Japan's Health Care

[colcifer]

Health care in Japan: Not all smiles | The Economist

Interesting article.

[Big_Daddy]

And here I was thinking that their system was indeed all smiles.

Makes me want to learn more about Canada's health care system.

[colcifer]

What is Canada's health care system, from your point of view (to all Canadian TBers, not just Big_Daddy)? Any Japanese users care to comment? Come to think of it, any non-US POV would make an interesting read...

[Pacman]

I have actually used the Japanese health care system, and can tell you that it was by far the best medical experience I've ever had. Top to bottom, start to finish it was nowhere close to anything else I've had to use.

[Big_Daddy]

In Canada (at least Alberta...) we've got medi-centers all over town. You can never be sure if you'll be waiting ten minutes of two hours. Sit and wait in the waiting room, get called in, and then wait in the 'examination room' for the actual doctor.

In the emergency room, all you need to do is show your health care card, and you're in. Now, if it's the emergency room and it doesn't need immediate medical attention, you can usually expect about a six hour wait. The last few times I had to go to the ER with my girlfriend, we went in at about 11pm, and didn't get discharged until 6am.

Your annual checkup (et cetera) with your doctor is free, it's all free. Go in for surgery? Everything is free. However, if you want a private room, you'll have to pay extra. Otherwise, expect to be with at least one other person in the room.

I will always choose a long wait for free instead of a quick wait and then pay through my nose. The seven hour wait in the ER for free was worth it. Alternatively, we would have paid for rubber gloves, a hospital bed for four hours, an IV, blood work, needles, et cetera. Hefty bills.

All in all, I think we've got a pretty good system, but for all the good stories, there's half again as many bad stories. My girlfriend's got some pretty horrible stories from when her grandmother was diagnosed with cancer up until she passed away. It's not perfect, but it's better than the alternative (not to look down upon Americans).

Personally, I'd rather Canada take a lesson from European countries (and possibly Japan, I'm not too too familiar with their system). Say in Britain, you want prescription drugs? 6.50 pounds for the drug in whatever quantity is needed. Need three months worth of expensive pills? 6.50 pounds. Need a weeks worth of cheap anti-biotics? 6.50 pound.

Et cetera, et cetera.

[baalroo]

Originally Posted by Big_Daddy

In Canada (at least Alberta...) we've got medi-centers all over town. You can never be sure if you'll be waiting ten minutes of two hours. Sit and wait in the waiting room, get called in, and then wait in the 'examination room' for the actual doctor.

It's the same here in the U.S. Except you have to make an appointment first, but you never actually go in at the time of the appointment. You sit and wait anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours and then sit in the "examination room" for another 10 minutes to 1 hour.

oh, and it costs hundreds of dollars, even if you wait 4 hours and then talk to the doctor for 3 minutes.

[Big_Daddy]

Originally Posted by baalroo

It's the same here in the U.S. Except you have to make an appointment first, but you never actually go in at the time of the appointment. You sit and wait anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours and then sit in the "examination room" for another 10 minutes to 1 hour.

oh, and it costs hundreds of dollars, even if you wait 4 hours and then talk to the doctor for 3 minutes.

That's harsh.

[jmattbassplaya]

Originally Posted by baalroo

It's the same here in the U.S. Except you have to make an appointment first, but you never actually go in at the time of the appointment. You sit and wait anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours and then sit in the "examination room" for another 10 minutes to 1 hour.

oh, and it costs hundreds of dollars, even if you wait 4 hours and then talk to the doctor for 3 minutes.

This, and we really don't get to choose which doctor(s) we want to see because our insurers will only cover certain ones and certain locations we can be treated.

[burk48237]

US health care is far from perfect, it seems to me to be a mixture of the worse of both worlds (Government and Private). Although if you are diagnosed with a serious aliment in the US and you have insurance your survival rate is far better than any of the government single payer plans. Our cancer and heart disease survival rates are among the best in the world.

As far as the demographic problems that Japan is having their experience is a problem that both Europe and Japan are experiencing more so than the US or Canada. If you're going to vote yourself with a bunch of benefits including early retirement, you'd better have kids to pay for it. In Italy there are 4 grandparents for every grand child, in Japan it's much the same. It doesn't take a genius to realize that a generous welfare state needs lots of generous tax payers to meet it's obligation.

When SS first started in the US there were 150 plus tax payers for every receiver of benefits. Well by 2020 I believe the ratio goes down to 4 to 1. Well in places like Japan, Italy and Greece, it's the reverse, the ratio is more like 1 to 4. Health care is a great example because it costs more for older people. The situation in Japan is a situation that we are beginning to see across all of Western Europe and Japan. And the current economic situation is accelerating it, it will not get better. The demographics just don't work.

[Big_Daddy]

My question for the American posters:

In Canada, most employers will require a doctor's note when you phone in sick (to be presented when you come back to work). Just to prove that you've gone to see a doctor, he's checked you out, confirmed what's going on, et cetera.

In the US, do employers ask this aswell, knowing that it'll cost the employee hundreds of dollars?

[Relic]

I actually love my health care. Easy to get appt's go to any doctor I want, it's rare that I have to wait "2 hours" and I'm not having to pay much more than anyone else. I dont think I've ever waited as long as two hours except in the public hospital/clinic situation. The only sucky thing is my vision care plan..
My point is that it varies here and probably elsewhere as well and don't be so quick to believe that the horror stories are the defining examples of various health care systems.

[Relic]

Originally Posted by Big_Daddy

My question for the American posters:

In Canada, most employers will require a doctor's note when you phone in sick (to be presented when you come back to work). Just to prove that you've gone to see a doctor, he's checked you out, confirmed what's going on, et cetera.

In the US, do employers ask this aswell, knowing that it'll cost the employee hundreds of dollars?

Not really. Maybe some. Most of the places that I've worked give you either an allotted number of excused "sick days" or it may be up to your dept head's discretion. If it's believed that you are perhaps abusing that, you may then face disciplinary action.
Again, it varies but I have never had difficulties taking sick days when I needed to

[MakiSupaStar]

Originally Posted by Pacman

I have actually used the Japanese health care system, and can tell you that it was by far the best medical experience I've ever had. Top to bottom, start to finish it was nowhere close to anything else I've had to use.

+1. This.

[Strohsx]

Originally Posted by Pacman

I have actually used the Japanese health care system, and can tell you that it was by far the best medical experience I've ever had. Top to bottom, start to finish it was nowhere close to anything else I've had to use.

My brother just came back after a semester over there and he said the same thing.

[guy n. cognito]

Originally Posted by Big_Daddy

My question for the American posters:

In Canada, most employers will require a doctor's note when you phone in sick (to be presented when you come back to work). Just to prove that you've gone to see a doctor, he's checked you out, confirmed what's going on, et cetera.

In the US, do employers ask this aswell, knowing that it'll cost the employee hundreds of dollars?

Hundreds? My copay is $25. And no, not all employers require a note for a sick day.

[Buslady7803]

Then theres Killer Kaiser, where you hope you walk out alive .....

[aborgman]

Originally Posted by burk48237

Although if you are diagnosed with a serious aliment in the US and you have insurance your survival rate is far better than any of the government single payer plans.

No, it actually isn't.

It's very dependent on the disease in question.

Originally Posted by burk48237

Our cancer and heart disease survival rates are among the best in the world.

Yes - and where we aren't best we fall behind... government single payer plans.



For cancers, best 5 yr survival rates -

Breast Cancer - USA (83.9%)
Prostate Cancer - USA (91.9%)
Male Colon Cancer - Japan (63%)
Male Rectal Cancer - Japan (58.2%)
Female Colon Cancer - France (60.1%)
Female Rectal Cancer - France (63.9%)

Plus cancer survival rates (in the US at least) vary drastically by state, and whether or not one is insured or uninsured.

[Balog]

Originally Posted by burk48237

US health care is far from perfect, it seems to me to be a mixture of the worse of both worlds (Government and Private). Although if you are diagnosed with a serious aliment in the US and you have insurance your survival rate is far better than any of the government single payer plans. Our cancer and heart disease survival rates are among the best in the world.

As far as the demographic problems that Japan is having their experience is a problem that both Europe and Japan are experiencing more so than the US or Canada. If you're going to vote yourself with a bunch of benefits including early retirement, you'd better have kids to pay for it. In Italy there are 4 grandparents for every grand child, in Japan it's much the same. It doesn't take a genius to realize that a generous welfare state needs lots of generous tax payers to meet it's obligation.

When SS first started in the US there were 150 plus tax payers for every receiver of benefits. Well by 2020 I believe the ratio goes down to 4 to 1. Well in places like Japan, Italy and Greece, it's the reverse, the ratio is more like 1 to 4. Health care is a great example because it costs more for older people. The situation in Japan is a situation that we are beginning to see across all of Western Europe and Japan. And the current economic situation is accelerating it, it will not get better. The demographics just don't work.

Pretty much this. People in America fuss about socializing healthcare, but it's already socialized. I would personally prefer to see it either entirely privatized, or set into a split system ala Australia.

The demographics point is also a good one. Unpopular to point out, but math is annoying in that you can't vote it away.

[Phalex]

Originally Posted by Pacman

I have actually used the Japanese health care system, and can tell you that it was by far the best medical experience I've ever had. Top to bottom, start to finish it was nowhere close to anything else I've had to use.

I'm not surprised by your assessment: Asian Dr.'s have small fingers........

[MakiSupaStar]

Originally Posted by Phalex

I'm not surprised by your assessment: Asian Dr.'s have small fingers........

hahaha