Why this U.S. doctor is moving to Canada

[LongTomH]

By Emily S. Queenan, M.D.

I’m a U.S. family physician who has decided to relocate to Canada. The hassles of working in the dysfunctional health care “system” in the U.S. have simply become too intense.

I’m not alone. According to a physician recruiter in Windsor, Ont., over the past decade more than 100 U.S. doctors have relocated to her city alone. More generally, the Canadian Institute for Health Information reports that Canada has been gaining more physicians from international migration than it’s been losing.

Like many of my U.S. counterparts, I’m moving to Canada because I’m tired of doing daily battle with the same adversary that my patients face – the private health insurance industry, with its frequent errors in processing claims (the American Medical Association reports that one of every 14 claims submitted to commercial insurers are paid incorrectly); outright denials of payment (about one to five per cent); and costly paperwork that consumes about 16 per cent of physicians’ working time, according to arecent journal study.

I’ve also witnessed the painful and continual shifting of medical costs onto my patients’ shoulders through rising co-payments, deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses. According to a survey conducted by the Commonwealth Fund, 66 million – 36 per cent of Americans -- reported delaying or forgoing needed medical care in 2014 due to cost.

http://www.pnhp.org/news/2015/april/why-this-us-doctor-is-moving-to-canada

[Cleita]

1. Bbbut, aren't all the Canadian doctors and nurses were moving

down here in bus loads? Or said all the anti-single payer health care insurance company propaganda in the past decade.

[Maedhros]

2. My chiropractor left for Scotland, for exactly the same reasons. [n/t]

[Hoyt]

3. Take a lower salary and work for a community health clinic or something.

I'd move to Canada too if I had an sure job there.

[Doctor_J]

4. ah, but heritage care has made private insurance the law of the land, and that's good!

It's the most liberal legislation in history! It's a huge step toward single payer!! How dare you insult the president by claiming otherwise!!! More than a third of Americans delayed care because of costs? Liars!!!! I want to see their tax returns!!!!!

The ACA managed to kill healthcare and the party in one stroke