Will You Travel for Private Elective Surgery?
It has not been easy for many people all over the world to adapt and live with the new virus, COVID-19. In Canada, medical wait times for certain elective procedures were long even before COVID. In March, when all elective surgeries were cancelled or postponed, it is reasonable to think that the list is getting even longer and people’s surgeries are pushed even further away.
Canada provides universal healthcare. There are oftentimes very few options to get surgery in a private, and timely, manner. Usually, Canadians travel to get their treatments elsewhere. During the global pandemic, a decision to travel outside of your local area may be a difficult one to make.
Many Canadians seeking private elective surgery or diagnostic would like to get it in Canada. Options here do exist, but the list of surgeries and geographical locations are not very many. In the past, travelling to the US was an obvious choice. However, with borders between the two countries being closed to non-essential travel, many think it is not possible and is too dangerous, due to the number of COVID infections in the US.
Travelling for medical reasons is considered essential by the US government, so a Canadian coming for surgery will be allowed to cross the border and get a private surgery or treatment. All the medical facilities in the US take every necessary precaution to reduce the possibility of COVID spread.
The choice to travel for medical reasons is a very individual one. It will depend on your overall health, age, a medical condition you are travelling for and your overall risk tolerance. Health Vantis can help answer some of the questions you may have. We can also arrange for a phone consultation with a doctor so that all the medical concerns are answered in advance. Give us a call toll-free 877 344 3544.