Our current healthcare system is full of bureaucracy. I think everyone should have the right to focus on their health and getting well instead of worrying about medical bills.

Danggggg so different there!!! Didn’t know about those plastic cards y’all have!! Or that you can go *anywhere*??! We really do suck here… And people are so stubborn with their views that no one wants to be convinced otherwise so we’re stuck :(

Hi E-Rock,

The top tax bracket in Canada for 2019 was 58.75%, but that’s only if you make over $210,000. But with lower healthcare costs and educational costs, we have a better quality of life with lower salaries, and we have all sorts of tax deductions…especially if we have kids.

I had stage 2 cancer years ago, and luckily I was able to just focus on getting better instead of figuring out how to pay for it. I consulted with multiple specialists, had surgery, follow-up appointments, etc. and it cost nothing. I did have to pay $70 out of pocket at the beginning, but I was able to get reimbursed through my tax return. I have a family doctor that I see for check-ups and chronic issues, I have a walk-in clinic that I go to for emergency appointments right near my house (they also have a nice service that will text you when it’s your turn to go back to see the doctor rather than spend hours in the waiting room), and I rarely need to go to an actual hospital. Sure, wait times can be long for certain things, but I’m sure that’s not any different than in the USA. We have a plastic card that looks like a driver’s license, but it’s our medicare card. You swipe this everywhere you go – no need to carry cash or credit cards. The other thing about universal healthcare is not just the freedom from having to pay, but also the freedom to go anywhere. I can go to ANY hospital, clinic, or doctor (as long as I can get an appointment with them). There’s no need to check if I’m covered or if they’re in my “network”. Occasionally, we do have to pay for certain procedures out of pocket, and sometimes our prescriptions aren’t totally covered by the government. For example, I had to have a special eye exam that cost $150, and recently I had bronchitis and had to pay about $90 out of pocket for my medications. But for $90, I got 2 asthma pumps, antibiotics and codeine cough syrup. I’d say that’s a pretty good deal. So far, it’s been an expensive year for me healthcare-wise, but these expenses are tax-deductible at the end of the year.

Student loans/credit cards/mortgages are more “fixed” expenses that you can predict and control to a certain degree. But healthcare can vary widely and you never know when you’ll have an emergency. Also, the stress of having to worry about payment when you’re ill or facing an emergency is just incomprehensible to me.

Thanks Mike! Appreciate you adding to the conversation and really hope you’re doing okay w/ the cancer stuff! That $hit is no joke :(

20 years!! What a record!! I’d keep going too until you hit that 50 haha… especially if you’re enjoying it, which I’d assume you’d have to be for sticking around that long, eh? :)

Haha…. much better answer.

Wiping out debt is a great thing, but it would now stop you from going back into debt. Also paying it off and changing your outlook/habits is a great motivator. You just don’t get that life lesson any other way.

Great question though.

Hi E-Rock, which countries did you have in mind here? I was surprised by the 65% number so tried to track one down and I couldn’t find any country with a top 65% rate. I’m wondering if it maybe used to be true a few decades ago but no longer is?