You know how Canadians have free health care...?

[BA123 0]

Would they get the lap band for free if they qualified?

Just something to think about...

Edited April 29, 2008 by losingjusme
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[Wheetsin 714]

Ask our Canadians. We have several of them here. Theye ven have their own forum, though they graciously mingle with us South Americans.

[BA123 0]

I'm North American.

Edited April 29, 2008 by losingjusme
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[jjsmiles 3]

Ha ha to both of you.

Anyways - define "free" health care. We do have universal health care, and some provinces do not charge for health care, but I pay $46 per month for Alberta Health Care (but apparently as of next January, it will go down to nothing).

It is next to impossible to get lap band covered by health care in Canada. My province (Alberta) has been doing some lap band surgeries in the last 2 years, but the wait list is very long and there was just an announcement that the region I live in is cutting back the surgery to 25 per year (this is for a city of over 1 million). The only WLS surgery offered in my city is the lap band (there is no one here doing gastric by pass or the sleeve), and there is no way to pay for the surgery yourself.

That said, I was one of the incredibly lucky people who managed to get the band covered by health care, so I didn't pay anything. I also don't pay for fills or ongoing care. In my city, I am one of about maybe 100 or so that have received the surgery.

Most Canadians are paying cash for lap band - and going to either Ontario, Quebec, the US or Mexico to the surgery. To get the surgery in Canada costs about $18,0000 CDN, plus travel. We don't really have private insurance plans to cover the surgery. Also, it is very difficult to open a "private" clinic to offer the surgery, so most people have to travel a long distance and cover the costs all by themselves (although they can claim some back through their taxes). In my province there is no private clinic offering the surgery, although there are rumors that people are trying to start one up.

WLS is a relatively new field of medical practice in Canada, particularly in the West. There is not a great deal of publicity, and most people have never heard of the lap band. When I tell people hear about my WLS, almost everyone assumes I have gotten my stomach "stapled" and look at me with horror :biggrin:. I do a lot of educating and people are very curious.

[*Love* 2]

I am Canadian. Our OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) does not cover the lap band.

Private insurance through work may.

I do not have a full-time job so I don't have insurance.

I do not meet the requirements through my husband's work insurance.

I am paying $18,000.

[Doddie63 6]

Hi I am from British Columbia Canada and our health care charges $52 per month. Gastric By Pass is done in BC but there is a 4 year wait list. Our health system is geared to prevent catastrophic illness from bankrupting a family. The cover Drs. visit but not dental or opthomologists or physiothereapists unless referred to by a doctor and then only a limited number of sessions are allowed. There are a whole lot of medical issues that are not covered. The band will not be covered anytime soon as the health authorities don't like the costs of after care. So yes it is great to have public medical care costs covered and no one can be turned down including visitors to Canada for major surgeries. Unfortuantely, the system can't affort to cover everything.