I read the letter from a member that included a letter from their physician saying he was quitting practice because he could no longer tolerate the conditions under which he had to work for OHIP (Spring 2005, Issue 54). Obviously, the reasons are very disturbing though it has to be said in no uncertain terms that Canadians have but themselves to blame. There can be no change to this disintegrating system because anyone who suggests change is on the receiving end of abuse. Politicians do not like to be in such a position and so tinker with it without actually solving the problem. It certainly can be improved if Canadians would rid themselves of myopia and look to other English speaking countries which have a system that seems to works better. Take Australia for instance. There the government says it has so much money for health care and allocates it appropriately, though there are insufficient funds to satisfy the total demand and to fully occupy the physicians and surgeons available. So the citizens have a choice: they can join a waiting list and have procedures done at government expense when their turn comes up, or they can go private and have it done very much sooner. It should be noted that what could happen is that the physician is working for government pay in the morning and completing his working day by doing the same procedures for private patients in the afternoon. It seems to work satisfactorily and gripes are few, as every one knows that real emergencies are always at the top of the list and the physicians and surgeons receive better recompense and are fully occupied.

Further, in the U.K., where all this universal health care began, at least for some of the First World English speaking countries, there has always been a two-tier system which has helped to keep waiting lists down to some degree.

It is my view that these other systems should be reviewed and the best features adopted in Canada. But it probably will not happen, as the citizens see our faulty and failing system as being without blemish. Further, we have no strong politicians who will shoulder the abuse and force some form of two-tier system into being. So the true medical professionals will continue to be frustrated and leave the system, making it worse than it is now, just as the great rush of the baby boomers will be entering. What an awful prospect we have ahead.

Yours Truly,
P.J. Benn

There has been a systemic program, primarily by governments, to paint any form of private involvement in health care as a national disaster. This is patently untrue! Who do you think can build a hospital better, the government or the private sector? We are all too aware of government cost overruns and friends that get lucrative government contracts. If a private company owns an MRI machine and the government pays for its usage, is that a crime? Is it not better to have an MRI machine available, period? There is currently a Canada-wide rationing of health care and drugs that is endangering people's lives. I believe all the systems of other countries have been endlessly reviewed already, and it is time for action. I, for one, would gladly pay to have an intensive review of my health using the latest technology. Perhaps you have all seen the full page colour ads in our daily newspapers enticing you to go to Michigan to do just that. They were originally in black and white, but I guess the response from Canadians was strong enough to enable them to afford the much more expensive colour ads. Can we not keep those dollars in Canada? Did you know that many of our top physicians have offices in Boston or New York, as well as in Canada? Salary caps, of course. This is my own personal opinion on a very complex issue, but I believe it is shared by many Canadians and all we need are a few farsighted politicians to light the torch and run with it.

Dear Bird Talk,
I have just spent 2 weeks in one of our Ontario healthcare facilities. I had a really hard time realizing that we are in the 21st century because sometimes in the ward it was like the dark ages. My wife had a double bowel resection. The operation was a success; the care afterwards was another story. One hears about how difficult it is for the nurses, but after spending 12 hour days in the hospital it is a real eye-opener. I felt I had to be there to ensure my wife was being taken care of. My biggest concern was that there seemed to be a general lack of communication as to what medication she was on, can she move, etc. Each new nurse coming on a new shift did not seem to have all the facts. I would sure like to see these politicians that make all the rules end up in a general ward with a lot of frustrated, overworked nurses taking care of them. Bottom line: take some of the money from the top and give the nurses more money and better working conditions. There is a desperate need now to remedy this situation.

Yours truly,
Bill Horgan

We believe it is absolutely necessary to take an active role in any health care environment. Your care for your wife was commendable and all too often people do not realize what must be done. With the current strains on our health-care system in Canada, an attitude of pro-active self interest is more important than ever. Hopefully, the politicians will start putting patient needs as a higher priority than the political health care "games".

CANADIAN SNOWBIRDS BE AWARE

AWARE is the key word in my story and will come up again several times.

It all started in September of 2004 when my wife and I started shopping around for emergency medical coverage. We have been spending our winters in Yuma, Arizona for the past five years, insured with different companies along the way. For the first four years we had no medical claims, but on the fifth year, I did. At this time we were insured with Medipac, who paid for everything with no problems.

By the way, my application for coverage was filled out the same way every year for all companies involved.

In the 2004-2005 season our luck changed, as we chose (********* company name deleted to avoid lawsuits). This was a big mistake, because I got sick, was hospitalized and ended up having surgery. At first (the other company) agreed to pay but later reviewed my worksheet application and found a loop hole that got them off the hook.

I should have read the fine print, which I did after the fact. By now it was too late.

This company, (********), has a clause in their policy which is worded like this "I understand that applying for coverage under this policy it is my responsibility to be aware of all medical conditions, whether or not disclosed to me by a physician". Talk about covering their butts! My doctor could not believe this clause and said "this application should not be filled out by the applicant but by a physician". I can now understand him saying this.

Why and how would you report a condition you do not know you have?

I was not aware, so I left it blank. Some of you may think this is all my fault, but I do not feel it is. I truly feel I've been had, because the condition or loophole (********) is referring to had nothing to do with the surgery I received and I am not on any medication, am not on any kind of special diets or anything else for this condition.

So fellow snowbirds, be aware and choose your company for emergency medical coverage with the greatest care. You do not want to go through the hell we have this past season or be responsible for the thousands of dollars that have been thrown into our laps.

In my opinion, companies like this should not be in business and it is my intension to make you aware. I hope I have succeeded.

Disgusted Snowbird
Tom Lipkovits

Well Tom, as you can see, we are helping you to spread your message. We certainly have empathy for your plight and hope we can welcome you back to the Medipac Program this season. It is difficult for people to appreciate, until they have been through a similar situation, that the value of an insurance policy is not measured in premium, personality or even paper. It is always, and only, about providing assistance and coverage when you make a claim. Read, and understand, every word of your application and policy!

Dear Bird Talk,

I think it is great that the CSA supports the Medipac Insurance program and vice/versa. It is an important membership benefit to a lot of members and I am sure the insurers have a successful operation financially. However, what bothers me is that it is not cost effective for all members and I maintain that it should be. I would like to be insured with Medipac and to support the program, but this year, the price quoted for me was nearly $1,000 more than I was able to purchase the coverage elsewhere. Not good enough, I say.

I am 83 and in good health and am also a licensed insurance broker, so I know what I am doing. If the CSA is to support this program, then I think it should be competitively priced for all members and not just those who provide the most profit to the insurers.

I would like to have your comments.

Yours Sincerely,
John Caird

One of your comments, as a licensed insurance broker, stood out to us – "I would like to be insured with Medipac". You have obviously done your homework but have objections to our price, and we understand this. Of the 40 odd insurers in the travel health business, there is only one that has a significantly lower price than Medipac (most cost a great deal more). Assuming you are travelling for 183 days, their price is $680 less than Medipac's base price for your age group. That company is the same one referred to above so I would be very, very careful. They also have very low limits on their maximum claim in the $50 -100,000 range, which is certainly nowhere near sufficient to pay for a few days stay in intensive care. Medipac, of course, pays up to $2 million U.S. dollars. There are also lots of wording differences between the two policies, and Medipac is better and more user-friendly in almost all cases. If you are claims free for 10 years (which you appear to have been), and have been with Medipac for 5 years or more, you earn a 15% discount on your Medipac premium. This brings the real price difference to $62. To clarify, Medipac is $62 cheaper than the other stripped down plan. Our coverage and service are light years ahead. You should look at our Early Bird Program and call us if we can assist you in any way.