In this episode of “The Breakdown,” Nate and Chris engage in a conversation about the new model of urgent care that is being proposed for Airdrie, Alberta. If you have not already seen this video, you may wish to take the time to do so.
Category Archives: What if
Private, for profit acute healthcare comes to Alberta?
If you have not had the opportunity to watch this episode of “The Breakdown,” you may wish to do so.
Insurance won’t cover hospital bill in Florida
Imagine that you have been on vacation in Florida. While at the airport, awaiting your flight home to Canada, you suffer a cardiac arrest. You are rushed to a local hospital where you are treated.
Prior to embarking on your holiday, you confirmed that you had the necessary medical insurance. Therefore, when you were receiving medical treatment in the Florida hospital, you believed that all costs incurred would be covered by your medical insurance. Imagine your surprise when, upon submitting the hospital bill of over $600,000, you were told something very different. “‘Oh, we’re not paying “‘
Click here to read the news story.
Amplifying the Patient’s Voice
Martha’s Rule is a new policy that aims to give patients and the patient’s families greater voice in the the care their loved one is receiving without the fear of retribution or the like. Had this rule existed in 2021, perhaps Martha’s outcome would have been very different.
As Martha’s mother said, “‘I desperately wish that I’d felt able, with no fear of being the target of ill-temper or condescension, to ask for a second opinion from outside the liver team when I became concerned about Martha’s deterioration.’”
Click here to read about Martha’s Rule.
How to Fix Healthcare?
Healthcare is a concern for many people. In this X thread, Dr. Meddings identifies what is needed to improve healthcare in Alberta. According to him, “[t]here is nothing magical about how to fix our healthcare system. There is no ‘private’ in here and it is all currently doable given political will.”
OK, guess I'm grumpy these days. Here is a short thread on what Alberta needs to do to fix healthcare. If I were to give a title? Perhaps "It's Not Hard. Really."
— Jon Meddings (@JMeddings) August 18, 2023
This is inspired by the Manitoba Doctors recommendations – they get this right. https://t.co/ydTZFN7ra6
One a Day?
If you have time to read only one Twitter thread today, you might want to choose this one.
My views on covid seem to have become a bit, well—radical. Please allow me to explain. I did not start out radical. I am lucky to have a settled, establishment-adjacent, career. Three years ago, on the eve of the pandemic, I trusted the establishment. pic.twitter.com/PktHgac8M5
— Michael A Osborne (@maosbot) March 15, 2023
An Angel…
Reading this story is a great way to start 2023. Among other things, this “angel” can serve as an inspiration as we begin this new year.
What if air travel worked like healthcare?
Words Matter
What a difference it would make if COVID mitigation measures were referred to as “protections” in the media vs. “restrictions”.
— Oni Blackstock MD MHS (@oni_blackstock) February 11, 2022
