Socialized Medicine

[Perilscope]

Originally Posted by LoBlo

1. How does your system work? Anything special about getting seen in a clinic, or do you just make an appointment, show up and that's it free service?

Here in Canada, at birth you get a Medicare card, you present that card whatever you go, as long it's not private, like dentist, chiropractic and other specialized services, it's free. Well, free, it’s a way of saying it, money comes from the mass, you know what I mean.

Originally Posted by LoBlo

2. Are wait times for doctors visits short or too long?

I do not know elsewhere in Canada, but here in Quebec we are notorious for having the longest wait time if you go to emergencies (Hospital), at local family doctors (Clinic), it's faster.

Originally Posted by LoBlo

3. Are diagnostic test readily available or do they take many months of waiting list? Is access to routine care and clinics as easy as life threatening and care for significantly morbid conditions (liver failure, heart failure)?

Depending on your case, you may wait months, like you may get prioritized, it all depends on the seriousness of you illness.

Originally Posted by LoBlo

4. Do you thrust your doctors?

We have very good doctors, but then again, like everywhere else, you might get the occasional idiot.

Originally Posted by LoBlo

5. Are they all equal in your eyes are or some doctors/hospitals better than others? If so, do you get to choose the doctor/clinic/hospital that you wish to go to, or are you forced to see a certain doctor/etc by the program?

We pretty much choose where we want to go, at first, then you have to follow directions, if one Hospital specializes in a certain illness, well, you have no choice but to go there. As for equality, no, different people administer them, so in some place you will feel that things are better, but in general it's all okay.

Canada in general is very good, and the world appraises us in general.