A really HARD pill to swallow....

CanadianinIndia

I have a really hard time paying for any kind of healthcare!  

In Canada we have FREE health care. I don't pay for a single dr's visit or ultra sound and the birth is covered. I hate paying for something I feel is a fundamental right and not a privilege. Luckily, the costs here in India are reasonable but it's just the principle. It cost me almost $100 for all the bloodwork to get done. Luckily the appt only cost about $6 and u/s only cost about $6 too. The cost of giving birth is is $1000 for"normal" and $2000 for c-section (sadly India's rate of C-sections are VERY high). 

Also taking my DD for vaccinations and paying over $100 for those too just really gets my goat. I try to get as much done when i go home to visit in Canada since it's all FREE! 

I'm just a really grump after these dr's visits as I hate paying for healthcare! I've never had to in my life..... 

RobotLegs

Well.. welcome to what most of us have always had to deal with.

Tomsbabyboo

As a fellow Canadian, I can see how it would be hard to have to pay out of pocket for medical expenses living abroad. I wouldn't consider our health care here completely free since most of us pay taxes (I personally pay a lot!) to have the health care that we do. With that said, I can definitely agree that going from our system to another would be very challenging. Good luck!

xnbride

It sucks but those are actually really cheap prices compared to what I have to pay and we have health insurance. It is depressing. We are actually still paying on the birth of DS2 (when he was admitted to the NICU based on THEIR lab error) and my DH's hospital visit. It makes me mad too.

CanadianinIndia

I know.....I have some American friends here who WANT to have their babies in India because of how cheap it is compared to home. They don't have their insurance anymore, so it would cost them a small fortune to have a baby in the states.

It's not even just the healthcare, but in Canada we also get a one year paid maternity leave. Most people get about 65% of their salary and government employees get 93% of theirs. 

I guess I'm just feeling homesick and annoyed at shelling out so much money today. $100 in India is like A LOT of people's salary for the month. 

CanadianinIndia

You're right, it's not technically free as you have to pay taxes, and yes I paid quite a lot of taxes when I lived and worked there. But honestly would you rather pay high taxes or lose your home over an un-forseen medical emergency that cost you $100,000? Even the cost of having a baby can set you back $25,000. That's a lot of money!

I'd rather pay the taxes and have the available health care. My mom got sick with cancer over a year ago and she died. And I can't imagine how much it would have cost my dad if we didn't have healthcare. I'm just thankful.... 

Yes, the prices in India are definitely way more affordable on US and Canadian salaries, but you have to understand the salaries are LOW and the cost of living is low. My MIL has 2 masters degrees and is a professor in a University and makes about $500 a month. So paying $100 for blood work is A LOT of money. $100  would almost work out to be like $400-$500 for an American or a Canadian if you took the salary and cost of living into play. Doesn't that seem like a lot to pay?

ahirsch27

I guess I can see how you would be frustrated having to pay out of pocket when you aren't used to it. To put a happy smile on your face, the cost of my c-section with my first was $25,000 (in the U.S.). Lucky for me, I have health insurance through my employer so I paid a few hundred bucks, but I guess you could be living somewhere the costs of procedures was more like mine.

haleymay18

You still pay for healthcare in Canada, it just isn't paid directly to your provider.

Tomsbabyboo

CanadianinIndia:

You're right, it's not technically free as you have to pay taxes, and yes I paid quite a lot of taxes when I lived and worked there. But honestly would you rather pay high taxes or lose your home over an un-forseen medical emergency that cost you $100,000? Even the cost of having a baby can set you back $25,000. That's a lot of money!

I'd rather pay the taxes and have the available health care. My mom got sick with cancer over a year ago and she died. And I can't imagine how much it would have cost my dad if we didn't have healthcare. I'm just thankful.... 

Yes, the prices in India are definitely way more affordable on US and Canadian salaries, but you have to understand the salaries are LOW and the cost of living is low. My MIL has 2 masters degrees and is a professor in a University and makes about $500 a month. So paying $100 for blood work is A LOT of money. $100  would almost work out to be like $400-$500 for an American or a Canadian if you took the salary and cost of living into play. Doesn't that seem like a lot to pay?

I am not complaining about paying taxes for the health care that we have. I was just pointing out that technically our system is not free like most believe it to be because we do pay for it through our taxes. I certainly wouldn't change it. I know that if I had pay out of pocket I wouldn't like it, especially since I am used to the health care system here.

I'm really sorry to hear about the loss of your mother

xnbride

I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your mom.

babyjaq

My visits are a lot more than that!  not to mention the $400 a month I pay for medical insurance, and yet still I pay more than that.  ugh.

Mommy2Bells

Wow, here in Jersey we pay the highest taxes (not kidding) in the US and we pay 1,300.00 dollars  a month in health care for a family of three- and we pay out of pocket cause husband is self-employed and I was laid-off. Plus the high deductibles, LOL.

shortstuff15

Tomsbabyboo:

CanadianinIndia:

You're right, it's not technically free as you have to pay taxes, and yes I paid quite a lot of taxes when I lived and worked there. But honestly would you rather pay high taxes or lose your home over an un-forseen medical emergency that cost you $100,000? Even the cost of having a baby can set you back $25,000. That's a lot of money!

I'd rather pay the taxes and have the available health care. My mom got sick with cancer over a year ago and she died. And I can't imagine how much it would have cost my dad if we didn't have healthcare. I'm just thankful.... 

Yes, the prices in India are definitely way more affordable on US and Canadian salaries, but you have to understand the salaries are LOW and the cost of living is low. My MIL has 2 masters degrees and is a professor in a University and makes about $500 a month. So paying $100 for blood work is A LOT of money. $100  would almost work out to be like $400-$500 for an American or a Canadian if you took the salary and cost of living into play. Doesn't that seem like a lot to pay?

I am not complaining about paying taxes for the health care that we have. I was just pointing out that technically our system is not free like most believe it to be because we do pay for it through our taxes. I certainly wouldn't change it. I know that if I had pay out of pocket I wouldn't like it, especially since I am used to the health care system here.

I'm really sorry to hear about the loss of your mother

yes our health care is not "free" per say, but compared to the tax rates of the states, we actually have very similar tax rates and yet don't have to pay for health care out of pocket.

jleigh355

Mommy2Bells:

Wow, here in Jersey we pay the highest taxes (not kidding) in the US and we pay 1,300.00 dollars  a month in health care for a family of three- and we pay out of pocket cause husband is self-employed and I was laid-off. Plus the high deductibles, LOL.

 

Holy Crap! Move to the midwest! A family is like a 1/3 of that.

CanadianinIndia

Thanks for the condolences about my mom. She died 11 days before the birth of my daughter and never got to meet her first grandchild. The awful thing is my sister was also pregnant and gave birth 6 weeks after me. It was a really terrible time for us. I am glad we both had each other to go through this with.

 I know I have nothing really to complain about, and I hope that soon in the future Obama will make this healthcare plan work out for you all in the States. I am not trying to start a political argument because I know not everyone wants it.  It's just my feeling.