I love Canada, and I love being Canadian. Recently I read a tweet from an American blogger regarding the rising costs of her health care coverage/insurance (which shockingly went from ~$700 to ~$900 per month) and I was encouraged to write about my personal experiences with the Canadian health care system.
You may remember when I had a health scare in November in which I was experiencing severe pain in my lung and an x-ray showed a lump on my lung. The lump eventually disappeared but I will always be grateful to our health care system for the treatment I had.
The time line and cost went as follows:
1.) Experienced severe pain in my left lung for about a week and a half. Cost: A few missed days of work.
2.) Went to the walk in clinic down the street. Cost: Zero dollars. Waiting time: 10 minutes. Benefit: I got a family doctor at that clinic as they happened to be accepting new patients (and still are – if you are in Calgary and looking for a family doctor let me know, I would be glad to refer you to them).
3.) Doctor prescribed x-rays and informed me that I likely had pleurisy. He also prescribed painkillers. Cost for a referral for x-rays and painkillers prescription: Zero dollars. (I never took the painkillers- if I had taken them there likely would have been some cost incurred)
4.) Went for the x-ray the following day. Cost: Zero dollars. Waiting time: About 5 minutes.
5.) The following week got a phone call from my new family doctor (we had a meet and greet the previous week to go over medical history). Needed to come get the results. Appointment booked for the following day.
6.) Had appointment with doctor, he went over the results with me, what the lump might be and informed me to go back for more x-rays the following day. Cost: Zero dollars. Waiting time: 10 minutes. Benefit: Doctor was extremely kind and understanding. He answered all of my questions and spent a bit of time talking to me.
7.) Went for second set of x-rays. Cost: Zero dollars. Waiting time: About 10 minutes.
8.) Doctor called when results came back – two days later. Booked an appointment for the following day.
9.) Another appointment with the doctor. Results came back normal. Cost: Zero dollars. Waiting time: 15 minutes.
All in all, I spent a total of about an hour waiting for doctors or x-rays and the total cost for the appointments and x-rays was zilch. Thank you, Canada. I love you. I have been receiving mail advertisements supporting a privatized health care system and for what it’s worth, I will be voting NO to privatized health care for the rest of my life, so that my children and grandchildren will get the same kind of support that I have.
ALSO – Canadians and non-Canadians alike should all read this brilliant post which offers a quick Canadian geography lesson.
Hi! i´m spanish, and we also have a national almost-free medical care system.
My experience with doctors and clinics, is sparce, but very similar to yours. We also have a family doctor, who refers you to others specific doctors in case you need it. Also, we can choose our family doctor, and make appoinments on the go.
So, i´m with you for national health care systems….
Wow I think you might be lucky because in Ontario, atleast in my city, it is not the case. You will wait I would say an average of about an hour at a walk-in clinic (unless you get lucky), which is still better than the emergency room where you will wait on average, 8-10 hours. As for x-rays, i never have to go for them but at the hospital even if you have an appointment for stuff you would still wait probably 20-30 mins. And a family doctor? Good luck. lol
.-= munchkin´s last blog ..Needs vs Wants =-.
I just got a family doctor and instead of seeing the actual doctor, I see the Nurse Practitioner. She can do everything the doctor can (expect prescribe narcotics, the doctor would have to sign off on that) and she is super awesome. I can now get same-day or next day appointments and I never wait for long.
When I used to live in a very small town (in Ontario), there were too few doctors and too many people and the wait times were long. Still, it’s way better than not being able to afford basic health coverage or, even scarier, life-saving treatment.
.-= ClaireSuzanne´s last blog ..Book guilt =-.
Damn, you guys are incredibly blessed to have such an amazing system. Healthcare down here obviously blows and is ungodly expensive, so never take it for granted up there!
.-= julia´s last blog ..Thirty-Seven Weeks =-.
Agreed! We have it pretty great.
I’m also against privatized health care. Health care should be available to all people. If you or a family member is really sick that last thing you should have to worry about it where you’re going to get the money to pay for treatment.
.-= Rachel´s last blog ..A birthday and some babies =-.
I think I would quit life if I had to pay $900 per month for healthcare. I know the cost is buried inside the taxes I pay off of my paycheque and every time I buy something, but it’s worth it.
Also, last week I went to get a new health card to change my name, address, and then I had to get a new picture taken, and I was in and out of the building in about four minutes, and my cost was $0.
.-= Micaela´s last blog ..Healthcare =-.
okay so I should move to Calgary… because although i can get into my family doc pretty fast ( couple of days from when I call since I’ve had him since i was 6 wks old ) but for ultrasounds / xrays it’s at least 3 weeks to about 6 weeks for an appt. and then waiting times can range from 30 minute to hours.. ( the last time i took liam for a blood test we waited an hour ) and a walk in clinic on a good day the wait is only 45-60 minutes.. Hospital on the other hand MUCH longer but i usually cheat since my mum works there and I call in advance and see how bad it is.. haha..
First, thanks so much for the shoutout!
I think that we have it INCREDIBLY lucky, especially over here in Western Canada. I think maybe it’s because we have a smaller population? Not sure. But I’ve NEVER EVER had a problem at the doctors. Once I had to wait like 1.5 hours with my b/f when we went to emergency, which sucked but of ALL my times going to the walk-in/emergency that’s the ONLY time I had a long wait.
We are so blessed to have such a great healthcare system. I will never vote yes for privatized healthcare either.
Woot woot for Canada! Only problem is when you change provinces. I’m from Ontario and have been living in Quebec for a year now. I’ve been force to pay up front to see doctors and stuff. Thank god I get my money back though.
We truly do have an amazing health care system in Canada!
Our Health care system is one of the many MANY reasons i am proud to say i am Canadian. (I’ve definitely had situations where i have had to wait a while to see a doctor but nothing too absurd).
Definitely would vote NO to privatized health care.
ps – i was referred by Leah to the walk-in clinic she mentioned above and i would absolutely recommend it to anyone!
.-= Mich´s last blog ..Ready… Set… Happy Dance! =-.
When Erica had her first seizure, I drove asfastasIpossiblycould to our family doctor who has an office 2kms away. Ran yelling in, turned around, drove home, and he was right behind me. That same kind doctor visited my father in law at home, pretty well every day the week he was dying. Canadian Healthcare gets a big thumbs up from me!
.-= Mommy´s last blog ..Simplicity 2998 =-.
Y’all are crazy blessed! I wish the U.S. would get its act together on this.
.-= Akirah´s last blog ..My Theme Song =-.
You guys are so lucky! The American Healthcare system is truly an incredible mess.
.-= Janet´s last blog ..The Little Black Turtleneck =-.
Hey Leah I actually need a family doctor….we need to chat when you get back!
Our healthcare system in Canada is pretty good. We had our baby girl 4 months ago and we decided to go with a midwife practice. We saw the midwives 5-6 times before she was born and the midwives came by the house 4-5 times after. It is all covered here in Vancouver, BC. Also covered was a nuchul test, the delivery and now the immunizations.
.-= iHing´s last blog ..Vancouver 2010 Closing Ceremony Soundtrack =-.