Canada works on a triage system where the sickest people get care first. I don’t see that as a problem when waiting for something non life critical is an issue.

Canadians walk into ER, get care and leave not owing money. They’re cared for. Period. ER isn’t a bank breaker. Nor is cancer, heart attacks or critical accidents.

Where Canada has most problems is delivery because of a lesser population spread against a larger land mass. Coupled with the extreme cold in the more northern areas, and how much of that is rural, you wind up with a Nirtgern Exposure situation where HC professionals aren’t beating down the doors to serve those communities.

Canada negotiates drug prices so even those without drug plans pay less for drugs than we do.

I’m married to a Canadian and went to the ER today (first time using Canadian HC and I’m not yet a landed immigrant yet). I went to ER. Waited the same amount if time as in a US ER. Paid a whopping $281 IN TOTAL, plus $13.00 for meds. That same thing in the US would have cost at least $1000. Last time I walked into a walk-in clinic in the states it cost me $263 above what my insurance paid. And that was more than six years ago when I was on a biz trip.

Canada’s system may not be perfect but it is by far and away better than the system we have which is solely based on how much money you have and where citizens die because insurance companies fuck over their insureds and poor people die simply because they have no money.