[cryptofistMonk]

> You have to do it yourself. You have to research things yourself. You have to hunt for doctors & specialists yourself.

That's true everywhere, though. Just because basic stuff is paid for in Canada doesn't mean we've got crack teams of doctors tracking down your diagnosis.

[sneak]

Standard principal-agent problem.

It can be somewhat mitigated by hiring better agents (finding doctors that are more interested in patient outcomes than their OV/day stat). Unfortunately this usually means private physicians who don't usually take insurance; the costs are usually 2-10x higher.

Quality customized personal service from highly trained professionals costs Real Money, something I've not yet found a good workaround for. Insurance for catastrophes can mitigate it for unexpected outcomes but in the long run insurance for something everyone needs (basic medical attention and care) is going to approximate 100% of the actual costs of hiring those vendors.

Finding extremely good personal services vendors (attorney, accountant, doctor, dentist, trainer) is one of the most important investments in oneself that anyone can make. It can literally make or break you.

[cryptofistMonk]

Yeah that's something I definitely need to do... Most people really can't afford it though

[quonn]

But wouldn‘t your main doctor refer you to the specialist if you want to?

[cryptofistMonk]

If you even have a main doctor (many Canadians can't find one) sure - then you wait 6 months to see the specialist who may/may not know what to do. My wife was recently in a car accident and waited 3 months to see a podiatrist who said "maybe your foot's broken, go get another x-ray".