tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3304705769796697820.post1839783684367601658..comments2013-02-11T20:01:58.555-08:00Comments on comments on life: Unintended consequences: Democracy and the waiting roomUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3304705769796697820.post-13878096489431114022011-10-31T13:37:26.614-07:002011-10-31T13:37:26.614-07:00@dragoness-e: They might prefer if you pay cash --...@dragoness-e: They might prefer if you pay cash -- but only if you are someone who has insurance. The problem is that you may have enough cash to pay for a small procedure but what it the results of that procedure indicate you need something major.<br /><br />So, if you have insurance they love your cash. <br /><br />Remember, that generally those who don't have insurance also don't have jobs. And people who don't have jobs tend not to pay their bills. And Doctors find it difficult to walk away from people who don't have the money but do need the care. So, to solve the problem, don't see the person without insurance.<br /><br />If you do some research on the net you will find that quite a number of doctors will only accept cash if you also have a credit card and they can run a credit check on you first. Others don't feel like going through all of that.mmyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16987853519962545747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3304705769796697820.post-66979178147132952992011-10-31T13:19:01.522-07:002011-10-31T13:19:01.522-07:00I'm rather surprised at your story of a U.S. d...I'm rather surprised at your story of a U.S. doctor's office that wouldn't see a man paying cash. Indeed, I find it unbelievable. It has been my experience in states from California to Louisiana that doctor's offices really PREFER cash-paying patients, because then they don't have the hassle of dealing with insurance paperwork. The California clinic I went to in fact gave you a steep discount for paying cash *on time*.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3304705769796697820.post-77667438931446557492011-10-27T09:09:10.644-07:002011-10-27T09:09:10.644-07:00Hmm, I have not looked into whether my alumni asso...Hmm, I have not looked into whether my alumni association has coverage. It's worth checking out. I currently have a plan that accepts people coming off of group plans (the student association one, in my case) without a medical assessment, but I'm paying $150/month and have a 20% co-pay on my prescriptions. Thanks for the information.kisekileiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17967070182847617840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3304705769796697820.post-76139416582368422062011-10-27T08:20:31.778-07:002011-10-27T08:20:31.778-07:00Kiselileia: The problem with the lack of access ha...Kiselileia: The problem with the lack of access has, I think, much to do with the fact that most Canadians are unaware of the facts you mention. As we have a generation of people who have grown up with what Americans like to call "socialized medicine" I find more and more Canadians shocked at the idea of having to pay out of pocket for medical supplies/needs.<br /><br />My hope is that because we all share the same waiting lines and waiting rooms that we will rebel at the evidences that we still seem of unequal access.<br /><br />BTW, re drugs -- have you looked into your alumni association? When I returned to Canada from the US I looked into plans that would help to underwrite any costs I might incur and found that I could buy very affordable prescription care coverage through my alumni association. Though I will be honest the first thing that struck me was that almost every drug in Canada was dirt cheap compared to the cost of the same drug in the US.mmyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16987853519962545747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3304705769796697820.post-69528141289379265522011-10-27T08:12:12.400-07:002011-10-27T08:12:12.400-07:00I agree with you about Canada's health care sy...I agree with you about Canada's health care system, but I think it's important to point out that in Canada we do not have free and equal access to all types of medical care--just M.D. and hospital visits. Prescription medications, which are essential for many people's care, are out of pocket. Ontario has a limited subsidy program for some medications, but there are tons of meds that the program just refuses to cover. <br /><br />I pay about $240/month for health care, and that's just for private medical insurance plus co-pays for prescription drugs. It was closer to $800/month when I didn't have the private insurance and did have psychotherapy costs. I am unemployed, so the money effectively comes from my (luckily well-off) parents' pockets. Because the Canada Health Act is limited to M.D.s (most psychotherapy is provided by psychologists and social workers) and hospitals, many people in Canada cannot get the care they need.kisekileiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17967070182847617840noreply@blogger.com