What to do in an emergency?
 

Hi all, weve been living in BC for a couple of months now, and we love it!
My question is this... if we were to have an accident, break a limb etc... what do we do? Insurance doesnt kick in for a while, and no idea of what the costs would be for xrays, doctors fees, examinations, etc. Do we go to the nearest hospital and face huge bills? Is there any help financially etc?

Any idea's, just in case of an emergency?
Thanks all,
Purps xxx :-)

Re: What to do in an emergency?
 

Can't you just get private insurance coverage?:confused:

Re: What to do in an emergency?
 

Sorry, I should have mentioned... we have filled out the private med forms etc, but what if something happens in the meantime? Was just curious as I havent heard of anyone going through this before.

Re: What to do in an emergency?
 

Oh sorry I thought you where waiting for the provincial healthcare to kick in. Not sure what the answer is hopefully someone else will know:unsure:

Re: What to do in an emergency?
 

No problem Elaine, thanks for your help... im just curious lol hopefully someone will know more on the subject and the info may be of use to someone at somepoint, its just been on my mind when the cogs have been turning... nothing on tv over here so the old grey matter has more time to quesiton these things ;-)

Purps :-)

Re: What to do in an emergency?
 

if you have been here over two months already - won't your MSP kick in on Thursday? (In BC you need to be here for two full months and the remainder of the 3rd month, so if you land on the 29th of a month you only have a day or so of that month to complete).

Anyway, what you do if you need medical treatment is pay. A trip to the doctors will cost between $50 and $150 dollars, a broken bone is around $500 etc.

Keep healthy!

Clare

Re: What to do in an emergency?
 

Thanks Clare :-)
Was just curious as to the fee's etc. We've been here two months on the 1st May. It was just a rhetorical question, and the advice may come in handy for someone in the future... I hope no one needs it lol but you never know!
Purps :-)

Re: What to do in an emergency?
 

Hi, not sure if this will help. You can get Blue Cross Ontario insurance cover until your health care kicks in, as you have already landed, you just need to wait 72 hours for coverage to begin. It would be classed as " Visitors Travel Insurance" you just put in your province, then it will list the different options eg waiting for health care etc

Re: What to do in an emergency?
 

Hi Lee, many thanks for the input... its something ive been curious about, and just wondered what the options were - if any.
Purps :-)

Re: What to do in an emergency?
 

There are lots of option, If you browse their web page, go to travel insurance tab. Put in your province and it explains the options. (search google - Blue Cross - Ontario ) Any probs let me know.

Re: What to do in an emergency?
 

My partner doesn't have health insurance. She's been here for around five years and eligible for the provincial plan for a year or so but hasn't got around to going to enroll. We just pay cash at the hospital and claim it back on income taxes.

Re: What to do in an emergency?
 

On our last trip last year our son was only 8 weeks old and became ill. We took him to a walk in clinic on Vancouver Island and the doctor was the most professional and thorough medic I have ever seen............a full head to toe, internal and diagnosis for $40 well worth it. (The doc was the spitting image of jennifer anniston and when I suddenly came over all faint and reached for my $40 my missus cured me.........a spot of fresh air outside!:( )

Re: What to do in an emergency?
 

My husband was rushed in for emergency surgery 2 or 3 weeks before our Alberta Health care kicked in. Alberta healthcare coverd our bill for us.

Re: What to do in an emergency?
 

Ooer, I would enroll, I really would. A lovely lady I met through a yahoo immigration group was involved in a car crash (black ice near Kelowna, and she was the passenger), so far she owes over a Million dollars for her medical expenses, and no, she was not enrolled in MSP :(

Re: What to do in an emergency?
 

I do nag from time to time but I don't want to seem to be bleating constantly. The thing is, national health care, free health care, is something people from the UK expect and value but people from other countries don't get worked up about; in most countries people expect healthcare to cost and evaluate physical repairs against, say, house repairs.

Re: What to do in an emergency?
 

Yes, indeed. Americans are quite used to holding benefit concerts and the like for their family members and friends who don't have medical insurance and who get injured. We witnessed that when we lived in Houston. The brother of a friend of ours, who was a tree surgeon, fell out of a tree, broke his back and became a paraplegic. Yup, that took quite a few fund raisers all right.
x

Re: What to do in an emergency?
 

I've been to quite a few such benefits here, typically I only realize that people I've known for yonks have no work permit when they get injured. I suppose if the OH were to have an accident we'd have to send her home.

Re: What to do in an emergency?
 

Hi, I'm being a wet blanket again I know - but once you have been out of the country for a while (I believe it is 5 years) you are not entitled to NHS treatment either...

:ohmy:

Re: What to do in an emergency?
 

The person under discussion is American.

If that does not help to clarify dbd33's point for you, you are not alone. :)
x

Re: What to do in an emergency?
 

Yes, the owner of the pub on the corner of our street in Toronto was from London, when he fell down the stairs he stayed here and paid cash for repairs to his broken bones as, after a decade or so in Canada, he was no longer eligible for the NHS. There was a benefit concert to help him with the bills.
Similarly, when my brother fell off a roof in rural Ontario while doing some masonry work, he paid for the treatment by selling his van.

With regard to the OH, I just meant that sending her home would relieve me of the bill. Ironically I think she'd likely get free repairs in the US as her stepfather is a doctor in a VA hospital; immediate family are honorary veterans or something. Still, it'd be better if she'd register for OHIP as travelling with broken bits could be quite inconvenient.