1934 replies to this topic

[spanky123]

Hopefully  it is temporary, but what I dont understand is why there is no doctor prearranged to fill in in case someone gets sick?

 

The purpose of the UPCC's was to force doctors away from a fee for service model into one where costs could be contained. I think what the Province is finding is that most doctor's prefer fee for service, especially when they can use tele-health to control what hours they work.

[AllseeingEye]

Hi all thanks for the well wishes. Been an eventful 24 hours.

 

I went into Emerg last night at 5pm and managed to finally see the doc at about 12:30am. By that point my ass was hurting more than my actual condition, lol. The system needless to say was overflowing with sick, injured and frequently complaining bodies. I wanted to smack one or two of them on behalf of the beleaguered nurses.....

 

I can't say enough good things about the staff who must feel like the kids with their proverbial fingers in the medical system dike; no idea what nurses especially are making these days but it ain't enough. Even Security last night had their hands full with a guy who entered the Admitting area refused to wear a mask and promptly sat down in the middle of the floor. Clearly some mental issues going on there. As I was leaving at that point, about 1:45am, I don't know how that turned out...

 

Bottom line is they diagnosed the condition as a variant of cellulitis which is a common skin bacteria that starts out benign enough but if left untreated can result in all sort of serious medical issues including sepsis and/or staph potentially up to losing a limb if not treated. It is extremely painful and I say that as someone with a very high pain tolerance.

 

My right foot is completely blown up and swollen and the right calf and leg from the knee down are about 2x the size of my left, so they inserted a temporary IV into my arm so they can deliver antibiotics directly into my system over the next week or so. They put three layers of compression socks on both feet which go up to the knees. Effective - but not super comfortable and they won't win any fashion shows any time soon but they apparently get the job done. They will be a semi permanent requirement going forward to reduce swelling and to return the older venous blood which leaked out over time into the outer layers of my skin - and which is the source of the burning pain that accompanies this affliction - back to my vascular system.

 

I go back tomorrow morning for another blast of dope and an ultrasound imaging appointment to ensure there are no other underlying issues like clotting concerns which are very real.

 

And purely as an aside for those who may still think covid/Omicron is "no big deal" I got a brief peek in behind the scenes from the ambulatory waiting room on my way to the physician assessment area - they have converted an entire unit of beds/assessment cubicles into the "covid" treatment area: there were perhaps `ten or so beds and all of them were occupied.

[Mike K.]

My God, ASE. I think I speak for all of us, in that it’s good you finally received the care you required.

But your experience being shuffled around is but one of the many cracks of our desperately stretched healthcare system. It shouldn’t be that because “you’re just getting old” your healthcare needs and concerns are lessened or trivial.

[AllseeingEye]

My God, ASE. I think I speak for all of us, in that it’s good you finally received the care you required.

But your experience being shuffled around is but one of the many cracks of our desperately stretched healthcare system. It shouldn’t be that because “you’re just getting old” your healthcare needs and concerns are lessened or trivial.

 

I was back there at 7:30am this morning - boy that was fun getting out of bed at 6am with about 4.5 hours' sleep under my belt - for the second round of drugs and my nurse in the unit was a Canadian (Winnipeg) ex-pat who spent about 25 years in the US working as an OR nurse in Seattle/Bellevue: needless to say working back in BC now for three years she had some choice observations about our system and none of them particularly good. She did say though that the costs down there are outrageous and used my case as an example noting that for the time and care I received these last two days the cost - out of pocket - would have been north of $10K USD.......

Edited by AllseeingEye, 05 January 2022 - 01:26 PM.

[spanky123]

^ Although you would probably have never got to this state in the US system as you would have been properly diagnosed far sooner.

[Mike K.]

Yup, and if you’re not a BC resident you’ll pay the same for your visit to Jubilee. Canadians will have it eventually covered by their provincial plan, but the costs are massive.

[Victoria Watcher]

And chances are your employer would provide your health coverage. At much higher quality.

[Mike K.]

And spanky is right. You’d have received immediate care in the US instead of being passed off with nowhere to turn. Down south if you don’t like what one doctor says, you book an appointment with another that same day.

[Mike K.]

And chances are your employer would provide your health coverage. At much higher quality.

Totally. Doing what ASE does, he’d have the world’s best, literally, healthcare at his disposal.

[AllseeingEye]

Totally. Doing what ASE does, he’d have the world’s best, literally, healthcare at his disposal.

 

Believe me I am grateful every day especially as I get older for the benefits plan we have - mine is the platinum-plated gold standard which you appreciate more the older you get. A year  and a bit ago I had to get a crown fitted into place; having never had one I had no idea what crowns cost (turns out they're about ~ $1600 out of pocket). The girl at my dentist's office plugs my benefits card into the reader, looks at the screen, looks down again, does a double take and then says "I've seen maybe one other plan in the last 5-10 years that comes close to this". I think it cost me $40 out of pocket. 

[sukika]

On the flip side, the cost of co-pays and the lack of health insurance means some people wait longer than they should to go see a doctor in the US.  

 

A friend of mine works in oncology the US, and they've talked about the financial impacts that cancer treatment has had on their patients. One story that stands out is a couple in their early 50's - due to the husband's illness he couldn't work the required number of hours to retain his health insurance. To make matters worse, his  treatment left him unable to function normally and he had to be placed in a home.  They went from being close to retirement to being bankrupt within a few years.  

[JohnN]

Non-subsidized health insurance in US seems kind of pricey so its obvious to make sure you have subsidized health insurance or earn enough to be able to pay the premiums and to cope with the deductibles: 

 

If you are buying an ACA plan (Affordable Care Act) as non-subsidized health insurance for a family of 4, you can expect to pay about $25,000 for the year in premiums and deductibles. That breaks down to an average of $17,244 in annual premium cost for health insurance for families of 4 and $7,767 in deductible expenses.

-- How Much Does Health Insurance Cost Without A Subsidy? https://www.ehealthi...without-subsidy

Edited by JohnN, 05 January 2022 - 02:18 PM.

[Mike K.]

And we’ll pay about as much in higher cost of living and mortgage costs.

An average house in Canada costs $800k. An average house in the US costs $400k CAD.

It all tends to work itself out.

[Victoria Watcher]

We pay for it in lower salaries, and income tax alone.

 

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 05 January 2022 - 02:48 PM.

[LJ]

I think the secret sauce is to travel to Mexico, or Eastern Europe, etc, and access world class private care there that will get you on the right path immediately, so you can return to Canada and show the doctors what is wrong and to work on a recovery or management plan based on a diagnosis you already have.

And if you’re wealthy you hop down to Seattle, or pick a US hospital that specializes in specific ailments, and get your start there.

A friend of mine is going to India to have his knees redone for about 10K, he was quoted 60K in the US. He has found an excellent private surgery and plans to spend a month in Thailand to recover.

[Sparky]

A month in Thailand will cure more than a bad case of Kneasles.

[lanforod]

A month in Thailand could give you other problems too 

[spanky123]

A friend of mine is going to India to have his knees redone for about 10K, he was quoted 60K in the US. He has found an excellent private surgery and plans to spend a month in Thailand to recover.

 

Lots of options in the US. I have a friend who is getting her knees done by a robot in Socttsdale for about $20K!

[JohnN]

Recent survey by Kaiser Family Foundation Americans’ Challenges with Health Care Costs

Excerpt: 

As KFF polling has found for many years, health care costs factor into decisions about insurance coverage and care seeking, and rank as a top financial worry. This data note summarizes recent KFF polling on the public’s experiences with health care costs. Main takeaways include:

 

• Many U.S. adults have difficulty affording various health care and dental costs. 
• The cost of health care often prevents people from getting needed care or filling prescriptions.
• High health care costs disproportionately affect uninsured adults, Black and Hispanic adults, and those with lower incomes. 
• However, those who are covered by health insurance are not immune to the burden of health care costs.
• Difficulty paying medical bills can have significant consequences for U.S. families. 

[AllseeingEye]

Day three was spent in Imaging for two hours this morning while they scanned the major venous and arterial system from the thighs on down to the heels, mainly the femoral arterial and related branches. I must say when the system finally gets it in gear it is refreshingly and gratifyingly thorough; then it was off to the OPAT unit yet another blast of antibiotics.  I'll go back for one more blitzkrieg of drugs tomorrow morning then the doctors will pause to assess the results + review whatever the imaging tells them.