What's right about our health-care system

[#juan]

Don't know about Ontario but in BC you're covered out of province/country for I believe 30 days. One has to pay up front but the plan would cover reasonable costs (similar to what it would be out if provided in BC) if receipts are sent to them. Plus the amount not covered can be claimed as a non-refundable medical tax credit. She should've got the majority of that cost back.

As I wrote above, it turned out that five or six specialists were involved with their attendant machines and test procedures. She did get a lot of the money back but she never forgot getting hit with a ten thousand dollar bill just after losing her husband.

 

[Curiosity]

Juan - my husband had a brain tumor which became evident in a drastic way and took his life in nine days before any treatments and/or surgeries could be performed - but he was tested extensively (scans - photography - and the usual admission testing) for those nine days and under intensive care for six days except the last day when he was declared terminal.... there were no bills for his care. Not even three vehicle transportations under emergency conditions.

Anyone travelling outside of Canada might want to prepare themselves for insurance - especially medical insurance to avoid catastrophic situations such as are claimed here to occur in the U.S.

Not to dump on the drama - here is just a quick Google to view some of the many insurance plans offered to experienced travellers - especially the snowbirds from Canada - don't leave home without it - especially if flying south to the warmth and sun.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...l+medical+insurance+in+usa&btnG=Google+Search

 

[Kreskin]

As I wrote above, it turned out that five or six specialists were involved with their attendant machines and test procedures. She did get a lot of the money back but she never forgot getting hit with a ten thousand dollar bill just after losing her husband.

I can appreciate that. It's hard enough dealing with family loss without having to deal with financial issues at the same time.

 

[Walter]

A few years ago my wife's uncle and aunt traveled to the states from Ottawa heading for Florida. I think they were still in New York when the uncle became very ill. They stopped a hospital where a doctor examined him and found that he had brain tumour that was bleeding into his brain. The man was dead in a day and a half. The result of all this was that my wife's aunt got a bill for over ten thousand dollars. Nobody in the New York hospital thought it was out of the ordinary but aunt Grace was upset as hell and so would I be. The Canadian health care system doesn't prepare one for other systems.

I hope they took out travel health insurance before they left, otherwise that bill would be an added burden during an already difficult time.

 

[Curiosity]

I wonder why this has again for the upteenth time turned into yet another bash the USA medical system ... I also wonder why so many other nations send their children to the US centers to have highly unusual treatments and surgeries done for compassionate reasons - such as all the separation of conjoined twins - or cancers untreatable in their home countries - or the huge contingent of U.S. docs who travel with the Doctors Without Borders at least once per year (mine included) and many more than once if it is to Mexico or other S.A. nations.

I thought this was a topic about what is right with Canada's healthcare system.

Why is it always a negative discussion when even this situation of travel became an issue of money when proper investigation (like ask any snowbird if you know one... what is the best health treatment available for travel in the U.S.).

My nieces husband travels Washington and Oregon and into California every month - and he is covered as completely as he would be in Canada. It's a matter of self care and planning.

Does anyone have any comparisons for travel within another nation other than the US to compare the health care - Australia? Cuba? New Zealand? Germany? France? UK? anywhere ??????

 

[#juan]

written by Curiosity
Juan - my husband had a brain tumor which became evident in a drastic way and took his life in nine days before any treatments and/or surgeries could be performed - but he was tested extensively (scans - photography - and the usual admission testing) for those nine days and under intensive care for six days except the last day when he was declared terminal.... there were no bills for his care. Not even three vehicle transportations under emergency conditions.

I remember you telling about your husband who had died quite suddenly of a brain tumour. Your husband was in the navy or naval reserve was he not? Would he have had health care coverage from the navy?

Our aunt had insurance and most of the costs were eventually recovered. She had to pay everything up front or she couldn't get the body back. I find it hard to believe that they could run up costs of ten thousand dollars in a day and a half but I am not a doctor or an insurance broker.

 

[Kreskin]

I wonder why this has again for the upteenth time turned into yet another bash the USA medical system ... I also wonder why so many other nations send their children to the US centers to have highly unusual treatments and surgeries done for compassionate reasons - such as all the separation of conjoined twins - or cancers untreatable in their home countries - or the huge contingent of U.S. docs who travel with the Doctors Without Borders at least once per year (mine included) and many more than once if it is to Mexico or other S.A. nations.

I thought this was a topic about what is right with Canada's healthcare system.

Why is it always a negative discussion when even this situation of travel became an issue of money when proper investigation (like ask any snowbird if you know one... what is the best health treatment available for travel in the U.S.).

My nieces husband travels Washington and Oregon and into California every month - and he is covered as completely as he would be in Canada. It's a matter of self care and planning.

Does anyone have any comparisons for travel within another nation other than the US to compare the health care - Australia? Cuba? New Zealand? Germany? France? UK? anywhere ??????

In fairness, the US does hold itself as the benchmark for all other medical systems. The holy grail of healthcare. Therefore investigating and measuring success against others that don't make such claims isn't a good use of time for a messageboard poster. Canadians don't know or care about systems in Greece or Angola. The standard for success is the US. Surely a little discussion to draw comparisons between the US and Canada won't hurt anyone.

 

[tracy]

Our aunt had insurance and most of the costs were eventually recovered. She had to pay everything up front or she couldn't get the body back. I find it hard to believe that they could run up costs of ten thousand dollars in a day and a half but I am not a doctor or an insurance broker.

It's done quite easily in either country. The only difference is people in Canada have no concept of the actual cost of medical care because they never see a bill. When I worked in Vancouver we had a lot of private paying patients come to deliver their babies (birth tourists sort of). Just to be in the postpartum ward cost $2100 a day for mom and baby. An epidural in labor costs $1500, the meds they put in it cost extra. Simple blood work is a couple of hundred dollars. To be in an emergency room getting all sorts of tests and seeing all sorts of specialists would be EXTREMELY expensive. Like I said, my gallbladder removal (simple out patient procedure, takes about 45 minutes) cost over 20K. The anesthesiology bill alone was over 2K. It adds up fast.

 

[Curiosity]

I remember you telling about your husband who had died quite suddenly of a brain tumour. Your husband was in the navy or naval reserve was he not? Would he have had health care coverage from the navy?

Our aunt had insurance and most of the costs were eventually recovered. She had to pay everything up front or she couldn't get the body back. I find it hard to believe that they could run up costs of ten thousand dollars in a day and a half but I am not a doctor or an insurance broker.

Juan - yes - he was retired from active duty at the end of the GulfOne action and did not become a reservist. He also opted to purchase private health insurance so I could get the same coverage as we were both self-employed. Had he needed a long term care type of situation he may have had better coverage through the military - as it was determined probably caused from the electronic gear he wore during his service. Nine days is not a long enough time to make any insurance decisions after the fact. I doubt the Navy would have covered him retroactively... but as it turned out... the issue was moot upon his death. I don't know how much was incurred in his MRIs and CTs and all the other brain scans he went through as well as standard admittance procedures....and a transfer to a more experienced Oncology facility...but he was given the best care and even if we not had insurance, I could not have argued any price for the work done.

If I have any issues with medical coverage in the U.S. is the hard to swallow fact that all of the previous, present, and future members of the Senate and Congress, as well as other governmental employees receive a different type of health insurance than does the public - and that insurance is not offered to the public whatsoever. Even if a politician is elected and serves only one term in either house.... he/she is salaried and insured for the rest of his/her life. There can be little understanding if they haven't tasted the lack of good care for many people here who cannot obtain insurance through work, and certainly cannot afford to pay for private group insurance.

 

[Curiosity]

Kreskin - you write:

In fairness, the US does hold itself as the benchmark for all other medical systems. The holy grail of healthcare. Therefore investigating and measuring success against others that don't make such claims isn't a good use of time for a messageboard poster. Canadians don't know or care about systems in Greece or Angola. The standard for success is the US. Surely a little discussion to draw comparisons between the US and Canada won't hurt anyone.

They do? The people of the U.S. hold up their healthcare to be the benchmark? Perhaps in the movies shown on Lifetime Television (does anyone watch those terrible things?).... certainly not the people working in jobs where there is no life/medical insurance offered.

I don't mind discussion Kreskin - but I don't like to read darth vader stories about the horrors of lack of medical care available or astronomical costs.....when the U.S. is stretched to the limit taking care of those who cannot pay or choose not to pay. Many people who emigrate here don't understand the concept of insurance (paying ahead in case of disaster)... as we witness with all the natural disasters, floods, fires, etc. They come from countries where insurance does not exist except for the wealthy.
Most people understand only one thing - the government will 'take care of them' and that in the U.S. is not the 'benchmark' at all. Perhaps one day.

This should not be an excuse for Canadians or others travelling to the U.S. to come unprepared.
Perhaps if the horror stories read on Canadian internet sites will discourage tourism by Canadians - and that will have accomplished a savings of many hard earned dollars lost to the U.S. medical care system.

I committed many undocumented farmworkers into the medical system in California when I was interning - for pregnancy and malnutrition and infections the like of which I hope none of you ever have to experience - and the bills were paid - by the people of the state - not the workers, not the companies employing them. Nobody is turned away if medical help is necessary and mandatory.

 

[triedit]

*stands and applauds Curiosity*

Nothing I can add to that...or argue with! Nicely put.

 

[#juan]

written by Curiosity
Perhaps if the horror stories read on Canadian internet sites will discourage tourism by Canadians - and that will have accomplished a savings of many hard earned dollars lost to the U.S. medical care system.

Are you saying that Canadians are a burden on the U.S. health care system? I doubt that very much. Jus a few years ago American seniors were swarming over the border to get drug prescriptions filled because it was cheaper. I believe some still are.

 

[Curiosity]

Are you saying that Canadians are a burden on the U.S. health care system? I doubt that very much. Jus a few years ago American seniors were swarming over the border to get drug prescriptions filled because it was cheaper. I believe some still are.

Juan - no I wasn't indicating discouraging Canadians to venture into the U.S. - there are thousands of welcome Snowbirds who keep the economy healthy in many southern towns - and they are wonderful visitors ... I only meant that if someone from Canada made a driving trip for example down to a place in the U.S. and got sick and had to be admitted to the hospital and wasn't insured what a nightmare that trip would be ....

Edit: I wrote the following earlier:

Perhaps if the horror stories read on Canadian internet sites will discourage tourism by Canadians - and that will have accomplished a savings of many hard earned dollars lost to the U.S. medical care system.

I should have written will discourage uninformed tourism

I would like Canadians to be prepared by buying insurance while they are visiting the U.S. because they would incur large medical assessments with which they are unused to paying and knowing Canadians as I do - they would struggle to pay those same bills. Far more than some other visitors from other nations would do.

The American visitors 'swarming' over the border has been mitigated somewhat I trust in that I understand the government is now taking care of its seniors - I hope in a non-competitive way with benefits Canadians are accustomed to. It drove a point home to the U.S. government and the major pharmceutical companies who practically give away drugs to other nations when their own elderly are paying through the nose. I believe things have improved somewhat. The emerging numbers of seniors in the U.S. is becoming a large and vital bloc of very angry and active people. Good for them!!

The benefits seniors experience in the U.S. are shameful as I understand it because Social Security is paid according to what salaries were earned - and people who worked in the 40s, 50s, 60s and upward earned a pittance compared with today's salaries earned. I'm not totally up on the situation but the seniors seem to be getting heard and it is about time.

Some seniors are expected to live on payments which are a joke - like $600 a month - even with their medical care - it is inexcusable. Perhaps we could stop paying out for other nations' problems, stop waging indecent wars, and start taking caring of the people who built the nation.... the sick, the elderly and the disadvantaged. That's what the U.S. claims to be about. They just don't seem to be able to get it done in their own land.

 

[MikeyDB]

Curiosity

Been that way here in Canuckland for the past ten years.

Is it young turks in business that've decided that "theirs" outweighs the interests of everyone else including the elderly and the infirm?

What we need is a good war......

Free up some of those beds in Canadian hospitals....

I've changed my mind.....Let's lengthen and increase our troop deployments to Afghanistan...

Two birds....one stone....

 

[smilingfish]

I would think that the Education system could help find a psychologist for your child's learning disorder. Three years is absolutely preposterous.

8OAnd you may already become a specialist by self-teaching in 3 years.

 

[Tim Hamilton]

Who cares what the Americans have or don't have.

Why are you starting threads on the differences between American and Canadian healthcare if you're going to make comments like this? I guess you only care what they have as long as they have less, but once things aren't going your way, we aren't supposed to care?

How delightfully convenient for you.

 

[#juan]

Why are you starting threads on the differences between American and Canadian healthcare if you're going to make comments like this? I guess you only care what they have as long as they have less, but once things aren't going your way, we aren't supposed to care?

How delightfully convenient for you.

I initially started this thread to call up some of the positive things about our health care system. It was not meant to be a pissing contest about who's system is best.............I should have known better. On the other hand, do you have something to say about the topic?

 

[YoungJoonKim]

So..question is, for me, should United States reform or stay as they are?
More and more people are being uninsured,
even those who are insured are at some risk of not receiving the care they are. I meant some.
Canada has its flaws, I know.
I'd like to see what we, Canadians, are to do about that.
Perhaps we should initiate a program which Cuba has, which is free education and encouragement of medical student for free education fees for college/university to relax* our waiting time.
Its a possibility we should consider, when it gets worse.

Now, what I dislike about U.S. system of care is that...
Health insurance companies are going unchecked by the people.
They are having GREAT years as in terminology..of profit.
They are rewarding those who deny care for those who ARE insured.
They are trying to find out a way to deny care that costs too much money for them.
The hospitals are kicking out patients because they are not insured or don't have any means to pay their treatment. (After..receiving some care because its a law for them to receive care, if there WAS no law, I don't know how its going to be)
And United States...being ranked by WHO (World Health Organization, ran by U.N.), lower than some third world country (ranked 37, Canada 30. Yes, Canada is beating USA..accept it, WHO says so, not you're government who is speaking behalf of insurance company)
I know that U.S.A. has one of the world's best doctors..
but so what?
It doesn't matter if they are best doctors if the people can't get access to them whenever, wherever, and however possible.
It doesn't matter because 45 million people (bigger than population of Canada..just imagine..wow amazing) will not see the best doctors.
Best doctors are going to be seen by people who can afford*.

I mean Come On..
U.S.A is richest country on earth and is this best thing they can do for their citizen?
is this the face of democracy?
Is this face of GOOD society?
...I doubt it seriously.
At least Canada is trying its best to give care for everyone..and its been improving nicely.
I hope to see the day when Canada will become like of French
But with the influence from U.S.A. health industry....man it will be hard.

And about the solution..of everyone being insured.
Not happening unless government sponsored.
Not happening until the insurance company are willing to give up profit.
Impossible
There is no fact or evidence that suggest everyone will be insured and will receive care.
Not happening, impossible, no way.
It wasn't before for people who are poor, had pre-existing condition, and ..fat or skinny people (hehe)
These insurance company are not willing to help anyone, they are willing to make as much money as possible.
They are just keeping people under "control" but in shadow, reality is that less and less people are receiving care...its the fact and it is clear.

U.S.A. needs national health care act.
For children
For poor
For bankrupted people
For everyone
Not for rich.

 

[Walter]

U.S.A. needs national health care act.

Where would we send our mothers to have their babies?

 

[Unforgiven]

Hey maybe we just hook up with the blue states to form a new super country and the red states go back to being "The South" regardless of their location.
Then bit by bit, we give them the Palestinian hustle. Set up a few enclaves, disarm the lot of them and weed out the refugees from the hardcore kooks then, have ourselves a little civil war part deux.