US vs Can. health care

[Daiichidoku]

an article i saw today, copy n pasted


http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/personal-fi ... ealth-care


Cross-border health care
by Michelle Warren, Bankrate.com
Tuesday, June 8, 2010

A routine physical revealed a strange lump in my dad's side. During the biopsy three weeks later, the doctor discovered several swollen lymph nodes. The CT scan eight days later is expected to give us some answers.

We were told the results would be in within a week, but it's now been 11 days. While my dad cheerfully proclaims, "No news is good news" every time the phone rings, the very state of not knowing is taking its toll. But we wait. And wait.

I've always taken great pride in Canada's health care system, but there's no denying there are cracks, and sometimes you can't help but wonder if you've fallen through. During a recent cruise down the Gardiner Expressway, in Toronto I noticed a billboard with the message "Fast-track your medical procedure here," with a map and arrow pointing across the border to the U.S., where Kaleida Health is tempting Canadians to abandon our publicly funded health care system and pay for what it considers faster and more comprehensive service.

Campaign targets frustrated Canadians
The Buffalo, N.Y.-based group launched the marketing campaign in November, also running ads in local television, print and radio outlets. Kaleida's website has a special section for Canadians, special Canadian pricing and a Canadian hotline.

All were introduced in response to an increasing number of calls from Canadian patients looking for alternatives and shorter wait times for a number of procedures including bariatric surgeries, colonoscopies, joint replacements, fracture repairs and diagnostic services, such as MRIs and CT scans.

We love our system -- don't we?
Two months ago, I would have scoffed at such a notion, but as the days tick by, I can't help but wonder how much it would cost to go south, pay for the tests out-of-pocket and end the wait.

According to Health Canada, the median wait time to see a specialist is four weeks, with 89.5 per cent of people waiting fewer than three months. For diagnostic services, such as an MRI or CAT scan, it's two weeks, with 86.4 per cent waiting fewer than three months.

Paying for out-of-country medical care
That being the case, some Canadians are packing their passports, and their wallets, to head south. "You can go down there and get anything you want, but you have to pay for it," says Andrew Morrison, a spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. He says the Ontario Health Insurance Plan, or OHIP, does cover certain out-of-province services, but people can't ask for reimbursement after the fact.

In order to receive funding for OHIP insured services, individuals must apply and receive written approval. Forms should be filled out and submitted by a Canadian physician, and applications are then processed by the ministry. Applicants must wait for an approval letter before moving ahead; otherwise, they are responsible for "any and all costs" associated with the procedure.

Still, campaigns such as that by Kaleida Health appear to be working. In the first month alone, its Canadian website received 5,200 hits and the hotline averaged seven calls a day. Repeated calls to Kaleida for comment and updates were not returned.

Last year, the Ontario government alone funded 11,775 out-of-country, or OOC, procedures compared to just 2,110 in 2001 -- that's a 450 per cent increase. In addition, spending on OOC services tripled in the past five years to $164.3 million from $56.3 million.

But Morrison points out that the increase in OOC procedures isn't necessarily due to medical tourism. Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, for instance, has agreements with U.S. providers that take on Canadians patients requiring everything from cancer treatments to genetic testing and diagnostic tests (estimates are the U.S. has a 30 per cent oversupply of medical equipment and surgeons).

Doing so is part of the government's effort to reduce wait times, says Morrison, and often the patient doesn't even need to cross the border. In the case of MRIs or CT scans, it's the file that is sent south, assessed by a technician there and the results are sent electronically back to medical professionals here. "It's essentially the result of a lack of capacity for the number of files we can handle," says Morrison. "It's about timely care. Rather than wait for an opening, we choose to send you south of the border."

Morrison says that when it comes to medical care, his sense is people prefer solutions closer to home. In most cases, those who opt to go south and pay out of pocket are seeking experimental treatments or those not offered here, such as certain bariatric procedures.

The cost of out-of-country care
For those who are considering OOC medical care, it's worth noting the U.S. spends far more per capita on health care than anywhere in the world. Keep in mind also that the average income for physicians in the U.S. is almost twice that of those here, where the average salary for a family physician is $202,000.

For the most part, medical care costs more in the U.S., and you have to be willing to pay upfront. Kaleida, for instance, stipulates that all self-pay services must be paid in full before the procedure date and offers a number of package prices.

In the U.S., the cost of a CT scan of the chest, abdomen and pelvis is about $6,000, more for each additional body part. My dad's full body scan didn't cost us a penny, not directly anyway. For most Canadians, travelling south of the border for health care is simply not affordable -- nor is it not affordable to those who live there. About 40 per cent of people in the U.S. don't have access to health care. With that in mind, despite my frustration, I can't help but feel tingling of pride for our publicly funded system.

But still, we wait. And wait. For now.

[Barfly]

"About 40 per cent of people in the U.S. don't have access to health care. With that in mind, despite my frustration, I can't help but feel tingling of pride for our publicly funded system.

But still, we wait. And wait. For now"


People in the U.S. who are unwilling or unable to get insurance for catastrophic illness are not 'denied' access to health care... wtf. You obviously made that point.. where is the lack of access? Not enough money? Critical care is provided at no cost at emergency rooms and clinics in the U.S. for those who can't afford to pay or are uninsured.

[Wullie]

My Doctor is from Canada.

He thinks Texas is just the right distance to be from it too.

He didn't take kindly to Canada's health care either.

[fatman]

What dont the Canadians have the option of going private? If not it seems kinda retarded.

[Reservoir_Dog]

What dont the Canadians have the option of going private? If not it seems kinda retarded.

Ya wanna talk about retarded....how about Germany 4 - Australia 0

[fatman]

Well they are ubermensch and really we win just by being on the same field as them

[Pudfark]

Old Pudfark sez: " Here come the "frost-backs "

[callmeslick]

Old Pudfark sez: " Here come the "frost-backs "

old Slick observes, "there go the idiots"