Extra billing made illegal

[Mark1111]

Why remove access for people that can pay? Reduce the lineups, reduce the cost burden on taxpayers...this is why we can't have nice things.

https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-story-222808-3-.htm#222808

[gman313]

Because all the NDP supporters say it is 2 tier medical. Even though you are 100% correct

[typhoon44]

If they can shorten MRI wait times then no one would pay for it anyways.

[Veovis]

At what point after everything we have seen in so many years from Adrian Dix did anyone think he wanted to improve anything?

My goodness people.

No public service spots were taken away, no waiting list affected, but lets shut that down, make waiting longer and deaths higher. The NDP solution, all are equal all can die, none deserve help. (well except them and their buddies of course....no lines there)

[GrooveTunes]

The law was put in place in 2003. The LIBS ignored the illegal billing. NDP continue to catch more crooks.

http://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/extra-billing-for-insured-health-services-made-illegal-in-b-c

[Bettyb]

I'm a crook because I choose not to wait for a procedure and pay for it with my own money, free up a spot for somebody else, and be back in the workforce much earlier. If that's being a crook I can live with it.

[vegas1500]

I'm a crook because I choose not to wait for a procedure and pay for it with my own money, free up a spot for somebody else, and be back in the workforce much earlier. If that's being a crook I can live with it.

Me too.....a few years ago I needed an MRI. I don’t recall the wait, but it was long. I chose to pay for it and got it the next morning. My chose, no one else was affected. It was worth my health to get it done sooner than later.

[Queen K]

And the wait for results from MRIs can be long if my friend tells it right.

I haven't had to have one, but I'd just pay for and get if over with.

[Drip_Torch]

A law introduced and passed by the bc liberals in 2003, wasn't a bad law. It's the fact that the BC NDP are going to enforce that law, so the public system doesn't keep losing federal healthcare money - that's bad?

Ugh - I don't know what to say to that.

[stuphoto]

If they can shorten MRI wait times then no one would pay for it anyways.

I often wonder why the waits are so long when the hospital can get you in quickly if they feel it's a life or death situation. The same goes after an accident if they feel you may have a broken neck.

[Veovis]

If I personally bought an MRI machine and offered it for people use and only charge the people and not the government.....people say shame?

Odd.

[twobits]

A law introduced and passed by the bc liberals in 2003, wasn't a bad law. It's the fact that the BC NDP are going to enforce that law, so the public system doesn't keep losing federal healthcare money - that's bad?

Ugh - I don't know what to say to that.

That I have to agree with. The Feds are only deducting what Medical Services fee's would be for those same services. That is all the Province would get for those services if they performed them. Since they didn't, it is a wash for the Province. Why would the NDP then care if it was a wash on the revenue side if someone was willing to pay more to expedite their diagnosis? THe Province didn't lose a dime and that is what the LIberals recognized.
Because they are NDP and stuck on a socialist, and almost communistic model, of anything that is state funded, all citizens will have equal access. That's all great and I have no problem with it until state funding creates waiting times. And since even the NDP do not discourage entrepreneurialism and recognize that some people are higher income earners, why would they preclude those that can afford to pay for extra health care, to seek it and pay for it?? They will anyway by just driving across the border or flying to another country. It just seems counter productive to me that they are chasing away some legitimate jobs in BC that people will just seek outside of the Province instead of within the Province. The Province will actually lose money from the loss of taxable income these private clinics will provide.

[Veovis]

And the wait for results from MRIs can be long if my friend tells it right.

I haven't had to have one, but I'd just pay for and get if over with.

took me almost a year and that was some years ago, since it wasn't a rush I waited on a cancellation list and got in when I did.

If it was more important, I write that cheque every time.

[Queen K]

If I personally bought an MRI machine and offered it for people use and only charge the people and not the government.....people say shame?

Odd.

Used low-field MRI machines can be as cheap as $150,000 or as expensive as $1.2 million. For a state-of-the-art 3 Tesla MRI machine, the price tag to buy one new can reach $3 million. The room that houses the machine, called an MRI suite, can cost hundreds of thousands more.Jul 16, 2014

I hope you have a partnership in this.

[Veovis]

Wow, well shame on the people that shell out this kind of money to help people the system can't get to.