the $$$ paid out of pocket. Our "private" insurance pays for things like physio, dental, prescriptions, braces etc....

The shock/surprise look on your face when she said she never filled out any paperwork when they saw the doctor, was the EXACT SAME look I had on my face, looking at your reaction. I hadn't realized how much I take that for granted. It's so normal. And I was so shocked/surprised that you found this shocking and surprising. Canadians don't mind using their taxes to help a kid fight cancer in another province, or someone else's grandmother get treatments she needs to live. Not everything in life is about money. That's where the free markets and capitalism of the United States fails.

I live in Quebec and have had multiple surgeries other the years. I also did 4 years of peritoneal dialysis (which is worth about 60k per year without counting the cost of the machine) as well as a kidney transplant with a full week hospitalization and did not pay a single dollar for any of it (aside from the government fees on my taxes of course). Some Canadians that are never sick are frustrated with paying taxes for a service they never use, however the day you need it you are extremely grateful to have it :)

I'm from BC. So citizens used to pay a small insurance premium to the BC government for health care, but in actuality the taxes pay for most of the health care costs, along with the premiums. Currently employers are required to pay those premiums and citizens just don't have to pay the extra premiums, they just pay their normal taxes.

I have multiple sclerosis and require routine MRIs that are completely covered. In the last few years, I've had 2 brain surgeries, hip and shoulder replacements. Didn't pay for any of it. I can't imagine how much that would cost if I lived in the US

As a Canadian I’m so happy to have our health care I’m in Ontario is called OHIP so when I go into the hospital no one ever ever asks how are you paying they just ask for your health card and that’s it no paper work nothing😊😊😊🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

I had a urinary infection, so I went to the local hospital emergency ward. I arrived at 11:00am, was admitted, had a blood test, urine test, CT scan, injection for the infection, prescription for continuing treatment, and got back in my car at 2:00pm. 3 hours total. Cost: $0.00. What a great system.

When she said she pays her $100/m that was called MSP and not all provinces paid for it. In BC, they eliminated MSP about 13yrs ago. So there is NO out of pocket expenses at all. None. You need care, you walk in and get care. Doesn’t matter about what income, or any socio-economic demographic status you are in. I have plenty of amazing healthcare stories in Canada.

In Canada if you're homeless you have free emergency care no questions asked

My brain is having difficulty comprehending how Americans mentally handle the everyday health roulette and (respectively) why they choose to stay, especially if you have a chronic/life threatening illness. If I heard that I would be facing 165k every 6 months, I would be planning a move instead. My mother required biologic injections for RA and the costs were insane. SO glad we are Canadian. Seeing and hearing about the complications of trying to obtain basic health care in America makes me anxious. Every Rx I have filled for myself or my children, I am so thankful and grateful. Fingers crossed it stays this way here!

Canadian here, my husband called his family doctor on a Wednesday with concerns. He was seen that same day by PCP. He had an ultrasound the following day, back at PCP the next day to discuss results and referral to a specialist. He had cancer, and in an 8-day span he went from calling the family doctor to surgery to remove the tumor. He had about 6 appointments in that week, followup appointments, treatment and scans, and will have regular ongoing CT scans and tests to monitor for recurrence every 3 months for life. Our entire out of pocket costs have been $28 for parking at the hospital.

I've lived in Canada all my life, in Ontario. In 2008, I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. I was diagnosed on a Friday, admitted to hospital on Monday, and was on chemo by Thursday. I received chemo 24 hours a day for seven days straight. I remained in hospital for another four or five weeks while my blood levels tanked and then climbed back up. Fortunately, I was in remission. I did not have to pay a cent for any of my treatment while in hospital. Yes, I have additional health coverage through my employer, but that's to cover the few things that the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP - our provincial government health plan) didn't cover ... things like semi private or private room while in hospital. I also had to have an injection every day for 10 days after I was released from hospital. These injections were not covered by OHIP and were $100 each. But my coverage through my employer covered that. Yes, we pay for health care through our provincial taxes, but we don't need to have private health care. Americans don't seem to realize that yes, your taxes will go up with universal health care, but you no longer need to pay health insurance premiums every month. The two basically cancel each other out. You may even pay less.

Several years ago former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Roslyn were in Winnipeg with Habitat for Humanity. Jimmy Carter was injured on the workplace and had to spend 24 hours in St. Boniface Hospital. When he was discharged he asked a Nurse where he had to go to pay his bill. The Nurse said, "Oh Sir, I don't think you have to pay". She directed him to an office and they confirmed what the Nurse had said. He didn't have to pay. Mr. Carter was stunned by that and discussed it in interviews in the U.S. Canadians are able to buy private insurance if they want to. That is probably what the young mother in the video was talking about paying $108.00 a month for. With this private insurance, they would get 80% back from any prescriptions, dental bills, ambulance bills, optical exams, etc. that they have to pay for.

Yet the majority of Americans absolutely reject socialism? As a Canadian,🇨🇦 I don't get it. 🤔

I have had a congenital abdominal condition. Where my intestines were all messed up. We were in Florida and were on our way driving home to Canada. We stopped at a motel while my parents looked for a drug store. We went home and I saw a specialist and had major surgery and a month in hospital. No cost except for the TV we rented when I was able to watch it. I have also seen the difference between the treatment of cancer for children in Chicago depending on what your social status is. I can no longer go to the US. I have health issues my whole life since I was born premature and have had life time health issues. I am so glad that I live in Canada. When I lived in BC for my first job, we had monthly payments to BC health. They were abolished a long time ago. The heath care is a provincial system a Canadian can get healthcare in any province, but each province covers things in their own way. Usually, there is a method of figuring out how to cover people for “ out of province care. Negotiation between provinces takes care of it.

I wanted to add this as well. I'm a Canadian born & bread Canadian in Quebec. My father in law, around the year 2000, was diagnosed with Colon Cancer. At the time, Québec did not have enough specialist to treat this type of cancer so the Québec (Provincial Gov.) & the Federal Gov. made plans with New York, USA to send buses down with these people diagnosed with this type of cancer (I'm only talking about my father-in-law & I'm sure there where other different kind of cancer patients) so : 1st - They would leave for the whole weekend to go the New York 2nd - I'm sorry, I can't recall the hospital at this time. 3rd - They would bee setup at a 3 to 4 star hotel (from Friday night till Monday Morning) 4th - They would attend every day for there treatment 5th - They would come back on Monday in the afternoon & this went on for many months if I recall correctly. This was completly payed EVERYTHING 100% by the Canadian & Quebec Government including, Bus travel (which my parent said was very confortable & it was only a 2:30 hr ride, Hotels, all meals, all hospital cost care 100%. They never applied for anything, this was all done throught our government. All information about all patients where sent to the Dr. That would take care of them, so they never found out how much this all cost. It was simply payed directly from our Governments to however in New York. I wanted to throught this in because for our Government, it is much more than just the money, this is about saving Canadian Life's & I would expect no less from Canada. Quick tip bit : Québec in the only Province that pay PROVINCIAL Taxes unlike any other province or territory in Canada & I look it up & Quebecer's pay THE HIGHEST TAXE IN NORTH AMERICA. Do I care, absolutly not, they have always had our backs well not always, we are talking about Gov. :-) but pretty close. When I had my child, I got the benefits of sending by child to pre-school at $7.00/day with a tax credit for this. I could go on & specialize our senior, they paid into our Pension plans their whole life so that I could get a Pension plan for my whole life so I thx these Seniors & ivm so happy that they don't have to worry about where they will end up. I hope this BLOWS your mind. From a friendly Canadian, Live your best Life & Stay save. 🇲🇶🇨🇦🇺🇦✌️😁🙏🙏

I have a very rare Autoimmune Disorder among other things my 1 treatment I do twice a year and it’s over $20,000 every time; that doesn’t include my other meds, I’m on around 20 different medications I pay $90 /2 months if I lived in the USA I wouldn’t be here. When I was diagnosed they said I was #7 in Canada with this condition, so I joined the study group to help others hopefully 🤞🙏🏻💕

Great video. If I'm understanding correctly, what the mom in this video is referring to is supplemental health insurance, probably from work. Everyone has all the basics covered through our tax system. Supplemental insurance would cover things like prescriptions, dental, eye care, maybe supports you need to purchase for your home, physiotherapy, etc. No one in Canada has to pay for an emergency room visit, a doctor's appointment, a hospital stay, surgery, childbirth, etc.

Currently my autoimmune disease cost about $12,000 a month in medications and about $8,000 a month in platelets and blood transfusions. Plus the cost of ATG treatment. Between my private health insurance and government insurance and compassionate coverage I pay about $1,000 a yeay in out of pocket expenses. Couldn't afford to live in the US.

Tyler. 87 year old dual citizen here. Ten years in US military, ten in Canadian. Till 2020 worked Washington DC. But always returned to Canada for the big stuff. I love your channel. I just wish there was some way you could live here for about four years and really see how amazing this place really is. It would be an education.

Tyler, I really enjoy your videos about Canada. I am a Canadian who recently had a hip replacement operation. I had the best of care and the cost to me was $0. The sad thing is the Conservatives in this country want a 'for profit' model for our health care. Pray for us.

A few years ago BC fazed the monthly payments out. (I'm sure it was added to taxes but there's no longer a monthly payment.) You can get extended healthcare but it mostly covers dental, glasses and prescriptions. Our medical system has flaws. Lots of flaws. But (as an example) my mother had chronic heart trouble, she got sick and spent a week in hospital. Dozens of test and procedures, eventually she died. If we had then been hit with a bill for thousands of dollars it would've wiped out her Estate and probably put the whole family into debt.

My spouse is American and has no desire to go back as crime is very low here in Toronto and healthcare is not a worry! Her father passed away from cancer and the limitations in the treatments available to him by his private health plan in the USA. My father had cancer in his late 70s and survive and all the treatments were fully covered by the provincial plan. I am happy to say he is 94 years young and still very active and healthy!

The simple explanation of Canadian health care is this: Each provincial government acts as the health care insurer for the residents of that province. Our taxes are the premiums; everyone pays some tax even if some pay a lot more than others. Most doctors are in private practice, and others work at hospitals. Since the province isn't out to make money from the system, it isn't going to deny any test or procedure (except for outright quack stuff, of course). Therefore, doctors can go ahead and do what the patient needs without checking in. Each province has directory of billing codes agreed upon by doctors and the provincial health department, so all charges are consistent. No matter where you are in the province, if your doctor sends you over to radiology for a chest x-ray, the cost billed to the province is the same. The patients never get the bills. A small walk-in clinic with 4 to 7 doctors needs just one person to take care of billing. That saves the doctors a lot of money, actually, compared to the American system where the insurer demands so much paperwork. Doctors make a good living but not enough to attract the kind of doctor who cares more about being rich than looking after patients. Because it's a tax-based, non-profit system, it's no-frills and egalitarian.

i live in Belgium i paid 1 euro to go to the doctor last time i went , because i hadn't earned enough a few years before and i got a reduction in 2x yearly payments of 29 euro...(which was 25 euro just a few months ago , for decades ) for the next 3-4 YEARS i got dentist deductions , 7 euro to go to the dentist , which i mostly got back from healthcare ... everybody just pays a little 2x times a year , so the money keeps coming in for when You go through something and Don't go bankrupt for braking your pinky ...

I had quad bypass surgery a few years ago, the only cost was for an upgrade to a semi private room during my recovery and the deductible on my meds which is 250$ a year. In the US it would have cost me around 150,000 USD not counting the meds.

Think of the Canadian healthcare system like your fire department. You don't know how much exactly or how your taxes pay for it, you just know they do, and when you have a fire you call them for help immediately without fear of cost. That's exactly how it works.

When my daughter was two, she began having seizures and slipped into a coma in the middle of the night. We rushed her to McMaster Children’s hospital, (in Hamilton, Ontario) ran to the front desk and were immediately told to follow the receptionist to a private room. Within seconds, there were seven doctors in the room, and several nurses. My daughter was put on IV fluids immediately and many tests were run. The doctors discovered she has a rare metabolic disorder which if monitored carefully was manageable. After staying in the hospital for two weeks, she went home in good health with a diagnosis that would keep her alive indefinitely. The only cost to us for two weeks in the hospital and for the incredible care and knowledge of some of the world’s best doctors, was the cost of parking.

I am a 79 year old man living in New Brunswick Canada. In the last four years I have had two cancer operations. I have had the top lobe of my left lung removed and a tumour removed from my right kidney. Both surgeries were successful and there wasn’t any need for chemotherapy or radiation, because they caught it early. The lung problem was spotted by a routine X-ray and they had it diagnosed and the operation done within six weeks. I have twice yearly follow up ,complete with scans and / or rays to make sure it is gone. I also have just had a spine fusion because of spinal stenosis and am recovering well from that. The cost to me for everything consisted of paying for parking at the hospital, about five bucks a visit. All the specialists I felt with were young well educated professionals. Do we have a perfect health system? No there are some problems but the good outweighs the bad by a lot!

The $108 was the provincial healthcare monthly premium. Now in 2021 we don't even pay a monthly premium in BC. However, we pay more in taxes then in US. Also, after covid our health care in BC faced a shortage of family doctors. However our provincial and federal govt has decided to add 💰 to “fix” the issue in 2023.

In B.C. there is health premium everyone of a certain income level pays. That 108 dollars would be for the entire family. But as of Jan. 1 2020 those premiums have been eliminated and the medical services plan (M.S.P.) is free to all.

I have a Special needs child that ends up in the hospital alot, she was also born 5 weeks early and spent 10 days in the nicu. I am so thankful I live in Canada. There are other family's with children with Angelman Syndrome like my daughter who live in the States and my heart breaks for them every time they are in the hospital sometimes for days/ weeks.. sometimes they go home to end up back in only a little while later. Mainly my heart breaks for what they are going through with thier kids, but also what it MUST cost . Like I said my daughter was 5 weeks early spent 10 days In the NICU ( born with " something " on her Lungs and had a case of Apnea while eating) and it cost me maybe 150$ total.. thats counting Gas$ to drive back and for the the hospital and the cost of Parking.. ( we bought a week pass)

3 weeks ago I broke my left shoulder, badly. I went to emerg at my local hospital, was triaged and saw a doctor within 30 minutes. After the initial assessment and x-rays I saw a specialist. One sling later, some pain killers, and two more specialist visits, along with more x-rays, I will be starting physio. I live in northern Ontario. Cost to me was zero, except for the dispensing fee for the drugs which totalled all of $19 CDN. The experience at the hospital left me with the feeling that while the system may not be perfect, the staff there really did care and were doing their best.

The lady in British Columbia said she was paying $108 per month for the government provincial health insurance. As of 2021, it has been removed, so there is no longer any additional cost beyond beyond your federal and provincial taxes. There are some out of pocket costs for miscellaneous extras like crutches, etc, if needed, which everyone complains about. I live in BC. I recently was diagnosed with stage 3 kidney cancer. The tests, scans, and scopes were completed within a week, the kidney was removed within a month, and I have started the follow-up therapy. I did not pay one cent for any of this. I looked up what the surgery would have cost in the US, and it was indicated that that the kidney removal would cost $20,000US .... 200,000 to 500,000US if chemo or radiation is eventually required. It will not cost me one cent for all future treatment. There are problems with the Canadian system. However, no one will lose their house because they are sick. Everyone is covered from the poorest to the richest. Some of the latter will go to the US for treatment because they can get it faster, especially for things like knee and hip replacements, so be it. That just removes a person out of the queue . We have a great system that only the rich in the US find fault with when the topic of expanding the US health care rises. One might think that is because those people think they have no responsibility to help support their overall society. Our government is discussing bringing in a pharmacare plan. Yes, this is "Socialism" and our taxes are higher. It is finding the balance.

If I lived in the states I’d have been bankrupted several times, and also would have put off seeing a doctor for a couple of things that would have got far worse (caught my duodenal ulcer in the early stages here).

I also live in British Columbia and have paid into the system for 50 years, while barely requiring to use it. However, I am ecstatic to hear stories like these, and know that my tax dollars are helping them. It easily could’ve been the other way around.

Something else about the Canadian healthcare system which is rarely discussed is preventative treatment. How many Americans would ever drive their cars without ever getting them serviced, even for an oil change? The answer is none. However, how many Americans will not or cannot pay for an annual check-up? How many Americans die or suffer from health issues which could have been caught and treated sooner if the person had received annual check-ups?

My experience with our healthcare system in Canada has never been anything, but absolutely positive, and quick. I’ve never had to wait for anything more than maybe a month or two for an MRI, I was diagnosed with a D issue, which would be considered elective, and from the time I first saw the specialist until the time I had my surgery was about 2 1/2 months. I have zero complaints.

I'm Canadian and I had a ruptured esophagus. Spent a week in one hospital (as they didn't know what was wrong with me) and then sent by ambulance to 2nd hospital for scans (30 minute drive - 38 kms), then immediately by ambulance to a bigger city (3rd hospital) where I had emergency surgery. They tried to send me to the 3rd hospital by air ambulance, but the helicopter was busy somewhere's else, so I had to go by ambulance (1 hour and 40 min - 134 kms). Spent a month in ICU and a week in a regular room. Had many upper endoscopies through the years since then. Discovered an ulcer in the esophagus, which led to more endoscopies along with medication. Cost $0.00. Thank God. Unless you have a special plan that includes everything (ie: private room and private clinics), which you would pay monthly, our taxes pay for the Health care you get. Now we do have a plan for prescription and they pay 80% and you pay the rest, out of pocket. Still not bad. Visiting the US, we'd have to take a special insurance for health care, however, pre-existing medical issues would not be covered.

Both of my parents had cancer and had a lot of medical interventions (including radiation treatment, immunotherapy, operations etc.) and did not pay anything (other than through their taxes) for these treatments. Thank goodness, I come from a working-class family and my parents did not always have stable employment and would have never been able to afford to pay for any of this.

(Canadian)My exes step dad got bit by a baby rattle snake while camping. So he was taken to a hospital and received 18 doses of anti venom. Afterwards he learned that each dose is $10,000. He survived and made a complete recovery.

Tyler, MSP premiums were eliminated in BC 3 years ago. Not sure what non residents/visitors pay. We still pay taxes, of course, but having a universal system is more efficient as we pool resources, the governments can negotiate much better deals with drug companies. BC this week has made contraceptives free, the 1st in Canada, this not only benefits the individual but greatly reduces the cost to the system. Several other provinces are looking at doing the same. Our system is not perfect but we are working to improve it. Some things are dependent on income but most people benefit. The federal govt is shifting to give basic dental coverage for children whose families fall below certain income. Overall, the better health and far less fear of not getting treatment or bankruptcy points out the cruelty in the US.

The 108/00 was the MedicalPlan premium for a family of 3 or more. There are no longer any premiums in British Columbia