B.C. man collapsed, was diagnosed with cancer, then got a $3,700 bill
When Andy collapsed at work last month, he was grateful paramedics rushed him to Richmond Hospital where he was quickly seen by doctors.
When they diagnosed him with aggressive lung cancer hours later, he was shocked, but it was the handling of his medical coverage that left him stunned and deeply upset.
“Within 10 minutes they were asking me about my (Medical Services Plan),” said the Richmond resident, who asked his full name not be used out of concern it could impact the situation.
Andy said that he provided his Personal Health ID, which he’d used in the last few years when getting COVID-19 vaccinations, and was told he was not enrolled in MSP and that he’d have to pay for his visit. He provided the March 14 bill to CTV News, totalling $3,738.11 for using the emergency department, a doctor’s assessment, CT scan and “thoracic viscera.”
“I started crying,” Andy said, describing the encounter as accusatory and particularly frustrating since he hasn’t needed to use the medical system in decades. “Who cares if I haven't used it? That's on you guys. They made me feel like I'm some illegal alien.”
He has been unsure if his cancer treatment would come with subsequent bills that would dwarf the emergency room visit.
Grappling with the system
Andy’s sister tried to navigate the bureaucracy behind the health-care system and find out how his coverage could be non-existent when he’d lived in B.C. for decades and the province had eliminated user premiums in 2020, meaning he couldn’t have missed any payments.
“They have no explanation why he was dropped and they kept asking me if he was born in Canada, which he was,” said Gracie MacDonald. “He never goes to the doctor and he's never sick, so he just assumed everything's good. How would you know? I don't know how you would and it's a hard way to find out.”
MacDonald said one of the MSP call-takers made a reference to a “wrong address” and that Andy’s housing has been inconsistent and precarious, but that doesn’t explain why the full-time worker wouldn’t be covered. She says they were told it would take months to initiate coverage.
“When he went to St. Paul's about his biopsy there was some speculation that they should wait till he gets his MSP number and the surgeon decided it was urgent and they needed to go ahead with it anyway,” she said, expressing gratitude that they diagnosed his cancer and rushed him into chemotherapy to give him the best chance of survival.
Health ministry responds
CTV News spent two days communicating with the Ministry of Health about Andy’s situation and how smoothly MSP coverage is provided; hundreds of thousands of people have moved to the province in the last year and they must apply for coverage, which applies after someone has lived here for at least three months.
The health minister did not agree to an interview, but his staff said that Andy was approved for “retroactive coverage” going back to March 1, meaning he would not be responsible for the emergency bill or any subsequent cancer treatments. Despite their inquiries, they said they couldn’t figure out why Andy’s coverage had been cancelled except for some “missing documents” noted in his file dating back to 2015.
Andy and MacDonald are both grateful the ministry reacted after their interviews and are feeling optimistic about his treatment and the care he’s received.
“They’ve been overwhelmingly beautiful,” he said. “Every other doctor and nurse that I've spoken to has just been amazing and I'm feeling in great spirits about my treatment.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Blaine Higgs 'furious' over sexual education presentation
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has shared his anger on social media over a presentation in at least four high schools.
Grayson Murray's parents say the two-time PGA Tour winner died of suicide
Grayson Murray's parents said Sunday their 30-year-old son took his own life, just one day after he withdrew from a PGA Tour event.
The dreams of a 60-year-old beauty contestant come to an abrupt end in Argentina
A 60-year-old woman saw her dreams of becoming the oldest Miss Universe contestant in history melt away in a haze of sequins and selfies Saturday at Argentina’s annual beauty pageant.
Driver, 18, gets $3,000 ticket, 32 demerit points after speeding on Laval boulevard
A young driver received a hefty fine from Laval police after they say he was driving nearly 100 km/h over the posted speed limit.
At least 15 dead after severe weather carves path of ruin across multiple U.S. states in the South
Powerful storms killed at least 15 people and left a wide trail of destruction Sunday across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas during the latest deadly weather to strike the central U.S.
2 died in plane crash near Squamish, B.C., police confirm
Two people died after a plane went down in a remote area near Squamish, B.C. on Friday, authorities have confirmed.
Some birds may use 'mental time travel,' study finds
Real quick — what did you have for lunch yesterday? Were you with anyone? Where were you? Can you picture the scene? The ability to remember things that happened to you in the past, especially to go back and recall little incidental details, is a hallmark of what psychologists call episodic memory — and new research indicates that it’s an ability humans may share with birds called Eurasian jays.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Josef Newgarden becomes first back-to-back Indy 500 winner in 22 years
Josef Newgarden put his cheating scandal behind him to become the first back-to-back winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 22 years.