Southy_SWFC

Just a quick question, I've been looking into my healthcare situation and will soon be switching health insurance due to changing jobs. If i ever needed anything doing it looks like the cost would be huge. Its got me wondering whether itd be cheaper to hop over the boarder to Canada. Is there any benefit in doing this and is it allowed?

christmasoompa

If you're not resident there, you'll get a bill, so doubtful.

md95065

Well, you get a bill in the US as well - the question is "how much is the bill and how much of it, if any, will your US health insurance pay'?

Southy_SWFC

I think my American cover is that i'd have to pay the 1st $5k. For $5k i'd just got back to England

Jerseygirl

While we were in Toronto my husband experienced chest pains. Just to be on the safe side we went to the doctor's clinic right by our condo building. The doctor performed the usual checks...blood presure, EKG etc. We were told the bill payable was 78...I thought seventy eight hundred dollars...that's not too bad...as much of it should be covered by our insurance. Nope is was $78.

md95065

Of course that would mean telling the NHS that you had decided to become resident in the UK again and then changing your mind sometime after your treatment was complete and returning to the US ...

Jerseygirl

Do you mean for elective surgery? As a none resident I don't know whether you could get this in Canada...AFIAK there is no private healthcare. Therefore I would think that you could only get emergency healthcare...even then it would be chargeable if you were not a resident.

Southy_SWFC

I've something up with my wrist which I think eventually will need operating on but its not urgent so I suppose it is elective. In England I'd go to a GP then a specialist then be scheduled in a while after that. I gather it'd be the same process here only it'd cost me a few grand.

Southy_SWFC

If it saves $5k I would

Jerseygirl

In England it could be quite some time before you had non urgent elective surgery. As you say you would have to see your GP...he/she would have to refer you to a specialist. You would have to wait to get an appointment with said specialist...then probably go on a waiting list. Here you could probably get it done within a week or so...depending on your insurance cover or if you are paying for it yourself.

Unless you are planning on becoming a UK resident for several months...maybe even up to a year...then surgery in the UK is not an option for you.

The only way to find out how much it would cost is to go for a consult with a specialist.

robin1234

But, it's early in the year. What if you take care of the wrist thing, AND a couple of other things come up this calendar year. You only have to pay the $5K once.

Southy_SWFC

So that rules England out.

Any more ideas about Canadadada?

Jerseygirl

Do you have US healthcare insurance?

Southy_SWFC

Yep BUT I'm with a temp agency right now and start permanently with the company on Monday. As a result there'll be period of 6 weeks where I don't have any cover.

What I'm planning on doing is finding a doctors that is covered by both insurers so I won't need to switch. Or I could just wait until the new one starts

Jerseygirl

So if you have/will have insurance cover and the wrist thing is not urgent...why don't you have it done here?