So, during the pandemic my family doctor, who is American, went back to her country, leaving me without a medical professional.
When the pandemic ended, I went in search of a new family doctor in my city in British Columbia. However I couldn't find one. I did find a nurse practitioner who can do most of what a doctor can do, including prescriptions.
In October, 2022, she asked me to do a standard physical at Life Labs so I did. She called me on the phone later to say everything was fine.
However, 8 months later, in June, I was called by an outpatient medical clinic asking me to come in for an EKG. Confused, I asked why. And they said it was triggered by my visit to LifeLabs and requested by my primary care provider.
I went for the EKG, which ended up being an ultrasound. That was June 27.
Then I waited. And waited. And waited. Nothing.
I finally called my NP and asked why I haven't heard back on what the results were and the receptionist said it's standard practice to only contact patients if follow-up is necessary. But I felt like something must have triggered the follow-up EKG/ultrasound so I wish I'd been told what that was and why I visited the hospital for it.
However, the tone of the receptionist made me think it's the normal way and I'm just being entitled.
When I had a family doctor he was making sure to tell the results over a follow-up appointment, good or bad, I really liked his empathy. I wish this was the standard..
Sounds pretty Canadian to me. We have private healthcare in everything but name. I'm on the hook for a $2500 dental bill for my kid right now. It's medically necessary. My insurance won't cover it. We can't pay it.
Meanwhile, the NDP are jacking themselves off over how they, "got dental and pharmacare for everyone1!!!
1 Does not apply if you have a job or a home. Until after the next election, when the program will be cancelled.
Your disappointment over dental surgery costs not being covered has made you really hate on the least-worse hope we have for costs like those being covered in the future and painted an untrue picture of healthcare in Canada.
Are you Albertan, or just shitting on things that could help you out of sheer anger and a desire to self-harm?
Are you Albertan
Yes. I live in Hell, thank you for asking. Knocking on doors for the NDP is a nightmare here, but I do it, because it's the least bad possible outcome.
or just shitting on things that could help you out of sheer anger and a desire to self-harm?
No. I'm being realistic. Why assume I'm angry about the government in bad faith? I have real material grievances: The current dental program doesn't help us pay for one cent of my kid's surgery. We're going to need to resort to payday loans and pawning stuff to pay for it. That's real anger about real stuff.
The Liberals will never follow through on rolling dental and pharmacare out without multiple layers of means testing. The NDP are going to force an early election they have no serious platform for, and will royally bungle their campaign. As is tradition.
Once the Conservatives are back in power in a year or two, the program will be cancelled. As is also tradition.
Are you Albertan, or just shitting on things that could help you out of sheer anger and a desire to self-harm?
Are you a prick? or just shitting on people that you generalize?
I'd say that's the case in my experience anyways. No news is good news.
Yup, Canadian healthcare is a disaster, only second to the US system.
Facts put Canada as 5th best in the world, behind Sweden, Denmark and some of those neighbors.
5th. I know! Bizarre! I had occasion to look it up when my swedish friends were complaining about their healthcare (3rd best globally).
We're not second only to America, but there's a massive difference. We're not awesome and we need to get better, but our system could be so, so much worse. We lost a lot of doctors during COVID, and I don't blame them because we couldn't do the bare minimum as a society, but it's going to be a long while before staffing levels are back up.
You say that like politicians are doing anything to bring staffing levels back up.
That has definitely been the case for any STI testing I've had
