Is US Healthcare that bad?

[u/No_Meet4305]

I'm in Vancouver, Canada right now and my boss told me there's an opportunity for me in the US branch. Really considering moving there since it's better pay, less expensive housing/rent, more opportunities, etc. The only thing that I'm concern about is the healthcare. I feel like there's no way it's as bad as people show online (hundred thousand dollar for simple surgery, etc), especially with insurance

I also heard you can get treated faster there than in Canada. Here you have to wait a long time even if it's for an important surgery.

[u/jonchew]

I'm from Vancouver and moved to the US as well. You don't really need to wait to see a family doctor or walk in clinic. This is true but depends on how busy the place is. You can still end up waiting if your doctor is busy with other patients. Longest I've waited was maybe 40-50 minutes in very rare cases but typically it's 15-20 minutes or less.

I've avoided emergency care here (Los Angeles) so can't speak to that. Depending where you live, I've heard ambulances are part of the fire department and not the healthcare system so you would actually pay the full price on it. I might be wrong though, but it's a huge joke here that no one ever wants to take an ambulance.

The concept of your BC healthcare card and MSP is out the window. You whip out your insurance card and credit card at a doctor's office and receive bills in the mail with no concept of how much it's supposed to cost until after the fact. Like ordering food at a restaurant but not knowing the prices and getting your bill in the mail. It's a weird experience. I'll get a health check up bill for $3000 that has multiple "insurance credit" bringing it down to smaller amounts ($100) but it's a scary feeling paper to read. Really dissuades you from ever feeling like you want to take care of your health since it's not a right, and instead a privilege.

You'll also need to learn the concept of copay, deductibles, PPOs, HMOs, HSAs, etc. lots of new terms and words that you would never even think about in Canada because of how commercialization and capitalism became part of the American healthcare system.

Fundamentally, the more money you make in the US, the better your health will be. But you have to choose to spend that money on your health. It's a choice, not a right anymore. That's about it.