STUDENT LED TUTORIAL: Is American Health Care Better Than Canadian Health Care? (NO)

By: Ketan Sethi

 

Does the United States have a better health care system than Canada

By: Author

 

 

Summary of Article

 

American Health Care vs. American Health Care – Key Points

  • The Canadian Health Care System is one of this country’s best policies.
  • It provides all Canadian tax payers with health care at any time without any direct cost
  • Canadians are now questioning the health care system, for reasons such as people are waiting too long to be seen, lack of access to beds and one of the biggest concerns the fact that Canada is not up to date with technology
  • If Canadians do not want to be a part of this type of health care then they can change and do what the Americans can do and every person can pay for their own medical care.
    1. This is not a wise decision to make
      1. it will cost an average family too much money
      2. you need to find doctors that are actually good and are not just trying to over charge you and take your money
  • United States may have some of the best doctors and equipment in the world but not everyone can access them only the rich,
    1. the clinics that can afford the top of the line equipment and doctors will have this to offer to their patients, but if someone can not afford the best doctor they may end up with health care that is worse then Canadian health care because that is all that they can afford
  • the American system is worst then the Canadian health care system for reasons as such,
    1. in America 43 million people are without health care that is about 16% of the population
    2. many other American’s have a limited health care
  • the American health care system is fine if you have are rich if not United States is basically telling you that you are on your own to look after yourself
  • the United States is not like Canada when it comes to health care, Canada looks after everyone in their country, United States only help the poor and the elderly if you are not one of those you are to provide yourself with the care that you need

 


Adam Gopnik’s View Of The Canadian System – Key Points

  • Adam Gopnik has lived under both Canada’s and United States health care systems and has mentioned that under both he has been seriously sick and have had family members with the same experiences
    1. Gopnik was saying that his wife’s sister had a baby premature and the baby was so small it was 1.5 pounds at birth, the hospital keep the baby at the hospital for eight months making sure it would survives because the survival rate was for a baby like this was 20%
      with the Canadian health care the family did not have to worry about where the money was going to come from to pay for the baby’s health care
    2. when will the insurance run out
    3. how much will the insurance cover
  • Malcolm Gladwell said that when he was younger he feel off a bike and that he had to wait 1 day for a CAT scan, therefore he said that we should have a MRI in every doctors office, Gopnik then said so you would like to have all this in your doctors office so that when there is an odd chance of this happening you would be ready, but what about all those families who would not benefit from this because they could not afford to even come in to an office to get checked up because they can not pay for this service, you would just let them die.
  • He also talked about how in France the citizens pay a lot of money to their health care plan but they benefit from it because when you have a child in France you are allowed up to 4 days in the hospital, but in New York you are only allowed 36 hours then you need to leave
  • Gopnik said at the end of the day he takes pride in the fact that he does not have to ask himself the question who is going to pay for the birth of my child or if my child is ill how much does my insurance going to cover but in fact I big taxes I pay a lot of taxes so that when I have a child I do not have to worry about these things I can just enjoy the fact that my child is born
  • If you were to ask Canadian’s do you like your health care 95% of Canadian’s will say they love it, if you were to ask American’s do you like your health care about 95% will say they hate it

 

A Look To The North: The Canadian Health Care System - Movie – Key Points

  • A Canadian’s health care bill per person / per year is about $1,600, United States health care bill per person / per year is about $2,200.
  • $2,200 x 4 = 8,800, now lets say you make $50,000 per year now subtract $8,800 from $50,000, now just after paying your health care for that year you are left with $41,200. After paying or your health care you have just lost $10,000
  • Canada is run under a single organization, the Government, United States is run by many, ex. Hospitals, Insurance Companies, Adults, etc.

Glossary

 

 

-A-

 

-B-

 

-C-

 

-D-

 

Doctor - A person, especially a physician, dentist, or veterinarian, trained in the healing arts and licensed to practice

-E-

 

-F-

 

Funding - A sum of money or other resources set aside for a specific purpose

-G-

 

Government - The act or process of governing, especially the control and administration of public policy in a political unit

-H-

 

Health Care - The prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of mental and physical well-being through the services offered by the medical and allied health professions

-I-

 

Insurance - Coverage by a contract binding a party to indemnify another against specified loss in return for premiums paid

-J-


-K-

 

-L-

 

-M-

 

Medicare - A program under the U.S. Social Security Administration that reimburses hospitals and physicians for medical care provided to qualifying people over 65 years old

 

Medicaid - A program in the United States, jointly funded by the states and the federal government that reimburses hospitals and physicians for providing care to qualifying people who cannot finance their own medical expenses

-N-

 

-O-

 

OHIP - Ontario Health Insurance Plan

-P-

 

Policy - A plan or course of action, as of a government, political party, or business, intended to influence and determine decisions, actions, and other matters

-Q-

 

-R-

 

-S-

 

-T-

 

Tax System - n : a legal system for assessing and collecting taxes


Technology -
The scientific method and material used to achieve a commercial or industrial objective

-U-

 

-V-

 

-W-

 

-X-

 

-Y-

 

-Z-

 

All Definitions Are From http://www.dictionary.com

 

 

Movie Important Parts

 

12:35 -> price per person
15:30 -> admin cost, treatment cost, hospital cost
8:00 -> Good information on health care

13:00 -> hospital expenditure


My 10 Questions

 

1.            Would you rather pay taxes and have that benefit everyone in your country or pay for insurance and only one person or your family?

2.            I will like to take a vote who likes the health care system at the moment?
     - If you disagree tell me why?

3.            Which health care system do you prefer and why?

4.            I you were a patient would you like of have the worry of how am I going to pay for this? Then while you are sick thinking does my insurance cover this, or just stay at the hospital and get better and not worry about how your bill will get paid?

5.            What makes the people who say American’s health care is better then Canada’s Health Care basing this on?

 

6.            How many people have a Canadian Health Care Card?

     - Now image you did not have this card and you went into a doctor’s office in United States and you did not insurance and your child got injured now you have no insurance and no money, the doctor’s office will not look at the patient they will just tell you to come back with insurance, in Canada you just show this one card and you are okay and your doctor’s bill is covered.
            - Now tell me how is United States Health Plan Better?
 

7.            Which system do you think benefits the country’s citizens more Canada’s or United States?

 

8.            What do you find better, a single administrator or multiple insurance that can raise or lower the price anytime they prefer?

 

9.            Which country do you think spends more on their Health Care?
         - A Canadian’s health care bill per person / per year is about $1,600,
United States health care bill per person / per year is about $2,200.
        - There is only one difference in Canada we do not have to worry about paying that, in United States they have to pay that every year and if they decide not to pay then they won’t be able to go see a doctor
        - An average family two adults two children that’s now.
                      - $2,200 x 4 = 8,800, now lets say you make $50,000 per year now subtract $8,800 from $50,000, now just after paying your health care for that year you are left with $41,200. After paying or your health care you have just lost $10,000. In
Canada that would be in your pocket.

 


STUDENT LED TUTORIAL:  Reflection

By: Ketan Sethi

 

      I felt from doing this Student Led Tutorial that