chumley

Can an expert confirm this??

Have been doing some searching am I right in thinking there is absolutely no private health care in Canada and in fact its illegal?

In other words when you get old and wobbly and say need a hip replacement or whatever and have the financial means etc you wouls still have to wait in the queue and would not have a choice of care and be able to pay for your own treatment and relieve the cost from the public purse?

dont want to get into any arguemnets over queue jumping and the morals of private care but would be interested to know if my findings are correct?

We are by no means well off but always had private healthcare in the Uk as terrified of the perils of NHS hospitals etc ( never had to use them fortunately)

I did read of a canadian olympic athlete who had to go to the US for treatment as its not possible to pay for a quick remedy in Canada

Thanks all

Purley

Yes, it is. Its totally ridiculous. I think the idea is that its better for Canadians to go to the States or to Europe and pay doctors there, than it is for the money to stay in Canada!!

I was listening to my favourite talk radio last week and there was a doctor on there, I think he was from BC. He was talking about a law suit he has against some part of the government because he says its ridiculous that Canadians cannot choose to spend their own money on their own healthcare.

Of course, there are all those socialists who think that private healthcare means the US system where millions go without altogether. People like that have blinkers on so they can't see that there are other options.

Personally, I think you have to put money in investments, wait for the markets to improve and then instead of forking out the money in insurance premiums, just pay to go to England and have your hip/knee replacement or whatever done there.

athena88

Does this include dentists

Steve_P

No dental care is all private.

Steve_P

Consider me one of the socialists.

If you go with a UK type system you get exactly what the OP is worried about, a healthcare system to be terrified of.

Allow privatization and all your best surgeons will leave the public system, leaving it with those who are either incompetent or barely competent.

NO THANK YOU.

In the past twelve years I have found that if you really need a procedure you get it in very short order if you can wait you will. I have no complaints about the healthcare system in Alberta, yes it could be improved but by and large it functions reasonably well, or should I say it has for me.

flashman

Just to clarify.

Government does most of the funding but there are some procedures/services which are not covered (i.e. cosmetic)The delivery of healthcare includes private suppliers. For instance doctors are not government employees.

christmasoompa

Speaking as somebody whose husband had to visit A&E (seen within 3 minutes of arriving and treated promptly and efficiently), have x-rays, stitchings and plastic surgery this week on the NHS following an accident, I have to say that there is definitely no 'peril' when it comes to the NHS!

We've always had private healthcare as well, although just through hubby's job rather than from our own funding, but we've never used it. Hubby has had emergency treatment twice now, and I've had two babies (one born with a disability). Never had a single problem, always founds the hospitals clean and modern and everything has gone smoothly and happened quickly.

And I cannot praise the NHS doctors and nurses enough following this week, they've been incredible!!

Anyway, I know that is not related to healthcare in Canada, but just had to stand up for the NHS after experiencing it fully this week.

Auld Yin

The issue of lack of/need of private health care in Canada has been around for some time now. The Federal/Provincial Governments have strongly resisted, claiming it would create a two-tier system with many specialists moving to the private side, thereby diminishing the quality available for the general public. Wealthier people can, and do go to the USA and further abroad for care at their own expense.
There is no doubt the existing system in Canada has problems but for the most part, like the NHS, it works very well. There are numerous anecdotes around about how good/bad it is. All I can say is that my care, during a life threatening illness, was/is excellent and prompt and requiring no direct financial cost to me. Friends/family with other serious illnesses have had similar quality of care.
In other words immigrants should not come with fear that medical treatment is of poor quality and not readily available. Some non-life threatening procedures have longer wait times than desirable but if you are ill you will receive good medical attention.

acer rose

Agreed. In BC procedures and treatments that are not recognised by/ do not have an alternative under MSP can be provided by private clinics and hospitals. There are several private clinics and hospitals in Vancouver.

If you want private, go to the US. There is no restriction on you doing that. It is expensive but that is because (a) liability insurance for medical personnel is huge, (b) private medical insurance is inefficient from a billing perspective, and (c) the facilities are not subsidised by a public health system. Or does the pro-private camp mean that they want to take advantage of a UK-like situation where "private" treatment is carried out in publicly funded hospitals by doctors and nurses who receive publicly funded training?

PS - not an expert but do have a mother who trained in a private hospital and worked all her career in the NHS.

montreal mike

illegal?

not in these parts

if you can pay then go ahead !!

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2005/...lth050609.html

montreal mike

plus this one

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/354/16/1661

this a year ago


MONTREAL–Rockland MD sits in a low-slung, modern building, wedged between the railway tracks and strip malls that delimit Montreal's exclusive Ville Mont Royal neighbourhood.

The clinic stands at the forefront of a growing number of private health institutions in Quebec, where nearly one of every three health-care dollars, about $7 billion, will be spent in the private realm this year, much of it on pharmaceuticals.

http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/306556

JonboyE

The thread title is misleading because there is lots of private health care in Canada.

Virtually all doctors are private contractors, walk-in clinics are private operations, all dentists, opticians and complementary providers are private contractors, and there are private nursing homes, and even private hospitals.

What is illegal is to charge patients for any treatment that is covered by the Provincial health service plans.

I don't think there is any great clamor for a British style 2-tier system, at least not from the general public. In fact, the vast majority of Canadians are very proud of the public provision of health care. Those that can afford it can travel to the US if they want to spend their money that way.

The only noise I hear is from a small number of physicians who claim they could provide better health care in a private system. I am sure that I am not the only one thinks they are motivated more by self-interest than concern for public health.

Ben W Bell

Most health care is performed by private health institutions, however it's funded publicly. The best of both systems in some ways, the efficiency of private enterprise with government money.

Iain Mc

The amount of services not covered by MSP is larger than those not covered by the NHS, the private sector are fairly involved here by default, especially in areas such as rehab.

For other things, as usual, where there's money there's a way, and it doesn't always necessitate visiting the States. The 'what's provided on MSP' line is somewhat of a grey area that is being constantly tested by private facilities.

There's lots of public advertising for surgical clinics here - they seem to be able to provide a fair range of private treatments vaguely within the guidelines, or at least out of the bounds of prosecution, via various means (out-of-province doctors, equipment, if not treatments, not available at public hospitals, etc.).

JonboyE

The private hospitals can provide treatment to people injured in workplace accidents, because the bill is sent to the WCB and the patient is not charged. I think the same applies to military and RCMP.

I agree there are some physicians who try to push the boundaries. I think it was the False Creek Clinic that started a health club (with exorbitant annual fees) that just happened to have doctors available to consult and refer. I think that one got shut down by the Government. Despite collecting the annual subscriptions the doctors still billed the Medical Services Plan for their services.

A both-tier system. You can see why some doctors love that!