By Dr. Tami Gouveia
When I was in 8th grade, my 19-year old cousin was in a horrible car crash that put her in a coma for over a year. It left her without the use of her legs and limited use of her arms. It was devastating for my family, especially for my aunt and uncle. But, because the accident happened in Canada, my aunt and uncle were able to focus on caring for my cousin without the added burden of worrying about how they would pay for the costly medical interventions needed to save my cousin’s life. She still requires around-the-clock care, 34 years later.
The cost of this needed care would have been impossible for my family to manage had the accident occurred in the United States. In Canada, her care was covered by their single-payer healthcare system. There was no added burden of worrying about going bankrupt in order to pay for the hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills spent on surgeries, nursing care, rehabilitative care, and assisted living.
