I’m in the same city as Cat Whisperer and EmAnJ and my experience has been similar to theirs. I will note that this:
only applies to elective procedures.
I needed to have two screening procedures done - I was seen within about 4 weeks for both. (That is, screening procedures to rule stuff out. Think mammogram, but not.) I got a hinky result on one and was seen by a geneticist the next week.
Last week my son had a seizure and was rushed to the hospital - ambulance trip with me riding along. The seizure started at 3:30 AM. I had called the ambulance, had him treated and transported to hospital, checked by the physician, given an Rx and on our way home by 6:00 AM. There was NO delay in him getting the care he needed.
My bill was $0.
As for cost - well, I have no idea, actually. The income tax deducted off my paycheck that covers EVERYTHING (i.e. roads, schools, health care, infrastructure, welfare, AISH, etc) is LESS than what many people on here claim they pay monthly for just health care.
That is, I’ve seen people claim that they pay $1,000/month for family health care with a $5,000 deductible. I pay about $800/month in taxes. Of course, I do pay GST of 5% on everything except groceries which I suppose contributes.
I’ve never heard anything like that from my friend. Of course she’s from Prague, and her parent’s apartment is near Embassy Row, so she might be getting extraordinary care.
Are you saying that long wait times for healthcare only apply to elective procedures in Calgary? And you came to that conclusion after two experiences with healthcare, one of which was clearly a very serious emergent situation? So the long wait times that I and everyone else I know have been experiencing in all areas of healthcare are what, figments of our imaginations?
If I need to see my family doctor, I can get an appointment the same day. Anytime she’s referred me to a specialist (which is pretty often) I have an appointment within about 4 weeks, with one exception - I had to wait 2 months to see the dermatologist for a non-emergency situation (hair loss). When I needed to see the dermatologist for a hinky mole, I got in within 2 weeks.
I’m not saying that people don’t wait for care in Calgary - I’m saying it’s by no means universal, and I think the wait times are wildly overstated by many as it makes a much more interesting story than ‘Yah, I needed a doctor, I saw one, it was fine.’
The above situation has been similar for my husband, mother, brother, SIL, in-laws, friends, etc.
That is - emergency situations requiring care right away get care right away. Situations that are potentially nasty have short delays, and really and truly elective stuff requires more waiting.
Now, I’ve never needed a hip/knee replacement or cataract surgery, and my understanding is that for those procedures the wait is longer (although coming down).
So, yah, I’m sure some people do have to wait for stuff. I also think there’s a huge case of confirmation bias happening where the quick treatments are forgotten and the 8 hour wait in emerg. for a sprained wrist is trotted out at every opportunity.
The current incarnation is new, but the Czech nation isn’t new at all and, as part of the peaceful and reasonable split of Czechoslovaquia, they reviewed and built on the old structures. They didn’t throw the whole legal and social system out with the flag.
Granted, the Velvet Revolution was remarkable. I was just expressing my surprise that such a young government was able to pull off something that they US hasn’t accomplished. 8th best in infant mortality compared to the US at #34?
Here in the U.K., acute care is excellent. Chronic care isn’t so good. If there are more urgent cases, you may have to wait, but that’s as it should be. If you can afford it, you can go private. And if you need treatment RIGHT NOW, they’ll do their best to ensure you get it. Yes, there are the horror stories so often trotted out, and yes, they do occur, but they are rare. Errare humanum est. Why do you think doctors’ insurance rates are so high in America?
The NHS isn’t perfect, but it’s damn good.
Two personal stories:
15 or so years ago, I started having serious jaw ache. It turned out I had 4 impacted wisdom teeth. I would have had to wait 6 months to have them even looked at under the NHS, but I paid £1100 (IIRC) to have them out privately, although in a NHS hospital. Best money I ever spent.
5 years ago, my late aunt had a heart attack. She was over 80 and in poor health; they could have passed her over for treatment, but she got the full works, with 2 stents in her heart, and so she lived until 18 months ago.
And, per person, it’s vastly cheaper. I’ve done the calculations in older threads, but if the U.S. were to import the NHS, it would save over $1T.
There are public and private hospitals here, public hospitals are free(tax supported) and are basically better than nothing. Treatment will vary based on status and connections(who you know) or assumptions by staff.
I was taken to a public hospital ER by police after collapsing from a severe asthma attack, I was revived and treated well by staff. Some fellow patients took it on themselves to quietly hurl insults at me because I am a white foreigner and why was I revived first when they had been waiting hours and I should stop being cheap and go to a private hospital, I had nothing to wear except urine soaked boxers and had just been literally revived so I was too exhausted to care or debate. Hospital staff however never even asked if I was a citizen or anything(I’m a permanent resident) and no documents or cards were requested. Something like this in the USA would have cost tens of thousands of dollars, it was amazing to have a service like this available for free.
My wife had a much worse experience when she was pregnant and came down with pre-eclampsia at 38 weeks, her private OB told her to get to a hospital ASAP and she insisted on the public one. The maternity ward had no visiting hours and looked like a cross between a mental hospital and prison. She is black and from an area reviled as a ghetto, the staff treated her poorly. After being there a day she had not eaten or even been put on an IV, she was made sick by the smell of the food and they offered no alternative. Her urine was the color of Coca-cola. They told her a C-section was too difficult for their abilities, they were going to induce in a couple days and that they did not care whether she or her fetus died. I barged in using white privledge, cussed out the staff and left with her using the magic words AMA=against medical advice. We took a taxi I had waiting to a private hospital, she was put on an IV and meds and had a C-section within 24 hours that was totally professional and up to USA standards. She was fine and our son was too, she has no visible scar. The private hospital required a 1,000 USD deposit(credit cards accepted) and at the end of the whole thing the total cost was around 6,000 USD and was worth every penny.
What about experiences with the mental health systems.
Although the OP implies s/he didn’t want hearsay, I’ll to share someone’s experience in the UK as far as getting psychotherapy (this from a self-harm support board)
When I decided I wanted therapy here it took two weeks, and they were willing to see me then next day had I thought it was an emergency.
Other people’s direct experience with mental health overseas?
Combined, my husband and I have $2500 a year in psychology appointment coverage, which we use.
A few years ago I went in to a three week out patient rehab for alcohol. It included group and individual sessions for six hours a day. It was free. We looked at inpatient, which is also free, but the wait was a few months to get in.
As a Canadian, it’s varied based on what health region I’m in. The one I lived in from birth to age 20 was great. I’ve gotten same day emergency appointments with my psychiatrist, and non-emergency appointments around 3 weeks.
The one I’m in now? I hate it. I had a mental break here before I had gotten a regular psychiatrist, and my only choice to get a psychiatrist to treat me would have been checking in to the mental hospital for a voluntary hold. I actually went back to the original health district and got my same day appointment. The system is way more clogged up here.
I keep on meaning to get a formal referral from a GP, but I haven’t been assed to make an appointment yet.
I do want to stress the importance of it being individual health regions. Neither one of my experiences above can be used as a blanket statement for the entirety of Canada. I have never been stressed about paying for my mental health care, and my prescriptions are subsidized due to my income. I never worried about being able to pay for my treatment when I was laid off.
No, my experience is the private system in the US. You can get in fast to see a therapist in the US , (but seeing a psychiatrist is more an issue. I had to wait a month; a person I know her parents finally took her to the ER so she wouldn’t have to wait a month during a bout with depression)
Some other plans aren’t as generous as mine, setting say a limit of 25 per year without prior authorization. I was hesitant to post here, but the board I visit is primarily UK based and people there are always complaining how hard it is to get and keep getting therapy, so I felt I should post that as a counterpoint to all the people saying how perfect the socialized or single payer systems are.