Health Care: $100 a Month in Canada vs. $1,100 a Month in the U.S.

It's a tale of two CWA members, a father of two working for ABC in the United States, a father of three working for the CBC in Canada.

Chip Catherine, a member of NABET-CWA Local 52031, pays $1,100 a month for health insurance that only covers him. Colin Preston, a TNG Canada member, pays a monthly tax of $108 to cover his entire family. It's deducted from his check just like Social Security is here. He never worries about co-pays or deductibles and never fears losing his coverage because of a pre-existing condition.

These and other CWA members are featured in the Sept.-Oct. issue of the CWA News in mailboxes soon and online at ga.cwa-union.org.

Chip and Colin's families, employers and salaries are remarkably similar. But as a daily hire at ABC, Chip isn't eligible for benefits. He struggles to pay his huge insurance bill and isn't even sure it will pay off, because he had a heart attack in 2008 and fears the insurance company will use his "pre-existing condition" to deny coverage when he needs it most. Chip's family is covered by his wife's policy through her hotel job, a policy that won't cover him because of the heart attack.

In Canada, for just about $100 a month, Colin and his family gets excellent health care. He and other CWA members in Canada say their system isn't perfect, but it's far better than living with the fear and potential financial ruin that American workers face.