$950 to see a doctor at KGH! Really?

[KL3-Something]

"Walk-in Clinic"

[Catz]

So if you don't have a family doctor where do you find one? On Castanet's classifield?
80% that goes in there is not an emergency.
Because they don't have family doctor or have a problem that's non urgent but that needs consideration now and not in 3 months
Nothing wrong with KGH...it is poor management on your part. My mistake was to not get the stupid card on time... but $950. Really? Is that reasonnable? Tell me about $100 I'll take it and simply shut up. But 950. U kidding, right?[/quote][/quote]


Call the admin desk in the am and find one

you can an apt before then or go to a walk in

375.00 just to open a chart yet alone start the er fees...this all about 50 bucks or so in a dr office,

GO TO A DR OFFICE UNLESS DEAD OR DYING!

er IS FOR EMEGENCIES FOR GODS SAKE. ARE YOU STROKING? lIVER FAILER? RESP FAILURE? BROKEN LEG?

[GordonH]

Find a Doctor https://www.cpsbc.ca/node/263

Go online and get your care card which for a single person equal to $798 per year or $66.50 a month.

[Triple 6]

There are no less than 8 threads on Castanet forums all about finding a family doctor.

Start with Doctor, Doctor, Give me the News and work from there.

That usually involves a bad case of loving you. Just sayin' But Queenie is right. Lots of threads on locating a dr.

You don't go to the ER to get medical care UNLESS it's an emergency. A walk in clinic is fine.

[Catri]

The hospital is not your best bet if you just need to see a doctor for non-emergency care. There are many walk-in clinics in Kelowna where those without a family doctor can receive medical care. When my husband was visiting here from the US and uninsured, it cost him roughly $50 to see a doctor at a walk-in.

[French Castanut]

Thanks for the links provided. I'll take a look at it I'm surprised we can find a doctor online in BC. As for my initial question, here's what on the MSP application form:

If you apply late, the effective date of benefits will be determined by MSP and may result in premiums being charged retroactively

Well, that can't be any more or less variable. So I'll wait and call them first thing tomorrow morning.

As for 950$.. I still just can't believe it, and even if I was dying, I wouldn't pay for that. My successor would deal with it.

[French Castanut]

As for the other replies... I only go to the hospital when I need to go to the hospital. I even broke my little toe for the 2nd time two months ago and I didn't even go (first time was in 2006). Yes it still hurts and yes it points left when I point them up. Creepy I know. I only go when there's an emergency and my little toe wasn't.

And eh, I just forgot to fill in a new application like if I only have that to think about. I also have a wife and childs to feed and care about and I'm only human after all.

But $950 really??? And that's not including the "extra" services

I'd like to see the break up of that charge to see where the money goes.

[gardengirl]

The charge would be the same for anyone who does not have medical insurance. You have no one to blame but yourself.
MSP is for BC residents. If you have been out of the Province for an extended period of time, you are no longer a resident.
MSP does allow for late payments for at least 2 periods, if you had yours cancelled, that means you were not a few days late in paying, you were a couple of months late.
The fees for uninsured people have always been displayed in the Emerg waiting area.
I don't think they need to provide you with a breakdown of what those fees are for.
However, there are costs for the facility itself, and all the staff. For to you access the hospital, there is the building itself, utilities, repairs and maintenance, equipment and staff. That includes the cleaning staff, admin staff, as well as the medical staff. Should they provide care to everyone who says they "forgot" to pay for their MSP?

If so, you can expect everyone's taxes to go up a huge amount and you can expect medical care in the Province to plummet.

Since you have family responsibilities, you should be responsible for your own and your family's healthcare. YOU, not KGH or anyone else. YOU are responsible for making sure your premiums are paid. If you have neglected that duty, YOU are responsible for covering any fees whatever they may be.

[French Castanut]

I don't think they need to provide you with a breakdown of what those fees are for.
However, there are costs for the facility itself, and all the staff. For to you access the hospital, there is the building itself, utilities, repairs and maintenance, equipment and staff. That includes the cleaning staff, admin staff, as well as the medical staff.

Same when I go at the restaurant. I know that my $30 meal covers the building, electricity, management, waitress, bossboy, cleaner staff.

So if going at the hospital, see a nurse for 5 minutes and a doctor for 5 minutes is worth $950, there's a problem on how they manage their expenses and it's not because I forgot to reapply for BC medicare. Plus you have to pay for parking, they don't feed you for the 14 hours you wait there. Right, they provide hand cleanser, that might be the added value package.

I do not expect free service, but I do expect reasonnable cost, or VIP treatment for $1k.

[gardengirl]

Seriously, how are you not getting this?
Comparing a multi million dollar state of the art emergency ward to a restaurant?
You can go to a walk in clinic.
Operating costs there are rent, utilities, admin and medical staff.
They have no diagnostic equipment whatsoever.
No lab, no xrays, or any other imaging equipment.
They probably don't even have a nurse, not one.
If you are lucky, they might do sutures, but probably not even a splint without first getting xrays.
They have limited hours and you will certainly have to wait to be seen.

[French Castanut]

Seriously, how are you not getting this?
Comparing a multi million dollar state of the art emergency ward to a restaurant?
You can go to a walk in clinic.
Operating costs there are rent, utilities, admin and medical staff.
They have no diagnostic equipment whatsoever.
No lab, no xrays, or any other imaging equipment.
They probably don't even have a nurse, not one.
If you are lucky, they might do sutures, but probably not even a splint without first getting xrays.
They have limited hours and you will certainly have to wait to be seen.

$950 DOES NOT include LAB and million dollar state of the art diagnosis equipment. Just the doctor, a white 4 wall examination room and everyone else sicknesses and a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong waiting time because we're patients.

For $950 I expect lazyboy in the waiting room and free coffee or orange juice and a WII & Xbox and movie theater while waiting to see a doctor or no wait time at all.

[danmartin]

Medical services cost big bucks! If you're uninsured in the states you will have to have a big bank account if you expect to be treated in a hospital. Yes $950 may seem like a lot of money but have you ever taken a dog to a vet and had any work done?
Any tests done like xrays or lab work cost way more then what we would expect. Just saying we must appreciate our socialistic medical system!!! A little off topic but there are only three provinces in Canada that charge MSP fees, BC being one.

[Bsuds]

Suck it up buttercup and get your MSP!

[johnhenry]

"Why should the dude that pays nothing go before me?"

First off, we all pay medical premiums, even the " dude". Secondly, the dude paid his medical premiums, that's why he gets to go before you.

[gardengirl]

Try again. Yes, the fees for the diagnostics are extra.
In addition to purchasing and maintaining the equipment, there is a fee for the actual results.
You are charged for the materials required, the technician who operates the equipment and the person who interprets the results of the diagnostics which may be a radiologist or other diagnostic specialist. That is most likely not the emergency doctor who is attending to you in the ward. Those hospitalists look after patients in minor treatment as well as trauma.