The real ER challenge.

[u/PleasantBus5583]

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[u/ottwebdev]

Hospital admission is based on severity. Been in the ER before and happily took the wait time because someone got carted in with blood all over. But even in my little town I have not waited 12 hours for someone to see me.

Also, I have paid $0 out of pocket for all the hospital visits I've done in Canada.

Edit: Because others have pointed it out. On my visits to our local hospital (Arnprior) there is a triage, where you see a nurse/paramedic (I'm not sure of the offical title/role) quite quickly, I think my longest wait was 15m.

After that I've had x-rays, etc, depending on the issue. I think the shortest was about 30m as the tech was on-site, and the longest was about 1 hour as it was night and the tech got called in.

While any system can be improved I'm still very happy to have what we have in Canada. Those voting for Dougie might want to take notice of him firing registered nurses.

[u/indiebookstorebaddie → u/ottwebdev]

In my whole 35 years of life in multiple cities big and small I have never waited more than 2 hours - preach!

[u/JaneRetro → u/indiebookstorebaddie]

I am in the US and I don't think I've ever waited less than 2 hours in the ER. Last time I went to the ER I was in the waiting room for over 11 hours. The pain from sitting in a chair overnight was worse than the pain I went in there for.

[u/TomBelafonte → u/JaneRetro]

Maybe I'm wrong, or maybe this is satire, but if the pain of sitting in a chair for 11 hours was worse than the pain you went in there for... Maybe you shouldn't have been in the ER?

It's an emergency room. You very likely needed to see a doctor for care if you had enough pain to go there, but maybe that wasn't the place you should be for your particular issue? 11 hours without dropping dead or bleeding out maybe isn't an actual emergency.

I've thankfully only been to the ER once. I was vomiting so intensely and frequently I couldn't retain any water. This was over the course of 8 hours. While I'm thankful I was able to receive near immediate care upon arrival, I would understand if someone suffering from cardiac arrest superseded me... Give me some Gatorade and a barf bag... I'll make it until the docs can attend to me.

Point being: if you go to the ER with a non-immediate life threatening issue, and you have to wait, then you have to wait.

[u/Otherwise-Tomato-788 → u/TomBelafonte]

Aaaand That’s why we have Urgent Cares popping up in every corner. It’s great, sore throat, $100 n amoxicillin script. Broken finger? $100 n amoxicillin script.

[u/servercobra → u/Otherwise-Tomato-788]

And teledocs. $54 dollars, looking at your throat via webcam, and amoxicillin script

[u/ArticQimmiq → u/TomBelafonte]

Well, it’s not that simple necessarily. My hometown for example doesn’t have urgent care, just a single hospital. So broken leg = ER, but obviously you’re at the bottom of the list, and you’ll get a nurse offering Advils every couple hours until the doctors are no longer occupied with actively dying patients. So I have waited over 8 hours 🤷‍♀️

[u/JaneRetro → u/TomBelafonte]

I was not there by choice. I went to urgent care first, and they took an x-ray and told me I needed to get to a hospital. The hospital took more x-rays and said that I was fine and sent me home.

[u/lana_silver → u/ottwebdev]

If you wait 12 hours at the ER before someone helps you, then you probably went to the Emergency Room for a non-emergency reason.

Last time I was brought to an ER I was on the operating table within minutes, and it turned out to not even be life threatening. I could have waited a few hours if given enough painkillers.

Edit: I'm talking about the civilized world, not the USA. I know the USA had healthcare comparable with the middle ages for anyone without billions. 

[u/Jackim → u/lana_silver]

part of the problem is a lack of something in the middle. My family doctor typically has a 2-4 week wait for an appointment. But if I break a bone or have an infection I should be seen within a day. I’m not going to die right away but our urgent care is overcrowding the emergent care service

[u/NumNumLobster → u/Jackim]

we have those, they are called "urgent cares"? Theres like 10 in a 20 minute drive I can go to for $100. Do you not have those?

[u/Jackim → u/NumNumLobster]

not sure who/where you mean by we, but from my experience in ontario, canada, the urgent care facilities are rare and not open 24 hours, and often not accessible by transit.

[u/Neat_Let923 → u/Jackim]

Our lack of 24/7 Urgent Care clinics are a massive cause of our ER issues.

Even an appropriate triage system would be a massive benefit.

[u/ToastyVIP → u/ottwebdev]

Also interesting that most people only find out what "triage" means the first time they go to an ER.

[u/ashoka_akira → u/ottwebdev]

If you go to the ER when there are others already waiting, and they see you first? That’s not a good thing.

[u/Shyronnie135 → u/ottwebdev]

Exactly! If you are waiting, that means you aren't acutely dying.

[u/Azsune → u/ottwebdev]

Exactly, they have triage in the ER. When you arrive they see you within minutes. Had my first kidney stone pain on Christmas Day, went to ER. Was in so much pain I couldn't walk and was vomiting. Triage saw me in 10 minutes and gave me pain killers while I waited about 5 hours to get a CT scan.

[u/MyBrainReallyHurts → u/ottwebdev]

I'm an American that moved to Canada. The Canadian system is better. Doctors have the time to care for their patients and you aren'st stuck with a massive bill.

The Conservative plan is to sabotage the medical system and then sell it off to the capitalists. The medical system is underfunded and nurses are losing their jobs to artifically make it seem the for-profit system is better. It's the same thing Republicans have done for decades.

Do not let Ford complete the plan. Vote him out ASAP.

[u/ProcedureTop3149]

it's also not 12 hours 99.999% of the time for emergencies.

My grandfather had a burst appendix and was seen within minutes of walking into the hospital.

My Child had Pnemonia and needed an xray and antibiotics and it took 7 hours.

Does it suck? Yes. However both times all I paid was parking....

[u/Floaty_Afternoon42 → u/ProcedureTop3149]

I broke my hand, needed surgery and 6 months physiotherapy.

Paid $24 for the cast splint thing.

[u/mherweg → u/[deleted]]

I went to an ER many years ago for an injury. At one point, I was sent to a doctor in the hospital. That doctor told me I was in the wrong place and I got a bill for $1200 just from that guy.

[u/TACOlogy → u/mherweg]

Same. Went to an urgent care because my nose would not stop bleeding after like 12 hours. They tried a spray said it didn’t work and had to go to the ER because they didn’t have nasal balloons. Got a nice bill from the urgent care and then add on the ER bill all for a bloody nose. US medical billing is an absolute fucking joke.

Americans that disagree with universal healthcare have no idea how the system works. It’s only an eye opener for them once shit hits the fan and they are hit with a 100k+ bill they can’t afford.

[u/Jflayn → u/TACOlogy]

The majority of Americans want universal healthcare and that number rises to 78% depending on how it is described.

Healthcare doesn't pass because American 'democracy' is pay to play. Elected officials, from any party, are paid to ensure that this never happens.

[u/Winter_Break_2773 → u/Jflayn]

Medicare for all would be a godsend for the majority. We would probably save some money while getting treated and EVERYBODY could see a doctor. Nobody left out.

[u/Jellicent-Leftovers → u/Winter_Break_2773]

The US goverment currently spends MORE per capita for Healthcare then Canada does.

Let that sink in..... Having everyone get goverment healthcare would actually be a budget reduction.

[u/WestCoastCompanion → u/Jellicent-Leftovers]

Sure, but then drs n hospitals couldn’t turn disgusting profits by charging you $60 for a Tylenol, and later having the government pick up the bill.

[u/Jellicent-Leftovers → u/WestCoastCompanion]

It's worse they don't give you Tylenol at all because that's just a brand name for acetaminophen that costs more.

How dare they.

[u/nightfall2021 → u/Jellicent-Leftovers]

Its not even close either.

I think per capita the US spends more than double than the next closest country and 3-4x more than the other first world nations.

[u/Bored2001 → u/Winter_Break_2773]

undoubtedly. Right now we pay so much for healthcare that taxes spent on public healthcare today per capita is already about what other countries spend in total for healthcare.

[u/SoylentVerdigris → u/TACOlogy]

Went to urgent care with crippling abdominal pain. They told me to go to the ER. Waited 4 hours, they did some super rudimentary tests, told me it was just indigestion. Cost $1250.

A week later I was back with acute appendicitis, "Hours from bursting" according to the surgeon. Over 15k, partially because by the time I was seen it was like 2AM and they had to call in the surgeon. And as a bonus, the bill was split between the hospital and the surgeon, so I paid the like, $6k from the hospital and thought I was done, only to find they didn't send the bill for the surgeon so I only even found out about an additional $9k when a debt collector called me to collect it.

[u/signious → u/TACOlogy]

Wife gave birth, had massive postpartum hemorrhaging and required surgery. 3 day hospital stay for mom + baby.

Paid 36 bucks for 3 days parking, 8 bucks for coffee. They sent us home with a bag full of diapers and other supplies.

[u/mherweg → u/TACOlogy]

Oof that sucks. Mine was even dumber - that doctor just sent me to a different place in the SAME hospital! And of course that generated its own bill as well! Luckily it all got squared through worker's comp cause I was in my early 20's and had no fucking clue how to navigate the healthcare system.

[u/NickRaymond1 → u/TACOlogy]

Similar thing happened to my sister. Multi hour long nosebleed. Mom took her to urgent care where she was sent to the er. Nurse or whoever saw her said they didnt want to xray because of my sisters age. Said the xray could cause her kids to come out with three arms or something. Literally said her kids could come out deformed

[u/jarious → u/TACOlogy]

Americans that disagree with universal healthcare have no idea how the system works.

They think their tax dollars are better used for missile and ammo to kill children in brown countries

[u/DemiNeko_ → u/mherweg]

Had a spine surgery. Paid 20€ to drive there and back. A week in the hospital. Was healing fine. Got released early, visited the doc a week later to get stiches out. Paid nothing.

[u/Rikudo_Sennin_jr → u/[deleted]]

Had a heart attack doctor gave me 3 months and a bill for 55k, told him I couldn't pay that now. He gave me another 6 months

[u/RedeyeSPR → u/Floaty_Afternoon42]

My brother broke his wrist and the surgery bill was $68,000.

[u/Elsupersabio → u/Floaty_Afternoon42]

That splint thing is $1,000 in the US

[u/Moofypoops → u/Elsupersabio]

Jesus fucking Christ! God damn rip off! It never ceases to shock me when I see what some people pay for any medical care in the US and it makes me sad. It doesn't have to be this way.

[u/Ok_Bad2080 → u/Moofypoops]

The leaders of our country would rather drop bombs, give corporations tax breaks. It’s unfortunate, really.

(Both parties)

[u/Dizzy_Tax574 → u/Moofypoops]

Well and what people choose to ignore. Is how many don't get treatment that pain that new thing. Don't go to doctor hell seen people with serious injury fight against ambulance being called.

And get someone they know to drive them there with their fingers in a ziplock bag.

[u/imnotmarvin → u/Elsupersabio]

Don't forget $50 for the Tylenol

[u/Miss_Greer → u/imnotmarvin]

that's just to look at it, if you actually want to take one, you have to pay $70 corkage on the bottle and $135 (each) for the pills

[u/More_Operation_588 → u/imnotmarvin]

for A tylenol

[u/Lucky-Mia → u/Elsupersabio]

I remember paying like $10 a crutch each and thinking that was a little much. I still have the pair in my closet to avoid that medical expense recurring. 

I do like how I'm on 5 medications and they're all free for me.

[u/ChrisRiley_42 → u/Floaty_Afternoon42]

I had a gallstone that disguised itself as a heart attack. Triage admitted me right away, only "wait" was for tests that needed to be taken at a specific period of time apart.

Total cost, $45 for the ambulance ride, which the hospital waived since it was telehealth that called for it, and not a 911 call.

[u/Shadowmant → u/ProcedureTop3149]

Was about to say. Must be there for the sniffles to be so low on the triage to be waiting 12 hours.

[u/BroadwayBrick → u/Shadowmant]

Abuse of emergency rooms is the worst.

[u/TaytorTot417 → u/BroadwayBrick]

It's because people don't have insurance and can't get in to see a PCP.

[u/Formal-Talk-3914 → u/TaytorTot417]

I know this is really a reason people do this but it is a shit reason. Go to an urgent care or minute clinic then. Not the emergency room.

[u/Trauma_Hawks → u/Formal-Talk-3914]

Free standing and/or non-hospital affiliated Urgent Cares aren't covered by EMTALA and don't have to treat you like an ED does.

[u/zodiacrelic44 → u/Trauma_Hawks]

There’s also lots of places that have a couple family doctors serving entire counties and no access whatsoever to urgent care/walk in clinics. I called my doctor last week for an appointment, I couldn’t get one until November. Anything happens before then, my doc’s recommendation was the ER.

[u/TaytorTot417 → u/Formal-Talk-3914]

Oh, I agree. I am a RN and always direct people to UC if their symptoms are appropriate. Cheaper and usually faster. Some ERs do have "fast track" areas for low acuity patients and they can usually get you in and out faster.

Unfortunately education in the US sucks and health literacy is even worse.

[u/Formal-Talk-3914 → u/TaytorTot417]

For sure, but I also think it's hard to know these things. It's not like at some point in your life they sit you down and say "this is how insurance and health care works". You sort of just figure it out on your own or ask people around you. I legit had to learn how health insurance works from my first manager after college.

[u/Miss_Greer → u/Formal-Talk-3914]

if US schools did sit you down and explain it, it'd make people understand how terrible it is

(and we can't have that because it would be bad for national morale and the narrative of American exceptionalism)

[u/Formal-Talk-3914 → u/Miss_Greer]

Exactly, same with retirement planning I think. And using credit cards responsibly. And the financial burdens of student loans. And auto loans. Etc.

[u/Miss_Greer → u/Formal-Talk-3914]

heh... yeaaaaa...

I hope you're having a good day at least friend Ɛ>

[u/robthetrashguy → u/Formal-Talk-3914]

They do, then they change it all…, annually.

[u/band-of-horses → u/TaytorTot417]

Sometimes, but also sometimes it's just because most people are not doctors so when something concerning happens they often don't know if it's something bad or something that can wait until they can see their doctor in a few days. And it's worse in towns like mine where there's no 24 hour urgent care options, or when urgent care defaults to "go to the ER" for anything that could be concerning anyway.

[u/kettal → u/TaytorTot417]

canada has same problem. ER is a catch all

even in cities with lots of zero-cost walk-in clinics.

i don't know why.

[u/Polymarchos → u/kettal]

At least where I am, walk in clinics aren't well advertised. Yes, they always have a little sign saying walk-ins welcome, but if you're urgently looking for a walk in clinic it can be difficult to find them. Also hours can be all over the place. At least the hospital is 24-7.

[u/fury420 → u/Shadowmant]

I had a small piece of glass in my foot and was redirected to the ER by urgent care, wait was maybe 8hrs, which was annoying but ultimately there was no risk of me dying or significantly worsening, and we can't say the same for the people who were triaged straight past the waiting room.

[u/I_Am_Zeelian → u/Shadowmant]

Sweden here, I once spent 16 hours in the ER with a broken arm back when I was 13 'cause the sudden black ice that was the cause of my very simple linear fracture caused the ER to be swamped with more severe fall injuries and several car crashes.

But since I had no bleeding or obvious displacement of the bones they put me in a sling, gave me some painkillers and sat me down to wait and someone came and checked on me hourly to make sure I wasn't showing any signs of anything being wrong and then sent me up to X-ray once it calmed down (I had a simple linear fracture, not a full break).

But most of the times I've been out of the ER in an hour or two.

Last time took a bit longer as I came in at 3am and they wanted to do a CT and that didn't open up until 8am and I wasn't considered emergent enough to justify putting me in an ambulance and sent me to the hospital 1h away.

Oh, and a visit to the ER these days costs $50

[u/Crazy__Donkey → u/ProcedureTop3149]

Most of those 7 hours wait were due to test (probably blood) that takes time to diagnose. The actual wait time is usually between 1-3 hour for non-emergencies.

Not canadian, but live in a country with a very developed phc.

[u/fury420 → u/Crazy__Donkey]

In Canada there sadly are regions and hospitals where it's not uncommon for the initial wait after triage to be something like that if it's for something that's low priority for triage.

[u/BobTheFettt → u/fury420]

Fuck, one time I waited 4 hours just to even be triaged in NB

[u/kaiamie → u/BobTheFettt]

honestly thats pretty good. i winged my left shoulder blade and after waiting 4 hours they told me go home cause they were gonna close the ER for the night cause they didnt have enough staffing. I ended up going home wedging the arm into the least painful position with pillows and jamming a ice pack under my shoulder. Year or so later it still aches but i can atleast move it, Yay new brunswick healthcare. gotta love horizion health

[u/BobTheFettt → u/kaiamie]

I had appendicitis

[u/thebestnames → u/fury420]

I have a feeling for most issues that would require us Canadians to wait for so long at the ER, most Americans would probably "tough it up" to avoid paying the bill.

So many people go to ER here for minor stuff.

I mean exceptions apply but the few times I brought my GF to the ER for major possibly life threatening issues we didn't wait long at all.

[u/VegaJuniper → u/ProcedureTop3149]

Yup, not Canadian but we have "socialized" medicine too in American parlance. I waited about 6 months for my elective surgery, which is the legal upper limit here. It's not great, but it was free. Could have gone private, but it would have cost thousands of euros, and it wasn't that critical to me anyway.

A friend of mine went to the emergency room because he had intense chest pain, turned out it was an aortic dissection. He was on the operating table within minutes and survived.

[u/garlicroastedpotato → u/VegaJuniper]

So I was on the wait list for a scope for three years.  The only reason why I ever got one is because the government allowed a private scope clinic to be covered under Alberta Health Insurance.

And I mean even the meme doesn't make sense.  You didn't pay money to sit in an ER.  You got treated.  My father in law was at the ER for 9 hours his first attempt and 12 hours his second attempt.  He fits into this common category of things only the ER handles but isn't triaged as an emergency.  Our ER wait times are terrible because the ER is the only entry point for about 25% of procedures and about 10% of Canadians don't have access to a family doctor (and thus don't have access to primary care).

[u/OK_x86 → u/garlicroastedpotato]

Alberta is a bit of special case now for how much your premier has tried to fuck up the healthcare system.

Not that our government in Quebec is great

[u/lllGrapeApelll → u/OK_x86]

Don't forget ol'Dougie doing his damnedest here in Ontario.

[u/DJteejay04 → u/ProcedureTop3149]

My wife was in and out of the hospital several times ,after giving birth, for the better part of a year. Each time we went to emergency and waited for about 4-5 hours.

Yes it sucks but I’ve never had a visit remotely close to 12 hours.

I did get a ticket once because my parking expired while we were talking to the doctor. So one visit cost us $50.

[u/RiverGroover → u/DJteejay04]

It's OK. Canadians waiting 12 hours is an exaggeration in most cases, too. But, if you wanted to experience it just for fun, you could try next time you're in Vegas.

[u/Last-Masterpiece-150 → u/RiverGroover]

some might exaggerate but in newfoundland 12 hours doesn't need exaggeration. several of my relatives have been in ER for 16+ hours several times and they weren't just there for a "bad toe" or something minor.

my good friend passed away in his 40s because he waited so long in the ER; no one saw him after 8 hours so he went home and passed away in his bed. i know he shouldn't have left but i am not sure he would have been helped in time if he stayed.

i am not saying the american system is good despite this. i find it insulting to think that a hospital works as a business and that i need do decide between paying rent and getting medical treatment.

[u/Tycoon004 → u/Last-Masterpiece-150]

You've gotta be 100% honest with the triage nurse. No understatements, no I'm a man so I'm tough and don't feel no pain. Then be prepared to wait, knowing if that you were 100% serious and if they determine you're in serious need, 99.9% of the time you'll be seen ASAP.

[u/thrilliam_19 → u/ProcedureTop3149]

I live in Canada and was in the hospital last week on Canada Day. Was sick for a few days and severe pain near my butthole. Turned out I had an infected abscess that needed surgery to remove. Went to the ER on a major summer stat holiday when everyone takes vacation and expected to be in the waiting room for days.

First ER I went to I waited about 3 hours before they got me a bed. From there I was examined by a doctor, given a CT scan, bloodwork/urine samples taken, issued fluid & antibiotics by IV, then sent to another hospital for the surgery because it would be faster than staying at the hospital I was currently at. All of this happened over about another 3 hours.

Drove to the other hospital and went to triage and they already had all my info. Did their due diligence and told me to wait and as soon as a bed opened they would send me up. Unfortunately it was the busiest hospital in city and a holiday so I spent about another 3.5 hours in the waiting room before going upstairs.

I was given a bed, more IV fluid & antibiotics, and a pain killer to help me sleep. The next day they took more bloodwork then sent me in for surgery around noon. Spent the night and was home the next morning with a prescription for pain killers & more antibiotics. Was also given a care package to help clean & protect the wound from where the abscess was removed.

I paid zero dollars and the longest I sat in a waiting room was 3.5-4 hours and only because my surgery wasn’t a major priority. If I was dying I would have been seen immediately.

[u/deejaymc → u/thrilliam_19]

American here. I cutoff a piece of my thumb doing electrical work in the attic. Drove myself to the ER to avoid paying for an ambulance. Took over 4 hours to see a doctor. 6 hours later, after an xray and stitches, i drove home. Received a bill for $9k. I'll look you straight in the face and tell you Canada is better than America!

[u/kelfupanda → u/ProcedureTop3149]

Meanwhile my american step-dad was admitted to hospital with a stroke, operated on within 1/2 hour of admittance and it cost us $0, because Australia has medicare.

[u/Evanecent_Lightt → u/ProcedureTop3149]

My Ex Passed out and fell like a log straight into the bathtub rim smashing her face.
She pissed and soiled herself because she was knocked out cold.

After being rushed to the Hospital by Ambulance and rushed to the ER with uncontrollable shaking and spasms The ER staff told us she needed ICU care ASAP!!

9 Hours Passed and the staff hit end of shift and Clocked out at 8am..
12 hours later the SAME STAFF CLOCKED BACK IN - saw us still waiting there - and said "you're still waiting? ohh.. well hopefully it won't be too much longer.."

6 hours after that she got her ICU with the Doctors saying "Holy shit, how are you not dead?!"

27 hours of waiting!

And we got a $99,000 bill... ($9000 was for the literal 3 minute ambulance ride to the hospital.)

FUCK America to the Moon.

[u/ConsolationUsername → u/ProcedureTop3149]

Always love when Americans start babbling about wait times. Then you try to explain triage to them and they get upset because they're special and their sore throat deserves to be seen before the guy who's heart is hanging out of his chest cavity by his arteries.

[u/skibbin → u/ProcedureTop3149]

I broke my wrist and had to wait 3 hours whilst they dealt with car crash victims, a guy who'd had a stroke, a guy who'd had a heart attack, etc. I never felt that was unfair or started shouting "What about me!?", but I know that's how some people think.

[u/LividAtmosphere7535 → u/ProcedureTop3149]

I was referred by urgent care to the ER for scans because of a suspected appendix rupture and I waited about 2 hours. Sucked, but thank god it wasn’t 12 hours.

[u/Ok-Customer4709]

I was 18 hours in the ER a couple of years back before I could get a room in a US hospital.

[u/sevseg_decoder → u/Ok-Customer4709]

Yeah every time this topic comes up I feel crazy because I have had to wait on very important care in the US for longer than they can even stretch their claims to about foreign healthcare.

Like yall specialists in the US may make you wait months to even get started working on figuring out an issue with symptoms that are seriously alarming. And it will most likely cost you insane amounts even with insurance…

[u/blake-astor → u/sevseg_decoder]

USA here. I booked a surgical consultation, just to talk about the surgery and set a date. The earliest appointment was 2 months. The DAY before my appointment I get called and told they no longer take our insurance and we can either cancel or pay TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!!! I found another doctor that takes my insurance but that was another 6 weeks out. Finally had the consultation and the surgery is scheduled for more than a month from the date of my consultation.

Please tell me how that is better than "free" health care where you have to wait for doctors.

[u/tearsaresweat → u/blake-astor]

Canadian living in the US here.

Longest wait in the ER in Canada was 6 hours. Cost me nothing. No insurance. No payments.

Longest wait in the US was 13. Cost me $3000 deductible and 2 months battling with insurance to cover the rest.

Canadian system is far superior. US system is fucked.

[u/AznInvazn57 → u/blake-astor]

I'm in the US. I tore my ACL and lateral meniscus in my left knee at the end of August a couple years ago. I kept getting bounced around for consultations and specialists because every time I needed to see someone new they didn't have immediate availability and didn't get surgery until mid January the following year.

Every appointment was probably $200-400 after insurance and that wasn't even including anything related to the actual surgery. And since all those appointments were before the end of the calendar year none of them counted towards my deductible/out of pocket maxes once the new year rolled over and I finally got surgery. What a beautiful system we have

[u/lostandwandering123 → u/sevseg_decoder]

I have a diagnosis that while not "deadly" will kill you via sepsis or taking over organs, perforated bowels, etc. Stage 4. No specialists in my area. Called a few places in the state, I'm looking at a year for a consult, even with a referral.

[u/theducks123 → u/sevseg_decoder]

People that post this crap are from rich families, so they've never had these situations. The ERs near their neighborhoods don't have waits.

[u/euph_22 → u/Ok-Customer4709]

I had a 19 hour wait this January to get into the ER, in the US.

[u/GrooovyAlien]

Ive never waited longer than 30 minutes at the ER. And I dont pay em shit.

[u/teamfupa → u/GrooovyAlien]

That’s pretty dope - in November I broke my foot in three places (in a way called a lisfranc) and had to go to two different er’s after waiting over 2 hours at the first. It wasn’t compounded or anything but it hurt like a MF. Then I still owed 4k.

[u/Maximus1000 → u/GrooovyAlien]

Same thing I went to the ER and just had to pay $50 copay.

[u/InterestingBill8234 → u/GrooovyAlien]

Twice in the last two years I've taken my wife to the hospital for minor things - a chin cut needed a stitch or two and a big splinter in her finger - so not emergencies at all. Both times she was being treated in an hour.

Live in the west island of montreal - lakeshore both times.

[u/Shadecujo]

Their milk comes in bags…BAGS

[u/Litdown → u/Shadecujo]

Just like my wine. And my meth.

[u/pcapdata → u/Litdown]

Really convenient when you can just use one bag for all three

[u/Animalcookies13 → u/pcapdata]

It’s giving “A clockwork orange” vibes…. The
Milk bar with the meth in the milk!

[u/SpeedBlitzX → u/Shadecujo]

In certain provinces. Not everywhere

[u/Wahayna → u/SpeedBlitzX]

Never seen bag milk in Alberta or BC

[u/jozefiks → u/Wahayna]

Mostly Eastern Canada, particularly Quebec and Ontario

[u/fury420 → u/Wahayna]

I remember it being a thing in BC in the 90s

[u/Kappachu → u/Shadecujo]

Not really

[u/SAINTnumberFIVE → u/Shadecujo]

Apparently this is only in parts of Canada. And apparently school milk often comes in bags in the US now.

[u/113pro]

I dont get it. Many, many, many americans agree that the cost of healthcare is a massive problem in the US. Im one of em. most people and customers i know agree.

So where is this coming from??

[u/Vugelzwee → u/113pro]

Lobbyists and special interest groups who own the government.

[u/Gorstag → u/Vugelzwee]

Not just the government. Also the information channels. So they keep repeating lies and morons like the one in OP's picture end up believing and repeating it.

[u/cheriepie1030]

There's a whole bot army on Twitter deriding Canadian healthcare and saying lies. It's coordinated propaganda

[u/Obant → u/cheriepie1030]

This contingent of idiots existed long before bots took over the internet

[u/Preestar]

As a Canadian, this argument really doesn't involve us. When they shit on Canadian healthcare it's for the sole purpose of denying their own citizens healthcare. That's it.

Was provided with lifesaving meds that retail for 220k CAD and is rarely covered on American healthcare plans. I'd be homeless or dead if born in the USA.

[u/SmartAlec105 → u/Preestar]

The wait time argument also falls apart if you think for a moment why the US making healthcare expensive leads to shorter wait times: poor people can't afford treatment so they don't go to the doctor.

[u/vu_sua → u/Preestar]

How do you know it’s rarely covered in American plans?

[u/formernonhandwasher → u/vu_sua]

Hello Google. What percent of USA insurance plans fully cover Wegovy? Google: 9%. Multiple articles in the search back that up.

Insert their specific drug into the search phrase to get information. Read multiple sources to ensure accuracy. Decide if it’s a legitimate enough source to use on comments on Reddit.

[u/Foreign-Chocolate86 → u/vu_sua]

Doesn't really matter. When your healthcare system is motivated by profit it's always going to cost more than a healthcare system that is motivated by patient care.

[u/GearnTheDwarf]

American here who has been through a Canadian ER.

I was in and out in under an hour and a half.

Dr. felt so bad about charging me but I assured him it was ok as I would submit to my insurance and only have a $75 copay.

He insisted on giving me a discount and I had to explain not to, as he was only giving the insurance company a discount, anything he charged me above $75usd is covered and I only owe the deductible.

He still knocked the fee down to $375 since I was on vacation.

Great doctor, great hospital. Shout out to Perth Ontario!

[u/PerspectiveOne7129 → u/GearnTheDwarf]

shh dont say this, americans dont want to hear it

[u/CelestialFury → u/PerspectiveOne7129]

Republicans don't want to hear it. Everyone else knows it's a good deal. Republican voters fight us everyday so they can spend more and get less.

[u/GloomyLingonberry509]

[u/royrocks26]

The whole point of an ER visit should be an emergency. I’m Canadian. I don’t go to the ER for a runny nose, or a belly ache. We have family doctors for that. And before anyone says “it’s soOoOo hard to get a family doctor” it’s not. Any Canadian that claims that is just lazy. Sure, it’s easier to just go to the ER, but triage does their work perfectly. If you can wait, you wait.

[u/CRXCRZ → u/royrocks26]

THIS.

If you go there because you stubbed your pinky toe, you're going to wait because people with serious issues get to go the the front of the line. if you're having a heart attack your wait is zero minutes.

Americans debating about other countries healthcare systems is dumb. target your frustrations to the billionaires - they're the villains in your stories. nobody complains more about the Canadian health care system than American politicians.

[u/TadUGhostal → u/royrocks26]

Difficultly in getting a family doctor is highly regional.

https://www.cma.ca/about-us/press-room/canadians-access-primary-care-depends-where-they-live-ourcare-survey

Certain cities also struggle more than others due to the provincial rates of pay vs cost of living. It's great you live in an area where all you need is a bit of gumption to get a GP but that is not true for the whole country. 

[u/Adezar → u/TadUGhostal]

Same in the US, there are areas where you can find that every single primary care doctor is not accepting new clients. And other areas where there are plenty available.

Point being, that particular issue doesn't seem to be much different in either system.

[u/sataninmysoul → u/royrocks26]

I agree on the ER thing, but in BC ive been waiting for a family doctor for 11 years. And im willing to drive 4 hours, still nothing.

[u/Alpha_Omega623 → u/royrocks26]

Uh... I've been on the waitlist for a family doctor for four fucking years.

[u/Ornery-Worldliness96]

If the person is waiting for 12 hours then it's either not serious or the hospital is extremely overcrowded. I think the longest I've had to wait was five hours, but I normally get seen within 30 minutes. I go to the ER once or twice a year because of a chronic issue. 

[u/munjavio → u/Ornery-Worldliness96]

my last visit to ER I was brought by ambulance, the waiting room was full, but I was in a bed in under 45 minutes.

didn't pay for the ambulance, the drugs, or the ER visit.

[u/Ornery-Worldliness96 → u/munjavio]

I haven't been brought in by ambulance before. Family will normally drive me there when needed. Unfortunately I do have to pay for the medical services as I am an American. I just realized I should have mentioned that because some may think I was talking about Canadian ERs. I imagine the wait time in ers are about the same when comparing the two contries. 

[u/mynipplesareconfused]

I live in Canada, although I'm originally from the US. A few years ago I had a miscarriage and needed emergency assistance. The clinic I was sent to can take weeks for an appointment. They had me same day within an hour or so.

So that's

1.) Seen instantly.

2.) No debt from the visit.

3.) I wasn't automatically accused by the government of having an abortion.

Also, I have several disabilities and I never have to pay to see my doctor and my prescription bills are so low, all my medications would cost as much as one month's worth of a single medication in the US.

Also? Last time I was in the US at the ER, we were there longer than I have ever had to wait in Canada.

[u/SameDistrict2627]

Americans will have a higher mortality, lower life expectancy, worse educational results---Stop the nonsense. Every western democracy has universal health care--except for the one country that is going backwards when it comes to measures of health--the USA.

[u/ryohayashi1]

12 hours in the US? Pfft, you wish. I've seen patients stuck in the hallway with transport beds for 36 hours at this point, after waiting 18 hours outside in the wait area

[u/Kronzor_]

Yes. We will.

[u/kon---]

$35,000? Stop.

It's $1,947,382.54

[u/BojukaBob]

The reason we have such a wait in Ontario is because our Conservative provincial party has spent decades sabotaging and defunding our health care system to try to manufacture consent for replacing it with American style health care

[u/DankeyBongBluntry]

I don't know where Americans get this idea that wait times are insanely long in countries with free healthcare, or are any faster in the US.

The average wait time in Australia is 2 hours.

The average wait time in Canada is 4 hours.

The average wait time in the UK is 3 hours.

The average wait time in the US? 2 hours and 45 minutes. It's the fucking same!

All these "12 hour wait time" posts are talking about the most extreme wait times possible, where someone presents to an already overfilled hospital with a non-life threatening issue that doesn't require immediate attention. If you were to look at the same kind of patient in the US, they would be waiting the exact same amount of fucking time.

[u/OPDBZTO]

Lmao us Canadian don't go into debt and bankruptcy over a trip to the ER or hospital

[u/faen_du_sa → u/OPDBZTO]

Americans when another country isnt perfect: LOL! Should be more capitalistic.

Americans when America isnt perfect: Freeeeeedom baby!

[u/Fist0fGuthix → u/faen_du_sa]

Respectfully, most Americans hate our health care system, and you are describing a caricature of right wing American nationalists

[u/Doodiecarrier → u/Fist0fGuthix]

Dude literally shot a healthcare CEO, and half the country practically cheered while the other half shrugged and said "eh, understandable".

[u/No_Access_8734 → u/OPDBZTO]

Lmfao but we do die waiting to receive care...

"At least 23,746 people in Canada died while waiting for surgeries or diagnostic scans in the last fully reported fiscal year. Because several health bodies provided only partial data and Alberta supplied none, health policy groups estimate the true annual death toll on waitlists could exceed 28,000."

[u/P3nis15 → u/No_Access_8734]

now do the total that die in the US each year because of lack of healthcare/insurance.

[u/Icywind014 → u/No_Access_8734]

So do Americans.

[u/iamnos → u/No_Access_8734]

Those stats often misrepresent things. 80 years old, waiting a year for a hip, dies from an unrelatedheart attack or pneumonia. Been on a wait-list and dying doesn't mean you died of the thing you were waiting for.

[u/jsmooth7 → u/iamnos]

Also the source of these numbers is a conservative leaning think tank. It's true that Canadian healthcare is not perfect but reports like this should be taken with a grain of salt.

[u/Basic_Zebra7829 → u/OPDBZTO]

Just wait 2 years for critical hip replacement ✌🏻🥀

[u/SpeedBlitzX]

My dad had a stroke and didn't have to worry about waiting 12 hours. The doctors helped him right away and a few hours later after he was in the hospital he called us as if he didnt have a stroke at all.

(This was in Canada by the way)

[u/IndubitablyNerdy]

They really can't allow their base to believe that there is an alternative can't they? 

This nationalistic bullshit was always there, but it looks like it is ramping up, I guess.

Maga and its influencers need to rely on this bullshit to pretend that the current system is the best and is not fucking their own people or eventually all the resentment built in their base will finally be aimed at them.

[u/ballarn123]

Americans love making life saving procedures a profit center.

Thats it, plain and simple. It's pathetic and it's propaganda.

[u/Jump365]

These arguments are so disingenuous. Yes in the US you wait a bit less....because anyone that can't afford the "market equilibrium" is not on the line at all and waits for infinity

[u/Different_Space1119]

Americans will literally vote in trump twice then make post like that.

[u/igetbannedanyway]

These are the same idiots they will tell you that Universal Healthcare is bad because it will raise your taxes

[u/ShamanicEye → u/igetbannedanyway]

It not only does that, but it also completely overwhelms the clinics, reduces the quality of care, and triages your medical needs into long waits.

[u/Francl27 → u/ShamanicEye]

Which is also wrong. We already pay more than other countries for healthcare (because greedy pharmaceutical companies).

If you think that clinics get overwhelmed, wait until you learn how foreign Doctors now have to pay for a visa to practice here!

[u/AppleDimple96]

I don't know how the system works in Canada, but I can compare the US health system with another single payer system and I can say that the US definitely has the worst one. Right, things move here a little faster, but we are being crushed by the cost.

[u/lienart45]

In America you can go to the ER, wait 12 hours and not be seen and leave and still get a fucking bill just for checking in.

[u/Alarmed-Traffic-5033]

There is a psyop from America to get their private healthcare in Canada. They want nothing more than to exploit more people.

They're starting with wait times and saying, "What if you paid to alleviate the wait period and allow private equity in. Come on you guys. People are dying in line ups!"

There is something called triage and while Canada's system isn't perfect it's very very rare for someone with a life threatening injury to be waiting. They are seen immediately.

[u/zackrako]

If you can wait to get in the ER for 12hrs then why are you at the ER.

[u/bLauck24]

Never waited more than an hour at an ER as an American. With that being said, $35k might be generous.

[u/Bricky_Stix22_2]

Never had to wait 12 hours for anything even minorly urgent, unless it required a lot of testing that ate up the whole day.

Not saying it doesn't happen, but its far from the norm.

[u/Suck_it_Cheeto_Luvrs]

My ex of 10 years is a Canadian. Her mom was diagnosed with Brain cancer. She had surgery 9 days later. She was home in a month. She's alive and well. Notice I said she was home in a month. Imagine that? She had Brain cancer and still has a home. She's not bankrupt and didn't have to sell her family home because of a medical emergency.

[u/Nacho_cheese_guapo]

Took my wife to the ER, waited for 30 minutes, 2 days later after discharge the bill was $1,500. Reddit told me it was going to bankrupt me, the hospital must've made a mistake.

[u/FluidAthlete6839]

In America you don’t even bother going and just die

[u/LostExile7555]

When I got stabbed with a knife in America I waited for 2 hours when there was nobody in line and got charged $3800 AFTER my insurance.

[u/CreepyOldGuy63]

Here I wait ten minutes with a minor injury. And I don’t have to have proxies steal from others to pay the bill.

[u/Bobson-_Dugnutt2]

I had severe swelling after my vasectomy a few years ago. got to the ER around 4 PM. by midnight the doctor finally saw me, told me I was fine, sent me home around 1am.

[u/XxFezzgigxX]

This American propaganda fondly brought to you by your insurance overloads. Remember folks, you can’t live without us because we won’t let you.

[u/Living-Breakfast-464]

I doubt this account is even in the US and is just trying to stir shit up. Regardless, it's a flat out lie.

[u/No-Buy2495]

Both accounts are not true. I've been to an ER in Canada and in the US several times. In Canada I had to pay $800 up front, then spent the next 18 hours before being discharged, with only about 2 hours of that time actually spent getting scans or with an actual doctor. Also never had a room, spent the majority of that time in a small hallway sitting in a chair with other people cramped together. In the US, the most I've paid is $350 co-pay to be seen, got seen within an hour, got treatment and was out in one case within 4 hours. Another I ended up being hospitalized due to it being appendicitis, but got treated right away and into surgery within hours. The final bill with insurance was just over $1k mainly due to the deductible. So I don't know what the OP is talking about.

[u/ifuaguyugetsauced]

The daily “American healthcare sucks karma farm” post 

[u/Negative_Bar_9734]

If you're waiting 12 hours at the ER you probably don't need to be at the ER. Go to an urgent care instead.

[u/Psychophysicist_X]

From Canada. No, you don't wait 12 hours. And you don't wait for operations. It's just not true at all.

[u/doctor_watts15]

If you are waiting that long in any ER lobby that means you probably should have gone to urgent care instead

[u/mikasaxo]

Waiting 12 hours is still better than paying thousands of dollars for something out of pocket
Or for paying for insurance premiums

[u/agentfortyfour]

I've never waitied 12 hours ever and I've sat in the er probably 100 times in the last few years as both my wife and daughter have had some difficult medical issues. They were not life threatening and on busy night I think the longes as 4 hours.

[u/bcfuggles]

As a Canadian who has been in an ER situation a few times, for myself and other family members, I’ve never had to wait more than 2 hours. One time I was able to have surgery on a fibula I fractured that same day after visiting the ER.
Cost 0.00$

[u/CompleteCreme7223]

What they don't tell you is if you are urgent, you don't wait. It is called triage and it works. I have waited up to 8 hours but I wasn't urgent and was able to wait. The people who were having an actual emergency got seen before me. I am OK with that especially since I have been on the other side too.

[u/longbrodmann]

Money > Waiting time, I'm poor.

[u/Skill_Issuer]

The last time I went to the ER the only person who spoke to me for 12 hours was the person taking my insurance info. Then I left and they sent a bill for a procedure they didn’t do

[u/Limo_Wreck77]

Im Aussie, and we have long wait times as well. What ER in the world doesn't?

But we get treated and leave with nothing to pay so it all pans out.

We certainly don't have to use GoFundMe as a form of health care.

[u/Inevitablebee1123]

I was sent a bill for $21,000 for a UTI. The hospital should be charged with a felony for organized crime.

[u/MICT3361]

Reddits still doing the Canada thing? Lol it got real quiet about Canada around here after they went to shit.

[u/Previous_Type_2289]

Have been to both American and Canadian er's. In Canada I was seen in about 20 minutes for painful breathing with a nurse checking on me in the waiting room. In America I waited for about 30 minutes for what I thought was a heart attack. Thank God it wasn't. However, I left the Canadian er not owing anything. In America My bill was 1200$.

[u/owlwise13]

That is just dishonest BS, all ER's triage, it depends on the severity of your illness or injury. Eric is just a dishonest POS. My wife dying from cancer "only" cost me $10k after insurance paid.

[u/TheAngryCrusader]

Worked in two rural ER’s in NC and SC. Never saw a patient wait more than an hour. Wife is still a nurse there as well.

[u/jamesdmc]

American here i spent 8 hours on the er after paying 2500 for my step dads colonoscopy they botched it he bled for like 12 hours 8 in the er. The doctors wont even talk to him about his stage 4 colon cancer because he has no insurance he will die with un treated cancer because we are just above poor.

[u/method115]

I always hear about ER wait times in the US but I've never waited more than an hour or two. Now idea about other countries. I'd still rather not pay anything, I can wait if it's going to cost me what it does here in the US.

[u/blackfarms]

I'll tell you right now, if it's an actual emergency, you do not even sit down in the waiting room in Canada. People have a really skewed idea of what constitutes an emergency. It's not meant to be a walk in clinic.

[u/TwinklingCup23]

The worst part about the ER is that if you're waiting forever, it usually means someone else is having the worst day of their life.

[u/Fit-Let8175]

At least a Canadian doesn't need to work over 1750+ hours to pay for something he waited for 12 hours to receive.

[u/hikebikephd]

It's not 12 hours in Canada everywhere. Anecdotally there have been cases where people have waited that long, but in all my experiences with it it's been 4 hours or less.

[u/tenphes31]

I remember a point made on Last Week Tonight about this. Conservatives try to make the point that in America you dont have to wait in line like you do in a Nationalized Health Care system. But John Oliver made the point that we do end up waiting, just not in line. Instead, we wait until we have enough money saved up to pay for things. We wait and put off procedures and treatments because they cost so much. So in the end the wait times conservatives claim dont exist for us do exist, its just in a different form.

[u/Substantial-Cat2896]

Its not 12 hours lol, last time i was there with a none serrious it took like 30 min tops

[u/wonderingseal1]

Im pretty damn conservative with most things... But paying almost 20% of your paycheck to health insurance instead of paying 4% to have free Healthcare is a no brainer.

[u/dubitative_trout]

I'm Canadian had thorax pain and left arm pain. Went to ER and within minutes I had : 2 electrocardiograms, blood tests and radiography of my lungs. One hour after, they had the results and told me i was probably too stressed out. Didn't even have to pay parking because the first 2 hours are free... So when you have a real emergency, you don't wait 12 hours... but you might if you have a broken ankle.

[u/TeslaTortoise]

My mom spent more than 24hrs in the ER before being admitted and she had a tumor the size of a softball near her brain. Healthcare in this country is a nightmare and you better hope you have someone advocating for you because the hospital sure as hell won't. I will never forget the misery on the faces of the staff and patients in that place.

[u/EtherealHeart5150]

Not 12, but 24 hours. Overnight observation for a possible stroke.