Retirement and Health Insurance

A great number of Canadians are working well past the age of their desired retirement and it’s not necessarily because they want to keep busy! Many people remain active in the work force for financial reasons, the like of which could be based on health issues that require the health insurance coverage they receive in the workplace. Under such circumstances, they find it worrisome to contemplate retirement.

People who are fortunate enough to have a health insurance plan at work must take into account the fact that they will lose that coverage once they retire. Aging Canadians, who suffer from chronic health conditions, understand the importance of health insurance as they deal with the costs of prescription medications and medical treatments. Some provinces subsidize certain expenses for those over 65, but not all medicines and treatments are covered.

Working Canadians must bear in mind the ‘what if’s’ when considering retirement. For those who are beginning to deal with health issues, one of their main concerns is this:  Will I be able to absorb the medical costs should I need a caregiver (a personal support assistant or nurse) when I retire? Home care expenses can run anywhere between $2,000 and $5,000 a month, depending on the level of care required. 

As we age, our body changes.  One can expect diminishing vision and increasing dental upkeep, and one should also be prepared in the event that the aid of medical devices might be required to help with mobility or hearing loss. 

There’s a way to alleviate your worries. CAA Health & Dental Insurance offers enhanced plans to early retirees and seniors that specifically address the needs of particular age groups. Health insurance companies - CAAhealth.ca - understand that every life stage has its own specific needs and for that reason, they offer customizable packages that fit the needs and the budget.

Obesity Puts a Strain on the Canadian Health Care System

In the last 25 years, the number of obese Canadians has tripled, bringing about additional strain on the country’s already fraught health-care system. At this rate, more than 1 in 5 Canadians will suffer from obesity in the near future. 

Statistics Canada has been keeping a record on obesity by means of surveys conducted over the last 26 years. The data reveals a 12% increase in the last 25 years.

Percentage of Obese Canadians

1985                6%

2011                18%

Yoni Freedhoff, medical director of the Bariatric Institute in Ottawa, stated “A flood of cheap, attractively packaged empty calories has washed over the grocery shelves and oversized plates of the nation in that time. I do not believe we’ve experienced an epidemic loss of willpower since 1980… I think the world around us has changed.”

Obesity Related Health Conditions

General health issues associated with obesity can include sleep apnea, gout, and osteoarthritis.  The top 5 obesity-related health conditions are:

• Heart disease and stroke
• High blood pressure
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Cancer
• Gallbladder disease and gallstones

Canadians Getting More Health Conscious

The Canadian government has begun to tackle the obesity problem by requiring schools to offer healthier food choices in school cafeterias, and limiting the supply of junk foods. Food labels and calorie counts are being made available in stores and in restaurants everywhere in Canada. Although we won’t see the effects from these efforts for a number of years, it is nevertheless a good start toward better nutrition.  In the meantime, more and more people suffering from health conditions due to obesity are requiring medical treatments, putting the annual costs for health care between $4.6 and $7.1 billion.

When the public health care system is overwhelmed you're looking at longer wait times in hospitals and for certain medical treatments as well. Private health insurance can make a difference and offer you more options in terms of the type of health care you receive. When it comes down to it....it pays to have options!

Aging Canadians and the Impact on Health Care Costs

In 2010, 4.8 million Canadians were seniors. Based on the established growth rate, that number will steadily climb to about 10.4 million in the next 20 years.

By 2031, all members of the baby boom generation will have reached the age of 65. The issue of whether or not Canada’s health care system will be able to meet their medical needs as time goes on is a significant concern. Canada’s health care system may very well have to change and adapt itself to adequately fulfill the needs of seniors.

Even though the elderly make up only 14% of the population, they incur about 45% of provincial and territorial health care expenditures. Today’s seniors are living longer than those of previous generations, a fact that has shifted the Canadian demography to an older population. Aging brings about limitations and chronic conditions that increase health care costs.

We need to think about how well we’ll do in the future under the existing public health care system. More and more seniors are relying on retirement savings and other income sources to help pay for medicines, treatments and/or services not covered by the government program.

Fortunately, there are health insurance plans available that focus on fulfilling the needs of baby boomers and seniors. Such policies include coverage for things like orthotics, home care, medical equipment, hearing aids, and hospital benefits.

Alternative Medicine on the Rise?

Over 5 million Canadians seek out alternative or complimentary health products and treatments, and most of them pay out of pocket, which amounts to about $2.35 billion per year.

Why are Canadians turning to alternative treatments and natural medicines? Well, many of us have become a little skeptical of conventional drugs due to the widely publicized warnings of their potentially harmful side effects. Although most natural health products and traditional Chinese medicines don’t have scientific data to back up their safe use and effectiveness, they often have a well-established history of beneficial outcomes and testimonials accounting for their usefulness. Some remedies are based on more than 2,000 years of practice. 

Research

The amount of research generating evidence regarding ancient natural Chinese medicines and treatments is growing. The National Institute of Health, a research funding agency in the United States, is compiling data to support their worth.

• Health Canada created the Natural Health Products Directorate in 2004, regulating natural health products to ensure that Canadians are purchasing safe and high quality products.
• Ontario saw legislation pass in 2007 that required the regulation of practitioners of naturopathic medicine and homeopathy, as well as a number of traditional Chinese medicines and treatments, including acupuncture.

However, in the end, one has to question to what extent these regulations will benefit the patient when the high costs for setting up bureaucratic infrastructure and practitioners’ licensing fees will most likely be recouped by increasing the costs for already expensive health products and services.

Keep Doctors in the Loop!

Since natural or alternative therapies can be sought out without a prescription, it is advised that patients going that route provide full disclosure to their doctors of the natural products or healing therapies they are using. Medicines can sometimes interact in a negative way and cause health issues. Herbs and vitamins have been known to interact negatively in about 25% of patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Enhanced Health Insurance Coverage

Many Canadian health insurance companies now offer enhanced health insurance plans that include coverage for treatments by registered specialists and therapists including acupuncturists and naturopaths.

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What is Canada Doing to Address the Shortage of Family Doctors?

Are you as concerned as I am over the thought that there is a real shortage of family doctors in Canada? Did you know that a staggering 4.4 million people in Canada do not have a family doctor? 

According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, more than 75,000 doctors were actively working in 2012, which was a 4% increase from the previous year, and $22 billion was paid out for their services, which was a 9% increase from the previous year. So let’s see, we have more doctors working, their pay cheques are rising, but yet, patients are having the hardest time finding a family doctor. Something doesn’t seem right! Geoff Ballinger, manager of health human resources at CIHI said “I don’t believe Canada has a problem with the number of physicians, I think we have a substantial problem with the types and, furthermore, the distribution of doctors.”

Why are medical students not choosing to practice family medicine when there is a dire need for this profession? And what is the government doing to entice future doctors to enter this category of medicine? 

According to Statistics Canada, family doctors work an average of 51 hours weekly. The fact is, in this day and age, many young doctors are not willing to work the long hours that are part of a traditional family practice, especially those with children. The emphasis today is on adopting a work-life balance.  

While family medicine saw a spike in the 1980’s, it hasn’t been a chosen profession for many graduate students since the 1990’s, one of the reasons being that it is viewed a lower paid and less prestigious position than a career in the field of specialized medicine. What has the government done to address the problem? Since 1998, when pay caps in Ontario were removed, family doctors’ salaries have generally seen a substantial increase. In 2004, a yearly salary for a family doctor was about $200,000 and that amount steadily rose to $300,000 by 2010. As a result, family medicine professionals in Ontario have more than doubled over the last 10 years. 

Cities like Cambridge, Ontario present a good example to other Canadian cities as they’ve begun to handle the problem by mounting physician recruitment campaigns to entice young doctors to open practices in their communities. The response has been a positive one. Part of their recruitment plan includes outlining the highlights of living and working in the city for doctors and their families.

What have doctors and clinics done to address the issues of heavy case loads? Doctors who are practicing family medicine are finding ways to ‘lighten the load’ by joining group practices. Clinics have begun to hire more registered nurses who can interpret diagnostic tests, prescribe medications, and perform specific procedures, which are usually performed by doctors. 

It’s a work in progress.  Hopefully, as the needs of both doctors and patients are addressed, and the shortage of family doctors becomes ever more apparent, a greater number of future doctors will choose family medicine as their specialty.