# MRI at Buffalo



## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

My wife has knee issue , probably torn ACL... She needs crutches to walk and needs MRI ASAP. We don't want to wait 4-6 months for OHIP "free" appointment...were thinking to go to Buffalo to have MRI done immediately.
http://buffalomri.com/
Is anybody had experience with MRI in Buffalo?


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

I haven't, but did they actually tell you it would be a 4-6 month wait? That seems really long if she can't walk on it at all. I thought they prioritized based on urgency and this seems pretty urgent.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

Spudd said:


> I haven't, but did they actually tell you it would be a 4-6 month wait? That seems really long if she can't walk on it at all. I thought they prioritized based on urgency and this seems pretty urgent.


Orthopedist just sent request to Credit Valley Hospital (he said that waiting time in Toronto even longer) and said that it will take 2-3 weeks until Hospital will call and make appointment... my wife checked waiting time on the web and told that this is about 4 months.... 

There is private MRI in Toronto, but they don't accept regular people, only 3rd party referrals


> MedCentra's MRI services were established exclusively for organizations in the medical, legal, corporate, WSIB, insurance, and research communities that often require MRI exams for their patients, clients or employees immediately.


When I had torn meniscus several years ago, I waited for MRI 4 months 
In Buffalo she can make appointment is couple of days.

P.S. My wife always defend Canada..... but now she sees how idiotic situation is.... We ready to pay money, but government is telling NO WAY, wait months and suffer (just don't forget to pay taxes) ... Somehow I'm sure that our beast wynne would get MRI next day if she needed one


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## leoc2 (Dec 28, 2010)

In 2012 I needed an MRI for herniated disks. I used this facility:
http://www.setonimaging.com/
Seton MRI @ Kenmore Mercy Hospital 
2950 Elmwood Avenue 
Kenmore, NY 14217 

I did not want to wait months for a Canadian MRI appointment


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## atrp2biz (Sep 22, 2010)

Did your wife go through emerg? That's the fastest way to get an MR. So I'm told.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

atrp2biz said:


> Did your wife go through emerg? That's the fastest way to get an MR. So I'm told.


This is BS! Yes, my wife went through emergency.... we landed in Person (my wife got insured in Aruba) and directly from Pearson I drove her to Credit Valley hospital. Doctor that checked her sent her to X-rays (that obviously showed nothing) and made her appointment with orthopaedic surgeon 1 week later...she went to him and he said that he doesn't know if she has ACL or MCL tear and told her to come back in 3 weeks! Holy [email protected]! and than maybe he will send her to MRI ... My wife didn't want to wait and went to another orthopedic surgeon (some sport medicine clinics in Toronto) who said that very likely she has ACL tear and sent request for MRI to the same Credit Valley hospital! 
In Canada you need to be member of "privileged caste" to ger fast MRI (same **** like in USSR)! Money don't help here!


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

*To Reduce Health Wait Times, Follow the European Model: Top European countries provide universal, world-class care- without the long waits*

http://archive.fcpp.org/posts/to-re...ersal-world-class-care-without-the-long-waits




> For example, the average wait time for an MRI in Canada tends to be more than seven weeks. By contrast, *the typical wait for similar diagnostic scans in top-performing European countries like Germany and Switzerland is less than one week*. This delay can be the difference between life and death.





> These impressive results are not a product of higher levels of spending; Canada spends more per capita on healthcare than most of Europe’s best systems including the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Denmark.
> While Canadians suffer through long waits for necessary medical services, citizens of the “Tier 1” European countries enjoy access to prompt, high quality care, despite comparable or lower levels of government spending. This achievement results from a fundamentally different approach to health care finance and delivery. *The European model promotes consumer choice and competition by avoiding monopolistic government control over insurance and healthcare provision.*


 Exactly same approach in Israel where average MRI wait time twice shorter that in Canada (Provincial average is 102 days).


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

leoc2 said:


> In 2012 I needed an MRI for herniated disks. I used this facility:
> http://www.setonimaging.com/
> Seton MRI @ Kenmore Mercy Hospital
> 2950 Elmwood Avenue
> ...


Thanks, will check it out.... They even have special option "For our Canadian patients" - like we live in some retarded place


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## mordko (Jan 23, 2016)

Yes, it's a crazy, crazy system. They actually made private medical care illegal, it's purely ideological. This systems works great for the NHL players though, they get treated immediately by the very best doctors. "Free healthcare" - you pay twice, not to mention the inconvenience.


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## Dmoney (Apr 28, 2011)

Call and get on the cancellation list. You'll end up going at a stupid time (2am), but probably get in within a few days. Have had three knee-related MRIs done (one in Toronto), each of which was within one week of referral.
Will second how stupid a system is that allows a "free" MRI appointment to be cancelled, wasting the technician's time, leaving the machine idle etc.


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## heyjude (May 16, 2009)

Dmoney said:


> Will second how stupid a system is that allows a "free" MRI appointment to be cancelled, wasting the technician's time, leaving the machine idle etc.


Patients cancel appointments for consultations, elective tests and procedures all the time, sometimes for the weirdest reasons. In my experience "no shows" account for at least 25% of the delays.


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## Dmoney (Apr 28, 2011)

heyjude said:


> Patients cancel appointments for consultations, elective tests and procedures all the time, sometimes for the weirdest reasons. In my experience "no shows" account for at least 25% of the delays.


Should be charged. 
Would likely significantly reduce or completely eliminate wait times if doctors/techinicians/techonology was actually being used to full capacity rather than sit idle for an hour due to a cancellation that gets rescheduled, thereby taking up two time slots instead of one.
It's a pity people actually believe we have free healthcare rather than realize it's one of the largest line items for government spending.


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## Jaberwock (Aug 22, 2012)

We have private companies providing services such as X-rays and blood tests. These are free to the patient, the cost is paid by the health care system.
Why can't we do the same with MRIs? 
A publicly funded health care system does not have to be 100% publicly operated.


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## Daniel A. (Mar 20, 2011)

In BC if your on workman's compensation they will pay to get someone in faster rather than pay benefits for months of waiting.
Regular referrals have wait times of months. 

In Vancouver there are places that will provide private MIR scans as long as your paying, my wife had one and it took less than two weeks, no need to be special just need money.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

Jaberwock said:


> We have private companies providing services such as X-rays and blood tests. These are free to the patient, the cost is paid by the health care system.
> Why can't we do the same with MRIs?
> A publicly funded health care system does not have to be 100% publicly operated.


Exactly my question! My wife called Toronto private MRI clinics, they said that as per law, they cannot charge private clients, some 3rd party or corporation should order MRI and pay for it .... We're ready to pay for ourselves, but where can we find such "corporation"?!

Completely absurd situation ... we should go to 3rd country to get procedure done :stupid:
And because I need to drive my wife to Buffalo, both of us should take sick day or day without pay ... it should be really awesome for Canadian economy too!


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## atrp2biz (Sep 22, 2010)

gibor365 said:


> This is BS! Yes, my wife went through emergency.... we landed in Person (my wife got insured in Aruba) and directly from Pearson I drove her to Credit Valley hospital. Doctor that checked her sent her to X-rays (that obviously showed nothing) and made her appointment with orthopaedic surgeon 1 week later...she went to him and he said that he doesn't know if she has ACL or MCL tear and told her to come back in 3 weeks! Holy [email protected]! and than maybe he will send her to MRI ... My wife didn't want to wait and went to another orthopedic surgeon (some sport medicine clinics in Toronto) who said that very likely she has ACL tear and sent request for MRI to the same Credit Valley hospital!
> In Canada you need to be member of "privileged caste" to ger fast MRI (same **** like in USSR)! Money don't help here!


Did you wife walk in or wheel in? Unfortunately, there likely will be a difference in DI speed if your wife can't stand on her own two legs.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

atrp2biz said:


> Did you wife walk in or wheel in? Unfortunately, there likely will be a difference in DI speed if your wife can't stand on her own two legs.


I wheeled her in.... no difference 

I talked to one general surgeon and he said that urgent MRI (up to 1 week) is only for cancer patients


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)

Tend to agree with Gibor on this. If there's one thing that can get a high income person pissed off at paying all these taxes to support everyone else, it's when we need medical help. 
Also telling is when we have medical issues, we will willingly and gladly pay thousands and thousands extra to skip the line or have a private firm outside of the public system get involved, if we could. 

I'm dealing with getting a hernia repaired shortly. Finally got the surgery schedule for mid October. Had a first ultrasound in March which showed nothing, second in May which showed maybe something, and a CT scan in July that confirmed the issue.

Biggest issues I'm seeing is unnecessary appointments for everything being booked, just so Doctors can bill the government/insurance. You seriously can't call me to tell me results? I have to make an appointment to come in to have you print a referral form and send it in to next doctor? Making me take half a day off work in the process just so you can bill $50 for stupid paperwork... Gee I wonder why it's so slow to get anything done when 50% of appointments are administrative BS so Docs can bill instead of having their secretary call.

Anyways, hopefully things go smoothly for me here on out, and I hope your wife finds her MRI faster somewhere else Gibor.

If I have to do it again for another serious issue *knock on wood* I'm crawling into the hospital screaming, lying my *** off about being near death until they fix me ASAP. The more mature and reasonably you interact with the medical system, the more they walk all over you and make you wait. I'll phone and say I'm taking 10 T3's a day just to manage the pain, that should get someone's attention. Screw 'em. Or, I'm leaving the country the first sign of trouble, and getting it all fixed up on a 2 week vacation to Thailand (I hear that's a pretty good country for advanced medical tourism, though I'd have to do my research more carefully if I was serious about it).

One of my savings goals is to be rich enough for me to pay for my own or any loved one's medical attention should something severe happen. Instead of having the Canadian medical system work its magic, leaving you nearly disabled for 4 months waiting for **** to happen, possibly cause more severe complications or permanent damage that could give you life long trouble that never would have been the case if you got things addressed ASAP.

[/Rant]


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## Nelley (Aug 14, 2016)

About 12 years ago I had emergency appendix removal-I went into Mt Sinai in Toronto at 12:00 NOON in severe pain-I finally had the surgery 12 HOURS LATER! It was just sheer luck I made it-they literally were dealing with people ahead of me with mild flu symptoms, etc. If it has gotten worse over the last 12 years we are all in big trouble.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

Whoa Nelley, that's scary... I can't believe it took them 12 hrs for emergency appendectomy. That's horrible!


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## Nelley (Aug 14, 2016)

It could have been worse-the surgeon was an intern but he did a good job on me.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> made her appointment with orthopaedic surgeon 1 week later...she went to him and he said that he doesn't know if she has ACL or MCL tear and told her to come back in 3 weeks!


 Told my wife to call this Credit Valley Hospital orthopaedic surgeon and make appointment next week and ask for MRI referral ,,,, she doesn't have any omprovment in her knee , so what the point to wait 3 weeks ?! She called and .... you won't believe it! .... fracture clinic in the Hospital is closed until Sep 6 as everyone left for vacation! OHIP, are you [email protected] kidding me?! 
Maybe we should have option to opt out OHIP , get tax credit and go to NY for every treatment?!



> If I have to do it again for another serious issue *knock on wood* I'm crawling into the hospital screaming, lying my *** off about being near death until they fix me ASAP.


 Believe me , they won't do anything, but will be very freaking polite with you :biggrin:

I'd go directly any Buffalo area hospital. will tell that this happened exactly when I crossed the border and will be also eligible for medical insurance benefits as "out-of-country expense", because if we go to Buffalo to do MRI now, we won't get any reimbursement and even cannot use HCSA!
If Canadian medecine is playing such games, we should play by their rules.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> I finally had the surgery 12 HOURS LATER! I


 Not surprised at all.
When during hockey game I got fracture, I went to Milton hospital and was waiting 6.5 hours ( from 1 pm). They did X-ray. Doctor on duty said that he's newbie in orthopaedics , fracture clinics doesn't work this day (they work twice per week) and I should come again next day.
When I came next day, I figured that they somehow lost my X-ray and sent to garbage another X-ray that I brought with me from walk-in clinic....
Canadian medicine rules :stupid:
No wonder out medical system ranked 30th by HWO, even though Expenditure per capita rank: 10!


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

gibor365 said:


> I'd go directly any Buffalo area hospital. will tell that this happened exactly when I crossed the border and will be also eligible for medical insurance benefits as "out-of-country expense", because if we go to Buffalo to do MRI now, we won't get any reimbursement and even cannot use HCSA!
> If Canadian medecine is playing such games, we should play by their rules.




deliberately plotting to lie is always so distasteful ...

in any event, the physicians in any hospital ER will know an old injury from an hours-old accident when they see one

.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

humble_pie said:


> deliberately plotting to lie is always so distasteful ...
> 
> in any event, the physicians in any hospital ER will know an old injury from an hours-old accident when they see one
> 
> .


Only your idiotic comment were missing here :stupid:


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

.

wondering where are the canadians who should be praising the MDs, nurses, lab workers & technicians who toil - with total professional dedication - every single day in our medical system, attaining one of the best levels of medical service delivery in the world.

took an offspring to an ER last month. Had not really seen a doctor or an ER for a couple of years. But as always, i was bowled over by the expert care, the kindness, the helpfulness, the intelligence of all the professionals involved.

i'm mindful of the exceptionally difficult conditions which public health professionals have to face & deal with every single day. So far, they (the professionals) have held up. I'm very grateful. We need to support them better. This includes charitable donations to teaching hospitals when possible.

.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> every single day in our medical system, attaining one of the best levels of medical service delivery in the world



*out medical system ranked 30th by HWO, even though Expenditure per capita rank: 10*


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

Some businesses use OHIP stupidity to their advantage... there is brokerage company in Hamilton who work with 3 NY state hospitals and can send you to MRI next day... they charge $15-20 on the top comparing if you book directly with US hospital...

I also sent email to Havana hospital in Cuba... Top facility, MRI cost 250 CUC, appointments are ASAP. ACL surgery 3,900 CUC...
Holy! Communist Cuba has private and cheap MRIs, Canada doesn't. Shame!


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## mordko (Jan 23, 2016)

It's not just the MRIs and the lack of private healthcare. 

Canada operates a crazy protectionist system, which prevents leading doctors from the very best universities from working in Canada. The system is deliberately designed so that anyone with foreign credentials takes years and years to qualify + significant costs. Even Canadians who study medicine in Harvard can't work as doctors here. It seems that about a third of Canadian taxi drivers used to be doctors... And then everyone complains about shortage of medical professionals.


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## Nelley (Aug 14, 2016)

The expense comes from the billions wasted on paper pushers and "administration"-if there was any competition that wouldn't be the case.


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## olivaw (Nov 21, 2010)

humble_pie said:


> .i'm mindful of the exceptionally difficult conditions which public health professionals have to face & deal with every single day. So far, they (the professionals) have held up. I'm very grateful. We need to support them better. This includes charitable donations to teaching hospitals when possible.
> 
> .


My experience with Alberta and BC healthcare has been very good. We sometimes have to wait for non-critical procedures but for the most part we get world class medical treatment without the cost associated with American style free markets and the corruption associated with some public systems. 

There is a thread on this board about couple who needed medical care in the US. The hospital care for the wife costs 75K per day and may run into the millions. 

In some public systems it is not uncommon to be forced to give a "gift" of cash to medical professionals to get treatment. 

WHO gives France top billing for health care. Funnily enough, the people who are whining about Canadian health services in this thread are the very same people who whine about France in other threads. :rugby:


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> WHO gives France top billing for health care. Funnily enough, the people who are whining about Canadian health services in this thread are the very same people who whine about France in other threads.


 You are comparing apples to oranges... medical system is nothing to do with raising islamofashism


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

I live in Canada 17 years, maybe I don't understand something?! Can anybody explain me, why corrupted Ontario government doesn't allow us, regular people, to have private MRI done here ,for our money that we're ready to pay?! The only explanation I can thing about.... Canada has ultra-communists mentality (even worse than in Cuba), regular people should suffer, become handicaps etc(regardless if they are ready to pay extra for services or not) .... but should stand in huge lines for medical services , except "chosen" people , like Wynne, her wife, friend and party comrades, professional athletes, cop, rcmp guys etc....list should be very big, as otherwise Private MRI in Canada wouldn't be profitable.... this is even worse than system where you can bribe and get service


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> deliberately plotting to lie is always so distasteful .


 sure, you will rather become disabled or pass away, but won't lie :stupid:

HP, was born in wrong place and in the wrong time....in USSR she would make amazing carrier as communist party functionary :biggrin:



> took an offspring to an ER last month


 don't lie , in your age you cannot have young kids .... unless you took 40+ ones :rugby:


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

France, Italy, Cyprus, Spain.........it is mostly countries that are bankrupt that are ranked higher than Canada.

We prioritize health care, because it is a prudent and cost effective method.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

What is the big rush for an MRI ? It won't fix the problem. For that surgery would be required and for that there would be a wait anyways.

There is no point in opening up private MRI clinics all over, and having nowhere to send the patients for surgery.

The health care system works on a schedule designed to allow a constant controlled flow of patients through it.

A mass of patients who have already had an MRI and are awaiting a surgical appointment..........wouldn't improve anything.

It would only make sense if the proposal was also to increase the number of operating rooms, surgeons and support staff.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

.

there are 2 no-charge options for a fast MRI in the GTA that would both work fine.

one is to book a private clinic MRI through missus gibor's employer, a canadian chartered bank with extensive corporate connections to Trillium Health Partners, who own & operate the credit valley hospital facility. 

the OP has frequently told cmf forum how his wife is a high-ranking manager at this bank. No doubt the bank would or should use its corporate health network to ensure that their valued executive employee receives the medical care she deserves.

obtaining premium health care for its key employees is a primary reason why big corporations are members of medical service networks.

the other option for a fast no-charge MRI in the GTA has already been mentioned upthread. This would be to get on the cancellation list & be prepared for a middle-of-the-night appointment.

both of these options are pragmatic, practical & efficient. It's surprising that the OP chooses to overlook them, preferring instead to waste his time & energy on yet another explosive hate-canada-hissy-fit.


.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

mordko said:


> Even Canadians who study medicine in Harvard can't work as doctors here.




lol please show us the queue of Harvard Med graduates who are all pantingly eager to come to canada to practice medicine.

alas reality goes in the opposite direction. Harvard trained MDs will earn 2 to 5 times the money stateside, so they'll never immigrate to the frozen north. Although - interestingly - canada does have a small tradition of attracting a few highly qualified US trained MDs who prefer the quality of life up here.

meanwhile canada suffers from a permanent southward brain drain of recent medical specialist graduates, who are constantly being recruited by american teaching hospitals & HMOs. The lure is basic. Massively higher salaries or better research opportunities or both. Ophthalmologists, for example, are critically few in number east of the ontario border. A working solution in quebec has patients paying for some ophthalmo procedures.

the miracle is that, in spite of inadequate funding, canadian medical faculties, nursing schools & their linked teaching hospitals have managed to attract world class surgeons, physicians, nurse practitioners & researchers. 

i for one am always astonished by & deeply grateful for the high quality of medical care that's freely available in all big canadian cities.


.


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## SMK (Dec 10, 2015)

Fortunately I only needed urgent medical care for a child once, never for the rest of the family so far, but it proved the first time that I realized how our health care system was not as good as I believed it to be. Took several months to get appointment with specialist only to be misdiagnosed until finally the right doctor diagnosed the problem, but by that point the child had worsened as was not taking the medication she should have been on for at least a year. I feel grateful for the doctor that finally was able to take care of the problem, but in a country like Canada, it should not have taken years to have diagnosed a common problem.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> the OP has frequently told cmf forum how his wife is a high-ranking manager at this bank. No doubt the bank would or should use its corporate health network to ensure that their valued executive employee receives the medical care she deserves.


She talked to HR and here bank, her client SVP also talked to HR, they told that they are not dealing with such cases... I think The bank doesn't want to pay for MRI and to charge my wife back is too complicated for them



> the other option for a fast no-charge MRI in the GTA has already been mentioned upthread. This would be to get on the cancellation list & be prepared for a middle-of-the-night appointment.


 only for initial call from hospital she should wait at least 2 weeks :stupid:

Why not to implement the simpliest solution, allow to private MRI to charge patient and do it ASAP?!


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> i for one am always astonished by & deeply grateful for the high quality of medical care that's freely available in all big canadian cities.


 I;m ashamed by poor level of Ontario medical system




> it proved the first time that I realized how our health care system was not as good as I believed it to be


 Same here! I thought that's more or less OK, until 2 years ago got fracture and should've visit hospital ....it's a disaster


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## SMK (Dec 10, 2015)

peterk said:


> Biggest issues I'm seeing is unnecessary appointments for everything being booked, just so Doctors can bill the government/insurance. You seriously can't call me to tell me results? I have to make an appointment to come in to have you print a referral form and send it in to next doctor? Making me take half a day off work in the process just so you can bill $50 for stupid paperwork... Gee I wonder why it's so slow to get anything done when 50% of appointments are administrative BS so Docs can bill instead of having their secretary call.
> 
> [/Rant]


Recently I experienced just that; had a simple infection issue, and all that was needed was a simple prescription and 2 visits to the doc perhaps, but it turned out into 5 visits, one such visit was required because one result was misplaced, another visit because they claimed they had not yet received an x-ray result, but when I called the x-ray place, was told that the results had indeed been sent back several days earlier. 

It used to be that you were called into the office only if there was something to tell, but now even when results are ok., you still have to hear that in person. Unbelievable.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

peterk said:


> Tend to agree with Gibor on this. If there's one thing that can get a high income person pissed off at paying all these taxes to support everyone else, it's when we need medical help.
> 
> Biggest issues I'm seeing is unnecessary appointments for everything being booked, just so Doctors can bill the government/insurance. You seriously can't call me to tell me results?
> 
> I *have to make an appointment to come in to have you print a referral form and send it in to next doctor? Making me take half a day off work in the process just so you can bill $50 for stupid paperwork..*. Gee I wonder why it's so slow to get anything done when *50% of appointments are administrative BS so Docs can bill instead of having their secretary call.*


Yes, and this is the problem I'm running into with my GI doctor. He can't just phone me to tell me the results, because that would not be considered a visit to the doctors where he can bill OHiP for an half hour or an hour. 

It's an expensive trip for me to come in to his office by Parataxi to discuss the results of the last test or
future treatment plan. It's a $35 charge I have to pay out of my own pocket for each way from where I live.

I agree that the MRI wait times are ridiculous, but these machines are expensive and the hospitals that do have one, seem to be overloaded with cases, with some that cancel out last minute.

I know that in my GI clinic, any scheduled appts that are cancelled last minute involve a minimum charge of $100 or more, as the examination room with the GI scope has to be scheduled as well as prep time for your appt, so they are not treating it lightly anymore if you cancel. 

In most cases, unless you are dead, seriously sick or in an accident, they will attempt to bill you if you cancel without giving them at least 3 days due notice.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

Personally I am not opposed if the government allowed private MRI clinics, but I don't see what the point would be if you can't get into surgery any faster.

If the government took it further and allowed private surgeries the cost would be onerous. Beyond the surgeons, anethesiologist, surgical nurse staffing and all the monitoring equipment, post operation and patient recovery nursing care and access to their own laboratories and x-ray facilities, cleaners who sterilize the equipment and operating room, and some food services, they would also have to pay onerous medical insurance liability premiums.

I have had several surgeries and am always amazed how many professions are interacting at the same time to provide a safe surgical setting and quality post operative care for the patients in surgery that day, and the days following the surgery.

A million dollars would be reduced to pennies after a couple of major operations.

I don't think there are nearly enough people with the ability to pay those kind of costs to support such private care.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> Personally I am not opposed if the government allowed private MRI clinics, but I don't see what the point would be if you can't get into surgery any faster.[/QUOTE\sags, there is a huge difference, as it can be ACL, can be MSL, can be torn meniscus. can be some combination, or can be just strain muscles ... and excises to recover and treatments are completely different.... surgery is optionsl even for full tear ACL
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## mordko (Jan 23, 2016)

+1


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)

Gibor did you you guys get the MRI?

You can come to Calgary, you just have to pay for it ($770), but can get an appointment next week!

http://www.canadadiagnostics.ca/private-magnetic-resonance-imaging.aspx Looks like they have some fancy new 3T super strong MRI too, better than the rest.

I had no idea until just this afternoon that MRI's can be done privately here and without wait. I thought to get an MRI you had to pay _AND_ wait like 18 months, so I never asked. In the mean time this past year I've waited in line for two crappy CT scans, which gives me 3 years worth of radiation dose each, and makes a diagnostic image that is not nearly as good as an MRI.

I'm rather peeved that the Doctors did not highlight this option to me... I must look poor or something, like I can't afford $700.

Soon as I'm back in Alberta I'm booking it for a Friday morning and then going skiing all weekend, can claim it as "medical travel" too, on my Northern resident Deduction.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> Gibor did you you guys get the MRI?


Yeap, as I mentioned in other thread, my wife got it in "USSR style" .Our daughter friend father is geneal surgeon, he called to his friend of the public clinic (who has rather small waiting list , he knows stuff ) and referred my wife to him. So, she was able to get MRI in couple of months...
Actually, for us would be cheaper and faster to go to US or Cuba and get MRI same day.

Now,may wife is waiting for surgery dates already several months and will wait at least another 6 months as nobody still called her and she cannot register on waiting list for cancelation until she gets some future date .
I'm ashamed by poor level of Ontario medical system


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

Americans are being pillaged by the health insurance and drug corporations.

The health system is so complicated that few people understand it. 

The bottom line is that the costs are determined by the insurance and drug companies.

Health insurers profits went from $8 Billion a year to $15 Billion a year in one year.

Drug companies are buying the patents to older drugs and jacking up the price. Just today there is a story about a company called Marathon.

They bought an older muscular dystrophy drug. It wasn't available in the US but could be ordered from the UK.

The drug will now be available in the US for $84,000. That is a 70 times increase in the price over the UK price.

Anyone who thinks the US system is so great is welcome to it, but they are heading to a government single payer system sooner or later.

Why don't they have a single payer system ? Consider this.......

The most expensive segment for health care is older people. That is a fact.

In the US, this segment of the population is universally covered by Medicare. That is a fact.

Why then would the US not expand Medicare to include the young and healthy......who cost the least amount for healthcare ?

As part of a universal system, the young would help offset the cost for the old. 

Instead of doing that, they have the government paying for the most expensive healthcare and private corporations hoovering up the profits on the young and healthy.

Why don't they have a universal health care system by expanding Medicare ?

Simple........it would take the profits out of the hands of the insurance and drug companies who own the Congress and Senate.

We don't need or want that kind of health care system in Canada.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> We don't need or want that kind of health care system in Canada.


 No one here advocates US health system, but there are 30+ countries who as per WHO have better medical systems...whynot to learn from them?


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## OptsyEagle (Nov 29, 2009)

gibor365 said:


> We ready to pay money, but government is telling NO WAY, wait months and suffer


That is because our government is concerned that a person with money would have better healthcare then someone without money, so they have decided the best thing to do for the people without money is to make the waiting times longer for them by making people with money, wait in the same line.

I learned a long time ago that it appears to be a common human behaviour where a person would rather suffer themselves then to see someone else get something that they don't get...and the voting machine is a pretty good equalizer to ensure that everyone suffers ...equally.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

OptsyEagle said:


> That is because our government is concerned that a person with money would have better healthcare then someone without money, so they have decided the best thing to do for the people without money is to make the waiting times longer for them by making people with money, wait in the same line.
> 
> I learned a long time ago that it appears to be a common human behaviour where a person would rather suffer themselves then to see someone else get something that they don't get...and the voting machine is a pretty good equalizer to ensure that everyone suffers ...equally.


So Canada is number 1 in becoming super-communist society?! Even in Cuba you can pay money and MRI immediately ...
However, as I mentioned before, in Canada there are private MRI, but they are only for "mafia" .... how it reminds me USSR


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## twa2w (Mar 5, 2016)

gibor365 said:


> So Canada is number 1 in becoming super-communist society?! Even in Cuba you can pay money and MRI immediately ...
> However, as I mentioned before, in Canada there are private MRI, but they are only for "mafia" .... how it reminds me USSR


In Canada it depends on the province what is available.
Both Alberta and BC have private clinics for MRI and other scans if you have the cash.
Ontario for example has private surgery clinics for some surgeries as do some other provinces.

Having lived in three provinces and experienced the medical system in others, I have to say I have been fortunate in the care I and my family have experienced. I have also had experience with the med system in the US and have had good experience there as well.
There are horror systems in every system.

I think when our medicare system was envisioned, and when it started it was not intended to be universal in every sense but designed to be there to protect people from financial ruin if they faced a serious medical issue like cancer, heart disease etc. It wasnt there to cover your annual check up up or your ingrown toenail.
It would take huge political guts to pare anything from the current system but at some point there has to be a total rethink of the system IMHO.


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## Koogie (Dec 15, 2014)

OptsyEagle said:


> I learned a long time ago that it appears to be a common human behaviour where a person would rather suffer themselves then to see someone else get something that they don't get...and the voting machine is a pretty good equalizer to ensure that everyone suffers ...equally.


"'Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance and the gospel of envy. The inherent vice of capitalism is the uneven distribution of blessings; whereas the inherent virtue of socialism is the even division of misery.~Winston Churchill"'


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