Be careful what you wish for Squamish.
As much as being the outdoor adventure capital of Canada and embracing the “Hardwired for Adventure” tagline imparts a certain cachet, invariably adventure seekers will get banged up doing so. As a result, they will have to negotiate the labyrinthine B.C. medical marketplace.
For the most part, timely access to general health care is guaranteed under the B.C. Medical Services Plan (MSP), especially when it comes to the ample supply of general practitioners in Squamish. But once an injured party ventures beyond that initial intervention, to the inner sanctum where specialists ply their trade, the journey can be challenging.
Breaking a limb will usually result in a quick trip to see a surgeon whose services are covered by MSP.
Injuries that require attention, but are less urgent, can result in a six month to one year wait time for patients.
That being said, for a sizeable fee some orthopaedic surgeons who have long patient wait lists in provincial medical plan facilities will offer a preliminary assessment within a week to those same patients at a private for-profit clinic and follow it up with a timely surgical procedure.
When it comes to medical diagnostics, a non-urgent request for an MRI, or ultrasound scan, can result in long delays. At the moment, there are long wait times for some ultrasound scans at the Squamish General Hospital, according to local medical practitioners. Of course, for anywhere between $450 and $1,000, depending on the test, private diagnostic imaging clinics on the Lower Mainland will fast-track the process.
For years, private clinics have been accused of cherry-picking profitable services and leaving less lucrative cases to the public B.C. health care provider. However, the situation has changed dramatically with the NDP government’s announcement that it will penalize doctors and diagnostic facilities who engage in extra billing for expedited care. Public healthcare advocates are applauding the move to curb what amounts to a two-tier health care system.
Up until very recently, the situation quite literally came down to the bottom line: B.C. residents could languish in limbo for months until their surgery date, or they could reach deep into their pockets to access a private facility and get immediate medical attention. In this province, there are upwards of 80,000 adult patients waiting for scheduled, non-emergency surgery, a historical high, according B.C. government stats.
Some relief is in sight because the provincial government has pledged to shorten queues for certain procedures, especially knee and hip replacements. Now, with the private surgery option under siege, the wait lists could get even longer and many people may be forced to travel to other jurisdictions as medical tourists.
So, the next time you’re rocketing down a local mountain bike trail, or clambering up the face of the Stawamus Chief, it might be a good idea to keep those considerations in mind.
