We as in "me" have read and watched documentaries on the healthcare of not only our country but others as well.. Also, I have friends in other countries that have told me the taxes they pay for their healthcare and the wait they have.. Now I did not say "all" for I do not know all of them.. Now as Gypsy said she can go whenever she please, etc. I don't know how high the taxes are there, I was told but have forgotten.. I have been told that Canada is a wonderful place to live for healthcare and there retirement programs, among the other nice things I've heard about Canada itself...

Did he have to wait months for treatment?

No he got sick 6 weeks ago.....was told to go home and kiss his family goodbye...May 31st...on June 1st he got a new donor liver...and leaves hospital tomorrow.

he was officially on the transplant list for 4 days....

it isn't always like that...but for Tony, he got sick, went to hospital, put in intensive care...and treated as required...we don't wait here...we get treated.

So doesn't Canada have a form of the evil socialized medicine?

I think it's 3% of our taxable income goes to Medicare...that's everyone's taxable income.

And you have what type of medical care in Australia?

See AGAIN you're not getting what I said.. I did not say it was evil I said I've heard/learned there CAN be a higher price to pay for it.. I did not pretend to know EVERY countries socialized program nor did I say EVERY socialized program is bad... It would be nice to really understand what you're knit picking about before you start to knit pick...

That's awesome.. Now see, we could stand to learn from that...

That doesn't sound like the oft quoted ninety percent increase to me.

Do you pay my tax? Do you go to hospital here?


Nope....I do, so do my kids... and we are low income public health.

WOW someone quoted 90% that's even higher than I have ever heard... Interesting...

Free.

Give it whatever label you want to...we also have a NHS subsidised medication scheme where all medication is a maximum of $5.90....depepnding on your income.

No harm ment. It's just that people who are so quick to jump on the anti socialized medicine bandwagon often do not do their research.

It used to be 1%...what 90% of 1%....

I live here, I utilise the health system...

I dont read it on the net, I live it...we just had an emergency here a couple of weeks ago, involving paramedics, a helicopter retrieval, and hospitalisation...cat scan, mri, xrays...stitches....and the cost, including an overnight stay?

Nothing...we have PUBLIC Health.

Motown, I do not talk about what I don't know.. If I don't know I admit it study it and/or ask questions.. If I think I know something and I am proven wrong and not with just an "opinion" I will admit that as well.. I try to educate myself before coming to a conclusion about something.. Of course there are some things that we just feel and learning will not help, perhaps experience will.. but that's a whole other topic...

I dont' know about the 90% or where it came from.. Regardless, I think that "yes" our healthcare needs work.. I don't have the answer to the problem but I do think your healthcare seems superior to ours at the very least in the fact that it is not at the detriment of the citizens and what they can afford... I applaud that and hope we in the US find a solution...

Nope but I pay my taxes here, and I pay into a private insurance program, and I still couldn't afford to go to the hospital, even for something minor without putting myself into hock for the rest of my life.

This is one of the reasons we 'outsiders' scoff when someone calls the US the mightiest nation in the world...the world leader...blah blah blah...

it is propaganda...if a Nation doesn't look after it's own...especially the weak, the infirm, the elderly, the ill...then whats so bloody mighty about it?

I am not saying Australia is the best, we have a shameful history, and a health scheme that works....just... and the same corrupt politicians, and the same greed based mentality...

I know Australia has a long way to go before it gets it right...difference is, I don't have false pride.

I love my country but also know we do some pretty dumb things... It's unfortuante and things need to change but you are right the MAIN thing should be looking after your own, putting money into that, not running off and taking care of things that aren't any of our business..