Canadian free health care system. *drops mic, gets off stage*

#1, it's a huge disappointment to spend so much money to find nothing. If I have an internal pain and shell out that kind of money for an MRI, they'd better find a big honkin' tumor or a beazor or a Coke bottle (wait, forget that last one.) Otherwise, what a waste!

I had Long QT syndrome and ended up having 12 MRIs in a month. insurance never covered it because it should have been pre-disclosed. I didn't know I had it. needless to say I feel your pain OP

Yep, no better maple syrup on earth. Oh, you meant the whole health care thing didn't you?

Ya except I had to wait 5 months to get an MRI on me knee, I was really close to going to the states and just paying for one

Plus, in America, when your insurance company pulls some shit like this, you can sue them or get another insurance company. You don't have recourse when you're on a government single-payer plan.

personally I've never had to wait that long for an MRI. however I am very thankful for the health care here I have had so many tests and a couple surgeries I'd be in debt for life if I lived in the us... I think it's a little strange how expensive it is to be healthy and alive in some other places, paying ridiculous amounts to see a doctor let alone the tests and operations.

Well, 22, health care really isn't very expensive at all here in the states of you have decent insurance. Unfortunately, OP doesn't or somebody somewhere really screwed up. But no, stories like this really aren't that typical here.

*if

Also, 22, even here in the states, it's unlikely you would have gone without surgeries you needed just because you couldn't afford them. It's more complicated than simply walking into a hospital and getting a surgery on the tax payers' dime, but there are charities and credit plans for people who can't pay for things up front. Also, hospitals are legally required to do whatever they have to in order to save someone's life in an emergency, even if the patient can't pay them. Yes, it's financially inefficient, and yes, often minor illnesses and injuries go untreated, but, no, we don't simply let people die just because they're poor.

Odd facts from the history wonk in me. When Canada instituted tort reform and barred lawsuits against doctors beyond the criminal the cost of health care dropped 40%. Single payer (the Canada health care plan) initially raised prices 10% and after 5 years of tweaking returned them to very close to post tort reform costs per person. In 2001 when I needed knee surgery I waited 14 weeks for an MRI. Wait times vary by location, budget levels and urgency of the procedure and reconstructive surgery MRIs get prioritized behind disease and life threatening injury reasons.

Well of course people wouldn't just die, I didn't mean to imply that at all. My family had very minimal health insurance when we were in a fatal collision.. since that time though I am often in and out of hospital. I likely would have a very substantial debt if I lived in the states. Here I go into the hospital and I am not severely anxious about the costs of my visit. From a personal standpoint I am grateful for my health care.

Wow, so with the incident we had in the states where a heart-lung transplant recipient died because somebody incorrectly typed the blood, or when the instruments were washed in hydraulic fluid instead of a disinfectant. You couldn't sue for that in Canada? It's not criminal, but gross negligence/incompetence. FYI these incidents happened at major reputable hospitals, not fly-by-night places.

Injuries due to negligence receive a payment based on a government set payment schedule. Usually if a patient dies due to negligence the family will get in the neighborhood of 100K in burial costs and death benefits. So you won't be left high and dry, but there is no legal recourse other than the health Canada appeals board, who works for the defendant and rarely rules against policy.

The hydraulic fluid incident might make the cut for criminal negligence, that's pretty bad, but a blood mistyping is most likely to fall under the non criminal end of negligence/accident.

Be l get thumbed down even more, I'm going my OP's name. If the insurance company lied, then that definitely qualifies for a lawsuit.

Sometimes it's not the insurance companies fault. Some doctor offices require payment up front and let the insurance company reimburse. Best thing is to always make sure the office is an "in network. company". Idk if OP did that.

If you go to the wrong testing facility, yes, they can. That's why actually reading the benefits book is so important; go to an out of network facility and expect to pay most if not all of the actual cost.