URGENT ! got sick before PR application

[sunny2710]

hello,

i have a huge problem, I am a visitor in Canada and we are about to send my inland PR application. When i came here from Austria i had health travel insurance, but the contract ended last month and somehow in all the paperwork I forgot to renew it. I wanted to renew it this month. My big problem is now, that since a few days i am in pain and since today the pain was getting worse. I need to go to a Doctor or to the Hospital, ASAP, to get a prescription for antibiotics (since I think I know what causes the pain). I still got in Austria my medical care, for which I pay. My question is now what to do ? No health insurance will give me a contract here I guess. I am really scared and panicking right now :'( Would a doctor even take a look at me, if I get unconscious or so ?

 

[taffy7]

If you have a walk in clinic that you can go to try that . It is much cheaper. A friend of mind needed medical care and didn't have insurance and it was quite reasonable .. Hope you feel better soon.

 

[scylla]

Agreed. If all you need is a simple prescription, go to a walk in clinic. It will be much cheaper for you.

 

[sunny2710]

thank you for your quick answers ! I will go to the walking clinic. Now I can only hope, that i need only antibiotics and its not something very serious, cause in that case I must go to Austria probably, and that so close before we send my Inland PR application.

thank you again

 

[taffy7]

thank you for your quick answers ! I will go to the walking clinic. Now I can only hope, that i need only antibiotics and its not something very serious, cause in that case I must go to Austria probably, and that so close before we send my Inland PR application.

thank you again

If you are that sick you won't be getting on any plane . They will not allow you to board unless you can fake it , but being up in a plane can cause you to have more problems with your heath . So go to the best thing and get to that clinic and let us know how you are. Good luck.

 

[sunny2710]

thank you again and yes you are right. In that case, the airline would not even let me board. I will follow up here, as soon as i was at a doctor.

 

[taffy7]

just a quick note because you should be looking for that walk in clinic my friend paid $80.00 for the visit then he paid for the prescription which wasn't much so go ... just thought this might reassure you that it won't cost you an arm and a leg . I am in Ontario.

 

[micmac101]

thank you for your quick answers ! I will go to the walking clinic. Now I can only hope, that i need only antibiotics and its not something very serious, cause in that case I must go to Austria probably, and that so close before we send my Inland PR application.

thank you again

Contact your Health Insurance and pay it online. They do this all the time...Pray you get better soon and good luck

 

[sunny2710]

Hello again,

I wanted to follow up, after I visited the walk in clinic. I got now antibiotics and payed all together 130 $. I also payed my insurance in Europe, but the waiting time (till the new insurance takes affect) is 1 month (because I am already in a foreign country). So the doctor told me today, if it wont get better with the antibiotics I must go to the hospital and get there a surgery done, its not a big surgery (only a little cut)...but still. So in that case I dont know whats gonna happen, because I dont have thousands of Dollars to pay in front and my insurance will pay only after 1 month. And as said, I cant fly back to Europe. I already have the new Insurance contract from my European Insurance Company, I dont know if I could get treatment with that contract in the Hospital and the Hospital just would send the bill to them ? I now can only hope and pray :'(

thanks everybody

 

[Rob_TO]

I already have the new Insurance contract from my European Insurance Company, I dont know if I could get treatment with that contract in the Hospital and the Hospital just would send the bill to them ? I now can only hope and pray :'(

My wife had travel insurance, and she needed to use an urgent care clinic in Ontario. They refused to deal with any private insurance companies, and demanded that everything was paid upfront. So in her case they were asking for something like $800 or $900 just to see a doctor and for any potential tests.
Same thing at doctors offices or clinics, most refuse to deal with insurance.

So I think you need to be prepared to pay everything upfront, and then get reimbursed from your insurance later. Just make careful to wait until your waiting period of 1 month is finished. Any tests or medical procedures you get during that waiting month, will not be covered by your insurance in Austria.

 

[sunny2710]

thank you Rob,

well that dos not sound good at all .... what, if my pain gets that unbearable , that I have no other choice then go to the hospital, and what, if there would be a life threatening situation ? Would they just dont let me in ? I am so scared :'(

 

[Rob_TO]

thank you Rob,

well that dos not sound good at all .... what, if my pain gets that unbearable , that I have no other choice then go to the hospital, and what, if there would be a life threatening situation ? Would they just dont let me in ? I am so scared :'(

My understanding is for emergencies they will treat you immediately, and bill you after. For extremely expensive things, they may deal with your private insurance company directly (every hospital has different policies).

However for elective non-emergency procedures, so if you schedule a procedure at a later date, then I believe they may want some payment in advance. Again this could vary by hospital.

 

[taffy7]

Glad to see that you went and received treatment If it is an emergency they won't deny you but can ask for some kind of payment even when you have insurance upfront. Lets hope these antibiotics work and no surgery will be needed. Its not nice being in a country when your sick and don't know the procedure. In some provinces you are able to go on your partners heath benefits from work but not all.Even without you being a PR.