Universal Nightmare - chime in Canadians!

[portgrinder]

I've always got things dealt with very quickly. Being a sledder and biker though, my issues are never too hard to find or diagnose.

Don't have a family doctor.

Have also heard many stories as above. But their level of service to me personally isnt that bad.

It does need a change. maybe if people had to pay, they wouldnt go in every time they have a sniffle and free up some space for others.

Also whats with all the hospitals aka "retirement homes" in all the small towns? not sure how this works but i'm guessing my 40-50k per year is paying for some of those white-hairs to be in there 24/7.

 

[Tuesday]

Hmmmmmmm......Health care in Alberta now that is a mouthful.

I deal with the health care system and its "problems" on a daily basis. There are lots of annoying qualities and few positive benefits.

First off I give this advice routinely, the only person that has your best health in interest is YOU! If you think anyone is really going to go out of their way to help/diagnosis/find the correct treatment chances are slim. The slam dunk diagnosis and acute care situations do get treated in a timely fashion but the 70+% that are not straight forward unfortunately get passed along. I love the theory that if the patient doesnt come back with same problem 8-10times then they dont really believe they had a problem or that it spontaneously fixed itself.

The big push lately has been to privatize as much health care as possible because the government does not feel they can manage it, no matter how much they cut or add funding it is still a massive part of the budget and for some reason cant be efficiently managed. Unfortunately health care cuts are necessary they are not always the answer. Health care cuts are always great just like education cuts until you need health care/education.

I have lived in both countries and there are pros/cons to both sides. Personally if you have great insurance/coverage in the states then their system rocks. Typically you get diagnosis and treatment in a timely manner. Unfortunately if you have crappy or no coverage the inflated cost due to insurance billing/overbilling makes it unaffordable. In CA everyone gets the same mediocre care regardless. With more private options coming available if you have the cash you can get slightly quicker turn around times but typically at some point you will reach the bottle neck of the socialized health care. For example you can pay for a private MRI- take 1-6 days complete turn around but if you finally manage to get a surgical consult it will still take a ridiculous amount of time to get the procedure done.

One of the problems with insurance based program is inflation of service cost mostly because insurance companies love to NOT pay so you have to "extra" bill to get what you really wanted in the first place not to mention to have to pay a full time employee just to chase insurance claims. Now with social health care the system gets abused and a large portion of the health care workers are goverment/salary based so do they really care if they see 100 people a day or are they happier to just see 20.......they get paid the same. Now the Docs get a salary but at the clinics get paid per visit hence some of the new polices dictating 1 complaint per visit.


I like portgrinders and others input of making some sort of co-pays to weed out the people that are just lonely or soaking up millions of hours/dollars because of stupid things.

The old people in the nusing home component (long term care) are stuck there because they require full time care that a retirement home/spouse/family member cant provide the care they need. These long term care units are not always in a hospital, and they do require the patient pay a montly amount. They are partial govt funded but not completely, they pay approx 1k a month, other homes that are more privatized are closer to 2k per month.

well the rant could go on and on but lets take a break.........

 

[superdoo]

.

Never had a problem getting in to see a doctor or going to specialist.One of the biggest problem is people whos kids or themselves get a runny nose and they run to the doctor using up time that could be used for people that are sick.

yup agree with you 100%

too bad you couldnt take indians behind the barn like my gido (ukranian grandpa) used to do with the sick animals.

 

[steveo10]

I have never, as a Canadian, looked across the border to the US and said "I wish I had their health care?". I have said things like:

I wish we were a little more patriotic like the Americans

I wish we paid the same for your vehicles and toys as the Americans

I wish my dollar was worth a buck all the time in the USA.

Can't say I ever hoped to have your health care sysem ( or lack of one).

totally agree!

? for you americans... how much does it cost for you to treat a broken arm?

 

[Gainster]

i dont know 1 person outside the internet world that doesnt have a problem with the healthcare system we have now.weird

Ok please school me then, As is anyone can walk into a hospital for treatment & do. So I cant see that as a problem

My dad told me when I was young I needed to find a job doing what I liked that payed well & offered health coverage. Pretty dang simple imo!

Anyone working w/out health coverage in the USA has done so by their own choice, So I dont see that as a problem

 

[Transporter]

Is there other countries with large populations that have a perfect healthcare system????

 

[Gainster]

Is there other countries with large populations that have a perfect healthcare system????

No & there never will be

 

[JDKZRT]

Anyone working w/out health coverage in the USA has done so by their own choice, So I dont see that as a problem

So.... let's say you've worked like a happy camper for a company for 20 (or 30) years.... then they drop their coverage because it's that ...or go bankrupt.
How is this one's own choice???

And you're right .... you can get fantastic treatment in most places in the US by walking into a hospital. Is it reasonable to have to sign your house over to the hospital to pay for this treatment in many cases??

(a good buddy spent 8 days in a San Diego hospital in May after a bike accident -- no operations, just recovery). He had insurance, but had he not... the bill was over $80K.... and his co-pay was still ridiculous.

Do you work for the gov't with their health plan to need to be schooled about this?

 

[Deadsled]

So.... let's say you've worked like a happy camper for a company for 20 (or 30) years.... then they drop their coverage because it's that ...or go bankrupt.
How is this one's own choice???

And you're right .... you can get fantastic treatment in most places in the US by walking into a hospital. Is it reasonable to have to sign your house over to the hospital to pay for this treatment in many cases??

(a good buddy spent 8 days in a San Diego hospital in May after a bike accident -- no operations, just recovery). He had insurance, but had he not... the bill was over $80K.... and his co-pay was still ridiculous.

Do you work for the gov't with their health plan to need to be schooled about this?

This is my biggest fear.

I've worked hard all my life and have a paid for home and money in the bank. Since this recession started I've seen companies drop all healthcare benefits and coverage to stay alive. If my company did this and I got sick, sure I would get some sort of health care but then the hospitals and doctors go after everything I have worked for. If I bought my own insurance it would slowly bleed me to death with sky high premiums at my age. What if you had a spouse with cancer and you got dropped? No health insurance company would touch you if you had to pay for insurance on your own. America is the only industrialized nation that does not have a public option. We are not in the top 30 for health care quality and pay up to 3 times for our health care as other countries with better health care systems.

But what do I know....

 

[JDKZRT]

But what do I know....

I know that I'd be looking for a government job

 

[Transporter]

When you can stay a night in the best hotel in the country for cheaper than it cost a night in a hosptital, there is a problem.Why does a box of q-tips in a hosptial cost 50 bucks and walmart 2 bucks.

 

[Gainster]

So.... let's say you've worked like a happy camper for a company for 20 (or 30) years.... then they drop their coverage because it's that ...or go bankrupt.
How is this one's own choice???

Ok the problem in the US is we or the companys are limited to buying health care from the state you are located in which is BS with no competition just a monopoly for the Insurance Ind. But it can be fixed.

And you're right .... you can get fantastic treatment in most places in the US by walking into a hospital. Is it reasonable to have to sign your house over to the hospital to pay for this treatment in many cases?

Never met anyone that this has happened to & I am 41 years old, Does it really happen?

(a good buddy spent 8 days in a San Diego hospital in May after a bike accident -- no operations, just recovery). He had insurance, but had he not... the bill was over $80K.... and his co-pay was still ridiculous.



Do you work for the gov't with their health plan to need to be schooled about this?

^^^^ Haha no, What we had done was compared the insurance offer from where I work & where the wife works. The wifes insurance is Blue Care Network out of Mn. My offer was from Blue Care of Michigan BC/BS. The Blue Care of Michigan sucks when you compare to Blue Care of Mn. When we go in for anything it's always the same thing "We have never seen coverage this good before" here in Mi.

Cost is $348.16 usd per month, Being I was not going to use the insurance offer through my work I went to the owner & told him I would like to opt out for a cash value that would save the company money. We agreed on a $200.00 per month value he kicks in for not having to pay the full shot to cover my family for healthcare. So for $148.16 a month we are tickled with our healthcare.

We have a 5 year old daughter & what the hospital & doctor's have charged the Insurance is sick, But out of pocket I know we have not paid $500.00 in copay for child birth or any doctor visits in 5 years.

Sure we could fix some stuff but there is no need for a total overhaul, Just by opening up the markets for companys to buy out of state would be a huge start to saving & better health care/coverage.

 

[JDKZRT]

Never met anyone that this has happened to & I am 41 years old, Does it really happen?

Yes...... in round about ways.
I was at a convention in Reno last fall ..... and old boy from Spain was there and was having terrible back / abdomen pain. He went to a local hospital (where he was treated very well)....and after 3 hours of he was told he had a kidney stone and given a couple of Tylenol 3's........ and as he was 'checking out, he was notified that his Amex card had been charged $7200.

What happens if you don't pay your credit cards?

 

[duffman]

i don't think it really matters what happens with health care, it will never be as good as it could be.

I am not picking on you hypno, but in my opinion this statement sums up one of the big problems with socialized anything.

 

[Gainster]

Never met anyone that this has happened to & I am 41 years old, Does it really happen?

Yes...... in round about ways.
I was at a convention in Reno last fall ..... and old boy from Spain was there and was having terrible back / abdomen pain. He went to a local hospital (where he was treated very well)....and after 3 hours of he was told he had a kidney stone and given a couple of Tylenol 3's........ and as he was 'checking out, he was notified that his Amex card had been charged $7200.

What happens if you don't pay your credit cards?

It's human nature to do what you can get away with & people/business do, A little competition between Insurers to make rates more reasonable & then they could beat up on the hospitals for what they can & can not charge for.

I have 2 friends from here in Mi that had bad crashes while in Canada, One one a sled with a compound fracture of his left arm & the other on his road bike got a compound fracture on his leg. Both got doped up & sent to the border.....

Neither was real happy with their treatment & both were willing to pay. I will see if I can post Eric's SW user name on here so he can tell of his experience...... It's not for those with a weak stomach.

Sorry but we are getting sidetracked, I feel like my family has been treated Great with our health care & when you have a broke government it is no time to be trying this BS they are pulling.

 

[skibreeze]

totally agree!

? for you americans... how much does it cost for you to treat a broken arm?

I broke my fibula and it was about $2100 with ZERO surgery, just a ****!ng cast!

 

[Transporter]

Its about 100 bucks a stitch for someone out country to get sewn up in Canada.The costs are outrages.

 

[Gainster]

Its about 100 bucks a stitch for someone out country to get sewn up in Canada.The costs are outrages.

Super Glue is cheaper, faster & works

 

[buck50]

Super Glue is cheaper, faster & works

yes it does!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Gainster]

yes it does!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seen it first hand, Had a buddy get ripped by a Russian Boar right under the butt cheek 4"-5" long from a tusk. 2 days before then he was in the skinning shed & slashed his hand bad. Got him to ER & they gave him a shot, Cleaned it out & glued it back together then sent him home.

His idea not mine but we washed the rip out & glued his butt cheek back together