British Expatriate Network

We have two weeks to go before we leave San Diego and return to Ottawa and we have to make a decision on whether to see a doctor here in San Diego or return to Ottawa early, for treatment.

We had to take out private insurance to cover us here in the US to cover the higher cost for treatment. I contacted the insurance company and found that seeing a doctor is complicated and requires`permission to seek treatment.

We are not used to having a third party decide if or when we can seek medical treatment. Although the the Ontario Government provides health care in Ottawa they don't have any direct say in what treatment the doctor suggests or advises.

We have decided as a first step to vist a Pharmacy for advice.

Keith Wrote:

We have two weeks to go before we leave San Diego and return to Ottawa and we have to make a decision on whether to see a doctor here in San Diego or return to Ottawa early, for treatment.

We had to take out private insurance to cover us here in the US to cover the higher cost for treatment. I contacted the insurance company and found that seeing a doctor is complicated and requires`permission to seek treatment.

We are not used to having a third party decide if or when we can seek medical treatment. Although the the Ontario Government provides health care in Ottawa they don't have any direct say in what treatment the doctor suggests or advises.

We have decided as a first step to vist a Pharmacy for advice.

Keith,in the USA if you are in a Insurance plan like Medicare ADVANTAGE (Not regular Medicare) or any of the Insurance companies that require a pre- check with a Primary Care Doctor(Note:NOT the better ,more expensive Insurance plans like Regular Medicare who let you go unmolested to any doctor who ACCEPTS Medicare for payment),
you must see your Primary Care Doctor, to get an OK to see a Specialist Doctor.

Therefore, your Insurance Company MUST give you the name of a Doctor that they have in the plan ,near where you reside, for you to to go to to get a preliminary check, and who then will advise you what to do.

I do not put too much faith in getting info from a pharmacy!

1) Call back to your Insurance Company and GET the NAME of the Insurance Companies Primary care Doctor.

2) Call both the Canadian and Brtish Embassies for info and complain.

3) For more accurate advice visit in person your local big hospital.
Go to the admissions Desk, they have all the experts on these Cockeyed Insurance Companies and they can give you ,In my opinion ,more uptodate Info on what to do.

Good Luck .

johnr Wrote:

Keith Wrote:

We have two weeks to go before we leave San Diego and return to Ottawa and we have to make a decision on whether to see a doctor here in San Diego or return to Ottawa early, for treatment.

We had to take out private insurance to cover us here in the US to cover the higher cost for treatment. I contacted the insurance company and found that seeing a doctor is complicated and requires`permission to seek treatment.

We are not used to having a third party decide if or when we can seek medical treatment. Although the the Ontario Government provides health care in Ottawa they don't have any direct say in what treatment the doctor suggests or advises.

We have decided as a first step to vist a Pharmacy for advice.

Keith,in the USA if you are in a Insurance plan like Medicare ADVANTAGE (Not regular Medicare) or any of the Insurance companies that require a pre- check with a Primary Care Doctor(Note:NOT the better ,more expensive Insurance plans like Regular Medicare who let you go unmolested to any doctor who ACCEPTS Medicare for payment),
you must see your Primary Care Doctor, to get an OK to see a Specialist Doctor.

Therefore, your Insurance Company MUST give you the name of a Doctor that they have in the plan ,near where you reside, for you to to go to to get a preliminary check, and who then will advise you what to do.

I do not put too much faith in getting info from a pharmacy!

1) Call back to your Insurance Company and GET the NAME of the Insurance Companies Primary care Doctor.

2) Call both the Canadian and Brtish Embassies for info and complain.

3) For more accurate advice visit in person your local big hospital.
Go to the admissions Desk, they have all the experts on these Cockeyed Insurance Companies and they can give you ,In my opinion ,more uptodate Info on what to do.

Good Luck .

My Insurer is a Canadian Insurer and does not have the same access to the US system as would your insurer. Think of it as if you were in another country, would your insurer have doctors on their books?

Keith Wrote:

We have decided as a first step to vist a Pharmacy for advice.

I don't know the medical problem, but you could try a walk-in clinic.

Bunty and Judy Wrote:

Keith Wrote:

We have decided as a first step to vist a Pharmacy for advice.

I don't know the medical problem, but you could try a walk-in clinic.

We return to Ottawa on the 15th March so we are loathed to go to a clinic. I did check with our local clinic and they don't accept out of state/country Insurance. If it were an emergency we go to the clinic.

After 42 years of Canadian health care where cost doesn't come into a visit for medical treatment, I hesitate to seek proffesional medical help in the US unless it's an emergency. We would rather return to Ottawa early.

Keith Wrote:

johnr Wrote:

Keith Wrote:

We have two weeks to go before we leave San Diego and return to Ottawa and we have to make a decision on whether to see a doctor here in San Diego or return to Ottawa early, for treatment.

We had to take out private insurance to cover us here in the US to cover the higher cost for treatment. I contacted the insurance company and found that seeing a doctor is complicated and requires`permission to seek treatment.

We are not used to having a third party decide if or when we can seek medical treatment. Although the the Ontario Government provides health care in Ottawa they don't have any direct say in what treatment the doctor suggests or advises.

We have decided as a first step to vist a Pharmacy for advice.

Keith,in the USA if you are in a Insurance plan like Medicare ADVANTAGE (Not regular Medicare) or any of the Insurance companies that require a pre- check with a Primary Care Doctor(Note:NOT the better ,more expensive Insurance plans like Regular Medicare who let you go unmolested to any doctor who ACCEPTS Medicare for payment),
you must see your Primary Care Doctor, to get an OK to see a Specialist Doctor.

Therefore, your Insurance Company MUST give you the name of a Doctor that they have in the plan ,near where you reside, for you to to go to to get a preliminary check, and who then will advise you what to do.

I do not put too much faith in getting info from a pharmacy!

1) Call back to your Insurance Company and GET the NAME of the Insurance Companies Primary care Doctor.

2) Call both the Canadian and Brtish Embassies for info and complain.

3) For more accurate advice visit in person your local big hospital.
Go to the admissions Desk, they have all the experts on these Cockeyed Insurance Companies and they can give you ,In my opinion ,more uptodate Info on what to do.

Good Luck .

My Insurer is a Canadian Insurer and does not have the same access to the US system as would your insurer. Think of it as if you were in another country, would your insurer have doctors on their books?

By my reasoning, if you buy "Travel Insurance" in your home country that Insurance company should have representatives in the country/ies you are travelling to.

My father,(In The UK) when he visited us the USA, a few years ago,had an attack of shingles so we had to take him to the local hospital emergency room.

No preliminary phone calls of any type were made.

They treated him and said they would bill his UK travel insurance company. This was done with no problems.

This also happened when he had an heart attack in Dublin,the UK travel Insurance paid.

I have $50,000/person travel health insurance on my AARP policy and I(I hope) would have no worries if I went to a doctor or hospital for a minor problem while out of the country.

There again, based on what has happened to you ,I should check with them ,prior to foreign travel,to find out how they operate in a medical emergency when out of your home country!!!

johnr Wrote:

Keith Wrote:

johnr Wrote:

Keith Wrote:

We have two weeks to go before we leave San Diego and return to Ottawa and we have to make a decision on whether to see a doctor here in San Diego or return to Ottawa early, for treatment.

We had to take out private insurance to cover us here in the US to cover the higher cost for treatment. I contacted the insurance company and found that seeing a doctor is complicated and requires`permission to seek treatment.

We are not used to having a third party decide if or when we can seek medical treatment. Although the the Ontario Government provides health care in Ottawa they don't have any direct say in what treatment the doctor suggests or advises.

We have decided as a first step to vist a Pharmacy for advice.

Keith,in the USA if you are in a Insurance plan like Medicare ADVANTAGE (Not regular Medicare) or any of the Insurance companies that require a pre- check with a Primary Care Doctor(Note:NOT the better ,more expensive Insurance plans like Regular Medicare who let you go unmolested to any doctor who ACCEPTS Medicare for payment),
you must see your Primary Care Doctor, to get an OK to see a Specialist Doctor.

Therefore, your Insurance Company MUST give you the name of a Doctor that they have in the plan ,near where you reside, for you to to go to to get a preliminary check, and who then will advise you what to do.

I do not put too much faith in getting info from a pharmacy!

1) Call back to your Insurance Company and GET the NAME of the Insurance Companies Primary care Doctor.

2) Call both the Canadian and Brtish Embassies for info and complain.

3) For more accurate advice visit in person your local big hospital.
Go to the admissions Desk, they have all the experts on these Cockeyed Insurance Companies and they can give you ,In my opinion ,more uptodate Info on what to do.

Good Luck .

My Insurer is a Canadian Insurer and does not have the same access to the US system as would your insurer. Think of it as if you were in another country, would your insurer have doctors on their books?

By my reasoning, if you buy "Travel Insurance" in your home country that Insurance company should have representatives in the country/ies you are travelling to.

My father,(In The UK) when he visited us the USA, a few years ago,had an attack of shingles so we had to take him to the local hospital emergency room.

No preliminary phone calls of any type were made.

They treated him and said they would bill his UK travel insurance company. This was done with no problems.

This also happened when he had an heart attack in Dublin,the UK travel Insurance paid.

I have $50,000/person travel health insurance on my AARP policy and I(I hope) would have no worries if I went to a doctor or hospital for a minor problem while out of the country.

There again, based on what has happened to you ,I should check with them ,prior to foreign travel,to find out how they operate in a medical emergency when out of your home country!!!

I would be very surprised if your AARP insurance would be accepted in any country other than the US.

I do know that the Canadian Government travel advisory instructs that all Canadians traveling outside of the country take out Health Insurance. My Ontario health insurance will pay a portion of any billed medical costs but it's not enough to cover major medical emergencies.

I have always taken out private insurance since I retired. Some companies in Canada do insure their retirees but usually only for a limited time, so top-up private insurance is advisable. for longer periods away from the country.

I also know that if you were to travel to Canada you would be required to pay for a doctors vist and get reimbursement from your insurer on return to the US.