I'm getting weekly immunotherapy allergy shots (which are also covered by the free healthcare here) and I had a bad reaction to a shot. They needed to give me 2 epipens and some ventilator drug and stretchered me in an ambulance to the hospital where I waited about 5-10 min (I was stable at this point) for a private room. They kept me there for like 4 hours with IV drip and prescribed me another EpiPen.

Total cost was 0 with no questions asked. I know for non life threatening injuries like broken bones you might be waiting a few hours to get in, but I'd rather it be like that then have the possibility of going in massive debt.

[–] BugleFingers@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

As an American I never understood the "you have to wait longer in Canada" argument. My sibling almost cut off a few of their fingers and was bleeding profusely and had to wait with a rag around their fingers for almost 4 hours in the ER before they got seen. This is in the US. I've had past partners waiting in large amounts of pain for upwards of 10 hours in the ER too (thankfully I brought some bugles to snack on). It's a problem in general, I'd rather it at least be free

[–] FelisCatus@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

For sure, it's definitely not perfect here, for example I'm on a year long waitlist for surgery for a deviated septum. But from what I've heard they get you in fast if it's life threatening. I think in my case anaphylaxis can be life threatening so they got me in fast even though I was stable. We also have the option of paying for surgeries privately anyway if we don't want to wait.

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