Private Surgery vs Waiting – What Are the Costs?

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Canadians waiting a long time for medical treatment incur costs because of such delays. These costs could be non-monetary, such as the increased risk of mortality or worsening of the condition, and monetary costs. Monetary costs consist of the value of lost time and the cost of care while the person is waiting,

Frasure Institute attempted to measure the value of time that is lost while waiting for treatment. “Valuing only hours lost during the aver­age work week, the estimated cost of waiting for care in Canada for patients who were in the queue in 2021 was almost $4.1 billion. This works out to an average of about $2,848 for each of the estimated 1,425,517 Canadians wait­ing for treatment in 2021”.

They state that this is a conservative estimate and that if all of the time of a person waiting is considered the number is much higher. “Valuing all hours of the week, in­cluding evenings and weekends but excluding eight hours of sleep per night, would increase the estimated cost of waiting to almost $12.4 billion, or about $8,706 per person.”

These numbers tell us the value of lost time.  In addition, the quality of life is also lost. It is challenging to put a specific dollar value on quality of life. To be able to do the activities you enjoy, and spend time with your kids or grandkids is truly priceless, but are lost if a person is in pain and is waiting for treatment.

If you wish to consider your private options without the wait, we can help. Reach out to us by email info@healthvantis.com or toll free 877 344 3544 to discuss what can be done in a private manner.

Private Surgery – Who Pays the Bill?

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We oftentimes are asked if any of the private surgery costs can be reimbursed by the provincial healthcare plan. The answer to this question is – it depends on the type of surgery you are going to have. Canadian provincial health plans do not cover any healthcare costs for private surgery if that surgery or treatment is covered by a provincial healthcare plan. So, for example, a hip or knee replacement is not going to be covered.

If it is something that is not offered in Canada, you may be able to recover some costs. However, this path is long and arduous and requires advanced planning. Each province has different rules. Every province requires your Canadian doctor to provide certain documentation to state that this is the needed surgery or treatment and that it is not offered in Canada.

Fraser Institute recently calculated how much Canadians pay for public healthcare and here are the numbers. “The 10 percent of Canadian families with the lowest incomes will pay an average of about $690 for public health care insurance in 2022. The 10 percent of Canadian families who earn an average income of $76,704 will pay an aver­age of $7,374 for public health care insurance, and the families among the top 10 percent of income earners in Canada will pay $41,914.” These expenses are withheld through our Canadian taxes for our “free healthcare” that is experiencing lengthy delays accessing the medical services.

Considering private surgery and its costs are always a serious matter. In 99% of the cases, your private surgery costs will have to be covered by you. However, to some Canadians, it is a timely option they want to have. If you are considering private surgery, we can help. The medical facilities we work with are safe, and affordable, and provide great outcomes for our clients. Give us a call 877 344 3544 or email us info@healthvantis.com

Private Knee Replacement and Your Body Weight

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When it comes to total knee replacement your weight matters. Excess weight puts additional stress on weight-bearing joints.  Years of carrying excess weight contribute to achy, swollen, and stiff joints. Osteoarthritis has long been considered a wear and tear disease. In addition, obesity may increase inflammation levels in your body, thus leading to joint pain. For people considered overweight, dropping 10 pounds means taking off as much as 40 pounds of force off their knees, depending on what they are doing.

In many cases, knee pain prevents people from losing weight as their mobility is compromised and therefore makes it nearly impossible to exercise. However, exercising is only one aspect of losing weight. Another very important one is your diet. The number of calories you eat matters. Sometimes you can exercise a lot, and lose very little weight if you have not adjusted your diet.

What should you weigh to be able to do a private knee replacement? In most cases, the cut-off number is 40 BMI (Body Mass Index). If you need to calculate your BMI here is a tool that takes into account your age and sex https://www.omnicalculator.com/health/bmi

For more information about private knee replacement, contact us by email info@healthvantis.com or toll-free 877 344 3544

Medical travel mistakes to avoid when traveling for private surgery

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Many Canadians are facing medical delays this year due to various problems in public healthcare that were compounded by COVID-19 challenges. Instead of waiting indefinitely for surgery, some choose to go the private route and pay for their treatment of surgery out of pocket. Traveling for medical reasons can be complicated and requires thorough preparation to ensure its success. Hiring a reputable medical facilitator will take this off your hand and let you focus on your health. Below are the three most common mistakes to avoid if you are planning your private medical travel by yourself.

Not checking medical facility and doctor’s certifications and reputation

Certifications issued by credible accreditation bodies in the US or Canada confirm that your surgeon is a skilled medical professional and that the facility is up to the highest industry standards. All US surgeons must be certified by the state board they practice in and many hold accreditations from their specialty boards. Board certifications assure patients that their doctor is up to date on all current treatment options. Reputation is usually checked by talking directly with past patients or through online reviews. A reputable medical facilitator will be able to connect you to past patients in most cases.

Getting incomplete costs

When it comes to surgery costs you need to make sure that the price you get will be the price you end up paying. In many US hospitals, this is challenging to achieve due to their inability to provide their patients with complete final costs prior to surgery. The US billing system at major hospitals will only provide a rough estimate of what may be involved. Smaller day surgery centers are usually better equipped to provide a final price with everything included.

Not preparing to deal with recovery

Every surgery, even a minimally invasive one, will require some recovery time and a rehab plan in most cases. Realistic expectations about the time needed are very important. This can be achieved by talking to your doctor and to people who had the same procedure done before. Even though everyone is different when it comes to recovery, you will get an idea of what it might take. A lot depends on your overall health and age as well. The healthier you are prior to surgery the faster your recovery may be. Preparing your home and your loved ones for when you come back home is also very important.

When it comes to traveling for medical reasons a lot has to go into planning beforehand. If you are a busy individual or simply do not want to deal with all the details hiring a reputable medical facilitator will save you time and money in the end. Contact Health Vantis to find out more details about our full medical concierge service, toll-free 877 344 35 44 or info@healthvantis.com