Cadillac med plan = more income

[pauldun170]

Originally Posted by Papa_Complex

Actually there's more to it than that. Areas of high population density have longer waits to be seen and, because there is bureaucracy involved, those who are better at navigating such bureaucracy tend to get specialist appointments sooner.

I once arrived at an emergency room in an ambulance, after being hit by a car, and lay on a backboard for 4.5 hours before seeing a doctor. It was 2.5 hours before a nurse bothered to check if I even had a pulse. That was in Brampton.

On the other hand I got taken straight off the ambulance and into a ER, after getting hit by a motorcycle up around Caledon. They took me to the hospital in Orangeville (Debs's stomping grounds). I had X-rays done immediately and was out the door in two hours.

Jeez, I get hit by a lot of other drivers.

The difference was the population and area served by the hospital. Around major population centres you wait. In smaller towns and cities you get through almost immediately. Unless you're a motorcycle racer at Belleville General, that is. They'll let you bleed and moan for a while.

On the other hand when I busted my collarbone while (walking) at the track I knew where to go, to get an appointment within 72 hours with one of the top 5 orthopods in the country. A two hour wait in the early morning, in a downtown Toronto ER, saved me weeks on a waiting list.

As to the topic of this discussion, we've paid for our subsidiary health insurance as a taxable benefit for decades. The difference is that ours costs orders of magnitude less, because basic care is already covered. I'm paying for things like a private or semi-private room, rather than a ward bed.

That's no different than here in New York.
My wife is from Queens and she is still amazed about the difference in wait times.

[shmike]

Originally Posted by pauldun170

That's no different than here in New York.
My wife is from Queens and she is still amazed about the difference in wait times.

Wait times must be a big deal.

I see lots of billboards along the freeways with hospitals showing their current wait times.

[Papa_Complex]

Originally Posted by pauldun170

That's no different than here in New York.
My wife is from Queens and she is still amazed about the difference in wait times.

That's my point, precisely. Level of service is dependant upon population and area covered. Toronto would be a reasonable comparison to most of the largest American cities, in that regard. If you remember Moore's "Sicko" he compared American care to what he filmed in London, Ontario; a brand new hospital in a city with a total metropolitan population (city and environs) of less than half a million and a low population density. Brampton on the other hand, for example, is a city of over a half a million, sitting next to Toronto which has a population of 2.6+ million, and Mississauga with a population of seven hundred or so thousand.

Sure, we have a lot of hospitals in this urban area, but population and density of habitation require them.

[pauldun170]

Originally Posted by shmike

Wait times must be a big deal.

I see lots of billboards along the freeways with hospitals showing their current wait times.

You in Florida?

Usually an emergency room visit in my area is a 4-6 hour ordeal unless you actally convince the duty nurse something is REALLY wrong.
Otherwise its a matter of hoping the TV has something good on in the waiting room.
Dr visit are usually a few days for appt and specialist about a month on average.

[shmike]

Originally Posted by pauldun170

You in Florida?

Usually an emergency room visit in my area is a 4-6 hour ordeal unless you actally convince the duty nurse something is REALLY wrong.
Otherwise its a matter of hoping the TV has something good on in the waiting room.
Dr visit are usually a few days for appt and specialist about a month on average.

Yeah, South FL.

You know all those old people that leave there each year freeing up surface streets and ER waiting rooms...

...they come here.

[VatorMan]

I can't wait for the great Mexican migration to get up there. Lets see how happy our mainly Caucasian brothers to the North enjoy covering them on their tax dollars.

[goof2]

Originally Posted by Apoc

I meant to say medicare/health insurance, not healthcare, my bad. His pre-existing condition would have prevented him from having insurance to pay for the bills, and even the co-pays would be ridiculous, if he could get insurance. And no, they cant make you pay the bill, but im sure it'll destroy that persons credit. Either way, there should be no cost to go to the hospital, period. I dont understand why you guys are so defensive over your shit system.

You guy's seem incapable of understanding that we get great healthcare at no cost to us outside of our taxes. Its pretty f'n simple. And our taxes are more than reasonable. Im not sure why it bothers you guys so much that most of us like our system. Most of us don't mind paying taxes. We aren't greedy fucks.

Why would you assume he wouldn't be able to get insurance due to his pre-existing condition?

[pauldun170]

Originally Posted by VatorMan

I can't wait for the great Mexican migration to get up there. Lets see how happy our mainly Caucasian brothers to the North enjoy covering them on their tax dollars.

We get Central Americans and Caribbean up here.
That and the fucking Irish
Always the fucking Irish

[OneSickPsycho]

Originally Posted by goof2

Why would you assume he wouldn't be able to get insurance due to his pre-existing condition?

Because one guy was denied that one time, so it's gotta be the same for everyone...

[shmike]

Originally Posted by pauldun170

We get Central Americans and Caribbean up here.
That and the fucking Irish
Always the fucking Irish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWmf3Waio9E