From time to time, readers of The Citizen write letters finding fault with our Medicare system.
"I had to wait for months" is the most common complaint.
Well, I need a hip replacement and have waited for over a year now so I can empathize with that. But the alternative "south of the line" is far, far worse.
I recently received a post from a friend who happens to live in Florida. He and his wife are 64 and 60, healthy, and pre-Medicare in the U.S. Blue Cross has recently written him to advise that his new monthly premium is to be $3,350.
That is over $36,000 per year.
Outrageous is the first word that came to me.
Imagine having to pay that much, still have a deductible to pay for and the plan he is on is a Chevy, not a Cadillac model. It boggles the mind.
Sure, our system is not perfect and it can be improved. We in Prince George have to wait for surgeries, travel a considerable distance for various specialists, and family doctors are hard to come by.
When I tell my American friends of the local Handydarts and medical buses provided by Northern Health, they are amazed. Still, we know that if we are sick or injured, we will receive help without having to go bankrupt due the medical bills. It is true that we pay higher taxes as a result, but that is certainly much better than paying over $36,000 yearly for medical coverage.
Willow Arune
Prince George
