Reply #13: Here is my personal experience with Canada's healthcare in Alberta and B.C....

[Spazito]

I was in a car accident while traveling in Alberta (my home was in B.C. at the time), my car was totaled but I was not injured badly enough for the ambulance. I was taken to emergency by family members shortly after to ensure there was no serious damage done that was not immediately apparent. I waited in emergency for no more than 20 minutes, was seen by a doctor within a further 5 minute wait, had my left hand ex-rayed and a cast put on because a key bone in my hand may have been broken and it is crucial to immobilize the hand until the swelling goes down enough for the break to show up. As I was planning to return home in a few days, I was advised to make an appointment to see my own doctor within a few days of returning home. It cost me nothing, I only had to give my PIN (health insurance number).

I flew home to B.C. two days later and made an appointment to see my doctor and was given an appointment the next day. Another x-ray was taken but it was still unclear whether the bone in my hand was broken so the cast remained on and I was told to make another appointment for a week later. I did so, another x-ray was taken and it was now clear the bone was not broken. The cast was taken off and I was fine. Again, I incurred no costs for my visits.

At that time, I paid $56.00 a month for my healthcare. I now reside in Alberta and I do not pay anything for basic healthcare and 21.00 dollars a month for extended healthcare (vision, dental, etc).

My sister's personal experience with Canada's healthcare in Alberta. My sister was diagnosed with terminal cancer while living in British Columbia. She was able, for a time, to remain independent and receive care as needed but the time came where her health had deteriorated enough that she was in need of further care. Her daughter lived in Calgary and my sister moved in with her and her family. Within one week, she had an appointment to see a cancer specialist, was entered into an approved clinical testing program. For the first three months, her care was covered under her B.C. medical, after that she came under Alberta medical. This care sufficed for approximately 6 months but there came a time where home care was needed to help my niece. There was no problem receiving it in a timely manner. As a result of the care my sister received she lived approximately one year longer than she was given to expect. As her cancer was terminal, there came a time where hospice care was needed, she entered the hospice where she was lovingly cared for, where she died shortly after.
Her medical costs consisted of the cost of her prescriptions and those costs were subsidized by the government. There were no additional costs for her home care, doctor visits and her time in the hospice.

I can also detail the care my mother received, my in-laws, my children, etc, but they would be very similar to the two experiences I have described.

Our system is not perfect by any means but your experience, from all I know and have heard, seems to be an exception to the norm. There are waiting lists and one can go online to see how long they are.

Wait time for CT scan:

Actual Patient Wait Times for Persons served in the 90 Days preceding Sept. 30, 2008:

3 weeks 75.9
3-6 weeks 16.1
7 weeks - 3 months 07.0
4 - 6 months 00.8
7 - 12 months 00.1
13 - 18 months 00.0

http://www.ahw.gov.ab.ca/waitlist/CategorySummary.jsp?rcatID=19&levelOfCare=All

Here is the link to the Alberta Waitlist Registry where there is a drop menu to check on specific service categories:

http://www.ahw.gov.ab.ca/waitlist/WaitListPublicHome.jsp