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Hahahaha.You’ve been fed a line of bullshit.First, there is no “inconvenience”. I can go to literally any clinic, doctor, or hospital in the country and all I need to do is to show them my health card:Second, about those taxes: healthcare expenditures are mostly covered by various forms of income taxes, which means that you pay based on what you earn. If you’re a struggling new grad, you pay very little. If you are a rich old fart, you pay more. In both cases, overwhelmingly, people think that it is “worth it”. (And by the way? Just as an aside? In Canada, our taxes are actually lower than your taxes + health insurance + copays.)Here’s a great short video (by an American doctor) which explains the Canadian healthcare system really well:This article is well worth reading: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/08/06/health-insurance-canada-lie/?arc404=trueHere’s the text:In my prior life as an insurance executive, it was my job to deceive Americans about their health care. I misled people to protect profits. In fact, one of my major objectives, as a corporate propagandist, was to do my part to “enhance shareholder value.” That work contributed directly to a climate in which fewer people are insured, which has shaped our nation’s struggle against the coronavirus, a condition that we can fight only if everyone is willing and able to get medical treatment. Had spokesmen like me not been paid to obscure important truths about the differences between the U.S. and Canadian health-care systems, tens of thousands of Americans who have died during the pandemic might still be alive.In 2007, I was working as vice president of corporate communications for Cigna. That summer, Michael Moore was preparing to release his latest documentary, “Sicko,” contrasting American health care with that in other rich countries. (Naturally, we looked terrible.) I spent months meeting secretly with my counterparts at other big insurers to plot our assault on the film, which contained many anecdotes about patients who had been denied coverage for important treatments. One example was 3-year-old Annette Noe. When her parents asked Cigna to pay for two cochlear implants that would allow her to hear, we agreed to cover only one.Clearly my colleagues and I would need a robust defense. On a task force for the industry’s biggest trade association, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), we talked about how we might make health-care systems in Canada, France, Britain and even Cuba look just as bad as ours. We enlisted APCO Worldwide, a giant PR firm. Agents there worked with AHIP to put together a binder of laminated talking points for company flacks like me to use in news releases and statements to reporters.Here’s an example from one AHIP brief in the binder: “A May 2004 poll found that 87% of Canada’s business leaders would support seeking health care outside the government system if they had a pressing medical concern.” The source was a 2004 book by Sally Pipes, president of the industry-supported Pacific Research Institute, titled “Miracle Cure: How to Solve America’s Health Care Crisis and Why Canada Isn’t the Answer.” Another bullet point, from the same book, quoted the CEO of the Canadian Association of Radiologists as saying that “the radiology equipment in Canada is so bad that ‘without immediate action radiologists will no longer be able to guarantee the reliability and quality of examinations.’ ”Much of this runs against the experience of many Americans, especially the millions who take advantage of low pharmaceutical prices in Canada to meet their prescription needs. But there were more specific reasons to be skeptical of those claims. We didn’t know, for example, who conducted that 2004 survey or anything about the sample size or methodology — or even what criteria were used to determine who qualified as a “business leader.” We didn’t know if the assertion about imaging equipment was based on reliable data or was an opinion. You could easily turn up comparable complaints about outdated equipment at U.S. hospitals.(Contacted by The Washington Post, an AHIP spokesman said this perspective was “from the pre-ACA past. We are future focused by building on what works and fixing what doesn’t.” He added that the organization “believes everyone deserves affordable, high-quality coverage and care — regardless of health status, income, or pre-existing conditions.” An APCO Worldwide spokesperson told The Post that the company “has been involved in supporting our clients with the evolution of the health care system. We are proud of our work.” Cigna did not respond to requests for comment.)Nevertheless, I spent much of that year as an industry spokesman, my last after 20 years in the business, spreading AHIP’s “information” to journalists and lawmakers to create the impression that our health-care system was far superior to Canada’s, which we wanted people to believe was on the verge of collapse. The campaign worked. Stories began to appear in the press that cast the Canadian system in a negative light. And when Democrats began writing what would become the Affordable Care Act in early 2009, they gave no serious consideration to a publicly financed system like Canada’s. We succeeded so wildly at defining that idea as radical that Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), then chair of the Senate Finance Committee, had single-payer supporters ejected from a hearing.Today, the respective responses of Canada and the United States to the coronavirus pandemic prove just how false the ideas I helped spread were. There are more than three times as many coronavirus infections per capita in the United States, and the mortality rate is twice the rate in Canada. And although we now test more people per capita, our northern neighbor had much earlier successes with testing, which helped make a difference throughout the pandemic.The most effective myth we perpetuated — the industry trots it out whenever major reform is proposed — is that Canadians and people in other single-payer countries have to endure long waits for needed care. Just last year, in a statement submitted to a congressional committee for a hearing on the Medicare for All Act of 2019, AHIP maintained that “patients would pay more to wait longer for worse care” under a single-payer system.While it’s true that Canadians sometimes have to wait weeks or months for elective procedures (knee replacements are often cited), the truth is that they do not have to wait at all for the vast majority of medical services. And, contrary to another myth I used to peddle — that Canadian doctors are flocking to the United States — there are more doctors per 1,000 people in Canada than here. Canadians see their doctors an average of 6.8 times a year, compared with just four times a year in this country.Most important, no one in Canada is turned away from doctors because of a lack of funds, and Canadians can get tested and treated for the coronavirus without fear of receiving a budget-busting medical bill. That undoubtedly is one of the reasons Canada’s covid-19 death rate is so much lower than ours. In America, exorbitant bills are a defining feature of our health-care system. Despite the assurances from President Trump and members of Congress that covid-19 patients will not be charged for testing or treatment, they are on the hook for big bills, according to numerous reports.That is not the case in Canada, where there are no co-pays, deductibles or coinsurance for covered benefits. Care is free at the point of service. And those laid off in Canada don’t face the worry of losing their health insurance. In the United States, by contrast, more than 40 million have lost their jobs during this pandemic, and millions of them — along with their families — also lost their coverage.Then there’s quality of care. By numerous measures, it is better in Canada. Some examples: Canada has far lower rates than the United States of hospitalizations from preventable causes like diabetes (almost twice as common here) and hypertension (more than eight times as common). And even though Canada spends less than half what we do per capita on health care, life expectancy there is 82 years, compared with 78.6 years in the United States.When the pandemic reached North America, Canadian hospitals, which operate under annual global budgets — fixed payments typically allocated at the provincial and regional levels to cover operating expenses — were better prepared for the influx of patients than many U.S. hospitals. And Canada ramped up production of personal protective equipment much more quickly than we did.Of the many regrets I have about what I once did for a living, one of the biggest is slandering Canada’s health-care system. If the United States had undertaken a different kind of reform in 2009 (or anytime since), one that didn’t rely on private insurance companies that have every incentive to limit what they pay for, we’d be a healthier country today. Living without insurance dramatically increases your chances of dying unnecessarily. Over the past 13 years, tens of thousands of Americans have probably died prematurely because, unlike our neighbors to the north, they either had no coverage or were so inadequately insured that they couldn’t afford the care they needed. I live with that horror, and my role in it, every day.

Have you considered that you may have been lied to?See https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/08/06/health-insurance-canada-lie/?arc404=trueHere’s the full text if it’s behind a paywall for you:The health care scareI sold Americans a lie about Canadian medicine. Now we’re paying the price.By Wendell PotterAUGUST 6, 2020In my prior life as an insurance executive, it was my job to deceive Americans about their health care. I misled people to protect profits. In fact, one of my major objectives, as a corporate propagandist, was to do my part to “enhance shareholder value.” That work contributed directly to a climate in which fewer people are insured, which has shaped our nation’s struggle against the coronavirus, a condition that we can fight only if everyone is willing and able to get medical treatment. Had spokesmen like me not been paid to obscure important truths about the differences between the U.S. and Canadian health-care systems, tens of thousands of Americans who have died during the pandemic might still be alive.In 2007, I was working as vice president of corporate communications for Cigna. That summer, Michael Moore was preparing to release his latest documentary, “Sicko,” contrasting American health care with that in other rich countries. (Naturally, we looked terrible.) I spent months meeting secretly with my counterparts at other big insurers to plot our assault on the film, which contained many anecdotes about patients who had been denied coverage for important treatments. One example was 3-year-old Annette Noe. When her parents asked Cigna to pay for two cochlear implants that would allow her to hear, we agreed to cover only one.Clearly my colleagues and I would need a robust defense. On a task force for the industry’s biggest trade association, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), we talked about how we might make health-care systems in Canada, France, Britain and even Cuba look just as bad as ours. We enlisted APCO Worldwide, a giant PR firm. Agents there worked with AHIP to put together a binder of laminated talking points for company flacks like me to use in news releases and statements to reporters.Here’s an example from one AHIP brief in the binder: “A May 2004 poll found that 87% of Canada’s business leaders would support seeking health care outside the government system if they had a pressing medical concern.” The source was a 2004 book by Sally Pipes, president of the industry-supported Pacific Research Institute, titled “Miracle Cure: How to Solve America’s Health Care Crisis and Why Canada Isn’t the Answer.” Another bullet point, from the same book, quoted the CEO of the Canadian Association of Radiologists as saying that “the radiology equipment in Canada is so bad that ‘without immediate action radiologists will no longer be able to guarantee the reliability and quality of examinations.’ ”Much of this runs against the experience of many Americans, especially the millions who take advantage of low pharmaceutical prices in Canada to meet their prescription needs. But there were more specific reasons to be skeptical of those claims. We didn’t know, for example, who conducted that 2004 survey or anything about the sample size or methodology — or even what criteria were used to determine who qualified as a “business leader.” We didn’t know if the assertion about imaging equipment was based on reliable data or was an opinion. You could easily turn up comparable complaints about outdated equipment at U.S. hospitals.(Contacted by The Washington Post, an AHIP spokesman said this perspective was “from the pre-ACA past. We are future focused by building on what works and fixing what doesn’t.” He added that the organization “believes everyone deserves affordable, high-quality coverage and care — regardless of health status, income, or pre-existing conditions.” An APCO Worldwide spokesperson told The Post that the company “has been involved in supporting our clients with the evolution of the health care system. We are proud of our work.” Cigna did not respond to requests for comment.)Nevertheless, I spent much of that year as an industry spokesman, my last after 20 years in the business, spreading AHIP’s “information” to journalists and lawmakers to create the impression that our health-care system was far superior to Canada’s, which we wanted people to believe was on the verge of collapse. The campaign worked. Stories began to appear in the press that cast the Canadian system in a negative light. And when Democrats began writing what would become the Affordable Care Act in early 2009, they gave no serious consideration to a publicly financed system like Canada’s. We succeeded so wildly at defining that idea as radical that Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), then chair of the Senate Finance Committee, had single-payer supporters ejected from a hearing.Today, the respective responses of Canada and the United States to the coronavirus pandemic prove just how false the ideas I helped spread were. There are more than three times as many coronavirus infections per capita in the United States, and the mortality rate is twice the rate in Canada. And although we now test more people per capita, our northern neighbor had much earlier successes with testing, which helped make a difference throughout the pandemic.The most effective myth we perpetuated — the industry trots it out whenever major reform is proposed — is that Canadians and people in other single-payer countries have to endure long waits for needed care. Just last year, in a statement submitted to a congressional committee for a hearing on the Medicare for All Act of 2019, AHIP maintained that “patients would pay more to wait longer for worse care” under a single-payer system.While it’s true that Canadians sometimes have to wait weeks or months for elective procedures (knee replacements are often cited), the truth is that they do not have to wait at all for the vast majority of medical services. And, contrary to another myth I used to peddle — that Canadian doctors are flocking to the United States — there are more doctors per 1,000 people in Canada than here. Canadians see their doctors an average of 6.8 times a year, compared with just four times a year in this country.Most important, no one in Canada is turned away from doctors because of a lack of funds, and Canadians can get tested and treated for the coronavirus without fear of receiving a budget-busting medical bill. That undoubtedly is one of the reasons Canada’s covid-19 death rate is so much lower than ours. In America, exorbitant bills are a defining feature of our health-care system. Despite the assurances from President Trump and members of Congress that covid-19 patients will not be charged for testing or treatment, they are on the hook for big bills, according to numerous reports.That is not the case in Canada, where there are no co-pays, deductibles or coinsurance for covered benefits. Care is free at the point of service. And those laid off in Canada don’t face the worry of losing their health insurance. In the United States, by contrast, more than 40 million have lost their jobs during this pandemic, and millions of them — along with their families — also lost their coverage.Then there’s quality of care. By numerous measures, it is better in Canada. Some examples: Canada has far lower rates than the United States of hospitalizations from preventable causes like diabetes (almost twice as common here) and hypertension (more than eight times as common). And even though Canada spends less than half what we do per capita on health care, life expectancy there is 82 years, compared with 78.6 years in the United States.When the pandemic reached North America, Canadian hospitals, which operate under annual global budgets — fixed payments typically allocated at the provincial and regional levels to cover operating expenses — were better prepared for the influx of patients than many U.S. hospitals. And Canada ramped up production of personal protective equipment much more quickly than we did.Of the many regrets I have about what I once did for a living, one of the biggest is slandering Canada’s health-care system. If the United States had undertaken a different kind of reform in 2009 (or anytime since), one that didn’t rely on private insurance companies that have every incentive to limit what they pay for, we’d be a healthier country today. Living without insurance dramatically increases your chances of dying unnecessarily. Over the past 13 years, tens of thousands of Americans have probably died prematurely because, unlike our neighbors to the north, they either had no coverage or were so inadequately insured that they couldn’t afford the care they needed. I live with that horror, and my role in it, every day.

Answers to your Questions about Expatriate Health InsuranceThere are some basic questions that most expatriates have when choosing to purchase an expatriate health insurance plan. We will try to provide some answers below, but you may feel to reach out to us directly to address your specific questions. Some Helpful Articles:What is an Expatriate Insurance PlanWhat is a Global Medical InsuranceHow Much Does an Expatriate Medical Plan Cost?Costs for global health insurance will vary greater. It will be less expensive for younger clients and more expensive for older applicants. You can purchase comprehensive plans or a plan that will cover only the bare minimum. Additionally, other factors, including the deductible amount you choose, will impact costs.Example: For a husband and wife, ages 62 and 60, one plan, IMG Global Medical, offers the following coverage options:Worldwide excluding the U.S., Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Singapore, and Taiwan orWorldwide coverage (including the US, etc.).IMG’s plans would cost (ages 60 and 62) as little as $2,260 per year for a plan Excluding the US and other countries with a $10,000 deductible or as much as $41,546 for Worldwide coverage and a $100 deductible (benefits for these plans – Silver, Gold and Platinum plans – differ as well, including maximum benefit limits). GeoBlue Xplorer (for US Citizens or internationals residing in the USA) offers two options: Worldwide coverage 1) including the US -more expensive – or 2) Excluding the US – less expensive. The CignaGlobal Medical Plan will adjust pricing based on where you are going to be living, and it varies by country.Request a Quote: Free Quote for Expat Health InsuranceAre there Certain Countries where Expatriate Insurance Cost More?Plans will cost more if you want US coverage – medical costs are highest in the US. Age is also a key factor – less expensive for younger applicants and more expensive as you get older. Other factors may change (similar to US health plans); for example, if you use an accredited facility you may not have to pay co-insurance. You might have to pay co-insurance for a facility in the US but not one that is located outside of the US…Why Choose a Private Expat Plan Instead of a National PlanNational, state-funded, or public health insurance can be very different from what most Expatriates are used to and can be of limited service for internationally mobile citizens. Many public plans offer less regarding medical services than what is covered under a private plan. For example, it is unlikely you will be covered for medical evacuation benefits under a public health plan. Just like you would compare international health plans to pick the best coverage, review and compare your expatriate insurance plan to the national/public plan offered in the country where you will be located.Public plans (including Medicare in the USA) usually only cover you in your host country or region. For an expatriate that travels for business or returns home throughout the year, benefits stop at the border. When covered under a national plan you may not have access to the leading private facilities or specialists. Private plans also offer 24/7 medical assistance (to find a doctor or facility), translation services (help with communicating with local healthcare providers), repatriation, etc. Finally, most private providers offer optional riders for dental, vision, add, etc.Related: Expat Meaning – What is it to be an Expatriate?Which is More Expensive – A National or Private Plan?It depends on where you are living. Health care costs, and domestic insurance plans, in the US, are significantly higher than in other countries. Further, expatriates in the US are not bound by the ACA and can choose a policy the best suits their needs, and wallet, rather than a domestic US health insurance plan, which can often be significantly more expensive.In other countries where health care, and public health plans, costs are less, the quality of care may vary from city to city or facility to facility. It makes sense to have private insurance to pay for the costs of treatment at high-quality facilities without the long waiting periods. An Expatriate plan provides you the option to choose the facilities from which you receive your care.Cigna Global Plans: Learn More | Free Quote / Apply – Premier Plan for Expats, Families, and SeniorsIMG Global Medical: Learn More | Free Quote / Apply – Affordable / Best for Younger ClientsExpat Plans: Questions When Buying an Expatriate Insurance PlanIs There an Underwriting Process When Applying for Expatriate Healthcare?Medical underwriting (A review of your medical history) is required by international healthcare companies when you apply for one of their global medical plans. For US Citizens, familiar with the protections and benefits of the Affordable Care Act (AKA Obamacare), it does not apply here. You can be turned down or denied coverage. The process is generally to obtain and review the medical history of the applicant. It is not overly burdensome (most providers can complete underwriting in 3-5 business days) unless some unusual circumstances arise.How Do Pre-Existing Conditions Affect my Expat Insurance Application?A great question without a simple answer. Many applicants who come with pre-existing conditions have a difficult time finding a suitable plan. In some cases, pre-existing conditions would prohibit coverage from a provider. Other issues in your medical history can be managed with adjustments to the plan (riders, exclusions or cost adjustments) or the cost of the coverage might be adjusted.GeoBlue’s Xplorer Plan (for US Citizens) has a nice benefit to address pre-ex; from GeoBlue’s website: “If you were previously covered by a group or individual U.S. health plan that issues you a Certificate of Creditable Coverage, GeoBlue would apply this prior coverage to the pre-existing conditions waiting period, provided you meet GeoBlue’s medical underwriting criteria. GeoBlue will also consider private health insurance issued in other countries as creditable coverage. GeoBlue does not consider surplus lines insurance sold in the U.S. as creditable coverage. The number of months of coverage shown on the Certificate will reduce or eliminate the six-month pre-existing condition waiting period. If you have six or more months of creditable coverage, your waiting period will be eliminated. If you have less than six months creditable coverage, your waiting period will be reduced by the number of months you had creditable coverage. For example, if you have two months of creditable coverage, your waiting period will be reduced from six months to four months.” GeoBlue offers additional benefits if you maintain a health plan in the US while working abroad.US Citizens: ACA Compliance and Expatriate Health PlansIn some cases, the public health care system where you are relocating to is high quality and affordable, sometimes free. In that case, you may not want to purchase a private medical plan. However, we recommend that you check local requirements (review visa and your company’s requirements and policies).US Requirements: US citizens who are outside of the US for more than 11 months of each year do not have to comply with ACA (AKA: PPACA or Obamacare). They can choose any insurance plan that fits their needs. Expatriate plans for US citizens often do not comply with the Affordable Care Act.US expats who spend more than one month per year in the US often are frustrated trying to find one plan to cover them at home and abroad – while remaining ACA compliant. Often our clients will maintain a US plan, sometimes with a high medical deductible, and choose an international plan excluding benefits in the USA (to keep costs down).“Foreign nationals who live in the United States for short enough period that they do not become resident aliens for federal income tax purposes are not subject to the individual shared responsibility payment even though they may have to file a U.S. income tax return. The IRS has more information available on when a foreign national becomes a resident alien for federal income tax purposes.” Read More at IRS.gov.Are There Age Restrictions on Expatriate Plans?There may be limitations and restrictions based on age when applying for international health plans. GeoBlue will not allow anyone over the age of 74 to apply for a new policy. However, if you have a plan in place with them before age 75, they will allow you to continue with coverage to age 84.IMG will allow you to apply up to age 74 and coverage will terminate after you turn 75. If you have had a plan with them before your 65th birthday and have maintained coverage through age 75, they provide a Senior Plan option to allow you to continue coverage. This plan has fewer benefits and lower maximum coverage amounts – but it is an option.Cigna Global will allow customers of any age to apply and will provide coverage for life.In general, insurance companies’ risks increase as their client base ages, so they have to manage those risks with increases in price, restrictions on benefit and limitations on coverage.