Many Americans will lose their health care coverage as a result of the Sept. 11 attacks

The Terrorist Destruction of New York’s World Trade Centre, and the spreading economic downturn resulting from the attack, is revealing an important difference between the United States and Canada.

In the U.S., thousands of families of victims are worrying where their future health care coverage will come from. If that kind of tragedy had hit Canada, Canadians at least would not have to worry about how to pay their medical bills.

Through a universal, public health care system, Canadians have access to care regardless of their economic circumstances, an enormous benefit.

In the U.S., families are dependent on an employer-provided plan, and most have a variety of restriction included. Many small businesses provide no health care coverage.

For example, the Wall Street Journal reported that while there are efforts to improve weak unemployment insurance benefits, "there is less movement in Washington on providing affordable health insurance to those who lack it, including many of the now laid-off workers who cannot afford to continue coverage."

It pointed to the situation of Hyacinth Vanriel, a 34-year-old mother of four, who in the 1990’s economic boom got off welfare and into a job. Last year she landed a full-time job at $11.53 an hour and health benefits.

But now she has been laid off and cannot afford to pay the $600 premium to maintain her coverage. And one of her daughters may have cancer.

The New York Times has also highlighted the problems of people who lost their spouses in the World Trade Center or who have lost jobs.

Some large companies are providing health benefits for families of lost employees. For example Marsh and McLellan says it will fund benefits for a year. After that families can stay in the group plan for another three years but will have to pay their own premiums.

But as the New York Times reported, "many spouses and children of the dead and missing, and many employees of small businesses, could find themselves without coverage."

The State of New York, The City of New York and federal Medicaid officials have put together a disaster health-coverage plan, but valid only for four months, for families with monthly-incomes of less than $1,287 with higher limits for families with children. The American Red Cross is helping some families of World Trade Centre victims pay health-insurance premiums for the next three months.

U.S. federal law allows victims’ families and laid-off workers to continue their employer’s insurance coverage, but they have to pay both the employee and employer premiums which, according to the New York Times, can run to $7,000 a year for family coverage. Even better-off Americans are worried.

Despite all the grumbling about the Canadian health care system, it has to be said that it is far superior to the U.S. system in ensure everyone has access to health care regardless of their economic circumstances. That is something we should value and never weaken.