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Replies to "In Canada paying for a biopsy earlier would typically mean travelling to the U.S., with all..."
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: 3 hours ago | Replies (23)
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In Canada paying for a biopsy earlier would typically mean travelling to the U.S., with all the extra expense and hassle that involves (especially with the CAD low against the USD right now).
As I mentioned in my earlier comment, while every province is a bit different, healthcare scheduling is usually on a triage basis here. If you're in crisis, you get taken *very* fast (that's been my personal experience); if they don't think it's urgent, then you have to get in line. Sadly, I probably bumped a lot of people down the queue back in 2021–22.
Unfortunately, they don't consider mental health in the equation. Waiting for a biopsy is a very different kind of trauma than just waiting for a knee replacement.
Replies to "In Canada paying for a biopsy earlier would typically mean travelling to the U.S., with all..."
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@northoftheborder
Would you say that the U.S. health care is better than Canada? I hope that question is okay on MCC. Since you live there and deal with it the question allows feedback that deals with it versus just hearing what news media reports.
Lot of discussion out there about U.S. going to government run health care and being free. What most of americans who are not on Medicare is that Medicare is NOT FREE. There is a deductible that must be met and then a 20% co-pay. A lot of services are not covered by Medicare.
What I see and read is the U.S. system is far superior. When you mention mental health is not in equation that bothers me as mental health has a profound affect on both physical and mental health.
Waiting for a biopsy for any extended length of time to me would cause mental health issues with anxiety and stress that needs to be addressed and considered. I was lucky with my biopsies as actually gave me a very quick appointment.
What I did not like was delay from biopsies until treatment until I read there was a general delay from biopsy date and when radiation would start to give prostate time to recover from the trauma of biopsies. I had Markers done and again a delay but reading again was built in to help prostate recover from the markers before radiation was started.