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Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,757
Registered: ‎11-28-2012

Re: This bill just blew me away

 I am a resident of NY state.  The last 2 times I was in the hospital, my roommates were from Canada.  One had the same surgery I had, gall bladder.  The other had a procedure done on her back.

Super Contributor
Posts: 388
Registered: ‎12-03-2010

Re: This bill just blew me away


@151949 wrote:

I live in Florida and we have many neighbors from canada who winter over here. While they are here they have to use insurance they purchase just to come here and use our medical system and pharmacies within that insurance. They do nothing but complain about it constantly telling anyone who will listen how much better it is in Canada.

Recently my doctor ordered me voltaran gel for tendonitis in my foot. My ins would not cover it so i had to pay out of pocket for it - $63. Some one here mentioned it is OTC in canada so I asked a friend to bring me a tube from there. $12. Exact same drug - exact same brand name - everything exactly the same for about 80% savings.


Not all healthcare plans in the US are created equal. Maybe you should consider another option that is better suited to your particular needs and will provide more coverage.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 20,419
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: This bill just blew me away

26 october

a story about air life flights were done on 20/20 and the final outcome of the story is  99.9% of the life flights are NOT covered by insurnace.  this includes all life flights, car accidents, matter of life or death. insurance pretty much washes their hands of this coverage.

Valued Contributor
Posts: 631
Registered: ‎09-28-2010

Re: This bill just blew me away

Yup.  That is true.  Paramedics recommended my FIL get to a trauma center after  a horrific fall, he was unconscious and unable to consent, so a friend did. At no time was the friend who was with my FIL told the cost or that it would not be covered.  It was a 25 min flight.  There is a trauma specialist on board. Cost was $14,000 and Medicare nor private supplemental insurance paid a dime.  We had to pay the whole bill.

In addition....Medicare does not pay for ambulance service.  It is stated clearly in the Medicare And You booklet.

It is outragious. If I was living on welfare, or homeless, I would have ambulance services covered.

It seems that the people who apply for and pay for Medicare and pay dearly for supplimental insurance, are the ones penalized. I personnaly think ambulance services whould be paid for through our taxes for the fire department services.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,660
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: This bill just blew me away

Not sure why your FIL's medical transport flight was not covered by Medicare since my DH's was.  Perhaps your FIL's was not properly authorized by a MD.  sOme paramedics opinion that he needed a emergency helicopter flight would certainly not be sufficient for Medicare to pay for it.  Wasn't he seen by a MD in a ER before the helicopter was called in? 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,970
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Re: This bill just blew me away

[ Edited ]

Ednapsych:  I am not sure where that information came from because Medicare does cover ambulance services.  They paid for an ambulance trip for my mother and here is the information direct from the Medicare website in case anyone is interested:

 

https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/ambulance-services.html

 

 

 

 


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