Medi-Truth

There are a ton of misconceptions about Canada that get spread around in the US, equally as many as the ideas we have about Americans. The more time I spend south of the border, the more the opportunity rises to speak to friends and family about "what it's really like" on the other side. Hands down, above all else, they want to know the skinny about our Universal Health Care system. I quickly began to realize how little I actually know about the Canadian system. Truthfully, I don't think most of my peers know much either. 

What really needs to be known? 

We get sick, we go the hospital, we get treated, we go home.

We do pay for our health care though. How much? 

I have no idea. I let the government do the math. So far my taxes haven't prevented me from buying groceries or paying the rent, or shopping at Banana Republic.  

Obviously paying for health insurance through my taxes hasn't hindered my lifestyle.

Before I met Matthew and before I was spending months at a time in the US, I really took our Universal system for granted.

This last trip back to Canada though, I almost opened my wallet and kissed my Health Card. 

Possibly, this is the biggest difference between Americans and Canadians. 

Not that we are friendlier or smarter or that they are fatter or more war hungry (my time in Minneapolis has definitely disproved some of these myths) but that Canadians are possibly healthier. Statistically speaking we do live longer and have a lower infant mortality rate. That must stand for something. Or maybe we just have one less thing to worry about.

One less very big thing.

The US has an excellent level of health care, that I know for sure.

It boasts some of the best doctors and medical technology in the world . Wether or not someone like myself or Matthew could be treated by those doctors, I'm not sure. Even with insurance. And that's the shocker. 

Anyways, all this to say that I'm on a personal mission to get some straight facts. Yes, I do believe that Universal Health Care is the way to go, but I'm open to hearing the downside of it as well. 

I know it's not perfect.

I know that it has been abused. 

I know that some Canadians want something better or different. 

But I don't think we are about to turn to the US for suggestions. 

I found this on YouTube, which was incredible, because there were so many people spewing Wikipedia facts on there justifying the American Free Enterprise system, but none of them were medical officials. 

This was the only medical representative that I could find who had real research and experience under her belt that I really trusted.