I'm talking doctors mostly. Since I have to have health insurance I'd rather pay for something I might, possibly use as opposed to something I definitely won't use. I do not currently take any prescriptions - but I occasionally take things for Lyme disease.

I am 3 mos from medicare and currently looking for the right supplemental insurance. As a single person, my current insurance is 780 per mo with a 2000 deductable. They doubled my premium the minute I turned 64. Tried to find another insurance but simple issues like a prescription used once, allows them to deny me. The only insurance I could find which would cover me had a 20,000 deductable and wouldn't cover existing condition for 6 mos....340 a month. And, my current insurance would not let me change my policy to lower monthly costs. Different states have different laws and has nothing to do with the same insurance company. If I had lived in FL the change was available, my state doesn't support this. With all, I stayed and paid...figured it was an additional 4,000 this year to keep my sanity after all the hours of searching for insurance that didn't want me. Had never gone to the doctor except for a yearly physical....this year I am staying completely away from them to eliminate the 2,000 deductable. I am greatful that I can eek by for a few more months with the increase, but it irks me everytime I write the check. I do have a medical problem, but it doesn't require care and only take a cheap medication. I was healthy as a horse until a year ago, but cannot feel comfortable without health insurance knowing how quickly our health can change. Without insurance they could take everything beyond my home and car...but then how would I pay for them, upkeep, etc. without my small cushion beyond social security income. And if you can't keep them, you sell and have money and they can take that. Am in the middle, have enough to live comfortably, not an extreme lifestyle, and figure I can live another 15 years this way...if health stays in line and hopefully medicare years will ease the burden of high insurance payments. My savings cushion however eliminates any outside help/benefits....you either have to be destitute or a millionaire to survive. Middle pays the way. At a time when retirement should be the best of our years, it evolves into spending the least you can and putting up with the "big guys" taking as much as they can. I sincerely worry about my children and what they will be looking at in the future to care for themselves. How much more all of this will cost and how long will they have to work to pay for all. Maybe I should have put this ramble under another thread. But the question about how much for health care really wasn't answered due to what is such a broad environment that we as retirees live in.

I know I've said this before but as a Canadian I had to have emergency surgery at the ER earlier this year. Walked in, didn't even have my health card because it was expired, walked out later that night never having signed anything or pay a cent. called the billing clerk at the hospital the next week with my new expiry date and she already had it. No muss no fuss no worries and no cash involved. I pay approximately 50% of my income in taxes and federal contributions off the top plus 15% sales tax on many items and services and I'm happy to do so. In return I have access to equitable and excellent public schools, Canada pension plan and employment insurance. Oh and it takes about 15 minutes to do my tax return. there are four main ways the Canadian System saves money and promotes efficiency: 1. Prices for services are set by the provincial governments who act as the public insurer. as we discussed for example a single issue office visit at a GP is $30 In my province. 2. A whole huge layer of middleman and complexity is removed because the system is so simple. What might be a whole wing for billing in an American hospital is a room in a Canadian hospital. Not to mention we don't have intermediate insurers taking a cut. 3. Government negotiate the price of prescription drugs. 4. Family doctors are trained to act as gatekeepers and cost managers. For example if they can solve your problem they wont refer you to a specialist. there's no such thing as an MRI on demand In Nova Scotia unless you want to pay $900 for a private one. This is the most frustrating aspect of the system. but it does make sense, essentially if you're demanding a bunch of testing that doesn't fit the gold standard of care you were likely to be denied.

Seniors in Ontario pay a co-pay of $2 or $3 for their prescriptions. I have never had issues with our health care. I can see my doctor usually the same day I call him and if he isn't available his clinic is open. In Ontario we get letters to remind us to get mammograms, colonoscopys and for men Prostrate screening. I can usually get a mammogram the within a few days or week of requesting one. I know in other cities there is a longer wait time and some patients are sent here. I don't take any prescription medications but when I have had the need for prescription medications in the past for acid reflux my Doctor knows I don't have prescription coverage so his nurse makes arrangements with the drug rep who dropped off boxes of the medicaiton I needed and I only had to go back to my Doctor to pick it up. I just let them know when I was running short. From what I have heard our prescription drug prices for the most part cost a lot less for the same prescription drug in the US. Right now Insulin seems to bring American's over here to pick up what they need for a much lesser cost. One thing I could never understand is some Doctors here will ask you to pay $100-200 a year if you are one of their patients. My Doctor has never done this but some of my friends family gps require this. I don't know if it is for Drs. notes, or to have prescriptions refilled. Some doctors do charge for having to call the pharmacy for your refills, mine doesn't. I must say the medical care my family members have received has been excellent. My older sister has had heart issues her entire life, had 2 hip replacements, 2 pacemakers, 2 different breast cancers, lung cancer, surgeries and the only thing she had to pay for besides some prescription meds before she became a senior was taxi rides to and from her appointments. My sister had daily medical care through CCAC - Community Care Access Centre. Twice a day a nurse would come to the house to give her IV antibiotics, she had a daily personal care worker come in to bath her and help her get dressed. When she was diagnosed with lung cancer and moved in with me so I could care for her I was provided with all the equipment I needed for her - a hospital bed. commode, she had oxygen and a weekly visit from the oxygen therapist, nurse practioners coming to the house, Hospice doctors, night nurse when I needed to get some sleep, she had a ventalyn machine and the meds to help her breath. If she fell or I needed help moving her I just had to call the EMS and they would come to help. Not a penny was paid out for any of this care or equipment. CCAC even paid for the private transport ambulance to take her to her chemotherapy appointments. She was put on a new chemo drug that cost over $700 a pill that was paid for but the doctor had to apply to OHIP for that to be covered. Same excellent health care for my other sister and my Mom who had long term Alzheimer's and pancreatic cancer who I took care of at home My cousin was diagnosed with breast cancer this time last year and she had the surgery the same week. Our health care isn't perfect, there are long wait times for certain procedures and long wait times at the ER. We have a doctor shortage especially for some specialists in Windsor. Right now there are only about 8 Family Doctors taking new patients but if you don't have a family doctor there is a clinic right around the corner and you can see any doctor there. Some procedures aren't covered like they used to be covered. If you need a mole removed you have to pay for it, I don't know what the other things are. We do pay for our health care through our taxes and through our employers but you never have to worry about paying up front to see your doctor or for most procedures. What OHIP covers https://www.ontario.ca/page/what-ohip-covers#section-0