dbd33

I don't think BC's excluded. It seems to me that my daughter in Vancouver recently catered a benefit for someone who needed a wheelchair and related gubbins. I'll ask but I have the idea that the poor in Vancouver are very poor, I can't see why there wouldn't be local charity for them as much as there is elsewhere in the country.

Auld Yin

It's not an Ontario thing. I have lived/worked in Ontario many years and have never heard of anyone being asked to contribute to others' medical bills.

Raising funds for wheelchairs/medical appliances, special treatments not available in Ontario, bone marrow testing etc, etc, are other issues and should not be lumped as medical bills.

Kaye5

What does Medicare cover?

I realise you need private insurance for drugs, dental (what else?) - how expensive is that insurance?

Quite frightening if you contract a serious illness...

fledermaus

Wheelchairs and appliances are not medical?

Chemotherapy? not medical?

Much of this money is for living expenses when people cannot work due to illness, or they have to stay in a distant city for treatment.

I've been here almost 5 years and it's a constant thing. Usually notices up in No Frills or Foodmart with a picture of the sick person.

ExKiwilass

Well, a charity is a different beast to going down the pub for somebody who needs medical treatment.

Yeah I can't think of one time that we've been asked out for something like that.

Tangram

Exactly.

stokesey

This is all a bit concerning... From an Alberta perspective what is and isn't covered? I appreciate dental and prescription drugs are'nt, however I thought life saving treatment & drugs were (i.e. cancer treatment such as Chemotherapy)?

Also if your travelling from province to province, do you need some kind of medical/travel insurance to take into account the differences of medical cover?

Cheers.

AmyDavid

I can't answer the first question but the second one - your provincial health coverage covers you for (at least) a month out of province.

If you check our Alberta healthcare website it should help you fill in any gaps on what is covered and what is not.

JonboyE

It is something to bear in mind rather than be alarmed about. Drugs administered in hospital, as well as hospital treatment, are/is free at the point of use. Prescription drugs usually have to be paid for. Many, but not all, companies offer group extended health schemes which subsidize health costs such as prescription drugs.

If you are not in group scheme then you are potentially on the hook for some expensive drugs. Each province has their own way of coping with this. In BC there is a means-tested support program. Here a family with no income will get 100% drug coverage from the province. A family earning $15,000 will have a maximum liability of $90. At $30,000 you have to pay up to $690. At $100,000 you are responsible for the first $3,300 of your drug expenses and the provincial government picks up the tab for the rest.

Of course there are poor people in BC, and there are charities that raise money to serve them. Charities hold fund raising events to meet their budgets, not to raise funds for individuals. Apart from fund raising events I chose to attend I have never been solicited for cash to cover medical expenses of other people. Not once. *

BC MSP is good for up to six months traveling.


* Actually, this is not quite true. I have been solicited for cash for drugs on the streets of Vancouver. However, I suspect they were more recreational than medical.

Alan2005

I've not been here very long, but I've never seen this either.

Kaye5

Just checked this out for Nova Scotia, and there's a similar system there.

Sazzer

What you haven't taken into consideration is cost of sport for kids. If you're kids get into hockey add another $500 per child at least. It cost me $350 to sign my son up every year (age 7) and then you have the cost of kit on top ($200 to $300), although soccer and swimming are reasonable ok.

Both boys play lacrosse = $355 for the season for both plus kit = $200 x 2

If you want to go skiing as well you can add at least another $1,000 per season on top of your bills.

$1,000 per month on groceries for a family is about right. Although this grocery bill doesn't include beer and wine which is way more expensive. We now brew our own beer and wine which saves us a lot of money and they are just as good.

I'm self-employed and I just had to pay $3,000 for a capped tooth! Dentist are licensed to print money here. Even my Canadian friends complain about dentist bills.

Cable/Internet/Phone: We have the lowest cable package and our bill is roughly $180 per month - Shaw, although we do have unlimited phone calls to the US, Canada and 1,000 minutes to the UK.

To live comfortable I would suggest you need at least $75,000.

fledermaus

Life saving treatment and drugs are - in theory - covered. The chemotherapy example I gave would be for oral drugs taken at home. Chemotherapy given IV in a hospital would be covered.

You are covered for travel between provinces with you healthcard. There was a case of an Alberta woman admitted to hospital when in Ottawa who was latervbilled for $20,000 for treatment not covered by Ontario - which Alberta eventually paid for. In general, psychology services are not covered but psychiatry is. In our area psychology services are funded by the township.

In theory you can also have treatment abroad or in another province if Canada does not do the surgery/treatment.

dboy

You dont half spin some crap. And what has the police do do with it? I will wager I am a hell of a lot more in touch with society's issues than you- up close and very ****ing personal. There's lot of do-gooders raising money and working soup kitchens but for living saving surgery for kids.....bollocks. nation of the workin poor my arse, it not the third world FFS.

dboy

I have heard that too, but i don't think it's that hard to find an income in teh 50 - 60 k range for one adult, two if both can be fulltime earners.