Private health insurance can be a blessing to a country. Canada has not found this blessing yet. Maybe with the current election a party with the guts to be innovative will promote the policy of allowing Canadians (individuals, unions and employers) to have the option of purchasing private health insurance. If done correctly like Austria or Germany or France, private health insurance can make a big difference to the overall health of all citizens.
In the USA, private health care insurance has become dysfunctional. Here is an example of how the US private healthcare insurance has become corrupted.
Prices vary wildly in the US amongst hospitals and insurers. At the University of Mississippi Medical Center, a colonoscopy costs $2,144 with an Aetna plan, $1,463 with Cigna insurance and $782 with no insurance at all. That’s just one example.
When Canada opts for private health insurance, we can learn much from the USA in what NOT to do.