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Health Care Sucks in US

Big Daddy

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I decided to get tested for STD in Pennsylvania. I called a facility and the nurse said: What is going on? I said, I don't have any symptoms, but I just want to get tested. She gave me an appointment for August 15th. That is exactly one month from today. What the hell?

Based on my understanding of what merbites talk about, one can get tested on the same day in Montreal.

This brings me to another question, do STD testing clinics in Montreal allow STD testing for Americans? I can get tested in Montreal before I leave to US (assuming that I come out of retirement).
 

breadman

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Don't know who you called...but I can go to the Clinic near me same day anytime...you just have to take the first doctor who's available. Not sure who you called, maybe you didn't the right type of insurance? The US doesn't have free health care like Canada...and the hospital doesn't have to provide non-lifethreatening tests if the costs won't be covered. Each hospital has their own way of weeding out those who can't or won't be able to pay...without killing the person of coarse.

If you have health insurance, can't see any hospital making you wait so long for tests that a nurse can give...and they can make a nice amount of money billing you for.
 

Big Daddy

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breadman said:
If you have health insurance, can't see any hospital making you wait so long for tests that a nurse can give...and they can make a nice amount of money billing you for.

Health care in US really sucks. I have a health insurance and I got an appointment for Aug. 17 with my primary care physician. So I tried PA department of health STD testing services thinking that it might be quicker, the nurse said she will call me back in one hour. After one hour she calls me to give me Aug. 15th appointment. One thing was that she asked me if I have any symptoms, which I said no. If I had symptoms then I would go to emergency room, only then I will get doctor's care on same day after waiting for god knows how long.

The conclusion is that if you have a health care insurance and need STD tests without symptoms, you will have to wait very long in US (not sure if this is typical during summer time when doctors are vacationing).

Coming back to health insurance, most insurance in US now provide standard rate reimbursement for medical tests, so doctors can ask for the nice amount but they will not get that money.

I think I am better off getting tested in Canada when I visit. Two days hobby one day for testing and back to USA.

Anyway, my question is that do Canadian clinics will allow an American to get tested on the same day? Do Canadian clinics ask for any documentation for testing?
 

naughtylady

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You can get tested here at any one of many clinics but since you do not get the results right away (some STIs require time for a culture to grow) you will have to come back for your results. They will not give out results over the phone.

Ronnie,
Naughtylady
 

Big Daddy

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wilko26 said:
Have you saw the movie Sicko?

Funny thing I found about this movie:

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?id=216

:) ah also to my american friends: don't believe whats Michael Moore saying.... CNN is always right ;)


I had watched health care CNN programs (Larry King's special, situation room etc.). I personally don't like michaelmoore because he is no different than medical doctors as he wants the attention so that his documentry makes some money. To me he is just a negative person who likes to show what is wrong with the US.

Now coming back to CNN, it was interesting that all these programs had all these experts who were discussing all these health care programs in Canada, France and Japan. These guys were discussing the possible solutions with an underlying assumption that their solution will be better that what is being offered in other industralized nations.

I drew my own conclusion, which is that health care in US will always be inferior to other industralized nations. The reason is simple and has to do with capitalism. Doctors, politicians, insurance companies, pharmaceuticle companies and there to make money. No one gives a damn to what happens to patients. In all of the CNN programs, they were planning on coming up with so called higher quality health care system without increasing taxes (otherwise it will be similar to Canada). Anyone with some common sense would know that US cannot beat Canada or industralized western european nation on health care and education without raising taxes. CNN and Michael Moore only talk about the problem, but no one is providing a solution to the problem.
 

EagerBeaver

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BD,

Much of what you say in your last post is true. However, before you seek to get tested in Canada, you would be well advised to check with your insurance carrier to determine what would get covered. With my carrier, any such testing would be deemed an "out of network" medical expense, and there would be a substantial copay, as opposed to a smaller co-pay if I sought the testing "in network" in Connecticut. In fact, there may actually be an exclusion for anything but emergency services rendered in Canada - I will check my policy later on. I suggest you check yours. Bottom line, if you seek an STD test in Canada you may end up either paying a substantial part or all of the service out of your own pocket, depending on the specific policy language and exclusions applicable to this service being rendered in Canada.
 
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Big Daddy

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naughtylady said:
You can get tested here at any one of many clinics but since you do not get the results right away (some STIs require time for a culture to grow) you will have to come back for your results. They will not give out results over the phone.

Ronnie,
Naughtylady

I wish I was living on US-Canadian border. No wonder the people who live there are happy. :)
 

ZoneAlarm

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EagerBeaver said:
BD,

Much of what you say in your last post is true. However, before you seek to get tested in Canada, you would be well advised to check with your insurance carrier to determine what would get covered. With my carrier, any such testing would be deemed an "out of network" medical expense, and there would be a substantial copay, as opposed to a smaller co-pay if I sought the testing "in network" in Connecticut. In fact, there may actually be an exclusion for anything but emergency services rendered in Canada - I will check my policy later on. I suggest you check yours. Bottom line, if you seek an STD test in Canada you may end up either paying a substantial part or all of the service out of your own pocket, depending on the specific policy language and exclusions applicable to this service being rendered in Canada.

I found the debate they had on Larry King between Micheal more and that Doctor to be quite interesting even the doctor had no choice but to admit the health care in the US sucks. He put it this way in the us half the country can't afford it but the ones who can get treated fast. In canada everyone is covered but u got to wait. So i guess you got to choose what u prefer. However i think the Americans will never be able to have a medicare system like here for the simple reason that 1 they would go bankcrupt.

It is a common knowledge americans dont really eat healthy this is not in general but for the most part in the end thats gonna come back and haunt them hearth attacks diabetes, heart transplants imagine if they had to pay for all that ouch.
 

Big Daddy

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EagerBeaver said:
BD,

Much of what you say in your last post is true. However, before you seek to get tested in Canada, you would be well advised to check with your insurance carrier to determine what would get covered. With my carrier, any such testing would be deemed an "out of network" medical expense, and there would be a substantial copay, as opposed to a smaller co-pay if I sought the testing "in network" in Connecticut. In fact, there may actually be an exclusion for anything but emergency services rendered in Canada - I will check my policy later on. I suggest you check yours. Bottom line, if you seek an STD test in Canada you may end up either paying a substantial part or all of the service out of your own pocket, depending on the specific policy language and exclusions applicable to this service being rendered in Canada.


EB,

You are right. I have Health America HMO, I checked my policy and except for emergencies within US, I will have to use the "network" provider within state of PA. Outside network services in non-emergency cases require prior approval of my primary care physician.

I am assuming that Canadian STD testing would be either free or very inexpensive and I would not seek reimbursement.
 

EagerBeaver

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Big Daddy said:
I am assuming that Canadian STD testing would be either free or very inexpensive and I would not seek reimbursement.

Perhaps one of our Canadian friends can answer what the "retail" value of a good Canadian STD test would be for BD?
 

breadman

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BD, have you ever used the Canadian health system before? If not, then don't compare the two until you have.

ZoneAlarm said:
It is a common knowledge americans dont really eat healthy this is not in general but for the most part in the end thats gonna come back and haunt them hearth attacks diabetes, heart transplants imagine if they had to pay for all that ouch.

Statement of Health...deep frying potatoe's and putting cheese and gravy all over them.:cool:
 

ZoneAlarm

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breadman said:
BD, have you ever used the Canadian health system before? If not, then don't compare the two until you have.



Statement of Health...deep frying potatoe's and putting cheese and gravy all over them.:cool:

Dont forget the Geneticly modified McDonalds Big Mac meat lol.
 

Big Daddy

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ZoneAlarm said:
Doctor to be quite interesting even the doctor had no choice but to admit the health care in the US sucks. He put it this way in the us half the country can't afford it but the ones who can get treated fast.

It is a very sad story and I honestly feel bad for the doctor as well. Doctors have to get reimbursed for their services. If a patient has insurance then the liklihood of getting reimbursed increases. No wonder doctors encourage patients to have insurance. When the doctor says health care in the US sucks, s/he is really saying that fixed payment schedule set by insurance companies sucks. If doctors had a choice they would like to get paid more for their services. Without fixed payment schedule, health care insurance cost increases. Higher health care insurance costs increase cost of business for corporations. To reduce the cost of business, corporations have to resort to controversial strategies such as off shore outsourcing. Off shore outsourcing puts pressure on wage growth in US. Low wage pressure growth makes citizens put pressure on elected officials to introduce anti-outsourcing bills. Corporations lobby against anti-outsourcing bills to increase profitability.

This is all very complex and complicated. One thing is sure, it cannot go on for ever. For US to stay competitive, it has to make sure that its workforce is productive and healthy. A low cost high quality health care is a must. However, it also means that US has to decide if it wants to take a small step towards socialism. It is this very small step is what concerns most politicians.
 

Big Daddy

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breadman said:
BD, have you ever used the Canadian health system before? If not, then don't compare the two until you have.

No, I have not used Canadian health system. I am not comparing the US and Canadian health care system. I was just asking whether an American can get STD testing in Canada (on same day either for free or really low cost). Most of the comparisons between the two systems that I had mentioned were from what I had heard in the CNN programs.

I am hoping that Canadian system gives more doctor choices. Currently, I am stuck with a primary care physician from my insurance network. I am paying 6000 dollars yearly insurance premium for this insurance (single guy). I could pay more and get a PPO and have more doctor choices, but my premium will be higher.
 

EagerBeaver

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BD,

You have made a number off good points about the U.S. health care system in this thread. The health care system we have came about due to soaring medical costs. A lot of that had to do with doctors charging insurance companies big bucks for their services (after all, in the USA we have the best medical care in the world, and it should cost something), but also we have a population that is living longer and requiring more and more medical treatment, in part due to some of the factors mentioned in this thread - bad diet, proliferation of fast foods etc.

I hear about what some self employed people have to pay to insure themselves and their family and it is absolutely crazy. But what we are paying for is the rest of the population which has become a major drain on this system.
 
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