Why do so many Canadians move to the US?

Question

Shouldn't Canada do something about the brain drain to US of doctors, and other educated professionals?

Answer 1

The Canadian government could take the Cuban approach and not allow doctors to leave the country except on official business.  That or pay them more or provide some other incentive to stay.

Answer 2

Because income for professionals is higher in the States.

Income tax and consumption taxes are lower in the States

Quality of life for people with professional income is better in the States.

Cost of living is cheaper thus making you even better off financially on a relative comparison.

Depending on where you move to the climate can be better in the States if you are not a fan of winter.

Canada is great if you are poor or lower middle class but for anyone who is upper-middle class or better then the States is by far the superior choice.

Answer 3

Doctors that want to capitalize go to capitalist countries, I guess.

Answer 4

Three reasons chiefly...taxes are much lower in the US than in Canada (and when you think about it that is a huge factor!), disposable income is higher in the US with lower costs, and the weather...you can't blame anyone for moving to escape our winters here!  I know you have to pay for health care there but we do here too...through tax.  Just that we have no choice in the matter.  Health insurance in the US is less costly than what we pay for it in Ontario, and when you get to a hospital the service is so much better!  So...those inclined to leave Canada for the US have lots of good reasons for going.

Answer 5

Because income taxes are so much lower in the USA.  

Medical professionals are able to get much higher salaries "on the market" in the USA than from the national health service in Canada.  Same for British medical professionals.

Answer 6

Canadians migrate to every country in the world. as do americans and australians, and germans, and everyone else in the world.  not every single person is just dying to live in the states. i wouldn't live there in a million years. not that it isn't a nice place but i don't agree with the politics or your health care system and i love canada. it's just a personal preference for some people.

Answer 7

why do so many Americans want to come to Canada?  It always amasies me that Americans think that everyone in the world wants to go there.  Its a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there it costs too much!

My partner and I could go to the states in a heart beat but we choose to stay in Canada.  OK winter sucks big time and I really hate hockey we have a good live here with our daughter.  I do go stateside for pleasure and business but there is nothing down there that would attract me to move there other than the fact in some places I can ride my motorbike all year round.  It is a myth that the taxes are lower in the States than in Canada I've compared taxes with some American colleagues and we are close and in a couple of cases I was actually a head.  

Taxes are more than just what you pay to one level of government you have to look at the total picture.  One of my American colleagues was amasied that I could travel around my province on superhighways without paying a toll for bridges or highway use.  My property taxes were lower and my provincial base tax was less but was more than his when I added my health care premium, but my health care was better.

Answer 8

I have no idea

I would should myself before i would move to the states. Except New York maybe...

Answer 9

Canada Health is such a disaster that doctors cannot earn enough to pay back the loans they took out to pay for college and medical school. The hospitals lack up-to-date equipment. Canadians come to the US for medical care because they cannot get it in Canada -- especially notorious is cardiac care.  So they are following their market! Simply following their patients to the US.

Canada needs to abolish their socialized medicine program and slash taxes at every level, including GST, income taxes, etc.  Canada is much too expensive and too "tax-happy" to compete with other countries, even including the over-taxed US!

Answer 10

because, of  www. notcanada.com?

Answer 11

Go Home!

Answer 12

Money and climate.

Socialized medicine is good to a point. The negative side of it is, when offered as the only solution as it is here, it takes away personal choice for both doctor and patient. If a doctor gets paid basically the same for doing a great job as he gets for doing a mediocre one, many have chosen to go with the mediocre one.

Dr F. should perhaps try out poverty for a month or two before making such unintelligent, sweeping statements "Canada is great if you are poor or lower middle class". If he really is a doctor, he and his fellow doctors ought to reread the Oath they took on becoming doctors. Money hungry doctors ought to reread it again too.

We do have some excellent doctors still practicing in Canada. Unfortunately, you must shop to find them or have super good luck. I have a super GP and I got her via a lucky break. i am glad I have her but I think it is a pitiful state of affairs when I have to admit I simply lucked out.

The system needs to be thought out again - that means we need to find politicians who can think. We are therefore, probably doomed to mediocre medical care for a long time.