davesol

Hi all

I am moving to Canada (Toronto) in early January with my girlfriend. She is currently undergoing treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and we are trying to find a specialist to take over her treatment while we are in Canada.

I have tried phoning the arthritis department of the Mount Sinai hospital but can only get through to an answerphone (they have not called me back). Does anyone know anyone or anywhere else that we could try.

Any help would be extremely appreciated

Thanks
Dave

iaink

No direct help, but have you found the forums of the Canadian Arthritis Association for recomendations

http://www.arthritis.ca/open%20forum...efault.asp?s=1


The physician search at the ontario college of physicians site might be usefull for getting further contact details.

Generally you are going to need to go through a GP (or other triage doctor) first to get to a consultant Rheumatologist though OHIP, but you might at least get some contact info that way.

http://www.cpso.on.ca/docsearch/

val50

Hi Dave,
welcome to the forum. I can't help with Toronoto I'm afraid, but if it's anything like here in Nova Scotia, when I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, I had to get a referal from our family doctor, before I could get an appointment at the hospital. It might help if she can get a referal letter from her doctor in UK but I doubt it.
I did a quick search on google for you too and came up with this, incase you hadn't seen it. Good luck
http://www.rheumatology.utoronto.ca/...aac_page95.htm

Novocastrian

Welcome Dave,

Just to echo what iaink and Val said, you'll need to be referred by a GP once you're here. And to add, in Toronto (unlike in Quinte or in Halifax where the other two live) there's no difficulty finding a GP.

Also note that AFAIK you'll need to be here for 3 months before getting OHIP coverage. You may want to take that into account.

Auld Yin

As Novo points out, there is a three month waiting period before your OHIP coverage kicks in. While registering with a GP in Ontario is not easy, given the shortage of physicians, if your girlfriend attends a walk-in clinic, of which there are many, bringing with her her medical records, a clinic doctor will refer her to an Arthritis specialist.
Private healthcare is not allowed in Canada so you cannot go that path in hope of bypassing public healthcare.

Jerseygirl

I keep hearing people say that...but how come many have healthcare insurance...isn't that for private healthcare?

Auld Yin

Doctors/hospitals in Ontario and I believe the whole of Canada, are not allowed by law to treat patients on a private basis.
The healthcare insurance to which you allude would be, I believe, for costs not covered by OHIP payments, such as semi/private hospital rooms, drugs, eyeglasses and dental care.

Jerseygirl

So healthcare insurance does not cover doctors' services...I see...thank you.

davesol

Thanks for the help. I should have said that we are only going to Canada for a year (through BUNAC) and will continue to get her injections from the UK so does this affect our ability to find a doctor whilst we are in Canada or can we still go to a walk-in clinic? The company supplying the medication are asking for the name of the specialist who will be taking over her treatment in advance. It doesn't sound from the replies that it is possible to set this up in advance so it looks like we will have to tell them that we cannot arrange a specialist until we get there. I will try the links that people have suggested though and see if I can get anywhere.

Thanks again for the help

Jerseygirl

In that case I'm wondering if you and your girlfriend will be eligible to use OHIP without healthcare insurance because it's for residents only...my guess is no. My daughter was an international student for 5 years and therefore not a resident of Ontario...healthcare insurance was mandatory and was charged with the uni fees.

I'm sure someone will be along before long to give you more accurate info.

iaink

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/...igibility.html

If bunac is not covered by OHIP (grey area), there are other insurance options out there as there is insurance available to cover the 3 month wait so presumably there is insurance available to cover the BUNAC year. I went to the walk in clinic here before my OHIP came through, and it was not a problem. (YMMV)

If bunac is considered a temp work visa, you would still need to meet ontario residency requirements AND also have at least a 6 month work contract, which seems a long shot given the nature of the typical BUNAC job.

davesol

I do not believe we are eligable for OHIP as we have to take out our own insurance for the year. I have tried the links and sent an email to a couple of hospitals so will see where I get with them. Thanks again.

iaink

Even as on Ohip patient its virtually impossible to get a response to an unsolicited email from a hospital. Hospital staff will likely have standing insructions to minimise the consultants workload Im afraid.

I think your best bet might be to try and engage with particular individual rheumatologists, and hope one takes pity on your circumstances.

Jerseygirl

Do you still need a referall if you have healthcare insurance like you do in the UK...or can you go direct to the doctor/consultant?

davesol

This is what as I am wondering as we won't have a doctor so how could we get the referal otherwise? The company supplying the medication is asking for the name of a specialist now (i.e. 2 and a half months before we are going to Canada) so we really need to sort something out in advance