Windy, I should have been more specific. The federal government and the provinces share information on the use of bogus provincial health cards. It’s a problem in many provinces, especially with the increased immigration of temporary workers for everything from fish processing plants to farms. That’s the fraud I was referring too In my previous post. For the average Canadian returning with an expired card, they provide proof of citizenship and renew with the provincial government in their respective province. Six months and three days is the maximum away time before you have to renew, I think. It’s not a penalty and it cost nothing. All provincial medical cards have an expiry date. Mine is good for five years and I renew it a few months before it expires.
All countries with private and socialized medical systems are now competing worldwide for staff. The Covid pandemic decimated all medical systems worldwide. Staff burned out, retired, or moved on to less stressful medical jobs. It’s the reason our system is becoming more two tiered. Our system does an excellent job of treating heart disease and cancer. I had both issues and was treated quickly at no cost to me. The long waiting lists are usually for hip and knee replacements because of our large aging population. More private clinics are offering these services. A friend of mine just paid $10,000 for a full knee replacement. She didn’t want to wait for six months. Other private clinics offer diagnostic services, even non invasive prostate cancer treatment.
I’ve seen, first hand, the public and private health care systems in the DR. There is a big difference in the services and quality of care between the two. If I had moved to the DR permanently, my private Canadian medical insurance wouldn’t cover me. I’d have to purchase a good DR private medical plan. Even with that, there are certain procedures I would return to Canada for and pay out of pocket.
All countries with private and socialized medical systems are now competing worldwide for staff. The Covid pandemic decimated all medical systems worldwide. Staff burned out, retired, or moved on to less stressful medical jobs. It’s the reason our system is becoming more two tiered. Our system does an excellent job of treating heart disease and cancer. I had both issues and was treated quickly at no cost to me. The long waiting lists are usually for hip and knee replacements because of our large aging population. More private clinics are offering these services. A friend of mine just paid $10,000 for a full knee replacement. She didn’t want to wait for six months. Other private clinics offer diagnostic services, even non invasive prostate cancer treatment.
I’ve seen, first hand, the public and private health care systems in the DR. There is a big difference in the services and quality of care between the two. If I had moved to the DR permanently, my private Canadian medical insurance wouldn’t cover me. I’d have to purchase a good DR private medical plan. Even with that, there are certain procedures I would return to Canada for and pay out of pocket.