Oh, and buy used cars with good mileage

Ahhhhhhhh

Reading this post once again reminds me how fortunate I am to be Canadian.

No earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes or tsunamis. Very few dangerous animal species, and most likely the best health care system in the world.

I get full coverage for medical AND dental for myself and the wife/kids including free prescription meds. For 30 bucks a month through work I get full death benefits up to 400 000 bucks and it doesent matter how I die, so long as I am dead my family gets the coin.

The only bad thing we had up here was Celine Dion and we gave her to you.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!

I guess I wont be moving down south anytime soon. Sounds like you guys are getting raped.

And you guys get the metric system! SOOOOOO much easier!!

"...the best health care system in the world..."

When we were in BC a few years ago we talked to a guy who was off work with a blown disc in his back (been there done that). He was on a waiting list about two years long for surgery. I got mine in CA within ten days, the delay was for traction and physical theropy prior to the procedure. Has that been changed???

I think Taurus is just teasing you folks a bit. (Nothing wrong with loving your country, though. I think you'll all agree.)

Both the U.S. and Canada have very high-quality health care, once you get access to it. And that's the challenge on both sides of the border.

If I understand it correctly (and correct me if I'm wrong), you can get services in the U.S. immediately if you can afford to pay cash. There is infinite capacity in the system, ready to go. But if you can't pay for it directly, or want to be reimbursed, you're rather at the mercy of whatever insurance plan you have. These act for all practical purposes as gatekeepers.

In Canada, nearly all services are paid for through public insurance (which is really means the government pays for it all, and we pay more in taxes). Here, the gatekeeper is the wait list, especially for specialists and non-emergency surgery, where there is only so much capacity. Yes, it has been an issue. It's slowly getting better, though granted it's not perfect.

But remember, the Canadian system is a publicly-funded system. When we as a country decided to stop deficit spending at the federal level and start paying down our national debt, there were sacrifices made across the country. Health care was hit pretty hard along with many other sectors. That's the big picture behind some of the stories you've heard.

So, each to his (or her) own. Each system will get you one way or another. Given the cost of health services, that's almost inevitable.

In the USA anyone can get medical problems handled right away if it’s an emergency, all one has to do is go to any hospital.

You could argue and I’m sure this is abused by some, but for a real emergency you will get very high grade medical help regardless of coverage.

But you said that:

[quoute]No self respecting male in my family would ever call a mechanic, plumber, carpenter, electrician or any repairman.[/quote]

It might cost you something near to nothing. You can improve the situation with just properly utilized paper... Check google for hints and tips on that.

Fair comment. I don't believe anyone would be turned away in a genuine emergency.

I was thinking more of elective surgeries and such (in response to OBG's question) and how the two systems differ.

Though anyone with a really bad back will tell you that IT IS a freaking emergency.

Check out www.simplecare.com . This is an organization of "cash only" providers, mostly physician offices,few if any hospitals.

Look into HSAs (Health Savings Accounts) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_savings_account.

Cash discounts vary by location, but should be more than 15%,
sometimes as much as 50% (just like any transaction, charges are negotiable, don't take the first offer, also "shop around" if time and circumstances allow.

I live in an 80-year-old farmhouse, so I understand the reluctance to spend a lot of money on an old structure.

But FWIW there's a lot that can be done, inexpensively, to keep an old house warmer/cooler:
- use heavy curtains to keep air off the windows at night
- caulk every window and weatherstrip every door; makes a huge difference
- put reflective insulation on windows that aren't used all the time (the stuff with foil on both sides and bubble wrap in the middle); if you need some light through basement windows, use doubled-up bubble wrap
- put temporary clear plastic on the inside of windows you don't need to open (this is standard stock in every Canadian hardware store; you attach it with double-sided tape and use a hair dryer to even out any wrinkles; I assume it's widely available in the northern U.S.)
- heavily insulate the attic; this gives a lot of bang for very few bucks, and is much easier than upgrading walls.

All of this will save money, and make an old place a lot more comfortable.