Americans have Starbucks and Canadians have Tom Hortons
While in the US, Starbucks is the “best coffee” you could find, in Canada, they have Tim Hortons!
Canadians get free healthcare
Well, now let’s talk about the elephant in the room. The biggest difference between Canada and the US is their different healthcare systems. Canadians can get “free” healthcare, which is definitely something that many Americans want.
As Bustle points out, the health care system in Canada is a bit complicated. After registering as part of the health care system, you are able to go to a clinic and get free care. However, the systems work very differently for each province, which makes things even more confusing. Even more, a lot of people have trouble finding proper care physicians, as you have to wait long periods of time.
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14 thoughts on “Here Are 14 SHOCKING Differences Between Canada and the U.S.”
My niece has lived and worked in Canada for many years; she has dual citizenship. In her experience, the “free” health care system leaves much to be desired.
The system as a whole is underfunded, so that there aren’t enough practitioners. Therefore, there can be long waits for essential, even urgent, services. She’s very active and athletic, so she occasionally suffers an injury (such as a broken nose) that would be treated immediately or within days in the U.S.; she’s had to wait weeks for proper treatment. However, if she were willing to pay with her own money, she could be treated much sooner. Some Canadians who can afford it, go to the U.S. for treatment of major health conditions. The idea of free health care is good; there must be proper implementation to go with it.
None of these differences are very shocking or unbelievable, are they? In fact if any of this is shocking to you, you probably received your education in a government funded school system which omitted civics, government, and basic life skills from their curriculum long ago. This article appears to have been written by an (American) Middle schooler.
Grace, I have many Canadian friends and while I agree the National Health Care system there is under funded, please than your lucky stars you are not suffering under the appalling US system. We pay $2300 a month for Health Care insurance and when you get sick or enter hospitals etc., you still pay contributions. Same with drug costs. More people in the US declare bankruptcy as a result of heath care debt than any other cause. It’s a system where a plethora of insurance companies, CEO’s, Boards of Directors, shareholders and overhead uses approximately 50% of the fees paid with the remainder going to actual healthcare. By the way after paying in all your working life when you reach retirement age and perhaps require actual healthcare you are passed onto the “Socialist” ( I use the word many Republican politicians use) Medicare system. Thank your Canadian lucky stars.
Some Americans who can afford it go to Canada for treatment, my husband being one of them. As a Canadian, I always carried supplemental health insurance. If your Neice lived here in the US she could rely on the “ so called free medical care here” it is called Medicaid. Would she get priority treatment for a broken nose, not likely. Just like my well insured husband did not get priority treatment for his shattered ankle. We were advised not to go to the ER as the costs would be enormous and above what is covered by my Federal employees plan. We were advised to go to a walk-in clinic get X-rays done and see an orthopedic MD at the first available appointment.
While you are busy trashing the health care system in Canada May I point out to you it covers basic care for all Canadians while in the US many Americans die due to lack of insurance and lack of funding to pay for even the most basic of health care, leaving conditions undiagnosed like cancer until it is too late for treatment and death is the result.
Your Neice should know to carry a supplement plan that her employer would offer as a benefit of her employment. I don’t understand how she would be employed in a position in Canada in a needed position open to non Canadians and not realize she should have bought additional insurance.
I can’t help wondering how someone with such athletic abilities such as your neice, manages to break her nose?
I also can’t understand how someone who has education beyond high school doesn’t understand the need to carry supplemental health insurance. I’m sure she reads beyond a grade 12 level.
Some Americans who can afford it go to Canada for treatment, my husband being one of them. As a Canadian, I always carried supplemental health insurance. If your Neice lived here in the US she could rely on the “ so called free medical care here” it is called Medicaid. Would she get priority treatment for a broken nose, not likely. Just like my well insured husband did not get priority treatment for his shattered ankle. We were advised not to go to the ER as the costs would be enormous and above what is covered by my Federal employees plan. We were advised to go to a walk-in clinic get X-rays done and see an orthopedic MD at the first available appointment.
While you are busy trashing the health care system in Canada May I point out to you it covers basic care for all Canadians while in the US many Americans die due to lack of insurance and lack of funding to pay for even the most basic of health care, leaving conditions undiagnosed like cancer until it is too late for treatment and death is the result.
Your Neice should know to carry a supplement plan that her employer would offer as a benefit of her employment. I don’t understand how she would be employed in a position in Canada in a needed position open to non Canadians and not realize she should have bought additional insurance.
I can’t help wondering how someone with such athletic abilities such as your neice, manages to break her nose?
I also can’t understand how someone who has education beyond high school doesn’t understand the need to carry supplemental health insurance. I’m sure she reads beyond a grade 12 level.
Have you tried to see a doctor in the US lately? I waited three months for an appointment with a gastro doctor and my 87 year old mother with blood pressure issues has been fighting to see a cardiologist….appointment finally made in Aug. for a Nov. visit.
I have two friends who are members of medical coops. One pays 5k annually, the other 14K. These costs are above insurance, just the cost of membership to the coop where they get to see a doctor immediately
The system here is terrible. Try your best to stay healthy or become wealthy.
In Canada is no problem with any reason go to the doctor, or emergency room. Only underground parking in emergency was
for up normal rate —about $ 40.00 . And everywhere , go to the doctor ,or go visit patients in the hospital have to be
paid, parking. If come allergies , always is open Walking clinic —no problem. And old age is respected in the banks,
and offer in old age some supplement.
The Canadians are much more welcoming to immigrates, one reason is they have such a small population, which in turn produces less tax revenue. Taxes in Canada take a substantial piece of income, and nearly 30% goes to the public healthcare system. The “free” healthcare also has quotas on what procedures can be performed during the year i.e., heart by-pass surgery, and you really don’t have a choice on the doctors you see. A lot of border states in the US have put up large hospital, 400 bed facilities, to accommodate Canadian citizens who would prefer US medical treatment. While the Canadian Hospitals are very good, they just don’t have the staff to meet the demand. Prices in general are much higher for food, cars, clothing, but are a bargain for Pharmaceuticals which is a substantial savings for Canadian citizens. Gasoline on the other hand is around 2 CA dollars a liter, roughly 7.00 a gallon. Canada is a great neighbor, and is filled with wonderful, generous people and hopefully we can continue to have a great relationship forever.
maybe a more fair nation than the usa below
The U.S. has numerous political parties–some small, but the article is misleading in that it failed to mention this. besides Democrat and Republican parties, America has the Green Party, Libertarian party (which is not small), Constitution Party and Natural Law Party.
Additionally, the article misleads in its summary of treatment regarding immigrants. Obviously the United States of America has brought in more immigrants from other nations than any other country in the world. Unlike the articles states, America has believed and acted upon the idea that immigrants add to the economic production of the country. But America always operated on the idea of legal and controlled immigration. The “open door” policy of Joe Biden has welcomed over 2 million “refugees” (in most cases they are NOT refugees–they just want to live in the country tht they feel is the best country in the world. So, while we have always welcomed legal immigrants, the influx of illegal immigrants pouring across the border whose protection is specifically named as one of the duties of the Executive Branch in our Constitution. Biden’s failure to carry out his duties is met with a majority of disagreement with the American public–therefore it appears that “Canadians are way more welcoming to refugees and immigrants than Americans,” as the article reports–but nothing could be further from the truth.
I don’t understand 4 of the points in your presentation.
1. Emigrees welcome in Canada. Sure, they are welcome, and there’s a whole page on the Canada immigration website regarding the fees to become a resident or citizen of Canada. NOT FREE. Border crashers are not turned loose in the country as they are in the USA.
2. “Free” healthcare. Any USA healthcare worker, especially in the border states and Florida can cite case after case of Canadians coming to USA for healthcare – for what we consider medically necessary procedures such as cataract removal, heart catheterization, dental care due to the long waits and unavailable “free” health care.
3. Paid vacations. USA does not mandate paid vacations, but many companies offer paid vacations (paid by the employer, not the tax payer) as benefits. Maybe you’re trying to say that the Canadian government pays the vacations? I don’t understand your point or the context in that statement.
4. Tipping in Canada. ??? Canadians don’t tip! (Ask any server in USA in border states and Florida about Canadian tipping. IT doesn’t happen.)
and…finally – what’s the tax rate in Canada as compared to USA? There’s provincial income tax, and federal income tax – the lowest tax bracket (under $50k) is around 25% – and then there’s tax on purchases, tax on gas, etc.
Please add a little more data to the article – it would be a more complete review.
Re: . The text in the article title, “Americans have Starbucks and Canadians have Tom Hortons” does not agree with the caption on the cup in the picture, “Tim Hortons”
Hey Captain, I count pages not paragraphs, it was only 10 and they are all trivial, yes even healthcare cause its Canadian healthcare, no thanks!
Truly one of the finest articles. American companies can’t legally offer paid vacation??? Where did that come from. Also when I retired, I was getting 6 weeks paid vacation. So much for only getting 2 weeks in the US. The whole article is full of misstatements and errors.