I’m heading to Panama for a friend’s wedding in the near future and as part of my trip planning, I decided that I’d finally get the Hep A and B vaccinations – otherwise known as Twinrix. I got a prescription from my doctor and picked up the shot (it was an actual syringe) at the drugstore. It cost me just over $60 but since it’s not covered by my health plan, not that big of a deal. When I asked if I could give the shot to myself they had a good laugh before telling me that I had to get a doctor / nurse to do it and suggested I visit either the doctor who gave me the prescription or else stop by a drop-in clinic.
I made the trip out to the Kanata clinic where I had been once before thinking that since they already had a ‘chart’ for me it might speed things up. The receptionist there told me that since I haden’t got the prescription for the shot at that clinic that they’d have to charge me for the injection – that it wasn’t covered by OHIP. She suggested I go back to see the doctor who gave me the prescription so that I wouldn’t have to pay. I asked how much it was anyways and was told it would be something like $45. That was enough to convince me that I’d go back to see my doctor. I left the clinic and headed back home (home at the time was Dave’s place down in Westboro).
On my way home I decided that I really didn’t have time to wait for another appointment with my doctor and decided that I’d just go to the clinic at the Superstore (which Dave told me about) in Westboro. I walked into the clinic and asked if they did injections. I was told that they did. I then asked how much it would cost me and was told it was free – that injections were covered by OHIP. Huh?! Why did this clinic think it was covered by OHIP and the other one didn’t?! I kept my mouth shut, got the injection done and went home.
A month went by and it was time for injection number 2. Since I had such great luck with the clinic at the Superstore in Westboro, I decided to try the same clinic at the Independent in Stittsville, which is much closer to my home (we had since moved into our new place so I wasn’t living at Dave’s place anymore). Once again I was told that it was going to cost me to get an injection – at this clinic it was going to be $20. I explained to the girl that it didn’t cost me anything at the Westboro clinic and that I would just go back there. She laughed and basically said, “Good idea, you go back there then.” At this point I was committed, I definitely couldn’t go back to this clinic even if the Westboro one had changed their policy.
I jumped into my truck and drove down to the Superstore. I walked in and the girl remembered me from last time. I waited my turn and eventually was shown in to see the doctor. I decided that I just had to know why the injection was free at this clinic and not at the other two – I asked the doctor. He informed me that they got $3.50 from the government (or something like that) for giving a shot like the one I was getting. He said that a lot of clinics don’t feel it is worth their time to setup a chart, etc for a measly $3.50 so they just charge the ‘customer’ whatever they feel is appropriate.
To me this doesn’t seem right – where is our universal health care? If a service is covered by the government then it is covered – how much the doctor gets for the service shouldn’t be a consideration into whether or not the clinic will do it. Why should one clinic be able to charge extra for a covered service while another one does not? Why can a clinic refuse to perform a covered service if the ‘customer’ doesn’t want to pay for something that is already covered?!
Granted maybe $3.50 is a bit low for this actual service, but considering I was in and out of the doctor’s office in less than 3 minutes in both cases (not including waiting in the waiting room of course) I’m not sure how much they consider fair for a 30 second procedure.
I’ve got one more injection needed in about 5 months time and you can be sure I’ll be going back down to the friendly neighbourhood Westboro Superstore clinic for that one too. I was even told if I go during regular business hours on a weekday that I’d be in and out (waiting room time included) in about 2 minutes. How’s that for service!
Perhaps you should consider moving to the ‘friendly neighbourhood” !!!! :)