Ontario patient says Canadian doctors deemed her cancer inoperable, so she'll pay $100K for U.S. surgery

[shockedcanadian]

Emulate us at your own peril. Hopefully her surgery is successful and she is granted life.

Americans believe in life, your medical professionals of course run a business (just as ours do), but their hippocratic oath is taken seriously. This differs from our system, similar to your Constitution vs our Charter of Rights.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/windsor-essex-cancer-surgery-pay-out-of-pocket-1.6604129

"It's scary, honestly," Carnegie-Middlebrook said about travelling outside Canada for care.

"It's tough thinking you'll go into an enormous amount of debt to save your life."

CBC News has also heard from one other person dealing with cancer at the time who had been denied the CRS with HIPEC surgery in Canada, but was able to get it in the United States. Two and a half years after this surgery, the person said they have "no evidence of progressive disease."

 

[sealybobo]

Emulate us at your own peril. Hopefully her surgery is successful and she is granted life.

Americans believe in life, your medical professionals of course run a business (just as ours do), but their hippocratic oath is taken seriously. This differs from our system, similar to your Constitution vs our Charter of Rights.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/windsor-essex-cancer-surgery-pay-out-of-pocket-1.6604129

"It's scary, honestly," Carnegie-Middlebrook said about travelling outside Canada for care.

"It's tough thinking you'll go into an enormous amount of debt to save your life."

CBC News has also heard from one other person dealing with cancer at the time who had been denied the CRS with HIPEC surgery in Canada, but was able to get it in the United States. Two and a half years after this surgery, the person said they have "no evidence of progressive disease."

Before I read the details, I agree no one should be denied treatment unless it's truly a waste of time. Is the USA company going to "give it a try" for the money?

And no one should be denied healthcare coverage by an insurance company because of a pre existing condition.

 

[shockedcanadian]

Before I read the details, I agree no one should be denied treatment unless it's truly a waste of time. Is the USA company going to "give it a try" for the money?

And no one should be denied healthcare coverage by an insurance company because of a pre existing condition.

These types of surgeries are very difficult and time consuming. This clinic is a "not-for-profit", so it would normally cost $250k Canadian. Ultimately, of course there is a chance it doesn't help, but when your told "you have a year to live" vs the surgery, what is the moral alternative that should be offered?

The big part of this honestly is that Canada probably doesn't have the skillset to perform this effectively. The surgeon she is seeing is an expert, so she is in good hands whereas in Canada she might not be.

As it were survival rates of cancers are far higher in the U.S (I think I saw 3-5% higher or something), which is insane and a reminder that Canada is a democatic, advanced nation in name only.

 

[DGS49]

...about the money thing. As a Medicare beneficiary, along with a large part of my family and social network, I see clearly now that Medicare has turned all of us into "cash cows." If you are on Medicare, no treatment is too risky, no treatment is too expensive, and no analysis is EVER made on whether a given treatment makes any sense given the likelihood that the patient will die presently in any event.

I have seen several friends and relatives on the past few years go into that Great Beyond with multi-million dollar invoices tied to their toes, all paid-in-full by Medicare (which is to say, the taxpayers). My brother-in-law was hospitalized 8 months ago with TERMINAL Covid, but that didn't stop the doctors from racking up charges for ridiculous surgeries, medicines, etc. At the end, as he lay completely unconscious and oblivious in Intensive Care, the Medico's told the family, no need to move him to hospice, let him stay here - at thousands of dollars a day - until the end comes. "We" did. It took him another week to pack it in.

The American system is insane. Trying to socialize it, as the Left wants to do, would make it even worse. The profiteering wouldn't stop, the health insurance companies and all the paper-pushers would remain employed for one thing or another, and total medical spending would go from the highest in the world to the highest in the universe.

Mark my words.

 

[sealybobo]

These types of surgeries are very difficult and time consuming. This clinic is a "not-for-profit", so it would normally cost $250k Canadian. Ultimately, of course there is a chance it doesn't help, but when your told "you have a year to live" vs the surgery, what is the moral alternative that should be offered?

The big part of this honestly is that Canada probably doesn't have the skillset to perform this effectively. The surgeon she is seeing is an expert, so she is in good hands whereas in Canada she might not be.

As it were survival rates of cancers are far higher in the U.S (I think I saw 3-5% higher or something), which is insane and a reminder that Canada is a democatic, advanced nation in name only.

I had a treatment done at my hospital. Henry Ford Hospital. 15 minutes from my home. There were other people there getting treatments and they came in from Lansing. About 1.5 hour car ride. Not every hospital can do every treatment.

 

[shockedcanadian]

I had a treatment done at my hospital. Henry Ford Hospital. 15 minutes from my home. There were other people there getting treatments and they came in from Lansing. About 1.5 hour car ride. Not every hospital can do every treatment.

Oh Canada offers it, but you must be a "chosen one" to be treated humanely.

What I've explained about our creepy system still stands despite all of the Canadians shills who come on to try to discredit me and convince Americans that Canada is an "ally that is just like us": Canada is a quasi-police state, caste system in which the Security Industrial Complex decides who lives or dies, who is allowed to work or even have love in their lives.

Wake up and demand chages to this country or withdraw investment here. Your close association with Canada is dragging down your reputation around the globe. You've broken from us somewhat, but economic pressure is needed.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Emulate us at your own peril. Hopefully her surgery is successful and she is granted life.

Americans believe in life, your medical professionals of course run a business (just as ours do), but their hippocratic oath is taken seriously. This differs from our system, similar to your Constitution vs our Charter of Rights.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/windsor-essex-cancer-surgery-pay-out-of-pocket-1.6604129

"It's scary, honestly," Carnegie-Middlebrook said about travelling outside Canada for care.

"It's tough thinking you'll go into an enormous amount of debt to save your life."

CBC News has also heard from one other person dealing with cancer at the time who had been denied the CRS with HIPEC surgery in Canada, but was able to get it in the United States. Two and a half years after this surgery, the person said they have "no evidence of progressive disease."

A family friend that lives in Canada stayed with us so he could get treatment at MD Anderson here in Houston.
It's the best cancer center in the world.
My cousins long time boyfriend just died of cancer recently partly due to the wait time to see a doc in Canada.

 

[sealybobo]

A family friend that lives in Canada stayed with us so he could get treatment at MD Anderson here in Houston.
It's the best cancer center in the world.
My cousins long time boyfriend just died of cancer recently partly due to the wait time to see a doc in Canada.

I don't like the wait time it takes to get treated even here in America when you have great insurance. I don't want to go into my personal business but I have personal experience with having to wait months for something I would prefer to remove right away. Even here with great insurance.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I don't like the wait time it takes to get treated even here in America when you have great insurance. I don't want to go into my personal business but I have personal experience with having to wait months for something I would prefer to remove right away. Even here with great insurance.

Never had an issue like that and I've had 7 surgeries over the last six years.

 

[sealybobo]

Never had an issue like that and I've had 7 surgeries over the last six years.

One thing you should keep in mind, not all American's health coverage is equal. And even if our coverage is equal, not all areas have the same doctors or hospitals and resources.

I have seen it not just with myself. You need a surgery or treatment and they say the next available we have is 1 or 3 or 5 months. It happens. If it's never happened to you great. But it happens. I don't know what kind of surgery you needed. Was it get it quick or die? Was it a simple outpatient operation? And like I said, depends on what coverage you have and do you live close to a top notch hospital?

With me they told me a couple months won't matter but god damn, I wanted it out yesterday not in 2 months. It sucked waiting. And I have top notch health coverage. And go to a top notch hospital.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

One thing you should keep in mind, not all American's health coverage is equal. And even if our coverage is equal, not all areas have the same doctors or hospitals and resources.

I have seen it not just with myself. You need a surgery or treatment and they say the next available we have is 1 or 3 or 5 months. It happens. If it's never happened to you great. But it happens. I don't know what kind of surgery you needed. Was it get it quick or die? Was it a simple outpatient operation? And like I said, depends on what coverage you have and do you live close to a top notch hospital?

With me they told me a couple months won't matter but god damn, I wanted it out yesterday not in 2 months. It sucked waiting. And I have top notch health coverage. And go to a top notch hospital.

5 hip surgeries,1 back surgery and 1 cancer surgery.
None of which were life threatening. I never had to wait more than a week and sometimes I delayed them because the date wasn't compatible with my schedule.

 

[sealybobo]

5 hip surgeries,1 back surgery and 1 cancer surgery.
None of which were life threatening. I never had to wait more than a week and sometimes I delayed them because the date wasn't compatible with my schedule.

Blue Cross Blue Shield? It is the best of the best.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Blue Cross Blue Shield? It is the best of the best.

Yep.
We also have a medical savings account we can draw from.

 

[Dragonlady]

These types of surgeries are very difficult and time consuming. This clinic is a "not-for-profit", so it would normally cost $250k Canadian. Ultimately, of course there is a chance it doesn't help, but when your told "you have a year to live" vs the surgery, what is the moral alternative that should be offered?

The big part of this honestly is that Canada probably doesn't have the skillset to perform this effectively. The surgeon she is seeing is an expert, so she is in good hands whereas in Canada she might not be.

As it were survival rates of cancers are far higher in the U.S (I think I saw 3-5% higher or something), which is insane and a reminder that Canada is a democatic, advanced nation in name only.

She wouldn't even qualify for the surgery in the USA because she'll only get a limited amount of time for their $250,000.

Your belief that she would be treated any better in the USA is laughable.

 

[shockedcanadian]

She wouldn't even qualify for the surgery in the USA because she'll only get a limited amount of time for their $250,000.

Your belief that she would be treated any better in the USA is laughable.

Keep defending our DeathCare and Security Industrial Complex while I will keep speaking the truth.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

She wouldn't even qualify for the surgery in the USA because she'll only get a limited amount of time for their $250,000.

Your belief that she would be treated any better in the USA is laughable.

My Aunt and my Cousin both were nurses one an emergency room nurse and they both said canadian healthcare sucks.
My Cousins long time boyfriend just died a few months ago from undiagnosed cancer.
We also had a friend of the family stay with us while he was getting cancer care at MD Anderson here in Houston and he pulled through.

Face it,if it's something serious you need to come to the US or you're likely going to die.

 

[Dragonlady]

...about the money thing. As a Medicare beneficiary, along with a large part of my family and social network, I see clearly now that Medicare has turned all of us into "cash cows." If you are on Medicare, no treatment is too risky, no treatment is too expensive, and no analysis is EVER made on whether a given treatment makes any sense given the likelihood that the patient will die presently in any event.

I have seen several friends and relatives on the past few years go into that Great Beyond with multi-million dollar invoices tied to their toes, all paid-in-full by Medicare (which is to say, the taxpayers). My brother-in-law was hospitalized 8 months ago with TERMINAL Covid, but that didn't stop the doctors from racking up charges for ridiculous surgeries, medicines, etc. At the end, as he lay completely unconscious and oblivious in Intensive Care, the Medico's told the family, no need to move him to hospice, let him stay here - at thousands of dollars a day - until the end comes. "We" did. It took him another week to pack it in.

The American system is insane. Trying to socialize it, as the Left wants to do, would make it even worse. The profiteering wouldn't stop, the health insurance companies and all the paper-pushers would remain employed for one thing or another, and total medical spending would go from the highest in the world to the highest in the universe.

Mark my words.

The Canadian medical system is based on prevention and early diagnosis to keep costs down. The US system discourages early diagnosis through ridiculous copayments. I nearly choked on my coffee when Joe Biden said that seniors' drug costs in the USA would be capped at $2000. My drug payments in Ontario are capped at $100. And my OHIP premiums are Nil.

On May 4th, I went to hospital and had my left knee replaced. Two days later, I was transferred to a rehab facility for two weeks of occupational and physical therapy, after which I returned home and looked after myself with minimal assistance. My physio continued as an outpatient for another 6 weeks after I returned home. My total bill was $80 for my prescriptions. My only paperwork was to deliver a package of documents from the rehab hospital to my GP and another to the physio therapy office.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

The Canadian medical system is based on prevention and early diagnosis to keep costs down. The US system discourages early diagnosis through ridiculous copayments. I nearly choked on my coffee when Joe Biden said that seniors' drug costs in the USA would be capped at $2000. My drug payments in Ontario are capped at $100. And my OHIP premiums are Nil.

On May 4th, I went to hospital and had my left knee replaced. Two days later, I was transferred to a rehab facility for two weeks of occupational and physical therapy, after which I returned home and looked after myself with minimal assistance. My physio continued as an outpatient for another 6 weeks after I returned home. My total bill was $80 for my prescriptions. My only paperwork was to deliver a package of documents from the rehab hospital to my GP and another to the physio therapy office.

Tell that to my Cousins boyfriend.
He went to the Docs multiple times and by the time they finally found out it was cancer it was to late.

 

[Dragonlady]

Keep defending our DeathCare and Security Industrial Complex while I will keep speaking the truth.

What truth? Canadians live, on average 4 years LONGER than Americans. So much for the idea that our health care is "death care".

Life Expectancy by Country 2022

Every time you post, you make asinine claims about life in Canada that have no basis in fact or reality and which are easily debunked. And your knowledge of day to day life in Canada in non-existent.

How are things in Iran???

 

[Dragonlady]

Tell that to my Cousins boyfriend.
He went to the Docs multiple times and by the time they finally found out it was cancer it was to late.

In any medical system, you have to advocate on your own behalf. My friend had skin cancer, and the doctors kept sending her away, and finally she walked into her doctor's office and said "If you don't get this off me, I'm going home to cut it off myself", and he removed the cancer. It was melanoma but it hadn't developed roots. Had she waited until some deemed it urgent, it would have been too late.

There are lots of stories of those who didn't stand up for the care they needed until it was too late, but just as many of those who successfully advocated on their own behalf and saved their own lives in doing so.