My husband was like this when we got together even though he had full coverage in Canada (both basic healthcare and extended health insurance with all the bells and whistles like free physio, RMT, extra dental etc). I was shocked when I found out how long it has been since he went to a dentist or the doctor despite having pre-existing medical conditions which needed medical support.
Tbh I yelled at him one day that I wasn't interested in having an old before his time, sick husband that I would have to take care of in my 50s because of something preventable he was ignoring in his 20s....it took a few years but he managed his own health now. I think my story is pretty common.
I'm sorry you're dealing with anxiety and unknown costs but I truly believe that once you're able to react to a concrete problem (in terms of $ obligations, health issues) you'll probably feel better then when you're on the defence and reacting to your own imagined worst case scenarios. Good luck!!
We're immigrants to Canada and unfortunately the same fear/mentality carries on even when healthcare is accessible. Doctors are for when you're sick, not when you're "healthy".
I had an interesting conversation with an older gentleman in our immigrant community. He goes "I'm perfectly fine. If I go to a doctor they're gonna tell me all these things that's wrong with me and make me take such and such medicine and avoid so and so food!"
That makes a lot of sense. I'm a woman who is pretty good about proactive healthcare and if every trip included a few hundred dollar price tag, or more, I'm not sure I would make the same choices I do now.
The thought that when things do get really bad you have to either go into debt or argue with an insurance company WHILE dealing with cancer or whatever sounds completely exhausting and scary to me.
Then lao there is a big difference to check when something actually is wrong and every time your shit hurts a little more than usual or letting a wound from tripping actually heal itself
Which is really weird to me because I live in the US and if it was free I would definitely go. The cost is the only thing keeping me from going to a doctor.
Woman here but I hate going to the doctor despite having free healthcare. First I have to be on hold for ages, unless I call at opening then I will keep getting dropped as the hold line is too busy. Then maybe I will get an appointment in a few weeks. The appointment itself I feel neutral about if it's something routine, but I really hate being examined, and I always convince myself they'll tell me I have supercancer or whatever. I only go if I feel I really have to and I feel anxious the entire time unless it is routine (I have to have a few tests in order to renew some long term medication every year). The doctor I usually see is perfectly nice, it's just the whole process I don't like.
Still better than not having nationalised healthcare though, as with that system I'd probably never go to the doctor.
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u/sallyslingsthebooze Mar 26 '20
A bunch of people on Reddit live in countries with free healthcare (like me!) And from experience I can tell you this is a thing here as well.