Canadian Health Insurance

[QueenAdrock]

Hey, Canadians! What's the deal? I mean, I've been told my whole life that you guys have free universal health care and now that I'm moving there, I'm told I need health insurance through the university. So uh, I don't get it.

What does health insurance cover and what does the government cover? I'm utterly confused and websites I'm looking at aren't helping.

[SB00774]

first off - what province are you moving to?

are you moving on a student visa, or becoming a permanent residdent? that matters too....




and yay for you - hopefully you'll like it here :)

[HEIRESS]

ok the deal is....if you are poor its free

so as a student it basically will be

the university health plans schools offer help you cover prescriptions and dental, which arent part of the health care plan

once you make a certain amount you end up paying like 50ish bucks a month towards your "free health care"
its a different amount depending on if you are single, have a family etc etc.

for my situation I pay 23 bucks a paycheque and get 80% dental and prescription coverage, and free glasses every two years via the plan my boss offers her employees
its a sweet deal because basically 1 visit to just the dentist pays for what ive put in over a whole year, so anything after that Im golden.

and then on top of that i pay 45 or something a month because Im an upright well-to-do citizen now and must pay something back into the system.

In the end what little you pay is basically nothing if instead we had to pay for each and every emergency room visit and hospital stay over or visit to a specialist.

do americans even have to pay for each visit to your family doctor?

[QueenAdrock]

SB, I'm moving to Alberta on a student study permit (no need for a Visa). They say I pay for health insurance through my tuition (they say about $300 is going towards insurance), but for some reason I just kept thinking it was free for everyone, 100% and you all paid for it in taxes.

I guess you guys pay a little and the government covers majority of it? I don't know if my birth control will be covered or not under my university plan...I don't think it will be, but hopefully it'll still be cheaper up there.

But anyways, yeah. Right now I pay $140 a month for my health insurance (my company covers the other half), $20 co-payment for each family doctor visit, $20 copay for brand-name prescriptions, $10 copay for generic prescriptions. For stuff like hospital stays (if I break my leg), or chiropractor stuff (which I did need), I need to pay a $500 deductible before they start paying on anything...which sucks, because I COULDN'T WALK because my joint in my back was so inflamed but since I went to a chiropractor to get it fixed, I had to pay $500, and then they cover only 80% after I fulfill that. Oh, and I still owe $20 each time I go.

It's expensive as shit, so I'm kinda wary about Canada and how much it'll cost. I've been screwed in the past and the whole "It's super cheap and everyone can afford it!" stuff seems too good to be true, which it may be seeing as how I need health insurance still there.

[jabumbo]

so $280 a month goes into health insurance and you still have a 20 copay for pcp visits?

shit man!


any my upcoming job, i don't pay anything out of check for regular medical (like 10 a month for eye/dental) and have a $10 copay for regular visits to my pcp. i guess i got a good deal!

[QueenAdrock]

Nah, $140 a month. And it's the "Standard" plan, which means it's not the low plan, not the expensive plan, it's just a basic plan that covers only the necessities...and sometimes not even that. Which is why when I move back to the states, I'm going to refuse to work for a contractor anymore. Govvies pay $25 a month for health and they have EVERYTHING covered. Under my dad's plan, we paid about $200 for a $25,000 injury. I want that.