This is Great Healthcare???

[jawnbc]

That's true, unless your employer pays on your behalf, which many do. Regardless, the taxation rate in BC is less than in any Australian state: the premium is an annoying way to collect tax revenue, but it's still cheaper than Australia and there's no "gap" for visiting a GP: visits are 100% covered and bulk billed in BC.

Other provinces in Canada that don't have the premiums have slightly higher provincial income taxes. But I agree it's stoopid to do the whole premium thing.

You're right about the GP issue though: my doctor suddenly retired last year due to his own health issues and it's presented a number of challenges. There are lots of GPs taking patients in greater Vancouver...it's just a royal pain.

Originally Posted by Helrig50

In BC you pay $1300/yr in medical premiums for a couple so I don't find it good value. I'd rather pay more, as I did when we lived in Australia, and have a healthcare system. Canada has a good Accident and Injury Management System. Big difference. The wait times are often unreasonable and can turn minor issues into major ones, not to mention the pain and stress during the wait. This is for the euphemistically named "elective" surgery which makes one think it's for a tummy tuck or nose job. I don't "elect" to have my painful knee fixed or not fixed. I need it so that I can maintain my fitness and health, support my family and be a productive member of society. Yes, I won't die from it but a healthcare system shouldn't make that a condition of timely care.

[dcraig]

Originally Posted by dcraig

It was on this expatforum where I have read statements like, Canada has free healthcare, great healthcare, and universal healthcare, maybe you didn't read the same postings I had read, but as i know now, the people posting those statements were reffering to either Ontario or Alberta, not BC, but just generalized their statements to sound like they meant the whole country, but when you are from another country and you hear someone say, Canada has free, universal healthcare, it makes you think it applies to the whole country. I won't mention the names of those who said, and still say things like that, but they know who they are, and for the sake of others thinking of coming here, I wish they would stop doing it. We were coming to BC anyways, and the healthcare issue wouldn't have stopped us,
Up until about 5-6 months ago, I don't recall reading anything on here about the costs or problems with healthcare in BC., but now we are living it first hand. Got a prescription yesterday, $33 for 14 pills, and thats with BC Medical insurance.
And my original post was about healthcare problems in BC, why do people keep bringing up Ontario?

After staying away from this forum for a year, decided to come back and read some of the more recent posts, or more so, answers and comments posted by people, and I can see nothing has changed since I posted this last year. Oh well, only 2 more months, then its Ecuador! here we come..

[Trip]

Originally Posted by jeff66

Hi Paul.... You can't get the card right away. You need some sort of travel insurance initially. It is either 30 or 90 days. Again do your homework. You will find out what you need. Wow everyone is off to BC! It was not for us, thought it would be, but after 2 weeks there we decided against it!

Just to confirm, you get your card 90 days from the day you register.

Tripp

[gringotim]

Originally Posted by dcraig

After staying away from this forum for a year, decided to come back and read some of the more recent posts, or more so, answers and comments posted by people, and I can see nothing has changed since I posted this last year. Oh well, only 2 more months, then its Ecuador! here we come..

You're preaching to the choir, vague questions, mis-leading, often inacurate answers, but only a few of us willing to comment on it, but on a happier note, I see you have decided to move to Ecuador, lucky you!, what part? we are also moving there, instead of Mexico, but not for another 2 years, we haven't decided which town, but definately the coast, probably north of Salinas, now if I could just figure out how to change my profile from Mexico to Ecuador.

[kimo]

Been away from here for awhile, just wanted to give another example of healthcare in BC. A friends 54yr old wife suffered a massive heart attack 9 days ago, she was admitted to St Pauls hospital in Vancouver, where she waited for 8 days before they did anything, why, because due to the lack of funding to the hospital from the gov't, they had to wait for a doctor who had spare operating room time allotted to him, installed some stints, discharged the next day. How much did those extra days in hospital cost the gov't? And there was only one working elevator, which meant up to 20-25 minutes wait for those that couldn't do the five flights of stairs, apparently the others haven't worked in weeks or longer. Typical BC hospital situation.

[progpen]

My son was born with a cleft lip and palate and has had several surgeries during his 17 years, but still needs a couple more procedures. We have been to many different hospitals and talked to dozens of specialists. We have been to offices that looked more like elite billionaire boutiques than doctor's offices and to hospitals and clinics that looked more like mansions. The doctors have usually been technically good at their jobs, but to the very last have been more concerned about our ability to pay than about the health and wellbeing of our son. I guess if you like being treated like a customer rather than a patient, the US healthcare system is the way to go.

[jasterpratt]

Every country has different problems about healthcare. But I guess it's better for you than nothing right?