This quote was interesting:
> “This is the first time in 30 years I’ve had medical insurance, and it’s as a truck driver. They don’t give you medical insurance when you’re a doctor.”
He worked in NZ but drives trucks in Canada? So I guess the difference is the national health care system, right?
I feel like there’s a larger picture here that the article could address.
We have medical insurance but it is mostly for the well off, and it gives you better or faster care in a few situations.
Nursing home care is expensive and you need to virtually bankrupt yourself before you can access the government subsidised tier of fulltime nursing care.
The socialist health system mostly works okay, but we pay for it with high tax rates.
1. Public healthcare is mostly free. You have to deal with long lines in opd but you get top care. You have free emergency and its good enough. If you have a procedure to do, you are charged minimum but there is a "medical insurance" that covers it. No payment but govt pays your premium. Cons: long lines unless your case is very emergency or you have contacts.
2. You have small nursing homes or private hospitals, 10-20-50 bedded ones specializing in certain specialities. Again, most procedures are paid by the public insurance but again, long lines for most part unless you pay them sticker price.
3. Big private hospitals. They are fully paid and you either pay out of pocket or your paid health insurance covers it.