Medicinal Money

  Let me tell you a little story...picture it Tampa, Florida March 2006....a little shout out to Sophia Patrillo. 

  Sorry got off track for a minute there...we are on vacation. Alex is 3 and he falls in our hotel room and hits the bathroom door with his forehead. Blood everywhere. Stitches are absolutely necessary. Without hesitation we head to the E.R. since it was after six on a Sunday evening. 

  Upon arrival we register and are asked an unheard question for us "How will you be paying for this visit?" Being Canadian we never get asked that question at home. But we have insurance so we take out our insurance card and process it through. The nurse tells us it won't take long.

  As we sit and wait we see people in much worse shape than Alex. An older man in a wheelchair has the flu and looks as if he is going to die at any second. The couple beside us are waiting with their baby who has "that" cough. If you are a parent you know exactly the cough I mean. It makes those little hairs at the back of your neck stand up. A lady, who has obviously broken either her arm or elbow, moaning in pain over in the corner.

  By this time the bleeding has stopped. In fact Alex has fallen asleep in my arms. After a few minutes his name is called. John and I are very surprised. Surely these other people are in far worse shape than Alex. We can't be going before them.  "Lucky you" says the young mother beside me. "You have insurance".

  This must be a mistake. We were prepared to wait. But we are the only people in that waiting room with insurance. To the front of the line we go. Shocked is the only word that comes close to how we felt. Shocked or not, twenty minutes later we were heading back to our rental car with Alex's forehead glued back together. Oh and a $980 bill sent out to our insurance company.

  People bitch and complain about Canadian health care all the time. We moan about wait times. The cost of prescription drugs. Lack of clinics in rural areas. The doctor shortage. But go into any health care facility in Canada and the only thing you need is your government issued health card and the entire medical system is available to you. 

  We all have the right to complain but until you have had to receive medical care in another country you can't truly appreciate what a great system we have. Yes it's flawed. Yes it could be much better.

  But it sure could be a hell of a lot worse!

  Ang

***Don't know who Sophia is? Google her. You'll thank me***