DeviantlyD
Posts: 4375
Joined: 5/26/2007
From: Hawai`i
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: RottenJohnny
So what does this have anything to do with the US other than it happened to be where she delivered her baby? Sounds like the issue is with Canadian health insurance laws to me.
It has to do with the over-inflated billing that hospital administrators foist on their patients. It's obscene. I work in health care in the USA and I have worked in health care in Canada too. I know how it works.
And yes, Blue Cross Canada is to blame as well. They insured her. If she purposely hid anything, they could possibly deny, but I would sue them. They did take her money up front so they are responsible, IMHO.
quote:
ORIGINAL: tj444
That was not a smart thing to do, they shouldn't have travelled with her being so far along in her pregnancy.. a flight to Hawaii is a very long flight too and sitting in a plane for anywhere from 12 to 20 hours, even if you aren't pregnant.. Why would anyone want to put their unborn baby under that kind of stress?
There are no direct flights to Hawai`i from Saskatchewan. The couple would have flown from Vancouver or possibly a mainland USA city. The Vancouver flight is 5.5 hours. Long, to be sure, but not 12 hours. The flight time would be less from an American coastal city or not that much more from a city further inland, likely Denver.
quote:
ORIGINAL: littleladybug
I've been thinking on this one since you first made your post.
It's known here in the States that "retail" costs on healthcare are way different that costs billed to insurance companies. Blue Cross, if and when they cover something like this, will not pay anywhere NEAR that amount.
My point, and question, is this:
What happens when, say, an uninsured American has something like this happen in Canada? How are the costs figured?
As polite as I know Canadians are, I have no doubt that a bill *will* be sent.
Anyone have any data on this?
I don't have data, but from when I worked in Canada, I can say that at that time an American would receive a bill for whatever the costs were and would pay the same as any uninsured Canadian would pay. But it wouldn't be at an inflated price.
Even when insurance covers the costs, it's still a royal pita. I had a minor incident occur when I first moved to the USA. I wasn't yet covered by my employer, so my travel insurance was used. The whole cost for less than an hour in the ER was approximately $600 and this was 15 years ago. I was harassed for payment because the insurance company dragged their feet. They (the insurance company) wanted to squeeze money out of my provincial health care plan first and then pay off the balance. It took several months, but eventually it was all paid. I received all of the bills in the mail. I was pretty choked to receive the ER bill. But that was only part of it. A couple of weeks later I received a bill from the ER Physicians Association for the ER doc's part in all of it.
I feel for this couple. I hope they dispute it with both the hospital and the insurance company.
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RE: Best not travel to the US if Pregnant OR rely on Bl... - 
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That is what it boils down to me..
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