I am in British Columbia and here ambulance both air and ground for BC residents covered by MSP is $80 flat fee if transported to hospital. That is the max one will pay.
If not transported the fee is $50.
Now for non- BC residents not covered by MSP the cost is far higher.
$530 flat fee (ground service)
$2,746 per hour (helicopter)
$7 per statute mile (airplane)
I am USC married to a Canadian which is why I now live in Canada and have been here for 13 years but I spent 25 years in tye US in California so have experienced both systems.
I have no issues with our healthcare in BC.
I also pay less in taxes overall vs living in the US and while sales tax is higher the GST rebate every 3 months off sets that. And I pay $0 per month for healthcare.
So pay less taxes overall, no monthly healthcare premiums and no co payments to see the doctor.
I have yet to ever be denied medical care here for any reason.
VTKillarney wrote:2122M wrote:Its not a data point and its not 100% anecdotal. Would someone in Canada ever think for a moment about ambulance ride costs when there are standing there looking at the bone through their own leg while they risk bleeding out?
First, there is non evidence that she was at risk of bleeding out. That said, of course someone in Canada would think about ambulance ride costs. First, there is a co-pay. Second, if the ride is determined to be medically unnecessary, they have to pay for the ride. In a system with a very taxed budget, bureaucrats are happy to determine that a ride was not necessary. For a cut to the leg, this would have to be a genuine concern.
2122M wrote:You can dismiss all the scientific evidence you want regarding medical outcomes, but I'm going to assume that the medical journals and the authors that write them know a thing or two more about this issue than you do.
Fantastic! I didn't realize that you could provide some journal citations for me since I was unaware that you had reviewed the medical literture. Please let me know what you have reviewed and I will pull it up on PubMed. I eagerly await your citations.