HI All...... I have been infomed tht it is $2.5k for a pet scan in Canada, and $8k in US.....I know we need to have oral cancer awareness, however, I think you need to write to the President - in Australia, a PET scan costs nothing unless you are a new migrant.....my OCF & FB friends have to wait until next year for a scan...in that time, their 'c' could have progressed and there may be no point in waiting....may as well die. You guys need to fight for medicare, and the right to be treated before things get worse. You have my support...xxxxxx and if there is anything I can do to help, please ask...I have my own probs, but you are my friends and I am there for you too. I can write too.....Love J xxxxxx

You are right, Jeanna - but it is not only the President who may already be aware, but all those who are fighting against any changes or improvements If we can find out exactly who are those resisting making changes to insurance and medicare, then we can use the power of the pen ("mighter than the sword") or at least email and flood the floor of all those offices with the plight of cancer survivors and all those suffering with costs of catastrophic illnesses. You have a big, big heart Jeanna to have such concern for our situations here and I am very touched by your compassion.

Jenna - pet scans are no charge in Canada either - don't know where you hear $2,500?. In Canada, we pay for our health system - very similarly to you - through our taxation. There is no charge for individual procedures, etc - unless as you say new immigrant or something like that.

Donna

An excellent article on USA health care costs in today's Washington Post: Turns out the UK, Oz and Canada plus other systems all cost less and deliver more. the article concludes
[quote]As for the approach that�s helped every other industrialized country achieve universal coverage at about half our costs? Well, we�re still not ready to talk about that. [/quote] so this is not a republican or democrat post, just a frustrated one.
USA #1 Health costs
We've had discussions before on OCF about the amazingly high numbers some of us have seen on our insurance claims, not to mention our out of pocket costs not covered.
Here's an excerpt of that full article
[quote] I found it buried inside a Kaiser Family Foundation brief entitled �Health Care Spending in the United States and Selected OECD Countries.� Inauspicious, maybe. But it should change the way we think about health-care costs. Because what it shows is that we�ve failed. Failed to control costs. Failed to restrain the growth of government.

And it shows something else, too: Where we�ve failed, others have succeeded.

Everyone knows � or should know � that the United States spends much more than any other country on health care. But the Kaiser Family Foundation broke that spending down into two parts: the government�s share and the private sector�s share (both measured as a percentage of total gross domestic product), then compared the results to figures from 12 other countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. And here�s the shocker: Our government spends more on health care than the governments of Japan, Australia, Norway, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Canada or Switzerland.[/quote]
Charm

Love you, Jeanna! You have so much going on in your own life and you still have compassion to spare!

In ways, we in the US are already paying for socialized medicine. We have been doing so for years. People who need treatment can't be refused regardless of residency or immigrant status, insurance or lack of it, or even ability to pay. The medical care industry makes up the costs by overcharging insured patients and government programs. Medicare fraud is rampant on the provider level. Billed services, even those that are valid, are exhorbitantly priced.

Insurance is costing us more and covers us less. There are now deductibles with a covered percentage in addition to co-payments. It used to be one or the other. Sometimes providers write off the balance not covered by insurance. Sometimes they don't.

I don't want to delve into politics and immigration policy. But, the US has mismanaged things to the point where providing public services is unsustainable. Being a teacher in California and working in youth corrections, I see a big need for change. It is getting to the point where the benefits are dwarfed by the costs--both financial and social. It would help if all countries would take care of their citizens so they wouldn't be forced to seek a better life elsewhere. Sorry...I'll hop off my soapbox now...

It was I that mentioned to Jeanna that I had to pay for a combined pet/ct scan as I am from Northern, Ontario Canada. We do not have any available here & my oncologist suggested that I have one done. Yes we do have the standard Pet but only in Southern & Eastern Ontario. No combined Pet/Ct here at all. I was the one that paid $2500 out of pocket & travelld to Montreal to have it done at Ville Marie Clinic. it is a private clinic on St Catherine's st. Canada is made up of different provinces & we each have different health care. Plus head & neck cancer does not qualify in the group of cancers for a free pet scan here in Ontario. Please do your research before commenting. I do not wish for Jeanna to believe that I was lying to her.

My apologizes Rozaroo. You are right, I did not do "research" before I commented about free health care - I just went from my own experience. Having said that, paying for such services (aside from out of pocket expenses to get to/from the scan provider), is not - IN MY OPINION - a common thing in Canada. Just MY .02 cents worth. I am happy you got the scan you needed - and I certainly hope Jenna knows you were not misleading her. That would not be something that people on this board - IN MY EXPERIENCE - do not do!

Be well.

Donna

Donna! Not a problem, I understand how confusing it get's. Our health care in the north is struggling. Lack of family Dr's & a ton of walk in clinic's set up across the city. No personalized service etc. Just horrible. We do have a cancer centre with great Dr's that are highly qualified but no Pet scan's & once you are done treatment there is very little support. I just find it so frustrating. If you have no money for a scan then you are left out. That truly sadden's me.