what are your pet peeves with the canadian health-care system? (law related)?

  • Thread starter Thread starter goofy
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goofy

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For example, one of mine is patient privacy laws.

I know that these are used to protect the patient and provide confidentiality to his/her diagnosis/treatment (maybe to help them not get laid off/discriminated against/treated differently because of their condition), but just how far is too far?

Recently, someone close to me was admitted to hospital for drug overdose. She was in visible critical condition, suffering from epilepsy-type seizures and hallucinations. Because she had been living away from our family for some time, no one knew exactly what drug she had overdosed on---except the doctors.

Because she was not willing to admit what drugs she had been on, and the doctors weren't allowed to disclose this information w/o her permission, the legality/harm the drug could bring was not known to us. (*our last resort to get her into intervention was going to be to "threaten" her into being sent to jail if she was in possession of illegal substances*).

DISCLAIMER: for the most part, i like the Canadian health-care system; it's one of the main reasons i love living here! this is just for my law homework, so please help out :)
 
The same is true for the US and most other nations as well. She has to live her own life and make her own decisions.
 
Waiting for an MRI or CAT scan (because of socialized medicine) can mean your DEATH if you have cancer . . . .

that good enough?

Oh . . . and if it is soooooooo good . . . . . . why do do many Canadians drive into America to get their MRI's and CAT scans?

Dan in Miami
 
The one thing I find annoying is the fact that there are many people without a family doctor.

And the privacy laws are not a Canadian only thing. I believe doctor/patient confidentiality laws are in place in most western countries.


BTW. Dan in Miami, we may have to wait for certain services (although steps are being taken to rectify this), but our health care is FREE. Thats what makes it good. We don't need health insurance to be able to walk into a hospital for treatment. Also, if we're so bad, as you seem to think, why are soooooo many Americans coming up here to get prescription medication that they can't afford in the US. In the US you can get your MRI, but can't afford the medication that you need. Without prescription medication, many people can DIE.
 
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