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So in Canada, you go to the doctor. You give them your health card. Then you leave. That's all. The doctor uses the standard provincial billing system to get t

So in Canada, you go to the doctor. You give them your health card. Then you leave. That's all. The doctor uses the standard provincial billing system to get their money. This seems far more exciting though!

nickff 5y ago
The OP is more comparable to the system the doctor uses to get paid by the provincial health agency. A patient would only use this if the doctor refuses to deal with the insurer for some reason.
- deleted 5y ago
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brimble 5y ago
This misses the part of the game where the doctor's office has you fill out forms giving them a bunch of the same info they already have. Twice. In the same visit. This may take 20 or more minutes. For no good reason whatsoever. Then the ongoing ARG portion where you have to repeatedly sit on hold for hours with the provider's billing department, insurance, and the state insurance commission and/or your congressperson's office, to finally get all the billing sorted out without getting screwed, all while receiving all kinds of scary letters that the people on the phone will tell you to ignore. [EDIT] Oh and I bet the Canadian version of the game doesn't even have some of the greatest antagonists of the American edition: the people whose entire job is to wander around emergency rooms bugging very sick people about payment and insurance.
- nickff 5y ago
  >"Oh and I bet the Canadian version of the game doesn't even have some of the greatest antagonists of the American edition: the people whose entire job is to wander around emergency rooms bugging very sick people about payment and insurance." Most, if not all the provinces do actually charge people in certain groups (tourists & recent immigrants) for medical care.
- SilasX 5y ago
  >the greatest antagonists of the American edition: the people whose entire job is to wander around emergency rooms bugging very sick people about payment and insurance. Lol yes! One time I woke up with debilitating nerve pain shooting down my writing arm and went to the ER.[1] One of those people kept bugging me until I snapped and said, “I am totally happy to fill that out, just the moment my arm is functioning again.” [1] Yes in retrospect should have gone to an urgent care, although I suspect they wouldn’t have been helpful either.
yborg 5y ago
That is how it was in the US with private insurance 30 years ago. But then everybody involved bulked up so they could improve shareholder value (i.e. executive comp).
refurb 5y ago
Except for things the government doesn't cover that your private insurance covers. Family members have had plenty of denials and crappy paperwork too. And just like the US, paying cash is often the easiest path forward.
Handytinge 5y ago
Same in Australia for most doctors (bulk billing). You usually only have to give them your card once. If your doctor doesn't bulk bill though the process becomes more difficult. You have to go onto a government website (fairly modern one), and upload your receipt for reimbursement within a few days. Or if that's too hard, just visit a local medicare office and they'll do it for you. Tough!

nickff 5y ago

The OP is more comparable to the system the doctor uses to get paid by the provincial health agency. A patient would only use this if the doctor refuses to deal with the insurer for some reason.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

brimble 5y ago

This misses the part of the game where the doctor's office has you fill out forms giving them a bunch of the same info they already have. Twice. In the same visit. This may take 20 or more minutes. For no good reason whatsoever. Then the ongoing ARG portion where you have to repeatedly sit on hold for hours with the provider's billing department, insurance, and the state insurance commission and/or your congressperson's office, to finally get all the billing sorted out without getting screwed, all while receiving all kinds of scary letters that the people on the phone will tell you to ignore. [EDIT] Oh and I bet the Canadian version of the game doesn't even have some of the greatest antagonists of the American edition: the people whose entire job is to wander around emergency rooms bugging very sick people about payment and insurance.

nickff 5y ago
>"Oh and I bet the Canadian version of the game doesn't even have some of the greatest antagonists of the American edition: the people whose entire job is to wander around emergency rooms bugging very sick people about payment and insurance." Most, if not all the provinces do actually charge people in certain groups (tourists & recent immigrants) for medical care.
SilasX 5y ago
>the greatest antagonists of the American edition: the people whose entire job is to wander around emergency rooms bugging very sick people about payment and insurance. Lol yes! One time I woke up with debilitating nerve pain shooting down my writing arm and went to the ER.[1] One of those people kept bugging me until I snapped and said, “I am totally happy to fill that out, just the moment my arm is functioning again.” [1] Yes in retrospect should have gone to an urgent care, although I suspect they wouldn’t have been helpful either.

yborg 5y ago

That is how it was in the US with private insurance 30 years ago. But then everybody involved bulked up so they could improve shareholder value (i.e. executive comp).

refurb 5y ago

Except for things the government doesn't cover that your private insurance covers. Family members have had plenty of denials and crappy paperwork too. And just like the US, paying cash is often the easiest path forward.

Handytinge 5y ago

Same in Australia for most doctors (bulk billing). You usually only have to give them your card once. If your doctor doesn't bulk bill though the process becomes more difficult. You have to go onto a government website (fairly modern one), and upload your receipt for reimbursement within a few days. Or if that's too hard, just visit a local medicare office and they'll do it for you. Tough!