Canadian sticker shock

Ralph Cramden wrote:

owenssailor wrote:

westernrvparkowner wrote:

Fizz wrote:
Lot of people here are hung up on this “free” health care issue.
Yes we pay more taxes, lots and lots over a lifetime.
BUT! I will never go bankrupt or lose my house because of a medical bill.
How many of you know someone in that situation?

Not me. The people I know are responsible enough to have health insurance. Which, by the way, every US citizen is required by law to have. And if you cannot afford it, the premiums will either be subsidized by the government or you will be enrolled in Medicaid with no premium to pay. The only reason a US citizen is without health insurance is because they are irresponsible.

A quick note on bankruptcies dues to medical bills.
https://www.cnbc.com/id/100840148

Another quick note. Just because some unfortunate soul comes down with a major ailment and ends up declaring bankruptcy, that does not equate to "losing your house", that's forum drama. In fact about 99% of the time, its declaring bankruptcy that allows one to keep their house.

Thank you. Also, what most people seem to either forget or gloss over is often the biggest reason for the financial trouble is not the medical bills but the fact that the person's illness has caused them to lose their ability to work and hence their income has been significantly diminished.
Most people do not have enough savings or carry disability insurance to cover a medically forced exit from the workforce. Social Security Disability does not come anywhere close to replacing most people's income. No country on earth says if you lose your job, we will replace all your income. Not Canada, not Switzerland, not the Good Ole USofA. The house payment, the car payment, the boat payment, the RV payment, the credit card payments, the utility bills and everything else doesn't care if you are sick and can no longer work. Those are what force most people into Bankruptcy, not the medical bills themselves.