Colin Craig: Policy that allows for treatment in another country and reimbursement at home would end a lot of suffering. Read more here
Passed in 2011, the European Union’s “cross border directive” takes power out of health bureaucrats’ hands and instead puts patients in the driver’s seat. EU patients facing a long wait list for a procedure can travel to another EU country, pay for surgery and then be reimbursed by their home country for the bill. Reimbursements cover up to the cost of what the government would have paid to have the procedure done locally.
Importing the EU’s policy approach to Canada could bring immediate pain relief for many desperate patients. A couple of years ago, B.C. patientdescribed to SecondStreet.org what life was like on a waiting list. Her hip pain was so severe that just walking across her living room became quite difficult. The government’s slow health care system also robbed Jenny of precious time with her grandkids: babysitting hyper-mobile kids was simply out of the question.
If provincial governments provided financial support for Canadians to receive surgery abroad or in other provinces, thousands of patients could receive the care they need in a timely manner. Grandparents could get back to enjoying their retirement years and spending time with their grandkids. Parents could return to work and get their lives back on track. Who knows? Some patients’ lives might even be saved.
To be clear, there could be cases where a patient has to pay the difference between the amount their government reimbursed and the cost of surgery by a health provider outside of Canada. However, the reverse is also possible. For instance, Manitoba patient Max Johnson indicated in late 2021 that his knee surgery in LithuaniaThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
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Opinion: Help Canadian patients by copying an EU cross-border surgery practiceColin Craig: Policy that allows for treatment in another country and reimbursement at home would end a lot of suffering. Read more here
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