Private Surgery in Canada: National Medical Travel Pros and Cons

Long medical wait times force Canadians to look for medical help elsewhere in a private manner. Although in Canada private surgical facilities can not treat people from their own province (with the exception of Quebec), they can offer private surgeries for people residing in other provinces.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of staying in Canada to Canadians seeking private surgery?

Pros

Lower surgery costs due to currency conversion

One of the biggest pluses of staying local is that your surgery cost is in Canadian dollars, and you do not have to convert to USD. Most surgeries such as private hip or knee replacement cost roughly the same amount in USD or CAD. However, CAD is not doing so great right now, so there is value there in the conversion rate.

Lower travel costs (possibly)

Flying within Canada vs flying to the US can be less, but not always the case. It will depend on where you live and the destination you choose. We had people flying in from Vancouver to Montreal, and the cost can be about the same as flying from Halifax to Boston. If you live in Halifax, then flying to Toronto or Montreal may be less than flying to the US.

Access to home country emergency medical services in case of a complication

If you are staying in Canada for your private surgery, then you will not need complications insurance. Every Canadian is covered in case of an emergency, even if you went to get something done privately. If you travel to the US then we advise our client to at least check into and price complications insurance. Even though none of our clients have used it for a medical complication, it is a good feature to have, just in case, as US hospital bills can be very high.

Cons

Limited options for specialized care

Even though private medical facilities exist in Canada, their offerings do not cover all areas. One of the missing pieces are GYN and some urological procedures. Another one is pediatric surgeries. As well, many newer techniques or approaches may not be offered in Canada. If you are looking for a specialized or cutting-edge treatment you may need to look outside of Canada.

Limited information options in choosing your surgeon and medical facility

Not many surgical facilities in Canada offer extensive biographiess and stats on their medical facilities and surgeons. The information can be hard to find or not available at all. This makes decision-making a bit more complicated. We here at Health Vantis try our best to provide as much information about the number of surgeries performed, infection rates and nurse-to-patient ratios.

Longer wait to get to surgery, even private

Even at private facilities in Canada scheduling your private surgery can be 3 months out. Usually, by the time people make a decision to seek a private surgery they do not want to wait 3 months and would like to get it quickly. Health Vantis has arranged surgeries within 3-4 weeks from the date of initial contact. A lot depends on medical records here, however. If someone has their medical records we can get you to surgery asap. If medical records have to be requested from the health care authority, it can take up to 30 business days to receive.

If you are curious about private surgery and would like to discuss your options at home or in the US we are here to help. Contact Health Vantis toll-free 877 344 3544 or by email info@healthvantis.com