Finding out the facts on health care systems

Folks, I hate scare tactics. I had enough of those while growing up in Alabama. I remember my old aunt saying, “Bobby, don’t pick your nose or it will fall off.” I am glad to report it did not, but it did grow to Pinocchian dimensions.

I was raised thinking anything that felt good had to be a sin and God would get you for not only what you did but also for what you thought. I spent much of my life feeling that I was hanging over hell on a rotten limb and at any moment, I would do a cannon ball in the ever-burning lake of fire. All of the above was administered because they loved me and wanted the best for me; I am sure they did.

Recently, I experienced a scare tactic from a man that indicated that he loved me just as my mama did and he wanted the best for me. He was on my TV warning me of the terrible things that was happening in Canada all because they had such horrible medical care.

People waiting in long lines — people dying in hospital halls — people refused needed medications, and on and on.

In a sly way, he was telling me to place my hand in the caring hands of the insurance companies and the HMOs (Health Management Organization) that only wanted the best for me.

As I said, I hate scare tactics so I decided to talk to a few people in Canada and get the real story.

I called Stan Harder, who lives in Alberta. He is retired and I asked him some questions about his experience with medical care in Canada. I am not saying his way is good or bad — I just wanted the truth so I could share it with you.

Question: Stan, are you a native of Canada?

Yes, I am fourth generation Canadian.

Question: Can you choose you own doctor?

Stan Harder: Yes, we can. In fact, my wife and I do not have the same doctor.

She chose hers and I chose mine and neither doctor cares that we are not both his patients.

Question: How long would it take to get an appointment if you called your doctor today?

Stan: That depends on the seriousness of the situation. If you are going in for a checkup, or your annual exam, it may take a week.

If you have a problem of any kind, they will see you as soon as you can get in.

My experience with our system has been extremely positive.

Getting into hospital, and things like that, is predicated on the severity of your illness.

For instance, if you are being treated as a cancer patient you go right to the top of the list in terms of the access of care. If you just want a prescription for a calcium pill then you line up; I don’t see anything wrong with that.

If a person wants a checkup, what difference does a week or two make. But if you have a serious problem then they deal with it damn quick.

Question: When you have an appointment, and you are in the doctor’s office, how long is the usual wait before seeing him/her?

Stan: They usually make an appointment with a 20-minute lead-time. If you have an appointment at 10 a.m., you see the doctor no later than 10:20 a.m., unless there is a rare emergency with another patient. You may wait up to an hour if things got tough but that is understandable. 

Question: Have you ever been, or heard of anyone being refused service, including prescriptions, because it was too expensive?

Stan: No, the government approves a list of medications for a particular illness and once a medication is on that list, there is never a problem. Once you are cleared for that type of treatment then that’s it.

There is one thing that gets a lot of media coverage. If a person wants some kind of exotic treatment, and it is not on the list, then it is not approved and you pay unless you have supplemental insurance to cover it. Other than that, then I would say that cost is not a consideration.

Question: If your physician told you that you needed surgery how long do you think it would be before that surgery was available to you?

Stan: Here again we are looking at urgency. I have a friend that went to see his doctor and they found he had a tumor in his eye. He lives in the country, about an hour from the city, and by the time he got home, there was a call telling him to report for surgery the next morning.

Now if a person wanted a wrinkle removed then they go way back on the list and that is how it should be. A person can buy additional insurance to cover things like that.

Question: Are you satisfied with your medical care?

Stan: Oh, for sure. I cannot see any change as a consumer that I would want to change. I am very, very satisfied with our pharmacy plans and the service we get directly from our medical people.

We all go in for an annual checkup and it starts with going to the lab for blood work.

It may take an hour for this and then you go home. It may take a week to get all the results, but so what? It is not an emergency — it is just the yearly checkup we all have once a year. Why should I get upset if I am feeling fine? I know that if I am not feeling fine I will be bumped up to the top of the list and that is fair.

Question: Are you satisfied with what your medical care cost you?

Stan: Certainly — we are not charged directly. As a taxpayer, I am sure there are some things they could tighten up, but I am not aware of them. Yes, I am very satisfied with our system because we are not charged and I have never heard of a person losing their home because of medical bills.