This is Great Healthcare???

[Johanna]

Originally Posted by dcraig

Granted, $75 a month doesn't seem like much, but when you are on a limited income, own a house, car etc and have all sorts of other expenses, it doesn't leave much. My reason for posting was because so many people on here say Canada has FREE healthcare, which is very misleading. As for hospitals, if you have insurance you are covered while you are in, but I read something on here a while back about a German tourist who had a hospital bill of $24,000 dollars because they got hurt while in BC and didn't have insurance.

Thanks for the reply. I agree, it seems like a lot when one is on a limited income, but at least he can get the medication he needs.
I pity the German tourist, suppose that is why we are all told to take out medical insurance before we travel!

Hope your wife's problem will be sorted properly, at least she will receive first world treatment!

[dcraig]

Originally Posted by Johanna

Thanks for the reply. I agree, it seems like a lot when one is on a limited income, but at least he can get the medication he needs.
I pity the German tourist, suppose that is why we are all told to take out medical insurance before we travel!

Hope your wife's problem will be sorted properly, at least she will receive first world treatment!

"First world Treatment" is that what you call waiting 9 months just to find out you will have to wait another 2 years for the surgery?. That will be almost 3 years from her first doctors visit.

[Johanna]

Originally Posted by dcraig

"First world Treatment" is that what you call waiting 9 months just to find out you will have to wait another 2 years for the surgery?. That will be almost 3 years from her first doctors visit.

That too is true, I went to the gp last week, had x-rays done and interpreted on the same day, now have an appointment at a specialised clinic on the 1st of June, but saying that, we do pay a huge amount into a private medical aid.


Gosh, waiting three years is almost like the NHS!

[petecan]

while visiting boston mass last year my daughter developed an abcess where her wisdom tooth was removed. we went to an after hrs medical clinic where she was prescribed anti biotics, we were in with the doctor at most 5 minutes. the bill was $224. back in ontario we submitted a claim to ohip to reimburse us for the american doctors visit, we were reimbursed $42. american visit $224 vs an ontario visit $42, you do the math..........

[kimo]

Originally Posted by petecan

while visiting boston mass last year my daughter developed an abcess where her wisdom tooth was removed. we went to an after hrs medical clinic where she was prescribed anti biotics, we were in with the doctor at most 5 minutes. the bill was $224. back in ontario we submitted a claim to ohip to reimburse us for the american doctors visit, we were reimbursed $42. american visit $224 vs an ontario visit $42, you do the math..........

Whats that got to do with wait times in BC?, which is what the original post was about, and remember, BC healthcare system is not the same as Ontario, and are you crazy going to the states without medical insurance, you are lucky it wasn't something more serious like a broken limb or worse.

[dcraig]

A friends niece has just been told that she will have about a 6 week wait to have an MRI, lets hope those pains in her lower torso aren't anything serious that needs attention sooner than later. But then, the wait could be longer, after all, this is BC, I guess she should be happy its only a 6 week wait.

[gringotim]

Originally Posted by dcraig

A friends niece has just been told that she will have about a 6 week wait to have an MRI, lets hope those pains in her lower torso aren't anything serious that needs attention sooner than later. But then, the wait could be longer, after all, this is BC, I guess she should be happy its only a 6 week wait.

I have an uncle who is a Canadian expat who for the last 9 years has been living in Manzanillo Mexico (population about 130,000) , he had to have an MRI last month, and he only had to wait 5 days from the doctor visit to when he had the MRI, and that included a weekend. Luckily it was something minor and all is well, I hope your friends niece is as lucky, it must be killing them not knowing and having to wait so long. BC may not be a 3rd world country, but when it comes to somethings medical it makes you wonder where the governments priorities are. Just another reason we are leaving as soon as our pensions kick in in a few years.

[dcraig]

Originally Posted by gringotim

I have an uncle who is a Canadian expat who for the last 9 years has been living in Manzanillo Mexico (population about 130,000) , he had to have an MRI last month, and he only had to wait 5 days from the doctor visit to when he had the MRI, and that included a weekend. Luckily it was something minor and all is well, I hope your friends niece is as lucky, it must be killing them not knowing and having to wait so long. BC may not be a 3rd world country, but when it comes to somethings medical it makes you wonder where the governments priorities are. Just another reason we are leaving as soon as our pensions kick in in a few years.

I can't believe the number of Canadians I hear about retiring to Mexico, I see from your previous post that is where you are going aswell. The previous owners of the house we just bought have moved there, and several coworkers have friends or relatives living there, I bet reaching that magic 65 never looked better, but I can imagine how the time must just be dragging on.
I have along way to go, but something to look forward to.

[gringotim]

Originally Posted by dcraig

I can't believe the number of Canadians I hear about retiring to Mexico, I see from your previous post that is where you are going aswell. The previous owners of the house we just bought have moved there, and several coworkers have friends or relatives living there, I bet reaching that magic 65 never looked better, but I can imagine how the time must just be dragging on. I have along way to go, but something to look forward to.

You're making me older than I am., My wife and I are only 52, but we can retire in 2 years when we are 54, thanks to a complicated union pension thing, years worked plus your age must equal 90, but because of unused sick days and 45 vacation days a year, I can work them in with my regular days off and will be able to quit about 6 months before the official date, but ya, the time is just dragging, gonna be the longest 2 years of my life.

[dcraig]

Originally Posted by gringotim

You're making me older than I am., My wife and I are only 52, but we can retire in 2 years when we are 54, thanks to a complicated union pension thing, years worked plus your age must equal 90, but because of unused sick days and 45 vacation days a year, I can work them in with my regular days off and will be able to quit about 6 months before the official date, but ya, the time is just dragging, gonna be the longest 2 years of my life.

Sorry Mate, I forgot you had mentioned your age in the other post, I just automatically think retirement =65, but I have found that in Canada, its not always the case, especially with some union jobs. The previous owners of our house worked in a pulp mill and she was a nurse, and they just retired to Lake Chapala Mexico, he is only 56 and she is 55. I think I'll put Mexico on my list for when I retire, by then I should be tired of the wet winters, short summers, high taxes, high cost of living, and problems with the health system in BC. But my job with my inlaws business will keep us here for now. Oh well, we have a 2 week vacation coming up in October.