Another Rant Re: Health Care
By Grandmaof2
@Grandmaof2 (7579)
Canada
April 30, 2007 11:09pm CST
What are we to do next. I have been doctoring for years for micrane headache and have had different doctors. All this
got me was one perscription after the other. Finally a doctor twigged into sending me for a C.T. scan, from those results it was found a very large vessel has grown through my brain and a recommendation was made for me to have an MRI
My doctor tried to get me in to have the test but the soonest I could get in was Sept./OCT. The doctor said this may be life threatening and I had to get in sooner, so he booked me into a different city and low and behold I got in on April 26. The doctor told me the cost would be 500.00 but the Saskatchewan Government would reimburse me the money once I sent in my receipt, so I used my credit card to pay. The doctor said the cost was 500.00. The cost was 675.00 and when I called Sask. Health this fellow tells me yes out of province is reimbursed but only covered if you send in for preauthorization first. I didn't do that so I'm on my own. Lovely, how are we supposed to know. I went in today for my results as they are in but I was turned away because the clinic was too busy. I'll try again tomorrow. Has anyone else in Canada had this happen to them ?
7 people like this
13 responses
@weemam (13372)
•
1 May 07
This is terrible , The person who got you the out of state appointment should have explained this to you , don't you have a case against them with this , couldn't the DR who booked you in explain that too them for you , I live in Scotland and Tank God for the NHS , as you know my hubby had a triple heart bypass last August he had to go into surgery twice in two days , We could never have paid for that , please let us know how you get on with your results , I will remember you in my prayers my friend xxx
2 people like this
@Grandmaof2 (7579)
• Canada
2 May 07
Even after I was told it had to be pre approved I have sat down and wrote a letter asking that they reconsider my claim as I was not told prior to the test. It may not do any good but at least I tried.
2 people like this
@oldboy46 (2129)
• Australia
1 May 07
Pretty rotten I think .. call the doctor and see if he can help .. if they have these rules then the doctor should have known .. and he was the one who organised for the tests. Okay so sometimes they might get the costs wrong .. but needing preapproval for an out of province test the doctor should have known about.
At least here in Australia we have a good system .. sure we need a referral from the doctor .. but if we cannot afford the tests we can have it paid by medicare .. we pay for that anyway in our taxes .. but it is the free health system. Sometimes people have to wait .. but not when it is an emergency .. and there are good reasons for the tests or whatever to do done immediately.
It is also pretty crappy that they sent you away without telling you the results .. no matter how busy they were .. but it is probably a good sign in that there is nothing that needs emergency attention anyway. Good luck .. talk to the doctor and see if they can help you get the money back somehow.
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
1 May 07
Gosh that is awful hon, no I never went out of province for my medical treatment so I don't know about it.
Apparently the health care system is run by the provinces so each province works differently. I am here in Quebec. I hope all is okay with you hon.
our medicare system is going down the drain.
1 person likes this
@Willowlady (10658)
• United States
1 May 07
There are many things to admire about your system, however, your situation sucks. Seems like your doctor could have his nurse to type up a letter to tell them about this situation and them maybe you could be reimbursed. Here in America we have our own problems. Access is getting so only the rich can afford it. Did you have a book about your country health care system that details procedures etc.? I hope this all works out for you.
1 person likes this
@kelly60 (4547)
• United States
1 May 07
Since I am not in Canada, I cannot give you an answer to that, but I certainly do not blame you for being upset about the cost difference and about not being told that you would need to have it preauthorized. It is a shame that they would do something like that.
1 person likes this
@naty1941 (2336)
• United States
31 May 07
I am not from Canada but from USA and a similar thing happened to me with Medicare. I owe over $40,000 in medical bills due to having to be in a hospital for two weeks. Medicare is refusing to pay the bill. I appealed it and still they are denying my claim.
@Grandmaof2 (7579)
• Canada
18 Jun 07
That is absolutely ridiculous. How in the world do they expect you to pay this off ? OK so what happens to you now naty? If you get sick and need a hospital stay will they refuse you ? Is this legal to do ? At least we have free medicare for the most part it's not worth anything either but I must say one year ago tomorrow my husband had quadruble bypass surgery done and was in the hospital for 4 or 5 days and if we had to pay for that ? Well we simply couldn't.
@naty1941 (2336)
• United States
18 Jun 07
Well they can't refuse me medical attention in a hospital and the only recourse they have is to try to collect. I am still fighting this with the old insurance company I had in Puerto Rico and Medicare. As long as I continue to fight it they can't do a thing. I have nothing in my name such as property nor automobiles so they have no way of getting their money from me. I currently have another insurance company and Medicare and now they are paying for the new bills but from October to December 2006.
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
1 May 07
Oh this is so bad what are they playing at I just can't believe how they are playing with Peoples Lifes I really hope that everything is ok
Oh this is making me so angry I do hope that you have your Results soon and my thoughts are with you
Love and Hugs to you
@kathy77 (7486)
• Australia
1 May 07
Oh yes the doctors are always giving us one presciption after another which drives us nuts sometimes when they are not really looking into what is causing these dreadful migraines that you have been suffering from. Oh that is dreadful that it costs so much I had mine for free. I live in Australia and if you cannot afford it then it is free for us.
@samtaylorskykierajen (7977)
• Canada
9 Jun 07
I have never had this happen but find that our health care is terrible when it comes to getting results . Offices are always so busy that you have to wait for hours and you can wait for weeks to find out results from test that were taken . I remember having test done for my son because they thought he had leukimia , I called every couple of days for the results and of course worried like crazy every one of these days fearing that he was really sick . It took over a month to get the results to find out they had been shipped to the doctor a couple of days after they were taken but they had misplaced them and that was the hold up . He didn't hae leuikmia and it was only a broken vessel . I was really upset as I had worried like crazy and yet instead of calling me when the results came in they put them some place and then they were misplaced .
@Grandmaof2 (7579)
• Canada
18 Jun 07
Brutal abuse is what that was. When it's one of your kids a mother does worry. I wonder how they'd like it if it was their child and they had to be put through this kind of crap. It just seems to me that people have no pride in their jobs anymore. It all ends at the end of the day and at a dollar later. It's all about money and whatever ??? to anything else.
@RobinJ (2501)
• Canada
6 May 07
Hi I wonder what part of emergency did this idiot not understand. And you know our governments could only decide anything in one meeting if it means them getting a pay raise, the rest takes months, I would appeal this as you needed that MRI immediately not at their leisure, if that was the case you could have stayed at home and waited. As well you can bet the $675. that they wouldn't have had to wait. There have been several members of our provincial cabinet who have become ill and they were immediately set to private clinics and hospitals, and I would bet it was paid for down to the last penny.. The same as our former Mayor smoked and there is no smoking in public buildings but she had over $40,000 renovations so she could smoke i her office. at tax payers expense, and then she was voted out. You can not win, the government can out do any person for foolish spending and policies on repayment to taxpayers. SAD
@Grandmaof2 (7579)
• Canada
6 May 07
Well Hello Robin, it's so good to hear from you. Thank You for being here and taking my side again. I did take your advice, I wrote a letter to Saskatchewan Health asking them to reconsider my reguest for reimbursement explaining I am unable to work and explained my health issues, so we'll see. I am of little faith I will admitt because this is government we're talking about, and I'm not a mayor or a politian. We'll see... Take Care Robin
@PurpleTeddyBear (6685)
• Canada
1 May 07
Hi Grandmaof2, I am so sorry to hear that this has happened to you. I really wish that if a Doc would tell you the story he'd tell you the whole story. I too live in Canada and have had the odd thing happen. I had moved from Alberta to Sask and I wanted to get my medical records from my old Doc sent out. They told me it would cost me $25.00 so I sent it to their office. Then the receptionist from Alberta phones and says why did you send us only $25.00 it's $50.00 because it's out of province. That kind of cheesed me off, but your situation was a little more then an extra 25 dollars. My parents really noticed the difference when they moved to Arizona because with health care in the United States you have to pay for everything. I really hope that your results turn out ok when you do get into to see the Doc. Your in my heart and thoughts hun, good luck and please keep us posted.
@PurpleTeddyBear (6685)
• Canada
6 May 07
Thanks so much for best response hun, I really appreciate it very much! Hope you are feeling better, please keep us posted =)
@PsychoDude (2013)
• Netherlands
2 May 07
Insurance companies everywhere are pretty much the same, none of them is anywhere to be seen when it's needed. But there are more important things at moments like these than money I'd say. Hope the results will come in saying it's all fine.
