[Newsbot]

Title: Private health insurance in Canada deemed inefficient
Category: Business
Posted By: DrCaleb
Date: 2014-03-25 08:35:40
Canadian

[Prof_Chomsky]

Time to offer public extended coverage for all.

[Jabberwalker]

Hey, I prefer the American "Darwinian" approach, don't you? It's supposed to lead to a stronger, smarter species. Is it working, yet?

[QBC]

Jabberwalker Jabberwalker:

Hey, I prefer the American "Darwinian" approach, don't you? It's supposed to lead to a stronger, smarter species. Is it working, yet?

Have you watched American Idol? ......

[fifeboy]

At one time Saskatchewan had public dental. Seemed to be working fine but it was cancelled by Devine intervention.

[Robair]

I can remember the dentist coming to our school... grade 4-7 probably?
Had a dentist chair set up in an office and everything. Mmmmm, fluoride treatments in between classes.

[fifeboy]

I was teaching in the north when it came in. The closest dentist was in Meadow Lake and he was known as a puller. Had to go to The Battlefords to find a real dentist. Took several years but the dental health of the students really took a turn for the better.

[saturn_656]

Prof_Chomsky Prof_Chomsky:

Time to offer public extended coverage for all.

So the government can up taxes yet again and my employer (along with many others I'm sure) gets to save money on the company benefit packages?

Talk about hooping the middle class.

[andyt]

Your employer can pass on the savings to you in terms of a raise. Doesn't it worry you that the insurers are making such a huge profit on what you/your employer pay? What's your co-pay btw? That would also go away with universal coverage.

But here's a way to save even more money for the govt - make all healthcare charges a taxable benefit. Ie you use the system the charges are treated as income and you pay taxes on it. So those actually using the system would pay more. Of course they'd have to be a limit on it, depending on your income.

In the US, there's a movement afoot to make employer supplied health plans as taxable benefit. Only seems fair, since those that don't get those plans are subsidising those that do.

[saturn_656]

andyt andyt:

Your employer can pass on the savings to you in terms of a raise. Doesn't it worry you that the insurers are making such a huge profit on what you/your employer pay? What's your co-pay btw? That would also go away with universal coverage.

Yes they could give me a raise, but will they? I'd like to think yes, but I wouldn't bet on it. I imagine the urge to pad the profit margins would be pretty strong.

I don't co-pay. Most places I present the benefit card and it's all groovy. No coin out of pocket.

[andyt]

You have to think of the larger picture. Remove the costs of paying for this inefficient service, and employers are in a position to pay more to attract the people they want. That's why they offer your health coverage in the first place. It should all work itself out. I mean what's to stop your employer from padding his profits by lowering your wages or removing your health plan right now? They're balancing their profit with wanting to attract good workers.

They don't deduct anything from your pay for this plan?

[BeaverFever]

Keep coverage the massages and accupuncture and the rest if thst nonsense private.

We only need to socialize drug coverage. Control costs by having mandatory generic substitution, dispensing fee cap, and some cost-sharing, like 90% coverage. And introduce a tiered clawback above a certain income level.

[andyt]

Dentistry too. Bad teeth can really ruin somebody's health, which costs us way more in the end.

Mental health coverage needs to be improved too.

eye exams and basic glasses as well. Can't have half blind people stumbling around.

As I say, if covering more areas seems expensive, make it a taxable benefit with limits based on income of how much is charge to people. That way you reduce unnecessary use of the health system.

[saturn_656]

$1:

They don't deduct anything from your pay for this plan?

I pay a nominal fee per paycheck due to the number of dependents I have and the fact that I took the company "gold plan".

Don't mind because I have utilized far more in services (for one dependent never mind the three combined) than the fee has cost me.

Kids are bloody expensive.

$1:

I mean what's to stop your employer from padding his profits by lowering your wages or removing your health plan right now? They're balancing their profit with wanting to attract good workers.

The company couldn't swallow the exodus that would result.

[Jabberwalker]

The company health plan is a good deal for us, too.