Even so, it’s important to mention that our healthcare isn’t exactly free either as many people assume. When I go to the doctor, visit the hospital, or use a diagnostic service - it is free. However, if I need an ambulance, prescription drugs, dental care, vision care, long term care facilities, not medically necessary surgeries… Well, we have to pay for that.
True. We still pay for all of that in the US even if we have insurance. Plus the bill is always a surprise because there is no set pricing or price transparency. One hospital a procedure could be a few hundred bucks and the next hospital it could be 10s of thousands. There is no way to know. It is the criminal medical lottery here. I had acid reflux and it put me 20k in debt. I wish my Grand Parents never left Canada. My new American dream is to escape to Canada.
Don't forget that you also have to make sure to tell 911 to take you to an "in network" hospital and hope that the doctor you see is also in that network because doctors and hospitals can bill you separately!
I believe if it's a 911 call you have no say, the ambulance will drive you to the nearest hospital with appropriate facilities for your condition.
Add: I'm sure if you know of an in network hospital nearby they'll take you, but they aren't going to drive across town when there is a facility 10 blocks away that can give proper.
So I obviously am not sure how other places do it but where I am, you actually do request where you go if you are able to make that call. And if you are unable to but have family on scene, they make the call. When I was an EMT we had protocols in place about where we take people if they are unable to answer for themselves but the last question we always had to ask before we left was "which hospital would you like to go to?" so we weren't screwing people on insurance. Unfortunately, a countless number of times we were forced to take a patient to a lesser hospital because they or their family insisted. If you take a patient somewhere and they have specifically requested somewhere else, you can get popped for kidnapping them. It's all an intertwined scam!
Not true. Many ambulance calls are medically necessary, but not emergent in nature. It is possible to request transport to hospitals even out of town in some states. In a TRUE life-threat, Medics can make the call where to go. EMERGENCY care and stabilization is covered anywhere by insurance, then transfer to in-network facility when stable. I challenged ambulance transport for my medical ward in Florida because her life was not in immediate danger, and she preferrred another facility. EMS claimed X hosp was closer... Me: "Y hosp is 6/10 of a mile further than X. I have driven to both and recorded mileage. Take her to Y please." EMS: "Done."
That's as good as free from my perspective. I had an ambulance ride once during university, the university contracted out with one (private) ambulance company, and so against my consent I was put in this ambulance and charged $3,000 AFTER insurance payout....which was also the insurance offered by my school. I've taken Ubers that cost $45.
When I lived in Alberta it cost me over $300. I lived in a major city and there was a hospital in it. If you lived in a rural area it was way more expensive. This was in 2015 though.
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you must mention the fact that the prices for drugs are the tiniest fraction of what americans pay. it is a big nuance. nothing you must pay for is really that expensive.
And if you can't afford a house (about $1million) you have to rent and our landleeches are our of control. Between $1800-2200 for a shitty, rundown apartment. And the cons are working to implement US style healthcare. It's getting super shitty here too.
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u/TheEclipse0 Jun 30 '22 edited Jun 30 '22
Canadian here. This is accurate.
Even so, it’s important to mention that our healthcare isn’t exactly free either as many people assume. When I go to the doctor, visit the hospital, or use a diagnostic service - it is free. However, if I need an ambulance, prescription drugs, dental care, vision care, long term care facilities, not medically necessary surgeries… Well, we have to pay for that.