Comparing Canadian and American Health Care 

I am a Canadian dealing with cancer. I have had four or five MRIs over the past nine months to track the tumour. No waiting. No charge. (OK, in my taxes, but that's OK). Cancer drugs are paid for. Multiple treatments, meetings with doctors, other professionals. No charge. Also a stent put into my coronary artery, no charge.I paid into the system all my working life. But now, it is paying off.

As a Canadian I've never waited long and I've never heard anyone waiting anywhere close to a year for an MRI. This is bs

The term ''wait times'' is a relative term. I am an American without insurance. I simply can't afford it. And now because of the ACA, I am being penalized for not having insurance. Nine years ago I was told that I need an MRI. Because of my lack of insurance, I still haven't gotten an MRI. I am in pain everyday and there is nothing I can do about it. So a four week or fourteen week wait is not that long of a wait to me. It is better to wait than to not have any treatment at all.

These kinds of videos always blow up on the wait times in Canada. The frank truth is that nobody waits for a real problem. "Oh my foot hurts" is a lot different than "hey I'm unconscious".

When my mother had a stroke, EMS arrived in 3 minutes, and were rolling 2 minutes later, We covered 27 miles to hospital in 18 minutes - the girl driving just put foot to the floor and "gave it hell". Neurosurgery was waiting when we arrived. and an MRI and surgery were underway before I'd finished giving them her address. Post-Op was superb. She walked out 100% with no lingering effects. Lucky? Yes. But a lot of good people made it happen. We worried a lot, but never about cost, or care. QED.

That lawyer is a joke? Fear of waiting weeks or months to see a doctor in Canada? I can see a doctor any day and immediately.

I have issues with this misconception regarding wait times for certain procedures and elective surgeries. I am a 54 year old man and for 40 of those years I rarely saw a doctor or a hospital because I was relatively healthy and didn't need to access our outstanding universal system, but in the last 14 years that has changed. The rules are driven by priority. I have never waited more than several weeks for a procedure and less if the issue was urgent. Sure, elective surgery might take a few moths but it is "elective", not urgent. No system is perfect and I have nothing but praise for the care we receive as Canadians. The cutbacks are making a detrimental impact on things, but free is better than bankruptcy, outrageous insurance rates, denial of any care or dying due to lack of insurance.

40,000+ thousand americans die every year who do not have insurance. That's just insanity.

I'm listening to this Ex-Pat Canadian thinking "are you nuts ?!" First of all, if you have the type of leg pain caused by a DVT/ Clot you don't wait weeks before you go see your family Doctor. If your GP thinks you have a clot you will be triaged quickly to Ultrasound for a venous Doppler to confirm it and treated immediately with appropriate meds etc. Doctors don't go out on the street looking for business. If you are too stubborn to recognize there is a problem, don't blame the system. Are there things in the Cdn system that can improve? Yes, but I wouldn't trade universal health care for anything. Imagine working your whole adult life and then loosing your home because you got sick ? That is obscene ! God Bless Tommy Douglas !

I've never had to wait for treatment, and nor has anyone in my family. Hip surgery within 6 weeks (so Dad could lose weight), 3 weeks for thyroid surgery, 4 weeks for radio-iodine treatment, immediate assistance for bi-polar treatment, and 100% free, no-wait service for the best palliative care for my mum. The Canadian system isn't perfect,but it is easier and available to all.

I use a Toronto hospital. I got a non urgent MRI in three weeks, and an urgent one in 12 hours. This MRI is open 24 hours a day, so I go overnight, actually for the reduced traffic. My surgery was set up in 7 days for day surgery. Last time I went to an ER, I waited 40 minutes. I can see my family doctor in the same day or the next. I have never had to worry about health costs and that helps a lot.

lmaooo people saying waiting for free health care is a pain, when ppl wait 2 hours in line to save 2 cents on each litre of gas

I'm American living in Canada. It is now 2018. In 2004 I was living in San Diego. I had a fairly good job and had had Kaiser Permanente Health Group insurance for 20 years and the payments per month were acceptable. My last 4 years in San Diego (2001-2005) I was paying Family Insurance Plan payments of $298.00 to $340.00 per month. That was acceptable and I thought is was a great deal and reasonable. Then in 2005 my monthly payments jumped from $340.00/mth to $740.00./mth because the State of California said that Californians now had to pay for Undocumented Immigrants and Welfare Recipients to have Full Coverage as paying enrollees. Thank heavens that I had a Canadian spouse who had enjoyed fast service and the best doctors and treatments that money could buy and new the value of Health Insurance. She had been diagnosed with some pretty costly ailments and even though I could afford ailments at the time -- my company closed their doors and I was without money to pay so off to her country of Canada we went. Not for me but, for my wife - who already had a GP in Canada. I was completely bafooned at the excellent Canadian Health Care she introduced me to in December of 2005. I became a Permanent Resident in early 2006 and I now was under the same Canadian OHIP Health Plan. It wasn't quite as super as Kaiser at the time -- but, pretty darn close. I would say it matches Kaiser and Sharps now in 2018 for the most part. The major difference is we don't have to pay anything and yes MRI's and CT's took a bit of time to get into back in the day (2006) but, now they are readily available in Emergencies and with a few weeks for NON- Emerg cases which I still had to wait for in the MRI Trailers at Kaiser and Sharps. The lines were pretty long just like they had become at Kaiser after new California Health Rules had taken affect -- so I was okay with the one hour wait to see the GP that I didn't have to pay for. But, then -- I had a bicycle accident and four months later had a brain bleed start and that's when the OHIP Canadian Health System went into action. Paramedics are within 10 to 20 minutes anywhere in Ottawa and I had a CT within 20 minutes of arriving at the E.R. and was at the Brain Center for this stuff within the hour afterwards. I treatment had been started at the ER and the bleed had all but stopped. I had had maybe 3 CT's and three MRI's as I remember before leaving the hospital 12 days later. I had lost my speech so I was ushered into an immediate Speech Rehab for patients like me who could no longer speak clearly because of some brain damage. I went to Rehab for three months and when I left I was speaking with some noticeable stumbling -- and went to Group Therapy to continue therapy for the brain injury. I can now give group talks as well as anyone. Then -- I had a LAD 96% blockage (Widowmaker Heart Attack) for whatever reason as I was an avid bicyclist riding 50 milers all the time...but, in any case -- I got to the Heart Institute within 30 minutes and was in the operating room 10 minutes later and got my 3 stints. My cardiologist was none other than the man who started the Stemmy Program which is now all over the world and I am still riding just as hard as ever and giving my dogs 2 to 3 mile walks at break neck walking speeds (my dogs out walk me) and so far I am doing pretty good. Will I ever have another heart attack -- who knows? But, for now -- I've learned to eat better, stress much less and appreciate the Canadian way of life which includes a great health care system that actually serves the people and saves lives every day. I have NO complaints and say no bad things about the system. If I had stayed in California -- I probably would have died twice and even if the Paramedics were to get to me -- I'm not sure I would have been able to pay for insurance to save my bacon so -- my hat is off to Canadians who make the Ontario Health Insurance Program (OHIP) possible. ....and that's not to mention that my GP is a young beautiful blonde who is really smart. I'm an old fart now of 64 this year...15 years her senior. Not to worry -- my wife loves her, too.

Agreed. His statement that if he was in Canada he wouldn't go to a doctor for the pain in his leg out of fear of having to wait... is utter nonsense. As a high paid lawyer with three children... he'd certainly have a family doctor in Canada and, even if the doctor or an associate wasn't available, he'd certainly visit a walk-in-clinic and wait a couple of hours.

So in the US you basically need to well off to get healthcare.

Another reason Canadians live longer than Americans... stress. The perpetual worry of possibly becoming ill in the States, losing a home, business, etc. Possibly reovering physically, but never recovery financially = vicious cycle of sickness/stress/financial turmoil. I thank my lucky stars I was born in Canada, the social care systems including free healthcare makes for a more stress-free, peaceful, healthy life for myself, children, family and society in general as compared it seems than in the United States.

I paid $3500 for an MRI. So... I'd gladly wait 4 months next time.

Agreed. It breaks my heart to know that people can't receive the help they need because they can't afford it.

The person with a blood clot in his leg was worried about waiting in Canada. He needn't worry. My doctor suspected I had a blood clot in the lungs and sent me to the hospital for an emergency scan with contrast to see if that was the case. I had the scan within 2 hours of first seeing my doctor in his office. I live just outside of Vancouver BC.

My husband went to an emergency room in Canada having a heart attack. It was on a Sunday. One day later (Monday) he had an angioplasty and two stents placed. The system works in life and death situations. When he left the hospital three days later, there was no bill. All covered under our health care system.

Canadians are STILL complaining? You got to wait because there are more urgent cases? Wow.. I'm sorry... AND you have other free alternatives to keep you comfortable while you wait?.. The system isn't perfect, but we ARE spoiled compared to U.S. That lady complaining about her foot, can go PAY in the U.S and get the "Amazingly, quick medical attention" that Mr. Libel gets... she just has to make sure she sells everything she owns, or be well off like he is. Embarrassing.

(Canadian) THIS IS COMPLETELY WRONG! I wanted a blood test (just to see if I was health) and I got checked 20minutes after I told y family doctor. The next day I heard that I was completely healthy! The doctors thought she had cancer or something in her breast. She had surgery in less than three days (it was nothing) the longest I was in a waiting room was less than an hour and that was just because I had a dagger in my foot (from bowling) and I could have just gone home and taken it out but I just couldn't take pulling it out. There's no long wait in Canada and if you waited for a test or result, that's because it wasn't urgent and you could have/can waited. Canadian health system (in my opinion) is best

I FOUND THIS SO SISGUSTING. sO Canada HAS WAIT TIMES. there ARE NO DEATH TIMES. (SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS) Other than long drives I have no time waiting for any treatment. I will take my system any day.

"A man who went blind cause he couldn't see a doctor" Wow

There is no comparison, Canada's system is better for everyone except the very rich who can afford to skip lines and pay the excorbitant costs in the US.

americans provide free health care facilities and medicines to other countries but within the US they are against the concept of providing free health care to their own people. its strange

What that canadian lawyer says is Total BS, nobody dies from waiting for a blood test or seeing a doctor in Canada. If you don't have your own doctor, you can go to clinic and be seen within a few hours or little wait or not. Non-life threatening things you have wait but i rather wait than not get at all. Because he is part of the wealthy class, he's able get gold-plated access so yeah he loves it in the US because money can get you past any line.

So wait two months for free surgery? Am I the only one who doesn't see an issue?

Health for All...

"A man went blind because he couldnt afford to see a doctor" cheeky

The Canadian that they interview towards the end of the video who gives his view of US healthcare system is hardly impartial or ordinary, he works as a lawyer, so he's obviously very well off and he makes his living trying to encourage other Canadian's to work in the US so no surprise he's going to praise it and i am guessing the Canadian's he's dealing with are also in high income jobs and do not represent the vast majority of people. The better comparison was the Canadian in the changing room who said his daughter cannot get treatment because she has a pre-existing condition, how is that acceptable. This wouldn't even be an issue in any other western country and what is not mentioned here is that countries with social medicine still have private health corporations offering care for those with non emergency problems who do not want to wait, so if you want to pay loads for private US style healthcare you can. The other thing missed out here is that a lot of people do not get sick in other western countries because they can see their GP for free so health problems are discovered early when they are easier, quicker and cheaper to heal and also a lot less distressing for the patient, also unlike the old lady at the start of the video, medications are free or very cheap.

Thanks BW022, you added good points to my comments. I have a neighbour who moved from Newfoundland to our province last year. Therefore, he did not have a family doctor. Six month ago, he saw blood in his stool. He went to a walk-in-clinic. The next day (less than 12 hours), he was seen by a cancer specialist. Last week, he finished his last round of chemo and he is clean of the disease. Yes, true, in Canada you might wait but never for life-threatening matters. No one dies or goes bankrupt.

I bet the Canadians in San Diego aren't poor or even middle class so can afford the US system. The first case were they asked a Canadian lawyer living in a massive expensive house about both systems was funny especially when he revealed what his job was lol. If your an average person stay in Canada, if your condition is pressing you'll be seen straight away.

Interesting...where I am you don't have to wait MONTHS for an MRI, more like a few weeks if it's not that serious

@ Mike alcazar.... 48%!? being a canadian thats hilarious that you think we spend that much on taxes, we have a sales fee of 7% that goes to the goverment,and 7%is deducted from our cheques but the goverment pays us back a good percentage by the end of the year that they don't use. (I usually get 3000$ a year back).... seriously.... do some research....48 percent lol

A. Read the study Phantoms in the Snow which showed that very very few Canadians go south for care. B. The U.S. produces the most people that go abroad for care. According to Delliotte, over a million Americans sought healthcare last year elsewhere because they coudn't afford it at home.

What hogwash, Living near Toronto it takes me typically an hour to see a doctor. If it is off hours it takes about 2 hours at a clinic and it is too late for the clinic 4 hours at emergency. I only way I can see that it would take that long to see a doctor is if you were stupid enough to choose a doctor who is taking on way too many patients or if you lived in a remote community where it is difficult to get doctors to move there.

Wait times ? Its called triage we have the patience and understanding to know that those who have the most life threatening circumstances come first.

What a fucking myth!!! We don't wait a year to get an MRI. These people will say anything to level the playing field for the two system. A year LOL!!!!!

I am a Canadian who was found to have Cancer two years ago. The medical system in BC got right on top of it very fast with scans and tests. I very soon had an operation that successfully removed my Cancer. Subsequently I was called to come in for further tests to make sure the Cancer had not reappeared. My most recent examination did not find any Cancer. I could not be more pleased with our Universal Health Care in Canada.

I broke my ankle when I was visiting Canada on a fishing trip and I had surgery in about a week to reset and brace the ankle, I still have the metal and they did a very good job. I have no real pain in my ankle and the scar is hardly visible. I was actually thinking about moving to Canada and attempting to get citizenship because of the state of America and now that there are so many people who are supporting a person like Trump, it makes me think about the people who I share this country with. It's very disheartening to see how many people are for Trump fascist and radical views on other races and religions. It makes me sick to think of it and the fact he's willing to bomb innocent people simply because they're the families of a radical jihadist group is crazy and he should have been boo'd off the stage, but he went up in the poles after suggesting that. I'm glad Bernie Sanders is higher in the poles now, but if someone like Trump is elected, I would lose all faith in America and Americans. Right now, I believe in my heart that Bernie Sanders will be our next president because the radical right is a dying breed and many millennials are progressive and that gives me hope. It's not even about Trump horrible personality that worries me, it's his policies and his knowledge of politics. This guy is crazy combative and anyone who questions him is an enemy and anyone who challenges him he tries to destroy them financially. Take a look at how he acts if he doesn't get his way, he's like a spoiled child, I'm referring to the whole FOX 59 debate protest from Trump, it was all because Meagan Kelly asked Trump some hard questions and this guy totally buckles and lashes out like a child and says he's not showing up to their debates. He had a problem with Uni vision and there he also acted like a child. He's insulted women with horrible terms that no real man would ever use. He's about a dumb as a box of rocks and if I keep talking about him this will get increasingly bigger as I go along, LOL! To wrap things up, this is not a good interpretation of Canada's healthcare system and I've witnessed it on more than one occasion and most of the things said here in America are myths that are told by the mainstream media to combat a single payer system, but we're smarter now and I think that shows in the support for Universal healthcare!

I am a Canadian.. I had a CVA in 2013, I rushed to emergency and right there I was CTscanned and admitted. The following day I had an MRI. I stayed 8 days at the acute care hospital and transferred to a rehab facility where I had intense therapy for 43 days, I returned home and was given a caregiver to give me showers 2x a week, with a cleaner weekly, and continuous therapy as an outpatient at the same rehab facility until I am able to walk and talk. I PAID ZERO (I know I already did through taxes deducted from my 30 year employment.) Last Nov 27, 2018, I was admitted again due to heart ailment. I had all medical tests done to me within hours of my arrival at the emergency. I stayed in the acute care hospital for 17 days in their effort to stabilize me. Then I was transferred to another convalescing facility for 63 days . I was released last Monday Feb 19th and at home, my caregiving care increased to daily, plus weekly cleaning. I will continue my therapy at another facility as an outpatient. I PAID ZERO. EVERYTHING COVERED, FREE BOARD AND LODGING, MEDICINE, MEDICAL TESTS, NURSING CARE by the excellent CANADIAN UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE.

Trust the lawyer to lie. No one has to wait weeks for a regular appointment to see a doctor . I wander what he had to gain by telling that lie or if it was just force of habit?

There you go that is the core problem Healthcare is PROFIT driven!!!

I can't believe that in Syria before the war, we used to get all of theses services instantly and free of charge, while in Canada and USA not. after all, our life in Syria was not so bad... sigh :(

I 've had a couple of MRIs in Ontario and the wait was between 7 and 10 days. My clinic has its own X Ray machine and technician.

They really shouldn't keep saying "Canada". They should say Manitoba. Each province has their own health care and their own issues. I've lived in Ontario my whole life. I've never really had to wait for anything. I had a CT scan when I started getting migraines. My appointment was only three weeks later. And I was told that if the migraines increased, they would get me in sooner. In my city, MRI and CT departments run 24hrs. You could have your appointment at anytime day or night. I had bariatric surgery two years ago, completely paid for by the province. (The reasoning being, it's cheaper to pay for one surgery than for all the illnesses I would later get from being obese.) I had to wait for about 18 months between being referred to the program and the actual surgery. During that time, I had to follow a program and jump through every hoop. They wanted to make sure I was dead serious about loosing wait and following through post-op. I could have been kicked off at anytime if they didn't think I was working hard enough. And I am completely fine and in agreement with that wait and jumping through those hoops. Two years on, I'm off all cholesterol and blood pressure meds. I'm healthier than I've been in 20 years. I literally had my two year check up with the bariatric clinic yesterday. So they don't just operate and let you go. They keep up with me to make sure I'm still on task. There's no way in hell I would ever want the American medical system. I'll take my minor wait times in Ontario, thank you very much.

The fact that after treatments, regardless of what it is we as Canadians don’t have to worry about being in debt , losing our homes, is such a blessing and such a relief.👍👍👍

Mr. Leibl, the son and the lawyer does not realize (or maybe he does and does not want to admit it) that the only and ONLY reason he took care of the blood clot quickly and saw a doctor in the U.S. is because he HAS a good paying job. Mr. Leib you have a good paying job therefore, you and your family do not have to worry about it. Lose your arrogance please and see the reality. Not everyone is as fortunate as you are in the U.S. And god help anyone who has a precondition.

Also the idea of "i don't go to the doctor because i would have to wait" is nonsensical. Specially because you don't have to wait for a consultation or to regular medical procedures, or even exams like X-ray scans for a diagnose. "I don't go to the doctor because a consultation would cost me a month worth of rent.", seams to me a more real and valid reason to not go to the doctor.

What a joke this lawyer was....bull. What a biase on Canadian Health. Go to Canada ER and you will get any test you need right away.

I live in a small town and needed an MRI for an emergency a month ago. Took a few hours while I waited in an ER with nurses and doctors looking after me on an IV. Didn't cost anything. I also went to the hospital right away rather than waiting to see if it was a problem or not. If I didn't have an emergency need for an MRI I would be happy to wait because I know the people ahead of me need it before I do.

And you don't have all the best docs in the world. THe U.S> does not hold a monopoly on great docs. If he was in any major Canadian Center he also would have received excellent care. My mom had the same disease and our system saved her life without her having to worry about a massive bill. And I'm not just the source, I could source countless relatives and friends and again poll after poll after poll showing Canadians STRONG support of our system.

I live on the U.S. Canada border and even just going to the clinic There are always people from the U.S. in there because they say it is cheaper to pay out of pocket in Canada than to buy real health insurance in the U.S.

The only real problem is that Canada needs to train more healthcare professionals. I think it is time to open up a few more slots in medical school instead of turning down 95 percent of the perfectly qualified people that apply. Let's also not forget that much of the healthcare costs in Canada are the result of pricing in the US. Much of the medicine and medical equipment used in Canada comes from US companies that gouge and hide behind copyright laws. One more thing, that lawyer advocating US healthcare forgets that he ONLY has immediate healthcare because he is.....a lawyer. He has a good job and can afford insurance. In Canada you have to wait, but in the US, you might not have any or have "Obamacare". I think many Canadians are happy to wait a little, so everybody has access.

Dear Americans, When Canadians tell you that our healthcare system is better- we're not trying to fool you- we're actually acting against our own best interests. YES, it WOULD be better for YOU if you switched over to our type of system, but that would actually nullify one of our unique advantages which comes from you retaining your broken system. One of the biggest downsides to a single-payer system is that if you don't want to wait, and you're rich enough to afford the treatment yourself, you don't have the option of going to a private clinic. There ARE no private hospitals or clinics in Canada in the sense that you can pay them to let you queue-jump. So what do rich Canadians do then, when they get sick, and can't line-jump ahead of other Canadians in our public system? Why- they go to the United States, of course, where they're HAPPY to take our money in exchange for prompt care. So in that sense, we kind of have it both ways. We have a public system with mandatory wait times- where you can't get premium or priority treatment based on your ability to pay, or jump in line to get treatment. But at the same time, we live RIGHT next to a country with a thriving private system, which WILL happily take your money and give you treatment right away. So the poor and middle class get the "free" public system that they need without having to worry about rich people paying extra to jump in line, and the upper class have to option to spend a fortune to get treatment right away in the US if they feel like it. So I mean, yes it would be MUCH better for you to switch to our system, which I still think is vastly superior, but the tricky thing is part of the success of our system DEPENDS on the dysfunctionality of yours. Which is kind of a weird way to look at it, but true...

Waited a day for an emergency MRI two years ago in Canada.

This stuff just makes me angry and sad, America is not the protector of the weak any more, it is the bully, praying on the weak.

I don't think it's fair to ask an expat immigration lawyer living in So-Cal about his experiences with the American health care system. He obviously makes well over $100,000 a year and is completely covered by private insurance. Of course he's going to be unsure about which system is better because he doesn't care about all the poorer people who have no access. Nobody's questioning the quality of the care in the USA, which is the question this lawyer answers; people are questioning whether they can afford it if something goes wrong.

It would not have been free for Lesner. NOt to mention, he ran into his problems in the middle of the backwoods of Manitoba and was at a very small community hospital. He was ignorant of excellent care we have because he's never had treatment here.

I live in a rural area in Canada and was told my MRI wait time for a suspected torn ACL was going to be six weeks because there's only one hospital in two counties that has an MRI machine. I asked to be put on the cancellation call list in the event that anyone else cancelled and was lucky enough to get called the next day to come in in an hour to get the MRI. Once I got the results (severe ACL tear) a couple days later my surgery (full ACL reconstruction surgery) was set up for about two weeks from then (wasn't life-threatening, I could walk on it and everything so I understood the wait time) and this was all done FREE OF ANY COSTS! The only thing I had to pay for was the $35 knee brace for after surgery; I even got my physiotherapy covered. From what I could find online I would have paid anywhere from $70,000 to $100,000 for the same care in the States. Canada doesn't have a perfect system but it's a hell of a lot better than the American one. All Americans deserve to be covered!

I'm a 39 year old male from the United States....I was recently hit by a car while riding my bicycle and so far my medical bills are at $82,000.00 and I still need more surgeries. This is an absurd amount of money and there is no way I could ever afford this......

We in Canada do not pay taxes for health care. Rather we invest in Public Health. And the dividend is care when and where we need it.

I think you are talking about wait times for elective surgery -- yes it's longer because it's just that 'elective'. I have seen doctors very quickly, and pay nothing at the end of the visit. I would have checked with other provinces particularly Ontario or BC if you wanted to know what healthcare was like in a bigger metropolis. I have no complaints and would never trade what I have for the US style of healthcare.

Very well said my friend! I like that you stick to facts because statistics don't lie. I love Canada and it's fare and humane health care system that everyone has a right to!

I totally agree. If he had even phoned his doctor and they suspected a blood clot he would receive immediate help. The people who have to wait for doctor's appointments are the ones that go to the docs office when they have a cold. The comments on the mri's and knee replacements are a bit more difficult though. My dad recieved one the same week when he was diagnosed with cancer. I also managed to get a catscan a wk after visiting a walk in clinic bc of a possible larger problem.

The difference in healthcare costs between San Diego and say Bloomington Indiana is huge. WHY? In the rest of the 1st world healthcare is free. It's called civilization. Try it! You'll like it.

I love this video! it is a balanced, super-informative expose of the misconceptions about the two systems, the pros, and the cons. I personally believe the Canadian system is much better, and I hope one day we will have something like that in the United States. Thanks for uploading this video!!

Im looking to know what "reconsisting conditions" are. just wondering

People don't die in Canada because of wait time. Like it was said on the video if it is a priority or emergency you will get treatment. My sister was recently not feeling very well, dizzy spells, cold sweats, etc. She went to the hospital where I met her along with my parents. We patiently waited about 3 to 4 hours for a diagnosis from a doctor. An MRI later my sister was released, eat better and exercise more was the conclusion.

for America and Canada my sincere apologies from the world the best of luck from the UK as no one seems to be held responsible for any THING why is this WORLD UPSIDE down and back to FRONT and inside out ,,, the best of luck to all that have BEEN THROUGH the hospital treatments the world cries a Teardrop every second of the day for the elderly and disabled that need the help the utmost GOD BLESS YOU ALL FROM A CARING SOUL ,,,

In the US, the doctors, nurses, facilities and equipment are in ABUNDANCE, and of amazing quality, but if you can't pay, you're screwed. In Canada, the facilities and medical professionals are also there, also of amazing quality, but there are fewer doctors, nurses, facilities and equipment, therefore the wait is longer. Solution: For the US - change the ENTIRE system, increase the range of coverage For Canada - HIRE more medical professionals, increase healthcare funding

I paid for an MRI and surgery in Canada because I didn't want to deal with the pain and wait-list. Not sure if that's financially feasible in the US.

Love you @waub !!! Miss you on CBCRADIO in northern Ontario..

You can talk about waiting all you want but Emergencies don't wait. Yah I've had to wait for some procedures but if I had to pay for it out of my own pocket it would never happen.

That is the system we have in Ireland, a two tier system where a rich person can buy health care freely either in Ireland or easily in Europe if travel is possible, many people get dentistry and other medical procedures done in cheaper countries like Hungary or Eastern European countries. The public system has very long waiting lists but emergency cases get bumped up the list. If you are in pain and can't work this is not taken into account, hence many companies take out health insurance for their employees to cover fast treatment to get their workers back to work quicker, its seen as an investment. Same with self employed people who can't afford to be sick and idle for too long.

I’ve lived all of my 51 years here in Toronto, and I’ll never understand why the Americans seem to think that we have these incredibly long wait lists, because it simply is not true. I know because I work in healthcare and have done so for the last 30 years of my life, particularly I work in medical imaging. What they neglect to mention is that priority is given to people who need the scans more, depending on the urgency and the nature of their health problems. If that man in this video who went blind was in Canada, he would’ve never lost his site, because he would have received immediate treatment with absolutely no delays whatsoever. People who have less severe problems like the beginning of arthritis, do you have to wait a little bit longer, only because we take the more urgent cases first, but even still the wait is never more than about 12 weeks at most, and if the situation worsens, We will automatically give that patient priority, so they can be seen much sooner, avoiding any future possible complications. I myself have been a patient in the system for many many years. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease a few days after my 20th birthday, was hospitalized for one month, as the severity of my disease was one of the worst they have ever seen, so I didn’t have to wait at all, and was taken in immediately. The following year, during one of my many many hospitalizations, my large intestine ruptured, that would have killed me if I was at home when this happened, but thankfully I was already in the hospital, and they rushed me to the OR immediately, saving my life after my heart had stopped beating for two minutes after all the toxins from my shattered intestine flatten my abdominal cavity. If I was in the United States, I would’ve died for certain, because I know for a fact that unless you have health care, they could care less if you’re dying, they will send you home even if you’re in critical condition. Don’t argue with me on that point, because I rent a support group for over 20 years for people who have my disease, and with over 100,000 members, mostly Americans, you would not believe the horror stories I heard. Doctors and hospitals sending people home that were literally dying, simply because they didn’t have insurance or they forgot their insurance card at home, and they refused flat outs, to treat the patient until they were sure they would get their money. Is that what you call compassionate and appropriate healthcare? If you do think so, then there’s something seriously wrong with you. Ever since that first operation when I was 21 I have undergone a further 37 absolutely brutal gastrointestinal surgeries, not to mention surgery on both of my shoulders and on both of my hands, side effects from the treatments for my disease, and never once did I have to wait in pain, I was treated according to the severity of my problems, I was never left hanging, I was never ignored, and I never went home in pain! Because I work in the hospital I have access to all of my medical files, so I did a rough calculation as to how much everything I had done would’ve cost headache paid for it out of pocket. Understand that I am now 51 years old, so that’s 30 years of countless operations, for seizures, chemotherapy, radiation, drug therapies, physiotherapy, psychiatry, cardiology, orthopaedic surgeons, my one disease ended up causing 11 chronic illnesses, resulting in having 14 different specialists, not including my GP. So after I added up a rough ballpark figure, I nearly passed out. If I would’ve had to pay for all of my medical treatments like many people do in the states, I would’ve had to pay almost US$5 million! Yet I never received one single bill in the mail, it was all paid for automatically by the government without question, and without ever having to fill out any forms. I think that’s worth waiting a few weeks for don’t you? Americans always brag that they have superior technology in healthcare, but that simply is not the case. Canadian healthcare, is amongst the most cutting edge technology on earth, much of it developed here in Canada, and sold to hospitals all over the world, and all of it available to every single citizen, regardless of income or social status/standing. You see, we have something called compassion here, to the average healthcare worker, we do not distinguish between somebody living on the streets, to somebody worth billions of dollars, everybody is treated exactly the same, nobody gets any preferential treatment simply because they happen to be loaded! That is the way you run a healthcare system, you do not play favourites to the wealthy and ignore the poor, you treat every single person with the appropriate respect and dignity! No offence to our American neighbours, But you guys are so ignorant when it comes to us, and yourself, thinking that you have the best medical technology on the planet, think again! I work in downtown Toronto trauma centre, which is one of over 20 hospitals in the greater Toronto area alone. We’ve just purchased our sixth state of the art MRI, same goes for our six CAT scan machines, along with our 25 general x-ray rooms, all of which are the latest and most advanced technology on the planet, all of which are available to every single Canadian citizen, irregardless of any Socio economic factors. That’s what healthcare should be, but unfortunately, in your country, you’re only as good as the amount of money in your bank accounts, and that is a violation of our most sacred trust and oath that we take as healthcare workers. We have never nor shall we ever play favourites based solely on one’s income, and I will never for the life of me understand how any medical professional could be so heartless, unprofessional, unethical, and greedy. I think God every day of my life for being a Canadian citizen, especially given the state of my health. Ironically enough, it’s why and how I ended up working in healthcare. Originally I was going to study music at University, but then I got sick and had to put those plans on hold, until I fell in love with the healthcare environment after being a patient for so many months at the time. I suddenly realize that this is something that I would love to do with my life, Working in an environment that would allow me to help anybody and everybody regardless of any factors, and that is exactly what I do, and I love every moment of it. But I have to be honest, it just boils my blood when I hear about the horror stories in the United States, and the amount of ignorance coming out of there regarding we Canadians. I hate to break it to you, but our healthcare system is second to none, and for us healthcare is not a privilege, it is a right, a write that every single person on this planet should have, but in your country, it’s a right that’s denied millions upon millions of people simply because they don’t make a lot of money, I don’t know how your healthcare professionals and their administrators can sleep at night knowing that they are directly responsible for the death and sickness and suffering of millions of people. You should be absolutely ashamed of yourselves, and I’m referring to the medical community, not the general public. You’ve created a culture of supremacy, elitism, greed, and Everest, all things that I absolutely despise with a passion. (Continued in next comment below....)

What is the highest out-of-pocket medical expense for most Canadians? MRIs-no! Surgery-no! Doctor visits-no! Any common medical service-no! You want to know? It’s parking! Flipping parking! I’m absolutely not kidding! It’s the most common complaint at just about every hospital ER! Parking is the most common, and highest cost, at about $20-$30 per day (free if you mention you’re financially unable to pay)! Unreal!

The lawyer was misleading. You never wait for diagnosis in Canada. You also don't need a specialist to diagnose a blood clot. A simple blood test, ultrasound, or x-ray will do it. What you wait for is for a specialist appointment, and you wait according to triage. So if your blood clot poses no immediate risk and only give you minor incomfort, you will go second to someone who needs to see the same specialist as a matter of life or death. It's just fair. If you don't want to wait, you can ALSO go to a private clinic and pay, which will INEVITABLY be cheaper in Canada than the US anyway. The US health care system is tailored for the big pharma industry and private hospital industry, not the patient.

@ARepublicanVictory Health care prevention is cheaper: Where do i go to get it in this country?

WHo cares what Lesner said, its one person who NEVER actually received care in canada and he was at a SMALL community hospital. Just like if he was at a small one in the U.S., they wouldn't have been able to help him either.

This is great! The least biased and most objective video on US and Canada's health care systems I've seen in a long time. This needs to be featured.

Ignore all the technical, administrative and monetary differences between the American and Canadian systems for a second. What you're left with is the biggest issue in the middle of this debate. Is health care a right? Or a privilege? Many, almost all, Canadians see this as a right, and as so fight to make our current system better, instead of leaving it to companies to do as they want.

Wait time have improved greatly since this was done, considering I waited less than a week for my MRI. I'm also a stage 3 Breast Cancer survivor and thankful to Tommy Douglas for his determination to ensure Canadians have Health Care.

it depends where you live in canada. i live in Surrey BC it took 5 days for an MRI on my ankle. some places you wait longer than others. but if it is urgent they will bring you in right away. and dont forget about the cost of an ambulence in amerca

So far this year I have had an MRI, CAT scan, two days of cardiac tests at the hospital, countless lab tests, an ultrasound, five specialist appointments, three family doctor visits and have cataract surgery next month. Obviously I am Canadian because all of this has cost me nothing.

If it’s a real emergency (in Canada), you DO NOT wait. One example is I was diagnosed with breast cancer and three weeks later I was in the operating room.

I like just having payments come out my taxes for health care. Don't have to get stressed out about making payments. For the most part both systems aren't much different. The US may be more advanced but its not like Canada is that far behind. I think the problem with Canadian health care is that we're so close to the US and we lose a lot of Canadian doctors to them.

how'd they fit the whole video into only one part?

Neither system is perfect. But in all honesty, I would rather wait then be in debit for years just because I was sick.

it is really long wait times in canada but i would rather wait then pay thousands of dollars to get fast health care. if i had to i can go to the usa to pay for health care if i wanted also. they do not block anyone from medical there we pay just as much as u guys would.

There is an awful lot of incorrect information being bandied about on health care in Canada. The bottom line is, our health care is great. Waits are a fact of life like waiting in line at an airport to get through security. I have had much longer waits there than to see a doctor or have tests done. We love to complain about any wait times but I would never trade our system for one like the US is suffering with. My broken wrist took a total of 3 hours from walking in to see a doctor to walking out the door in a cast, not a bad result. Get over it people and be happy that you have a government who understands what the people of their country need and are are constantly working to improve things.

I haven't seen a doctor since 2009. I get by with my family's extra thyroid medication. Not having it won't kill me, directly. But the associated depression and chronic fatigue make it damned hard to be a useful family man/employee/citizen.

I'm a Canadian and we do sometimes have long waiting lists to see a specialist. I can attest to that personally. I think if we would increase our HC spending 15-20%, we would be able to reimburse specialists more, and more people would choose to become specialists. That would in my opinion eliminate the waiting lists. And we still would spend FAR less per capita than the United States.

The wait really depends on where you are. Even then, I'm from the most populated Canadian city and have seen specialists in only a few weeks. I'm in the capital now and the wait is even shorter. I guess it depends on the timing as well.

And that's why I'd rather wait to get access to health I know I'll get than not be able to pay for it. While the waiting times are certainly quite unacceptable (and I do wish for reform to Canadian healthcare that does not make the private healthcare alternative a viable option for its citizens), at least it's fair: if it's absolutely certain you will die without access to a health service, you get bumped to the front of the line.

I think it still is less in Europe - the diabetes rate - in Canada or the US .

If your need is acute, you do not wait.

I live in the USA, but when I was talking to a Canadian friend who is a doctor he told me how the wait lists had been removed through reform of their system a couple years ago which sped up the waiting lists. This makes the big argument which was valid a few years back now invalid.

Did they seek out extreme examples? Appears so. If that lawyer had been in Canada he would have seen a doctor the same, only with better outcome. Good thing he was a lawyer instead of someone that has a job that can be outsourced.