Please take the time to look at MedicareStories.com and register your sister's story if you like. I am trying to collect a number fo these stories to present to the current government and have the accountablity and success of the medicare system reviewed.
Thanks
My sister has yet to be diagnosed, even though she's had serious lung symptoms over the last two years. She was initially denied a physical lung exam (laparoscopy procedure), but due to consistant pressure by my family, the doctor ceded to the 'unnessesscary' procedure in anger. The results came back with some interesting evidence that has helped with the treatment of the symptoms, and lead towards a more complete understanding of a possible diagnosis. In the meantime, however, she has suffered greatly, and the hospitals refuse to deal with the problem and solve it.
We are fortunate enough to be able to afford US treatment, and we are exploring that option in the coming months, as two years of suffering for a teenager through high school days is unacceptable. My family is not for 'for-profit' healthcare, but we are left no other choice by our failed system in Canada.
If a diagnosis is quickly found by US doctors, the Canadian health care system should be responsible for the costs of the diagnosis and treatment, plus a reasonable amount of compensation for the suffering caused by their negligence.
However, we are unlikely to file any lawsuit, that's counter-productive. Further lobbying will be done though to push the Canadian government into single-payer, privately delivered services... were treatment levels have been proven to be greater with no change to the universiality of the system.
It just angers me that some Canadians can't afford US treatment, and instead, will suffer for the rest of their life, all for a failed political dogma.
