Healthcare Cost

I spent more money on medical care than I’ve ever spent before.

I’ve been fortunate to live in a country with publicly funded health care. When I need medically necessary treatment, I can go to my family doctor or any hospital and get care. I do not get charged for this service.

Healthcare in my country is provided based on need, not on one's ability to pay.

So if I live in a country with publicly funded health care, why did I need to pay for medical care? Well, my cat got critically sick and I didn’t have pet insurance for him.

I was put in a position I’ve never been in before. I have never been faced with making health decisions based on their cost. 

It was a sobering experience. To realize that there are people who experience this decision daily is sickening. To think parents have a sick child and need to make life or death health decision for them while taking into account the cost of it is an unbelievable concept to me.

As a healthcare professional, I value providing the best plan of treatment for the situation as agreed upon by the patient. To add a layer of money discussion into this plan was an unexpected stress. It created emotional distress for me. I knew the best course of treatment in this situation at the vet, and before I could agree to it, I needed to be presented with the cost. Then I needed to evaluate if I could afford it. All while my cat was critically ill waiting on my decision.

Wow. People, world-wide experience this daily and for humans. That is a heavy burden.

To not have access to healthcare based on need is terrifying to me. I am aware of how fortunate I am to live in a country with publicly funded healthcare. I did not appreciate the extent of it until I was sitting in the clinic room, by myself, making life or death decisions based on my ability to pay. What a valuable lesson I learnt about taking my healthcare system for granted.