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Originally posted by: thezzzone
Now thats some funny stuff hoops!!!!Obviously you must be a Canadian because you know so much, but I'd love to know where you are living so I don't move there.
I have 2 kids, both in sports and back in the day I played competitive football/hockey track etc. I have had numerous broken bones/strains other ailments as have my kids. I ,or my kids have NEVER in probably 20-30 visits to emerg. ever been anywhere even close to a 6 hour wait. (my longest was 3hrs, I had a fish-hook in my thumb once while teaching the kids (not very well I might add) how to fish. There were others in the room coming in at various times with much more serious injuries. Of course here in Canada, those in greater need get served first regardless of arrival time. We're good with that.
I once was admitted to hospital for a week. Tons of tests, saw 3 specialists. Didn't pay a penny.
I have been referred to specialists in addition to the above. Once while in emerg. I had 3 doctors trying to diagnose a knee injury. I refused to allow them to put me "under" for a stress test. They said well then you'll need to wait for a specialist. I said fine, I'm not goin anywhere. 2 hours later I had seen the specialist and had a ankle to hip cast on and was out the door.(vs a potential surgery) I have seen specialists 3 other times as has my son. No wait was ever over 3 weeks. Obviously non-life threatening injuries but beyond the scope of the family doctor.
Glad u mentioned the hip replacement. Just so happens my sister had it done. She had to wait a total of 25 weeks to have the procedure done. She has a friend at work who also needed to have a hip replaced. This is many years after my sister had hers done. She called her doctor for this other lady to see if he could help. The ladys hip replacement was done 3 weeks later. Free is good though I'm guessing for a non-life threatening surgery that could wait. For some people though I'm sure the money would be well spent to get the surgery done faster. The pain for some is unbearable I'm sure. (umm, if they have the cash that is)
I am a Lions (NFL) season ticket holder. I bought a medical ins. plan good for a year for anywhere in North America through CAA (our version of AAA) for 135 bucks or so for 2 people just in case something happened and I couldn't get back over the border.
One time in a bar for pre-game drinks we were talking to some guys and when they found out we are Canadians there were a ton of questions revolving around our medical system and tax structure(35% tops in US / Canada 29% plus 11% provincial rate for Ontario tops (difference 5% at highest rate). The things they were saying were very consistent with the things you mentioned re: wait times etc. I was amazed at the stuff those guys were led to believe, not as amazed however as they were at what the truth was. Choose your own doctors? Of course. Pay the hospital or doctors directly NOTHING? , of course. Wait times 6-8 hrs? seriously, we couldn't stop laughing. But you already know that being Canadian and all. I guess my experience throughout my entire life and that of everyone I know are anomolies. Just lucky I guess. It's possible.
Did I mention I have never had to think about whether or not I could afford to go or to take my kids to the hospital?
Didn't wanna start a war or anything over it, but the difference between what some people(and some politicians) would want you to believe and what reality is (at least my experiences) are sometimes two entirely different things.
What percentage of your salary goes to the government?
MoneyLA, did your doctor bill you as well for his services?
One thing to take into consideration about our healthcare costs is malpractice insurance.
I was charged full cost of complete bloodwork I had done at the hospital I work at, even though I had the insurance said hospital provided. I had to make about 15 calls to get it down to 100% coverage.
Tammi from N. Ga.
