HalCombs, I'm sorry to hear of your wife's heart difficulties. I've never been sick in NZ but did live in Australia for many years which has a wonderful socialized health system. Why wouldn't you just go to Sydney? Or you could have gone to Thailand which also has a great health system and is much much more afforable then our medical system here. I wonder why you would come all the way back here for a system that ranks low among industrialized countries, where we are sicker and die younger, and where we go broke paying our medical bills?
Maybe you were also a little homesick?
David
of NJ
@
Nov 27, 2009 09:19:26 AM
HalCombs and NZ
HalCombs, I'm sorry to hear of your wife's heart difficulties. I've never been sick in NZ but did live in Australia for many years which has a wonderful socialized health system. Why wouldn't you just go to Sydney? Or you could have gone to Thailand which also has a great health system and is much much more afforable then our medical system here. I wonder why you would come all the way back here for a system that ranks low among industrialized countries, where we are sicker and die younger, and where we go broke paying our medical bills?
Maybe you were also a little homesick?
David
of NJ
@
Nov 27, 2009 09:18:11 AM
Retiring in Thiland
I spent 18 months in Thailand during VietNam War. I wouldn't be much of an adjustment, Can speak a little Thai. I's just wondering about my Harley and shippment over there. I love the culture. DEL
Dwayne Landen
of MI
@
Nov 10, 2009 18:14:41 PM
Had to give up
Retired to New Zealand till their treatment of my wifes heart attack almost killed her. Unable to see a cardiologist with less than 9 months wait and squalid hospital condition in the capitals (Wellington) premier hospital all convinced us that socialized medicine kills. Had to return to the US for proper treatment.
HalCombs
of MS
@
Nov 08, 2009 21:49:32 PM
Expert from Georgia
Well, expert from Georgia, what references or insight do YOU have to help us retire early? The article gives reference works which are intended to provide in depth informaiton. That's how I see it.
Joe
of OK
@
Nov 08, 2009 08:44:31 AM
what goes here?
What a useless article, delineating the obvious with no new information
Diane Ville
of GA
@
Oct 05, 2009 11:32:32 AM
Canadian Healthcare
For those of you who have vilified their system, you are wrong, and I suspect shills for the US Republicans and Insurance companies. I have personal experience, twice, with the Canadian system and it has been nothing short of great!
Treatment in an emergency room for a skiing injury was quick, efficient, effective, and free!
Another time, being treated for pneumonia was the same; fast , efficient, gracious, and cost $10.00 US.
Many friends who have experienced the Canadian system hacve ALL reported the same to me. It is wonderful.
Peter Harrison
of AR
@
Sep 04, 2009 16:53:22 PM
Thankful to live in Canada
My parents immigrated to Nova Scotia from the United States in the early 1980s and lived here for their rest of their lives. I immigrated six years ago. In my parents' experience and mine, the Canadian health care system has been excellent. Does it have problems? Sure. But they pale in comparison to the fact that Canada delivers good basic health care efficiently and usually for free to all of its citizens. I will always love the United States, where I was born, but I am thankful every day that I live in Canada, a country with universal health care.
FJ
@
Sep 03, 2009 12:01:38 PM
Canada and Sweden both are POOR choices!
I have to agree with Krista of ND about Canada's health system. I am an American, born and raised, but immigrated to Canada in 2002. I lived in Alberta for a year before moving to Ontario, hoping things were better there. After trying it there, I moved back to the U.S. Unmployment was about 19% and, in spite of my three college degrees and many years of experience in the IT field, I couldn't even get an interview, let alone a job. Before moving there, I thought Canada was the greatest. I was also a staunch supporter of universal healthcare -- until I personally experienced it. The government medical systems were different from Alberta to Ontario, but both were horrible. In Alberta, they had started to charge every citizen monthly premiums - even though all Canadians already pay big taxes to support the government-run healthcare. Meanwhile, I had a family member needing an MRI who was told that the wait was 18+ months because there was ONE MRI machine for all of western Canada.... I had a friend who's 35 year-old brother died from an infected tooth that went untreated too long and turned into a blood infection that killed him. I personally took my fiance to the local clinic with a 104 degree fever, watched them swipe the ID card (which gives them credit for the service so that they get paid) and then do NOTHING for the fever, spent less than 30 seconds in the room and sent my fiance home without any care at all. In Alberta, the jerk premier was working on "privatization" of the healthcare system. His plan was to allow rich companies to open up a business where they, for example, might buy an MRI machine and offer to give MRI's to whoever could pay a big price for them. In other words, the RICH would have healthcare. And once that system was in place, there would be absolutely no motivation to fix the existing government system that everyone was paying so much for...because it would only be there for the poorest people and who cares about them anyway, right? As long as the rich have access to quality care and everyone is paying fat taxes to the government, it's a win-win situation. Well, at least for everyone EXCEPT the little guy.
I went from being an advocate for Universal Healthcare to being against it after two years in Canada. and later watching a friend in Sweden go through treatment for breast cancer - that was the most incompetent mess I've ever witnessed. It's amazing she survived considering how SLOW and MISMANAGED her care was. There is no emergency care in these places. In Sweden, I learned, you have to call ahead to the Emergency Room and tell them what is wrong and they decide whether or not you can go in. She had an allergic reaction to a medication they were giving her and it took 3 MONTHS for her to get through the red tape (calling every doctor in the country) to get them to stop the medication. Her throat was swelling shut and she almost died but they kept administering the drug anyway! Healthcare is a MESS no matter EVERYWHERE!
Dawn
of IL
@
Aug 28, 2009 02:06:26 AM
Canada's System is horrendous - AGREED!
I have to agree with Krista of ND about Canada's health system. I am an American, born and raised, but immigrated to Canada in 2002. I lived in Alberta for a year before moving to Ontario, hoping things were better there. After trying it there, I moved back to the U.S. Unmployment was about 19% and, in spite of my three college degrees and many years of experience in the IT field, I couldn't even get an interview, let alone a job. Before moving there, I thought Canada was the greatest. I was also a staunch supporter of universal healthcare -- until I personally experienced it. The government medical systems were different from Alberta to Ontario, but both were horrible. In Alberta, they had started to charge every citizen monthly premiums - even though all Canadians already pay big taxes to support the government-run healthcare. Meanwhile, I had a family member needing an MRI who was told that the wait was 18+ months because there was ONE MRI machine for all of western Canada.... I had a friend who's 35 year-old brother died from an infected tooth that went untreated too long and turned into a blood infection that killed him. I personally took my fiance to the local clinic with a 104 degree fever, watched them swipe the ID card (which gives them credit for the service so that they get paid) and then do NOTHING for the fever, spent less than 30 seconds in the room and sent my fiance home without any care at all. In Alberta, the jerk premier was working on "privatization" of the healthcare system. His plan was to allow rich companies to open up a business where they, for example, might buy an MRI machine and offer to give MRI's to whoever could pay a big price for them. In other words, the RICH would have healthcare. And once that system was in place, there would be absolutely no motivation to fix the existing government system that everyone was paying so much for...because it would only be there for the poorest people and who cares about them anyway, right? As long as the rich have access to quality care and everyone is paying fat taxes to the government, it's a win-win situation. Well, at least for everyone EXCEPT the little guy.
I went from being an advocate for Universal Healthcare to being against it after two years in Canada. and later watching a friend in Sweden go through treatment for breast cancer - that was the most incompetent mess I've ever witnessed. It's amazing she survived considering how SLOW and MISMANAGED her care was. There is no emergency care in these places. In Sweden, I learned, you have to call ahead to the Emergency Room and tell them what is wrong and they decide whether or not you can go in. She had an allergic reaction to a medication they were giving her and it took 3 MONTHS for her to get through the red tape (calling every doctor in the country) to get them to stop the medication. Her throat was swelling shut and she almost died but they kept administering the drug anyway! Healthcare is a MESS no matter EVERYWHERE!
David of NJ @ Nov 27, 2009 09:19:26 AM
David of NJ @ Nov 27, 2009 09:18:11 AM
Dwayne Landen of MI @ Nov 10, 2009 18:14:41 PM
HalCombs of MS @ Nov 08, 2009 21:49:32 PM
Joe of OK @ Nov 08, 2009 08:44:31 AM
Diane Ville of GA @ Oct 05, 2009 11:32:32 AM
Peter Harrison of AR @ Sep 04, 2009 16:53:22 PM
FJ @ Sep 03, 2009 12:01:38 PM
Dawn of IL @ Aug 28, 2009 02:06:26 AM
Dawn of IL @ Aug 28, 2009 02:04:22 AM
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