Posted by Abby on June 5, 2000, at 9:30:39
Nikki's posts have gotten me thinking about Britain's NHS, and I had a couple of questions about Canada's health care financing.
My understanding is that in Canada, medical care is private but publicly funded. So, instead of being on salary, the doctors bill their time but are paid by the government.
I know, however, that some Canadians buy catastrophic insurance so that if they have a major illness they can be treated in the U.S. (Interestingly, there was a shortage of spaces for treating cancer in Quebec, so the provincial authority was paying to have people treated in Maine. They did it on an outpatient basis by getting people to act as hosts. Lewiston has a large French-speaking population, but I digress. My question is: does there exist a 'private' system the way there is one in the UK. Are there medical services which people have to pay for themselves?
Are there any provisions for prescription drug benefits? It's allover the news in the U.S. about how much lower drug prices are in Canada, but I bet that some are still pretty steep. In the UK everything costs 5 pounds, unless you're a child or 16-18 in full-time education.Thanks,
Abby
poster:Abby
thread:36098
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000603/msgs/36098.html