this post was submitted on 18 Sep 2023
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Hello, Canadians of Lemmy! Down in the USA there is a lot of conflicting information regarding the efficacy of y'alls healthcare systems. Without revealing my personal bias, I was hoping for some anecdotes or summaries from those whom actually live there.

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[โ€“] AlternateRoute@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

If I am in great pain or have been injured I just head to the emergency room. My only concern is how long I will have to wait to be seen which is based on urgency of the symptoms.

If you have a less severe or chronic problem it can take a few months to see various specialists or get non critical surgery. However again time is the only concern.

The only financial concerns come from over the counter medication for which there are programs for low income and extended coverage that is commonly covered by employers. Also most of these medications are cheaper in Canada vs the US as the provinces negotiate the costs. For an example an epi pen purchased without coverage of any kind is 6x cheaper in Canada than the US.

It is slow at times but I never have a financial concern during an emergency or that I need to go to a specific in network hospital like in the US.