In Canada, for the most part, we don’t have to worry about medical bills but there are some services that some provinces provide that others do not. For instance, in the case of abortions, Ontario will only allow you to abort at 12 weeks whereas Quebec will allow you to abort up to 18 weeks. Ontario residents can voluntarily make the journey to clinics in Quebec to have the operation but they take the risk of getting a medical bill. What do you do when you can’t afford to pay these medical bills? There are a few options you can try.
Apply For Assistance
For out of province procedures, some of the costs incurred may be covered by the provincial medical care. Any bills received can be sent to the provincial ministry of health for appeal. Your provincial service like Service Ontario may have programs like the Essential Health and Service Reports that help cover medical costs. These programs provide residents with grants that help pay for medical costs like hearing instruments and eldercare.
If you’ve got private health insurance such as Great-West Life or other insurance received through your employer you can send your remittance statement to your provider and see if they will cover the cost of your care.
Reason With The Company
If you’ve received a medical bill, you can reason with the provider and tell them your financial situation to see if you can come up with a compromise. In most cases, they will be willing to reduce your bill to an amount that will be accommodating to your situation. Any payment made is better than no payment made.
Find An Alternative Payment Plan
Aside from reasoning with providers to lower your payments, you can also reason with healthcare providers and even clinics to go on a payment plan. Payment plans can reduce your monthly payments to an affordable payment and a term with no interest. If you’re worried about making your payments, you can always take up a second job that you can do from your home like call center work or even data entry work.
If that’s not your forte, you can get a part-time delivery job with a delivery service or rideshare program. If you have a small bill taking out an online payday loan can help you reach your financial goals. Online payday loans vary from $100 to up to $5000 depending on your annual salary.
Alternative Care Options
We all know that the Province doesn’t cover proven treatments. The good news is, there are groundbreaking clinical trials that can be more affordable and effective than in-hospital care. Some clinical trials offer compensation for potential patients.
Purchase Insurance
Banks like TD Canada Trust and private insurance brokers like Sunlife offer insurance plans to cover some of the cost of care. There are various products that may help you in your time of need like critical care insurance, for those with declining health. There are even plans that cover costs for the whole family if an accident or tragedy were to occur. These plans cover the cost of parking (we all know hospital parking in Canada is tragically expensive) and other daily expenses if a member of the family is hospitalized.
Acquire Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is a must if you’re traveling to the US. Provincial insurance only covers $400 a day for a hospital stay. The average cost per day for a hospital stay in the US is $5,000. An MRI in the US costs approximately $10,000. Travel insurance can be purchased at banks, private retailers or CAA locations.
Healthcare professionals care about your health and will work with you to keep your costs low. Don’t just dodge your provider’s calls, talk to them and see what you can do to come to a financial compromise with a payment plan that is suitable for both your needs. If you’re traveling be sure to get insurance. Be sure to check with your provincial Ministry of Health to see if they can help you with your medical bills.
