You Know What Really Grinds My Gears? Now with 3x more gears...

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by pylon

WRGMG is how obscenely broken the Health Care system has become.

My Family Dr. has had enough of AHS and apologetically informed me of his leaving the Country, and for 6 months, I have been trying to find a new Family physician with zero luck. I am just one middle aged guy with a spouse and no kids. I feel for those with children that should have access to a family physician long before me.

My father had a complete Aorta and valve replacement performed in December. Last spring he was complaining about light headedness, chest pain, lethargy.... he got the "MRI will takes months" speech. So my mom paid out of pocket for an MRI. He has a massive aneurysm on his Aorta, and so much as lifting a box, could rupture it and kill him on the spot. It took 5 months for them to line up a surgeon, and he was basically bedridden and confined to the couch for that 5 months waiting for his turn. When they finally got it done, the surgeon expressed it is a miracle he was still alive as he was able to rupture it with a swab once he was on the heart lung machine. In the opinion of the Surgeon, the private MRI saved his life.

Just recently, a colleague of mine, took her son to the Doctor for a growth on his back. An MRI was scheduled 5 months out. She pleaded for a quicker result, as she said it was growing. Nope... wait your 5 months. She took it upon herself to pay a private MRI clinic out of pocket to rush him through. He has a massive tumor in his back, and just got results back from the biopsy that it is malignant and aggressive. Had she followed the protocol outlined by AHS her son would have likely had zero chance of survival as it has more than doubled in size in 30 days.

Everyone argues against private Health Care here, but what the hell do you call it, when you have to pay out of pocket to get a test that should be offered on the spot like any other civilized country? People without the means and resources to jump the cue and pay-up, are without question dying, waiting for testing and care.

Part of me is starting to believe this is by design, as a dead patient costs the public system a lot less, than rounds of chemo, radiation and surgeries.

The problem is getting worse by the month nationally, and I believe it is a national crisis.... and this RGMG.

This is what we've voted for 44/48 years. (not me of course)

Originally Posted by pylon

To the level where it means you get adequate and proper care.

Personally, and I never believed I'd say this... ever, in the public systems current state, I'd have no issues with a two tiered system, and I'd gladly pay for it on top of the taxes I pay. If the general population thinks the current system is so wonderful, let them use that one. I'd be more than happy to pay insurance premiums to get top level care. And even better yet, if people that can afford it, go to a private system, then the current system should get a whole lot roomier to provide faster care for those who feel it's adequate.

But I do not believe that is the answer. There are so many areas the Government could actually cut out useless fat out of provincial and federal budgets, you could probably make it transparent.

Weird, I wonder why nobody has just done that, then?

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by Locke

That is one thing that annoys me greatly.

I get that my Doc only gets paid for my visits or whatever, but believe it or not I've got other things to do than plan to see them as frequently as humanly possible.

For instance...if you need a whole bunch of blood tests done, list them all on one order rather than one at a time and then scheduling an appointment to 'discuss the results with me' after each one.

That is a grift.

I was in last week to get a skin tag snipped in a sensitive place. Anywhere else I wouldn’t have bothered. My doc talks with me and then asks me to come back after she reviews my file to make sure I’m not a bleeder. She’d already asked me questions about that and had me sign a form on which I indicated I wasn’t a bleeder. So I had to come in this morning for the procedure she could have done Thursday. One more visit - another $200 or whatever TF they charge the province.

[btimbit]

It's absolutely by design. Health care has been crying for more money for years and years, and we posted a budget surplus. I know we've discussed just ambulances before, and like I said then, they can't even fill a normal schedule let alone how much busier they've been the last three years.

Health care just gets abused by the Government, but they aren't interested in fixing it, it's easier to just point fingers.

We get what we vote for

[Cecil Terwilliger]

And just think of how much worse it’s gonna get with our aging population. Logan’s Run style policies can’t come soon enough.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by pylon

WRGMG is how obscenely broken the Health Care system has become.

My Family Dr. has had enough of AHS and apologetically informed me of his leaving the Country, and for 6 months, I have been trying to find a new Family physician with zero luck. I am just one middle aged guy with a spouse and no kids. I feel for those with children that should have access to a family physician long before me.

My father had a complete Aorta and valve replacement performed in December. Last spring he was complaining about light headedness, chest pain, lethargy.... he got the "MRI will takes months" speech. So my mom paid out of pocket for an MRI. He has a massive aneurysm on his Aorta, and so much as lifting a box, could rupture it and kill him on the spot. It took 5 months for them to line up a surgeon, and he was basically bedridden and confined to the couch for that 5 months waiting for his turn. When they finally got it done, the surgeon expressed it is a miracle he was still alive as he was able to rupture it with a swab once he was on the heart lung machine. In the opinion of the Surgeon, the private MRI saved his life.

Just recently, a colleague of mine, took her son to the Doctor for a growth on his back. An MRI was scheduled 5 months out. She pleaded for a quicker result, as she said it was growing. Nope... wait your 5 months. She took it upon herself to pay a private MRI clinic out of pocket to rush him through. He has a massive tumor in his back, and just got results back from the biopsy that it is malignant and aggressive. Had she followed the protocol outlined by AHS her son would have likely had zero chance of survival as it has more than doubled in size in 30 days.

Everyone argues against private Health Care here, but what the hell do you call it, when you have to pay out of pocket to get a test that should be offered on the spot like any other civilized country? People without the means and resources to jump the cue and pay-up, are without question dying, waiting for testing and care.

Part of me is starting to believe this is by design, as a dead patient costs the public system a lot less, than rounds of chemo, radiation and surgeries.

The problem is getting worse by the month nationally, and I believe it is a national crisis.... and this RGMG.

Of course it is by design, governments have been sabotaging our healthcare systems for decades. I'd highly recommend voting for the NDP next time around if this is a serious issue for you(and it should be for everyone). If you say "they are all the same" no they are not. Had the PC's stayed in power we'd have a half assed conversion of the South Health Campus to a cancer centre. The NDP made the right move, and we are fortunate we had them for a few years to make it happen. Privatization of services is just inserting middle men to take their cut as profit. It will make things even more expensive. It's not a serious solution.

If you vote for parties who proclaim "no new taxes" and "we'll cut your taxes", well this is what you get. Garbage services. Give me a PST already! If you think this is bad, just wait until Danielle Smith puts her naturopath in charge of AHS.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

And just think of how much worse it’s gonna get with our aging population. Logan’s Run style policies can’t come soon enough.

Work until your 55 and then 5 years to spend all of your savings. Logan’s Run meets Brewster’s Millions.

[opendoor]

Non-emergency care in Canada is generally awful, but I can't say I've ever heard of anyone I know having as poor care for critical issues as what pylon mentions (at least in BC).

Just off the top of my head from people I know: suspected lung cancer, CT scan and biopsy within a few days; broken ankle, CT scan and surgery within a day; double vision/dizziness/possible stroke signs that resolved with treatment, MRI within a few days just to be safe; feeling lightheaded when standing up and a racing heartbeat, surgery to install a pacemaker within a few days.

That said, Canadian health care is clearly in for a reckoning. We can't spend half of what the US does per capita and expect remotely similar care, nor are we going to get care as cheaply as some European countries. And a parallel for-profit system or more private money isn't really the answer; that just leads to more spending on non-frontline services.

At some point the government is going to have to look at cutting OAS from mid-to-high income seniors to fund health care. But instead these idiots did the opposite and increased OAS while maintaining the $80K threshold before benefits are reduced.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by btimbit

It's absolutely by design. Health care has been crying for more money for years and years, and we posted a budget surplus. I know we've discussed just ambulances before, and like I said then, they can't even fill a normal schedule let alone how much busier they've been the last three years.

Health care just gets abused by the Government, but they aren't interested in fixing it, it's easier to just point fingers.

We get what we vote for

On the ambulance issue, do they pick people up and then wait with them at the ER until they’re seen? I’m in the hospital as infrequently as possible, but that seems to be what the process is?

[Mr.Coffee]

Pylon is right though. There is a lot of insane inefficiencies and waste. For example, why can’t nursing practitioners take on more of a prominent role? Oh that’s right, doctors don’t want / won’t let them. Why can’t LPNs take on more prominent roles from RNs? Oh that’s right, union / system protections. Why do we allow OT to get abused so badly? Oh that’s right, union / system issues. Why aren’t there more flexible shifts offered to nurses and only so many .5 shifts available? Oh that’s right, union won’t allow it.

And on and on and on. And everybody knows it. Why are immigrants that are perfectly fine doctors driving taxis? I mean I get we have standards, but some of our standards seem a bit extreme. And then we cry foul about staff shortages. Why did we blow up a hospital in an insanely rapidly growing city? Why did we build a childrens hospital with the same capacity as the previous one (with a city of 600k to 800k) and then make sure we shoe horned in Good Earths and playgrounds (for a city and serving southern Alberta population of 1.5mm)?

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by opendoor

Non-emergency care in Canada is generally awful, but I can't say I've ever heard of anyone I know having as poor care for critical issues as what pylon mentions (at least in BC).

Just off the top of my head from people I know: suspected lung cancer, CT scan and biopsy within a few days; broken ankle, CT scan and surgery within a day; double vision/dizziness/possible stroke signs that resolved with treatment, MRI within a few days just to be safe; feeling lightheaded when standing up and a racing heartbeat, surgery to install a pacemaker within a few days.

That said, Canadian health care is clearly in for a reckoning. We can't spend half of what the US does per capita and expect remotely similar care, nor are we going to get care as cheaply as some European countries. And a parallel for-profit system or more private money isn't really the answer; that just leads to more spending on non-frontline services.

At some point the government is going to have to look at cutting OAS from mid-to-high income seniors to fund health care. But instead these idiots did the opposite and increased OAS while maintaining the $80K threshold before benefits are reduced.

I've been waiting, oh, 18 months now to see an ENT on referral, with no sign of an appointment yet. #### is broken.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Pylon is right though. There is a lot of insane inefficiencies and waste. For example, why can’t nursing practitioners take on more of a prominent role? Oh that’s right, doctors don’t want / won’t let them. Why can’t LPNs take on more prominent roles from RNs? Oh that’s right, union / system protections. Why do we allow OT to get abused so badly? Oh that’s right, union / system issues. Why aren’t there more flexible shifts offered to nurses and only so many .5 shifts available? Oh that’s right, union won’t allow it.

Nice try Mr.Coffee

[Sr. Mints]

Originally Posted by Locke

That is one thing that annoys me greatly.



I get that my Doc only gets paid for my visits or whatever, but believe it or not I've got other things to do than plan to see them as frequently as humanly possible.



For instance...if you need a whole bunch of blood tests done, list them all on one order rather than one at a time and then scheduling an appointment to 'discuss the results with me' after each one.



That is a grift.

I asked my family doctor why he makes me go every 3 months now, and I can't remember his exact wording but basically because protocol for an unstable patient says so.

I can't complain about my family doctor, when mine retired in 2017 he transferred all his patients to another physician in the same clinic - four or five whom we're taking patients at that time.

For a decade now I felt like I've been tethered to my specialist doctors, and this city, cause it's taken so long to build a team of docs. I don't know how I'm ever going to move with a half dozen different specialists I'd have to find replacements for.

[Fuzz]

Motorists sure are a murderous bunch. 3 times this morning! Heaven forbid they actually stop at a stop sign and get slowed down by 3 seconds waiting or a cyclist who has right of way to cross.

[Johnny199r]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Motorists sure are a murderous bunch. 3 times this morning! Heaven forbid they actually stop at a stop sign and get slowed down by 3 seconds waiting or a cyclist who has right of way to cross.

Remember, cyclists are always the bad guys, no matter what.

[Wormius]

Yesterda, for the first time, I saw a rollerblader using the street, making their way up Centre St. That must have been fun for traffic. She was going pretty fast though, given the normal rush-hour congestion.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by opendoor

That said, Canadian health care is clearly in for a reckoning. We can't spend half of what the US does per capita and expect remotely similar care, nor are we going to get care as cheaply as some European countries. And a parallel for-profit system or more private money isn't really the answer; that just leads to more spending on non-frontline services.

At some point the government is going to have to look at cutting OAS from mid-to-high income seniors to fund health care. But instead these idiots did the opposite and increased OAS while maintaining the $80K threshold before benefits are reduced.

Yep. The problems are national, systemic, and have worsened in every province under every government. There’s no party at any level offering to both systemically reform the system and increase funding. And without both, the health care capacity crisis will only get worse.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Of course it is by design, governments have been sabotaging our healthcare systems for decades. I'd highly recommend voting for the NDP next time around if this is a serious issue for you(and it should be for everyone). If you say "they are all the same" no they are not.

Oh you sweet summer child.

Nope, they're not the same. But they're no better.

Your political knowledge is extremely parochial.

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Yesterda, for the first time, I saw a rollerblader using the street, making their way up Centre St. That must have been fun for traffic. She was going pretty fast though, given the normal rush-hour congestion.

People are so annoying. Downtown Calgary is connected fairly well with bike lanes, all you have to do is look at a map to see which streets have them. It's more than many probably think. I don't even rollerblade for a commute, just for fun, and I always stick to those streets. So many people just don't GAF.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Shazam

Oh you sweet summer child.

Nope, they're not the same. But they're no better.

Your political knowledge is extremely parochial.

LOL, no better? How could a government possibly be worse than the UCP?

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

LOL, no better? How could a government possibly be worse than the UCP?

Yes, the UCP are the worst.

But they NDP sure had some hairbrained ideas, like coming to your home to change lightbulbs lmao.