[Newsbot]

Title: Alberta mom forced to pay for air ambulance after premature birth in Ontario | CTV News
Category: Health
Posted By: Robair
Date: 2015-08-05 19:29:26
Canadian

[Robair]

I always get travel insurance when leaving the country. It never occured to me to get travel insurance while visiting another province.

[BartSimpson]

That's pretty fucking lame especially for the fact that I get beaten over the head all the time with how awesome Canada's health insurance is and that no one ever gets bankrupted by it.

Seems some people were misinformed.

My own health care, Kaiser Permanente, not only covers me for air ambulance evacuation they also cover me for travel - meaning that if I am critically ill or injured in, say, Thailand, they'll cover me for a private jet back to the USA.

Kaiser also took over caring for my left knee replacement even though the VA is supposed to handle it.

True, I pay for it. But I get what I pay for and I think I'm getting a fair deal.

[andyt]

What's your deductible?
Do you get to choose any doctor?
Do you have to get approval, not from your Kaiser network doctor, but from some person on the phone, before your condition can be treated?
Will they cover pre-existing conditions? (if yes, did they before Obamacare?)
What happens if you lose your job?
What about if you switch jobs and they don't have Kaiser at the new one?

I also had Kaiser. I was shocked by how much I had to pay, how much my employer had to pay, what my co-pays were. I couldn't choose my own doctor. Trying to read all the literature about what's covered gave me a headache. I'm just glad I never had to use them while I had it.

[DrCaleb]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Seems some people were misinformed.

My own health care, Kaiser Permanente, not only covers me for air ambulance evacuation they also cover me for travel - meaning that if I am critically ill or injured in, say, Thailand, they'll cover me for a private jet back to the USA.

Kaiser also took over caring for my left knee replacement even though the VA is supposed to handle it.

True, I pay for it. But I get what I pay for and I think I'm getting a fair deal.

Speaking of misinformed - Ambulance and Air Ambulance isn't 'health care', and it usually isn't covered by Provincial plans anyhow. Most people carry third party insurance - like you do - to cover such incidents.

The coverage I get from work not only covers drugs, eyeglasses, dental and incidentals like travel insurance, it's only $60 a month. I think that's a pretty good deal.

[andyt]

In BC, ground or air ambulance is $80 unless you are on premium assistance (ie low income) in which case you will not be charged.

[DrCaleb]

andyt andyt:

In BC, ground or air ambulance is $80 unless you are on premium assistance (ie low income) in which case you will not be charged.

In Ontario and Alberta there are charges for non-medically necessary air or ground ambulance use. Nether province covers out of province ambulance use, but both have agreements to cover out of province medical procedures.

[BartSimpson]

andyt andyt:

What's your deductible?

$15 per instance.

When Mrs. Bart had her breast cancer back in 2008/2009 that meant our deductible (co-pay, really) for chemo, two surgeries, and radiation was $15.

andyt andyt:

Do you get to choose any doctor?

Within the system, yes. I also get free referrals out of the system for selected specialists if Kaiser doesn't have one. I recently had a retina problem and was sent to UC Davis Medical Center for treatment and Kaiser paid 100% of it.

andyt andyt:

Do you have to get approval, not from your Kaiser network doctor, but from some person on the phone, before your condition can be treated?

The doctors at Kaiser control the care. Period.

andyt andyt:

Will they cover pre-existing conditions? (if yes, did they before Obamacare?)

They cover some pre-existing conditions and they still do. They took it upon themselves to fix my knee when that was not at all something they had to cover.

andyt andyt:

What happens if you lose your job?

Then I can continue the coverage on my own. That's something I've done in the past when I've been between jobs or on a job that didn't offer Kaiser.

andyt andyt:

What about if you switch jobs and they don't have Kaiser at the new one?

Last time this came up the job offered me a credit on my check and I paid for Kaiser on my own.

andyt andyt:

I also had Kaiser. I was shocked by how much I had to pay, how much my employer had to pay, what my co-pays were. I couldn't choose my own doctor. Trying to read all the literature about what's covered gave me a headache. I'm just glad I never had to use them while I had it.

You had their low-cost coverage. I mean you no offense but you get what you pay for.

For Lisa and I my job covers me for about $500 a month and I pay for Lisa's coverage of exactly $400 per month right now.

[BartSimpson]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

Speaking of misinformed - Ambulance and Air Ambulance isn't 'health care'

You really don't mean that, do you?

That's like saying Trauma Care isn't health care because ambulances and paramedics are the very front line of health care.

[andyt]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

For Lisa and I my job covers me for about $500 a month and I pay for Lisa's coverage of exactly $400 per month right now.

This sentence is confusing. Do you pay $500 or $900 per month? Either way that's a lot.

[BartSimpson]

andyt andyt:

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

For Lisa and I my job covers me for about $500 a month and I pay for Lisa's coverage of exactly $400 per month right now.

This sentence is confusing. Do you pay $500 or $900 per month? Either way that's a lot.

My job pays $500 per month for me (as a benefit) and I pay for Lisa.

And, yes, $900 a month is not cheap but we're both fifty and it's not unfair.

[Brenda]

Robair Robair:

I always get travel insurance when leaving the country. It never occured to me to get travel insurance while visiting another province.

I did. My insurance agency recommended it. I only have MSP, no benefits, so i do get travel insurance.

[DrCaleb]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

Speaking of misinformed - Ambulance and Air Ambulance isn't 'health care'

You really don't mean that, do you?

That's like saying Trauma Care isn't health care because ambulances and paramedics are the very front line of health care.

Like I said later:

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

In Ontario and Alberta there are charges for non-medically necessary air or ground ambulance use.

That's the balance with a publicly funded system; what's covered and what's not. Many surgeries and services are covered, some are not. It all depends on what is determined to be 'necessary'.

[BartSimpson]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

Like I said later:

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

In Ontario and Alberta there are charges for non-medically necessary air or ground ambulance use.

That's the balance with a publicly funded system; what's covered and what's not. Many surgeries and services are covered, some are not. It all depends on what is determined to be 'necessary'.

Given that this woman in question was "rushed into surgery for an emergency C-section" I'd sure as shit consider the evacuation to be medically necessary!

Something is f*cked up in Alberta and Ontario when Canadian health programs are acting like for-profit American insurers and disqualifying obviously needed services as 'not needed'.

[andyt]

We don't have a Canadian health system, we have provincial ones. More's the pity. Just another example of why I'd like Canada to start acting like a country instead of a collection of provinces.

Alberta didn't classify ambulances as not needed, it just won't fund them for travel outside the province.