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Lacking a national health care system of their own, thousands of Americans are tapping into Canada's -- illegally.
"It's not an epidemic in any one person's practice," said Keith MacLeod, an obstetrician in Windsor, Ontario, across from Detroit, "but I would estimate that from 12 to 20 of my patients at any one time are ineligible Americans. And I'm just one of 520 doctors in Windsor, 23,000 in Ontario."
Dr. MacLeod, former president of the Essex County Medical Society, delivers about 400 babies a year.
A report prepared for Ontario's Health Minister indicated that from August 1992 to February 1993, 60,000 medical claims had been made on behalf of patients who held American drivers' licenses. The total number of improper claims in Ontario was estimated at 600,000.
Only legal residents qualify for free medical care in Canada, using plastic health cards for identification. Others are supposed to pay for medical services they may require, but many are submitting counterfeit, borrowed or fraudulently obtained cards. Americans Filching Free Health Care in Canada - New York Times
Thanks for the info, I was not aware of this, and it does not surprise me, but does not seem to be huge problem. I know if I am in Canada and need medical care, I am assuming they would bill my insurance co.
Thanks for the info, I was not aware of this, and it does not surprise me, but does not seem to be huge problem. I know if I am in Canada and need medical care, I am assuming they would bill my insurance co.
Not seeming to be a huge problem??? Those figures were for just one Province alone! Considering most of our provinces share a border with the U.S., you can readily imagine the cost implications to a country of one tenth your population.
It becomes somewhat of a conundrum for us as Ontario taxpayers in that those numbers only reflect the folks using their U.S. driver's licenses as a form of identity while there are literally thousands of Americans who own property in our cottage country and have done for generations who might have applied for, been provided, and still hold one of the older Health cards using their Canadian address as proof of residency. Those cards are still in force and active.
Our elderly American neighbours at our cottage on the Burnt River near Fenlon Falls Ontario as far back as the early 1960's, were long time property owners and routinely accessed our health care provisions while in Canada by "pacing" their illness remedial mediation until they were again back in the north to get free treatment.
The newer cards are photo regulated and, for a time, did require a greater degree of scrutiny until backlogs in issuance became a bottleneck and some oversight was sacrificed to expedite issuance.
This has been going on for decades.
Yes if you are in Canada and offer proof of insurance they will bill that but you must understand the concept of these folks simply not playing by the rules?
[quote=BruSan;29429079]Not seeming to be a huge problem??? Those figures were for just one Province alone! Considering most of our provinces share a border with the U.S., you can readily imagine the cost implications to a country of one tenth your population.
It becomes somewhat of a conundrum for us as Ontario taxpayers in that those numbers only reflect the folks using their U.S. driver's licenses as a form of identity while there are literally thousands of Americans who own property in our cottage country and have done for generations who might have applied for, been provided, and still hold one of the older Health cards using their Canadian address as proof of residency. Those cards are still in force and active.
Our elderly American neighbours at our cottage on the Burnt River near Fenlon Falls Ontario as far back as the early 1960's, were long time property owners and routinely accessed our health care provisions while in Canada by "pacing" their illness remedial mediation until they were again back in the north to get free treatment.
The newer cards are photo regulated and, for a time, did require a greater degree of scrutiny until backlogs in issuance became a bottleneck and some oversight was sacrificed to expedite issuance.
This has been going on for decades.
Yes if you are in Canada and offer proof of insurance they will bill that
Quote:
but you must understand the concept of these folks simply not playing by the rules?[/
Yes I do and it happens here also, Medicare fraud, doctors and patients cheat the system out of billions every year.
Oh yeah. Canada seems to be very strict with lots of laws.
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Do you consider Canada less "free"?
