TKO, How's Canada 'eh?

MMiz

I put the M in EMTLife
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TKO,

We've talked a bit, but I just realized you're from up north. We get calls all the time because an HMO wont pay for a patient to stay at a hospital, and want them transported to Detroit's medical center or a "Cheaper" hospital. The nurses always say "This doesn't happen in Canada".

I'm wondering how things are in Canada. Healthcare for everyone? I had somene come up to me and said "You wont believe this, they wanted to charge us almost $100 for an ambulance trip in Windsor". I didn't want to see the look on the face when they got the bill for $500.

So how are things up there? I honestly have no clue how things work. Are hospitals of good quality? How does the public see the system?

It's good to have you around, EMTLife is now international 'eh
 

TKO

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Canadas health care system is the best system in world. I could not imagine having to pay for every single visit, surgery or doctors appointment I go to. Most ppl in Canada have some type of insurance like Blue Cross which covers ambulance costs. The ppl who don' t well they still do have to shell out quite a bit of money for a ambulance trip. Every company charges different pickup rates....usually a $250 pickup charge then by the kilometer after that. At one the ambulance services i worked at we were 2 and a half hours from the center we were transporting to and that trip came to approximatly $1000.00

The hospitals in Saskatchewan are all mostly good. There is the odd older hospital that isnt in the greatest shape but that is hard to come by. Health care is a top priority here. Many smaller communities are having new hospitals built with more advanced equipment being available. The two main centers in Saskatchewan are Saskatoon which has three large hospitals(one teaching) and then Regina has two hospitals.

We are all proud of our health care system!


One question I have for all of you below us is ...since you have to pay for stuff like surgeries and delivers...let's say someone who does not have any money is having a baby...who pays for it ?? How does your system work?

I am always open to any questions, this place rocks!! :D
 
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MMiz

MMiz

I put the M in EMTLife
Community Leader
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Originally posted by TKO@Jun 24 2004, 06:09 PM
Canadas health care system is the best system in world. I could not imagine having to pay for every single visit, surgery or doctors appointment I go to. Most ppl in Canada have some type of insurance like Blue Cross which covers ambulance costs. The ppl who don' t well they still do have to shell out quite a bit of money for a ambulance trip. Every company charges different pickup rates....usually a $250 pickup charge then by the kilometer after that. At one the ambulance services i worked at we were 2 and a half hours from the center we were transporting to and that trip came to approximatly $1000.00

The hospitals in Saskatchewan are all mostly good. There is the odd older hospital that isnt in the greatest shape but that is hard to come by. Health care is a top priority here. Many smaller communities are having new hospitals built with more advanced equipment being available. The two main centers in Saskatchewan are Saskatoon which has three large hospitals(one teaching) and then Regina has two hospitals.

We are all proud of our health care system!


One question I have for all of you below us is ...since you have to pay for stuff like surgeries and delivers...let's say someone who does not have any money is having a baby...who pays for it ?? How does your system work?

I am always open to any questions, this place rocks!! :D
Once again, very interesting stuff.

If someone needs to deliver a baby, or have urgent surgery, it will be done at the hospital no matter what, no person will be denied. That said, if you're in a trauma but stable, or not literally pushing the baby out, they're going to want to send you to another hospital.

Many people on government assistance get pushed around, from hospital to hospital, and thats where our BLS transport is often used. If the person has absolutely no insurance, they'll be billed for the procedure. I've heard delivering a baby costs around $10,000+. The bill will just get sent to collections.

Usually we get called to transport a patient from the best hospital in our county (Sixth largest in the country they say), to a facility in Detroit. The patients absolutely hate it, becauuse they know their level of care will be horrible in comparison. A patient can refuse transport, and they will have to be treated by the hospital. Many people who have been through the system before, and without insurance, most likely in huge debt, will just refuse transport.

I'll never forget the patient I had my first day of work. He was probably 21 years old, had cancer, and spent most of his life in the hospital. I went to scan his bracelet with the barcode reader, and it showed he had been in the hospital hundreds of times. He was now there for a mid-shaft femur fracture. Everyone in the ER and hospital knew him, and he knew he would be sent to some hospital in Detroit to be treated, he was without insurance. The nurse made a half-hearted attempt to tell him that he would be sent via ambulance to a hospital in Detroit. He refused, and she said "I would too." Since then this has happened countless times. Nursing staff, knowing they most likely wont get paid for the treatment they provide, still want to provide the best care for the patient.


It's a tough situation. We transport Psych patients all the time without insurance. I know they're going to get a bill for a couple hundred dollars, and I know they're not going to pay it, but I seriously don't care. Our system needs reform, and it's the doctors, nurses, medical staff, and mostly the patient that suffers.

Bush is promoting healthcare for everyone in Iraq. I'd rather see it here.
 

ffemt8978

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The problem with our system is that the people who pay their medical bills also have to pay for those who don't pay their medical bills. I agree that everyone deserves healthcare, but I'm not sure the Canadian Model (if I can call it that) is the right way to go.

Maybe I'm wrong here (and if I am, I'm sure TKO will let me know ;) ), but I think that a government sponsored/funded healthcare program has several drawbacks. Also, I don't mean to offend anybody, but I feel that this is an important discussion.

1. Less competition, therefore less incentive to find new and better ways of doing things.
2. Increases our dependence upon the government to take care of us. I think this is a fundamental flaw in our country today; we want the government/somebody else to take care of us so that we don't have to be responsible for ourselves. (I.E., get in a car accident, sue the car manufacturer and dealership, and the other driver - after all, it could not be your own fault)
3. Gives the government more control over what type of medical care you can and can not receive. Do you really want some bureaucrat deciding if your surgery is necessary or not?

I don't have the answer to fix our current healthcare problems, but am just playing devil's advocate.
 

ffemt8978

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TKO,

I have a question for you about Canadian health care. Are there any volunteer FD/EMS agencies in Canada? I'm curious about this, because if there are, I wonder where they get their funding.
 
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