There is NO private healthcare in Canada

If you want private healthcare there's nothing stopping you from taking a quick trip across the border and getting it.

If your condition is serious or acute you will be rushed and get quick treatment, if it is elective then yes you have to wait your turn.

Piro21 wrote: ↑ If you want private healthcare there's nothing stopping you from taking a quick trip across the border and getting it.

The possible 5-6 figure cost might give him pause (depending on what procedure he is looking for), but freedom trumps cost.

It is also a pervasive myth that private means better or faster. It can be faster in some uncommon cases, in others not so much.
And if there is overcapacity someone has to pay to build and maintain it.

It is far from crap. If your issue is urgent, then from my personal experience, the healthcare system is excellent and will get you fixed up in no time. Was incredible to see firsthand. No chance private would have been better. They would have wasted time trying to suck as much money as possible.

Granted we are in Vancouver and have heard things are bad in rural areas. Though that is pretty much all over the world

$7,200 US dollars ($10K Canadian) could buy you some cosmetic procedures and minor surgical procedures.

A one night stay in the hospital will cost $10K.

Any medication, scans, and bloodwork are additional costs. Even a one-inch suture to close a wound is $9K.

That list just alphabetical. The numbers in brackets are just article ref #s

CuriousChipmunk wrote: ↑ $7,200 US dollars ($10K Canadian) could buy you some cosmetic procedures and minor surgical procedures.

A one night stay in the hospital will cost $10K.

Any medication, scans, and bloodwork are additional costs. Even a one-inch suture to close a wound is $9K.

In the USA costs can be insane, i have seen $95K MRIs and $80K snake venom injection bills (the antivenom itself costed about $350 iirc).
This is not typical but you have bad luck and bam, your screwed.

I was once offered a referral to a specialist in Chicago, 2K to walk in the door
I did not take it.

Quentin5 wrote: ↑ In the USA costs can be insane, i have seen $95K MRIs and $80K snake venom injection bills (the antivenom itself costed about $350 iirc).
This is not typical but you have bad luck and bam, your screwed.

I was once offered a referral to a specialist in Chicago, 2K to walk in the door
I did not take it.

Best to not have any life outside of the home to save on healthcare costs

People file for bankruptcy or move up here due to these kinds of costs...

CuriousChipmunk wrote: ↑ Best to not have any life outside of the home to save on healthcare costs

Problem is you can be injured at home as well. And you will still grow old

People file for bankruptcy or move up here due to these kinds of costs...

And many voters here think privatized healthcare is better/cheaper.
Grass is always greener on the other side to those who don't want to know the truth

Basing on personal experience even if urgent the treatment is not as quick as it could be. Nurses on strike, not enough nurses, shortage of surgery slots, etc.

Not wholly responssible but imho a lot of the issues stems from no urgent issues going to ER when a local clinic would be better and being treatment oriented instead of preventative oriented.

Believe BC and Quebec do have some private system, even surgeries as some doctors have opted out of health card system.

The particular surgery would cost about 12k-20k USD depending on post operative care. Normally a day surgery but age or complications could necessitate overnight stay. About 1 week wait.

Here 3-4 months.

Our system is also very inefficient. Not saying that US system any better... it is different and if have work coverage then out of pocket cost low. A peer from US had to have emergency surgery and didn't have insurance papers so amount he had to sign for was mid 5 figures... once got insurance involved the actual payment to hospital, surgeon, anesthesiologist was about 30% of what he signed for as insurance companies have negotiated charges for various surgeries, etc. The circumstances were in place that he got to see the difference in cost, normally would not have seen. But he definitely confirmed that US is even more paper happy [bureaucracy] then Canada.

There has to be a middle ground between the two systems to get relatively quick treatment at fair prices. BUT too many hands on both sides of the border so very unlikely to change.

i don't know why u want private system, just look at dental care in Canada, if you don't have insurance cover, everything is expensive.

tonychau wrote: ↑ i don't know why u want private system, just look at dental care in Canada, if you don't have insurance cover, everything is expensive.

But the grass is greener on the other side and the loud fools won't shut up about how bankrupting yourself for basic healthcare is a better system.

Mrman123 wrote: ↑ If someone needs an urgent procedure with a long wait list, there is no option to see a dotcor privately and pay the $10,000 or what ever amount is needed to treat the condition no?

If theres no private option and everyone must join the public queue then that means healthcare in Canada is crap....

Book a trip for Europe and do it there . Here we are to short sighted , we only se USA for examples of private care.

Mrman123 wrote: ↑ If someone needs an urgent procedure with a long wait list, there is no option to see a dotcor privately and pay the $10,000 or what ever amount is needed to treat the condition no?

If theres no private option and everyone must join the public queue then that means healthcare in Canada is crap....

I have had a number of urgent procedures in recent years (about half a dozen) and never had a long wait for them. They do prioritize cases based on urgency, although you may not agree with the doctor on how urgent your case is.

Healthcare in Canada is not crap although there are some obvious problems to be addressed. But I don't see how anyone can look to the US private system to provide a better model, when there frequent reports in the US media about problems with their system.

Dealmaker1945 wrote: ↑ I have had a number of urgent procedures in recent years (about half a dozen) and never had a long wait for them. They do prioritize cases based on urgency, although you may not agree with the doctor on how urgent your case is.

Healthcare in Canada is not crap although there are some obvious problems to be addressed.

+1

But I don't see how anyone can look to the US private system to provide a better model, when there frequent reports in the US media about problems with their system.

Beer goggles.