Hi Lisa,
I'm afraid your concept of our Canadian healthcare system is inaccurate. Just as you pay a portion of your paycheque towards private health insurance, similarly we pay a chunk of our annual income (in the form of taxes) to pay for our healthcare services. So "free" it is not.
The primary difference between our systems lies in that fact that ours is 'publicly' funded; our payments reflect a percentage of total income, and therefore although we (supposedly) all have equal coverage and access, we do not all pay an equal portion of the tab. The rich pay more, and the poor pay less, but in this way everyone is guaranteed coverage.
Our coverage here includes visits to family physicians & specialists, surgeries, hospital stays, etc., but doesn't include pharmaceuticals. For drug coverage, we buy separate private insurance plans, although the unemployed or retired seniors have access to (provincial) public plans, if they find themselves in need and are unable to afford meds.
In general our system works very well, and considering the cost of healthcare is on the rise universally around the globe, maintaining adequate funding levels and quality care is, of course, a constant and continuing challenge, but not one unique to Canadians.
If our board here at KA is any reflection, then finding a qualified and caring Rheumatologist is also not a problem unique to only Canadians.
Take care,
mig
