General Discussion

belcffub

(595 posts)

85. I know you won't believe me and it wasn't five years

Thu Mar 29, 2012, 01:49 PM

Mar 2012

but as I said in another part of this thread I work in Western New York and we have several Canadians working here... Two that I know of use our insurance... one had a terrible time finding a GP doctor in his town... it was, according to him, much easier to get one here and do Dr appts during or after work...

same guy's wife had back problems or something... she had being seeing people in Canada about it for about 18 months... They needed to do a cat scan or something (I am not medical I just know the story as he repeats it often) and it was going to be 6 months... she can here and saw his doctor who gave her the referral and with that they saw what they needed to do... scheduled a procedure a couple of weeks later...

I know we have excess capacity here compared to southern Ontario... their was a news report about 2 years ago about some procedures being farmed out to hospitals in and around Buffalo due to the wait... it's not terribly common though... otherwise I doubt it would have been on the news...

If you have insurance things aren't really bad here... it's for those who don't have it that things stink...

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Australian couple has $1 million hospital bill after baby born in BC (Canada) [View all] Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 OP

Foreigners pay cash on the barrelhead there eridani Mar 2012 #1

Up front? Yikes. nt Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #2

Not for emergencies. Lucy Goosey Mar 2012 #7

I would think there would be some sort of hardship discount. nt Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #8

Fair enough. Lucy Goosey Mar 2012 #9

Still way too much. Shouldn't be over a few grand and even that is a stretch at best. nt Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #10

For 3 months of neonatal care? Luminous Animal Mar 2012 #12

Maybe 10-20K then. nt Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #18

For 3 months in the neo-natal ward? Lucy Goosey Mar 2012 #13

Maybe 10-20K then. nt Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #17

LOL....in the 1920s Logical Mar 2012 #35

Here in the good old US Horse with no Name Mar 2012 #38

Residents of Canada aren't billed Lucy Goosey Mar 2012 #43

And some want us to have open borders in the US. nt Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #44

Good point.Thank you for sharing. Horse with no Name Mar 2012 #47

Americans did come here for their flu vaccine. polly7 Mar 2012 #73

It must vary a lot from province to province. polly7 Mar 2012 #70

This is ridiculous.... MicaelS Mar 2012 #3

Because Canadian doctors need their beautiful money? nt Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #4

I have a friend who lives in Aus and they marlakay Mar 2012 #37

This is weird Mz Pip Mar 2012 #5

My guess was things like gestational diabetes, morning sickness, etc. Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #6

I thought there was reciprocity among citizens of the Commonwealth? cbayer Mar 2012 #11

"Australian residents can get treatments deemed medically necessary under reciprocal agreements Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #14

Thanks for that. I had no idea. cbayer Mar 2012 #15

Shouldn't Australian Medicare foot the bill? Cleita Mar 2012 #16

Yes! Lucy Goosey Mar 2012 #19

What a refreshing attitude this couple has! Johnny Rico Mar 2012 #20

Never a good idea to roll over in the face of ridiculous charges. nt Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #22

$8,120 a day (presumably Australian, since this is an Australian report) muriel_volestrangler Mar 2012 #21

I had not realized the gold inlayed bandages had arrived yet. nt Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #24

NICU care is very expensive. laundry_queen Mar 2012 #29

My friend just got out of Sacred Superstition. His bill was tsuki Mar 2012 #48

My boss had an emergancy in canada a couple of years ago... belcffub Mar 2012 #23

I find that hard to believe. laundry_queen Mar 2012 #25

I always asked for an insurance card once the pt. was stabilized and if he / she was able to answer. polly7 Mar 2012 #26

See now that's the first I've heard of it. laundry_queen Mar 2012 #28

I mean the provincial health card, or additional MSI or Blue Cross. polly7 Mar 2012 #30

That's what I thought laundry_queen Mar 2012 #32

Yes, I've heard them all. polly7 Mar 2012 #33

I know you won't believe me and it wasn't five years belcffub Mar 2012 #85

I know what happened... this was about four years ago... belcffub Mar 2012 #31

I can't even imagine that happening. Not a single person I've ever worked with would polly7 Mar 2012 #34

but it did... belcffub Mar 2012 #42

Ask your boss if she was sure they were real EMS or just kids playing a prank, polly7 Mar 2012 #67

your really very funny... doesn't mean it her case it didn't happen... belcffub Mar 2012 #76

I'm sorry, I've just never heard of it happening and can't imagine a case where it would. polly7 Mar 2012 #77

Its bullshit. Swede Mar 2012 #78

Yes! Thank you ......there's that, too! nt. polly7 Mar 2012 #79

you can think that all you want belcffub Mar 2012 #81

Be careful of your boss,shes' a liar. Swede Mar 2012 #83

doubt it... known her for 15 years belcffub Mar 2012 #86

Is she imaginary, too? Ikonoklast Mar 2012 #88

are you? belcffub Mar 2012 #89

Thank you for answering my query. Ikonoklast Mar 2012 #92

exactly belcffub Mar 2012 #97

and doesn't mean it did either.... Spazito Mar 2012 #84

and maybe I just know the two Canadians who don't like their health system belcffub Mar 2012 #87

LOL, one can criticize the Canadian system and often have Canadians agree... Spazito Mar 2012 #90

Like I said working around WNY belcffub Mar 2012 #93

At this point I can only offer this piece of advice... Spazito Mar 2012 #95

she was awake and moving around... belcffub Mar 2012 #80

My cousin walked into a hospital after being thrown over the handlebars on his bike after being hit polly7 Mar 2012 #82

I know nothing about medical stuff belcffub Mar 2012 #94

I'm not saying you're lying, I just don't believe the EMS crew waited around for insurance polly7 Mar 2012 #96

Nope.that's not how it works here,she's lying to you. Swede Mar 2012 #61

And that is why private insurance sucks laundry_queen Mar 2012 #27

Maybe private insurance doesn't want to pay a million dollars? Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #46

No kidding. laundry_queen Mar 2012 #68

Well, they and their premature baby weren't put out on the curb... Spazito Mar 2012 #36

Exactly. Canada isn't a haven where we taxpayers have volunteered to cover millions of dollars of polly7 Mar 2012 #39

Here's a case that has similarities involving a B.C. couple and the U.S. system... Spazito Mar 2012 #40

That's a sad situation. polly7 Mar 2012 #41

So you're saying that open borders would not work? Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #45

We are talking about tourists... Spazito Mar 2012 #49

This seems to apply to all people Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #50

Again, the topic was tourists not citizens or immigrants... Spazito Mar 2012 #52

It was a one-off comment based on what occurred to me based on their comment. nt Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #56

This message was self-deleted by its author polly7 Mar 2012 #64

Never mind, others said it better. nt. polly7 Mar 2012 #66

I think many people try their best to throw their favorite ingredient into any mea LanternWaste Mar 2012 #51

Your point certainly seems to apply in this case... Spazito Mar 2012 #53

So is the OP's behavior on the Trayvon threads. Occulus Mar 2012 #55

Yeah, wanting to wait for the facts is no longer an acceptable position. The new motto is: Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #60

Why not suggest to the Canadian poster that Canada cover all people regardless of citizenship? Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #59

Sorry that the posters comments made me think of that. Why not suggest to the poster that Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #57

Gosh, why not suggest the U.S. cover their own citizens.... Spazito Mar 2012 #63

Darn right. Considering my own chronic condition single payer would be a godsend. nt Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #72

Great, I look forward to your OP on that! n/t Spazito Mar 2012 #74

Canada does treat all people regardless of citizenship, exactly as we should. polly7 Mar 2012 #69

Tourists and other guest in EU nations can simply purchase tourist insurance and Bluenorthwest Mar 2012 #54

This couple did purchase travel insurance but didn't realize... Spazito Mar 2012 #58

I have to think that it would be hard for companies to pay a million dollars for just one birth. nt Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #62

Hmmm, I can only suggest you research the care and cost of a premature infant... Spazito Mar 2012 #65

Does not really address my point. Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #71

Unless your or anyone else's insurance puts a cap on the dollar amount they will cover... Spazito Mar 2012 #75

More "Canadian Healthcare Bad" propaganda. Ikonoklast Mar 2012 #91