If I am touring thru Canada and get sick and have no Health Insurance........

[Anonymous]

And I go to a emergency room do they have to see me?

[Junctionfan]

Yes. They charge you afterwards though because you are not a Canadian citizen. It also has to do with each province has its own health card. For Ontario it is called OHIP which stands for Ontario Health Insurance Plan which unlike any other insurance plan is your right to always have provided you are a citizen of Ontario. The government of Ontario is the financial provider as well as the Canadian government.

Of course if you were to travel to any other country, it is advisable you take some kind of health insurance with you like Blue Cross. For example if I was to get sick in the U.S, Blue Cross would cover me for and than transport me back to Canada. Any other cost afterwards associated with it would be covered by OHIP.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Junctionfan

Yes. They charge you afterwards though because you are not a Canadian citizen. It also has to do with each province has its own health card. For Ontario it is called OHIP which stands for Ontario Health Insurance Plan which unlike any other insurance plan is your right to always have provided you are a citizen of Ontario. The government of Ontario is the financial provider as well as the Canadian government.

Of course if you were to travel to any other country, it is advisable you take some kind of health insurance with you like Blue Cross. For example if I was to get sick in the U.S, Blue Cross would cover me for and than transport me back to Canada. Any other cost afterwards associated with it would be covered by OHIP.

Have you priced out Blue Cross/Blue Shield lately? You're lucky if the company can afford it...

LC

[Randy Stahl]

LC... The easyest way , if you get sick in another country is to violate some small law, end up in a local jail and have your health needs taken care of by the local medical ... for free. Fines are usually alot less than meds any how.
Randy

[jchnhtfd]

I have never had trouble getting medical assistance in either Canada or the UK. Of course, since I am employed in the US and have a US health maintenance (pardon me while I choke) plan, I have to pay for it. But I've never felt the cost is out of line.

My daughter (UK resident) and son (Canada resident) have no trouble -- or cost!!! -- getting health care in each other's countries. However, when they come to visit me, I have to invest in a short term health care plan for them so that, should they get ill, they can get care in the dear ol' USA. Otherwise, fugeddaboutit unless they are dying, and then only with prior permission.

[jeaton]

Mark-Just to verify, the number is actually higher-7.5%. To clarify for others-only that portion of your insurance premiums and medical expenses you paid out of you own pocket that EXCEEDS 7.5 percent your adusted gross income can be used as a deduction from income for your federal income taxes.

To add a bit further to Mark's point of the inefficiency of the health industry overhead, two doctors are among our friends, and they tell us of the great amount of time they have to spend arguing with insurance companies on issues of what test, treatments and medicines are to be used for a particular patient. Would you be surprised to know that time is figured into the doctors fee structure.

Jay

[Junctionfan]

I believe that the U.S and Canadian governments should hammer out a some kind of partnership agreement for better and cheaper coverage for our citizens that do alot of travel in between the countries for business purposes. Both governments share the burden of this for only our citizens and it is aimed particularly for anybody that has to do alot of internation travel between Canada and the U.S. I know Blue Cross and Green Shield exists already but I propose a cheaper and friendlier service. We are already good neighbours, why not help each other out more?

I would add though that Ontario is a problem. The government under Harris put a cap on how much our doctors are allowed to make a year so doctors won't take on anymore patients because they were payed by how many patients they had and they should work for free. I think that the government needs to get rid of this stupid law as it is why it is hard to attract doctors and nurses to stay in Ontario and not go to the U.S as they have been doing as of late. If Dalton McGuinty is truly interested in helping out Ontario's healthcare, he had better fix the problem. You should see our hospitals right now. The lack of funding has increased waiting times in E.Rs to unexceptable levels. People can't find beds in the hospitals because its full or the wing has been closed because of lack of funds. I don't have a family doctor anymore. So many Ontario citizens are having to go to the U.S or other provinces for certain care they need. It was always like this. Ever since Mike Harris took office, the province seemed to want to be the 10th circle of hell and now I hope that McGuinty will hustle his *** and stop breaking his promises and repair the province.

[dharmon]

as the commercial says....."What's in your pocket?..."

[Anonymous]

Blue Cross really helps.

One year I was heading down to Florida, And I msut have picked up Gastro, a real Mutant case of it, And ended up with a 3,000+ bill, of which I paid 0.00, thanks Blue Cross!

I was in St cathrines Ontario the other month and ended up with an Ulcer- I presented my Medical insurance card- I still got a bill, 188.87 - spent the same amount of time in the hospital too, about 25 minutes-

But the Quebec Gov't paid for my ontario one after a lengthy battle on the phone.

So always take blue cross: always!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Randy Stahl

LC... The easyest way , if you get sick in another country is to violate some small law, end up in a local jail and have your health needs taken care of by the local medical ... for free. Fines are usually alot less than meds any how.
Randy

LOL, Randy. Sounds like the voice of experience...

Do you meet good divorce lawyers that way? I might have need of one...

LC

[Junctionfan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Limitedclear

QUOTE: Originally posted by Randy Stahl

LC... The easyest way , if you get sick in another country is to violate some small law, end up in a local jail and have your health needs taken care of by the local medical ... for free. Fines are usually alot less than meds any how.
Randy

LOL, Randy. Sounds like the voice of experience...

Do you meet good divorce lawyers that way? I might have need of one...

LC

Sorry to hear you are looking for one.

[Anonymous]

Remember all those tax dollars that are being sent to the interstate and airport systems here in the US. Anybody think those could be better spent?

How about the Railfan's Insurance Company? It could provide cheap insurance to steam locomotive excursions, cover hospital bills for railfans, and provide railroad-related health care, such as:

A room facing the tracks,
Hospital food consists of a GN Great Big Baked Potato,
Pain killers consist of an endless stream of Pentrex videos,
Girneys are 1:6 scale flactcars riding on archbar trucks.

And they could seel bail bonds too, for when you get arrested for taking pictures on NJT [:)][:D].

See you around the forums,
Daniel Parks

[Junctionfan]

That could be interesting. I wonder than if the ambulance is shaped as a P-42?

[Anonymous]

Could I get deported for not having no insurance and being self pay? And what happens if I blow off the bill could i be banned from coming back to Canada?

[Junctionfan]

I doubt it. They don't deport unless you commit a crime usually has to be an indictable offence (felony). As long as they see green, it does matter what other country you are from, they will want the money some point soon after. I really don't think you could get banned from Canada for that. I don't believe the U.S would ban a Canadian either for the same offence but I can't substanciate that. Keep in mind that if our governments get pissed off enough with a Canadian or American citizen, we do have an extradition treaty between us.

[BR60103]

We have always gone to the CAA (Automobile Association) for "Emergency Travel and Medical Insurance". This is usually a reasonable rate, although it's been going up as we get older. Since I retired, we buy it on a yearly basis instead of trip-by-trip.
There are grey areas about pre-existing conditions. My father quit travelling when he started getting contradictory answers ("yes" and "no") about whether his heart condition was covered.

[garr]

Health coverage in the US is inefficient and expensive in its current form. But government is not always the answer. Do you really want an organization that takes via Social Security 15% of your gross pay throughout your working life and basically returns you 0% on your investment (if you live long enough to get it). This almost makes Enron look respectable. (The 15% figure is accurate because you indirectly pay the employers' 7.5% contribution.)

The answer is for medical policies to be bought totally by individuals, not their employers, for their own families/self. This will bring competition back into the fold with providers and insurers. The policy should be high deductible as realitive low cost problems such as sniffles, stitches, and well visits should be paid out of pocket. The reduced paperwork for doctors and reduction in "hangnail" visits would reduce costs all the way around. Remember,this is the way it was done until an economic downturn earlier in the 20th Century caused employers to offer health coverage instead of raises.

Correlate this to auto or homeowners insurance. These premiums are paid by the individual. We pay for the routine maintenance on the car/house and think nothing of it. When we have a catastrophe, the insurer is called. But under the current system of health insurance we compain about $10 copays on "routine maintenance" visits and wonder what the problem is.

One should stop looking to government, i.e. taxpayers' pockets, for all the answers. Think outside the box. Take some personal responsibility in one of the most important aspects of ones' life and remember that savings is not only for bass boats, vacations, or railfan trips.

Sorry if I got off topic and stepped on some toes but I'm very Liberterian on this topic.

Jay

[Junctionfan]

You have to watch the insurance companies up here; they can be real crooks. I watched a very scary report/show about that on the CBC News. Thease guys in particular need to be regulated. I know that Howard Hampton from the N.D.P is a strong advocate for public insurance as well as Peter Kormos. I don't know how easy it would be since the insurance companies would take them to court over it but both guys are very sucessful lawyers so you never know.