MEmama Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 Given the number of precancerous lesions the doctor just froze off of me (10 frozen off, two biopsies, for a total of 12 lesions this time) I may be even more interested in moving away from the equater! Maybe less sun would be a good thing! You might want to seriously look into the health care system in a province like NS. I mean, talk to people (ahem) who have lived in the maritimes and what their experiences were/are. It all sounds so, so good on paper but...it's different, in every regard, than what you'll hear from Toronto or Vancouver and maybe Montreal. It is a world unto itself. We had to wait for 2 years to get assigned a doctor (yes, they are assigned. You don't get a choice. And no, that wasn't terribly long to wait). She had just gotten her license back after untoward issues, and very soon after she committed suicide after being busted for illegally selling drugs. Good times. At any rate, all doctor visits until we got our permanent GP meant going to the ER. So every ear infection meant sitting in the ER for 8+ hours with a screaming miserable kid just to get to triage. Mostly, doctors were so rare and difficult to see that for the general population the ER is used instead. So naturally it's overcrowded and overused, but because it's so hard to see your GP (if you have one, it's not guaranteed), it's the only option. Don't expect routine testing to work like it does here. I remember a friend waiting 6 months to hear back on tests done on a breast biopsy--a procedure I had had done many years before in the US. I got the results in an hour. She literally had to wait 6 months. For possible breast cancer. Six months. I never was able to get a dermatologist. I have had an incredibly rare deep tissue skin cancer--the kind that most dermatologists have never seen and so it makes them really excited to see me. It's so rare, papers have been written about my case. Health Canada decided I wasn't interesting enough for a dermatologist. A GP should be fine! Ohhhh... Remember the swine flu epidemic? The one where, in the US you had multiple choices how to get vaccinated? DS is allergic to an adjunct in certain vaccines. Because he was in ps at the time I wanted him to be vaccinated, but Health Canada refused to tell me whether the adjunct ingredient was used or not. I went to the very top, but nope. Didn't matter if a kid's life was on the line--they were NOT going to give me that information. He went without the vaccine and came down with the flu. Should I mention the MRSA due to inattention? Probably not. Honestly, this is NOT a knock on Canadian health care. It isn't. As I've said, I'm a huge supporter of national health care and of course in general it works fine. BUT. I'm concerned for you because I'm afraid that you want to jump in wearing rose colored glasses. Believe me, I get it. I do. We had spent years and years vacationing and traveling throughout Canada and had spent even more dreaming of and and researching living there. Especially NS. I'll forever love it and hold it dear to my heart. And I would never want to tell someone not to follow their heart. It's just, some of us have btdt and our experiences are true and valid. I'm not sure it would have changed our choices, but I wish now I had heard them (really heard them). And of course for every one set of experiences, another can be reported. Please believe me, this is coming from the heart. It's a huge amount of personal stuff for me to be throwing out there and I truly do wish you the best, whatever choices and decisions you make. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SproutMamaK Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 I agree with the above post. NS is a lovely and comparatively inexpensive place to live, but health care is different there, as is the way of life in general. It's very laid-back, to the point that it drives some Type A people absolutely insane. Like everywhere else, you'll want to check it out thoroughly, there are a lot of pros and cons. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted December 8, 2015 Author Share Posted December 8, 2015 I agree with the above post. NS is a lovely and comparatively inexpensive place to live, but health care is different there, as is the way of life in general. It's very laid-back, to the point that it drives some Type A people absolutely insane. Like everywhere else, you'll want to check it out thoroughly, there are a lot of pros and cons. Thank you both for your posts! Can one travel to get care faster? Not sure if that works that way. As for the laid back part...I'm the least type A person I've ever met :) But might drive my husband bonkers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 Thank you both for your posts! Can one travel to get care faster? Not sure if that works that way. As for the laid back part...I'm the least type A person I've ever met :) But might drive my husband bonkers. No. You cannot. You are assigned a doctor. I have a dear friend in NS who travels hours to her doctor in NB because she doesn't want to start over. I think she only has the right to have inter province care because her DH is RCMP. She is a Canadian citizen, born and lived nearly her entire life in NS. Honestly, I came back to this thread to delete my last post. I really didn't want you--or anyone--to take it the wrong way. I just want you to know the system doesn't work "like the US but better". It is totally different. That is neither better nor worse. You just might be surprised in ways you hadn't thought of. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 My step mom (the one who lives in Amherst, NS) came to the US for health care when she had "more than basic" needs (like hernia surgery and an aggressive skin infection). The wait there was way too long, and with the skin infection, could have turned deadly (according to the docs in the US). Otherwise, I love how laid back the maritimes are, but that lifestyle isn't for everyone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 No. You cannot. You are assigned a doctor. I have a dear friend in NS who travels hours to her doctor in NB because she doesn't want to start over. I think she only has the right to have inter province care because her DH is RCMP. She is a Canadian citizen, born and lived nearly her entire life in NS. Honestly, I came back to this thread to delete my last post. I really didn't want you--or anyone--to take it the wrong way. I just want you to know the system doesn't work "like the US but better". It is totally different. That is neither better nor worse. You just might be surprised in ways you hadn't thought of. I don't think you should delete your post. If someone is thinking about moving (anywhere), I really think they should know pros and cons. I love Canada, I really do, but if someone moves there thinking it's going to be Utopia, well, they're mistaken. It's better if they have a realistic view IMO. People are people everywhere and they have differing personalities, beliefs, and values. There isn't a terrific health system that works for all anywhere on this planet. Each system has pros and cons. And then there's weather. But in the spring/summer/fall I absolutely love my second country and would easily consider it as a homeplace. The people I love at any time of the year, but they are as much fun when I see them in the Bahamas as in the cold north! And Katie, since you're in Orlando... if you get to Epcot, make sure you watch the Canadian film. I absolutely love it... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicentra Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 You might want to seriously look into the health care system in a province like NS. I mean, talk to people (ahem) who have lived in the maritimes and what their experiences were/are. It all sounds so, so good on paper but...it's different, in every regard, than what you'll hear from Toronto or Vancouver and maybe Montreal. It is a world unto itself. We had to wait for 2 years to get assigned a doctor (yes, they are assigned. You don't get a choice. And no, that wasn't terribly long to wait). She had just gotten her license back after untoward issues, and very soon after she committed suicide after being busted for illegally selling drugs. Good times. At any rate, all doctor visits until we got our permanent GP meant going to the ER. So every ear infection meant sitting in the ER for 8+ hours with a screaming miserable kid just to get to triage. Mostly, doctors were so rare and difficult to see that for the general population the ER is used instead. So naturally it's overcrowded and overused, but because it's so hard to see your GP (if you have one, it's not guaranteed), it's the only option. It should be mentioned that not every province's health care works like this. Here, in Ontario, you are most definitely NOT assigned a doctor. You can see whomever you wish - assuming they have an opening for new patients. If you don't have a permanent doctor, there are walk-in clinics in the larger communities and in smaller communities, like mine, you can often just go to the clinic during the day and wait to see the doctor-on-call. If you need to see someone outside of clinic hours (usually 9 to 5 Monday to Friday) then you would have go to the ER but that would apply whether you have a permanent GP or not. Wait times are longer but if you choose to pay out-of-pocket and are close to the US border, you can absolutely make an appointment with a doctor in the US - even as a Canadian citizen. It just means that the provincial health care system won't pay. Wait times can definitely be a problem. We simply don't have enough doctors in Canada. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 It should be mentioned that not every province's health care works like this. Here, in Ontario, you are most definitely NOT assigned a doctor. You can see whomever you wish - assuming they have an opening for new patients. If you don't have a permanent doctor, there are walk-in clinics in the larger communities and in smaller communities, like mine, you can often just go to the clinic during the day and wait to see the doctor-on-call. If you need to see someone outside of clinic hours (usually 9 to 5 Monday to Friday) then you would have go to the ER but that would apply whether you have a permanent GP or not. Wait times are longer but if you choose to pay out-of-pocket and are close to the US border, you can absolutely make an appointment with a doctor in the US - even as a Canadian citizen. It just means that the provincial health care system won't pay. Wait times can definitely be a problem. We simply don't have enough doctors in Canada. Right. I tried to make the point clear that the maritimes are different than the more populous and well off provinces (i.e. the handful of urban areas of Ontario, BC, and Alberta). And yes, we knew many Canadians who had procedures done in the US, but I didn't want to mention that. Shortages of doctors are a problem nation wide, but probably mostly so in the Maritime provinces, which is what she is considering. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicentra Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 (edited) Right. I tried to make the point clear that the maritimes are different than the more populous and well off provinces (i.e. the handful of urban areas of Ontario, BC, and Alberta). And yes, we knew many Canadians who had procedures done in the US, but I didn't want to mention that. Shortages of doctors are a problem nation wide, but probably mostly so in the Maritime provinces, which is what she is considering. This just made me think... I wonder how many non-Canadians think that our health care system is national? In other words, funded nationally and the same in every province/territory? For that matter, how many Canadians think it's national? :) I suppose it's funded somewhat nationally in the sense that provinces receive transfer payments from the federal government but each province has it's own rules and system for health care. Many of the rules are common from province to province but it isn't a nation-wide common system. (Not telling you this, MEmama, 'cause you already know. I just started wondering how many folks thought we did have a federal system.) Edited December 9, 2015 by Dicentra 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 This just made me think... I wonder how many non-Canadians think that our health care system is national? In other words, funded nationally and the same in every province/territory? For that matter, how many Canadians think it's national? :) I suppose it's funded somewhat nationally in the sense that provinces received transfer payments from the federal government but each province has it's own rules and system for health care. Many of the rules are common from province to province but it isn't a nation-wide common system. (Not telling you this, MEmama, 'cause you already know. I just started wondering how many folks thought we did have a federal system.) I would guess Americans overwhelmingly think that's the case. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah CB Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 It should be mentioned that not every province's health care works like this. Here, in Ontario, you are most definitely NOT assigned a doctor. You can see whomever you wish - assuming they have an opening for new patients. If you don't have a permanent doctor, there are walk-in clinics in the larger communities and in smaller communities, like mine, you can often just go to the clinic during the day and wait to see the doctor-on-call. If you need to see someone outside of clinic hours (usually 9 to 5 Monday to Friday) then you would have go to the ER but that would apply whether you have a permanent GP or not. Wait times are longer but if you choose to pay out-of-pocket and are close to the US border, you can absolutely make an appointment with a doctor in the US - even as a Canadian citizen. It just means that the provincial health care system won't pay. Wait times can definitely be a problem. We simply don't have enough doctors in Canada. Absolutely. Same with BC - we could see whomever we wished. We had a fantastic doctor in BC who consistently went over and above for us. Plus, getting in to see a paediatrician was very fast same with seeing an OB. And walk-in clinics were everywhere. If one of us had something and our doctor couldn't see us until the next day, we'd just go to a walk-in clinic. Here in NL, there aren't a lot of doctors accepting new patients. We heard about one who was recommended from someone else and happened to have space for us so now we have a family doctor. If we don't like him we can get a different one, but it won't be as easy as in BC. We're having a hard time finding walk-in clinics - I think there's one in the city, but that seems impossible that there would just be one. We've been here a year and haven't had any health issues - except that I had a routine mammogram and was called back in for a second one and then for an ultrasound - I think the entire process happened in one week. I was amazed at how quickly they got me in for the tests. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 Wait times can definitely be a problem. We simply don't have enough doctors in Canada.Is it like the US where there is no shortage of qualified individuals who want to be doctors, just a shortage of medical school slots? And do they bring in doctors from other countries where in general there are even worse shortages? I read recently that between 1/4 and 1/3 of doctors in the US are now foreign born and foreign trained and most are from countries with even worse shortages. When the Ebola crisis broke in Africa, it was reported that there were more doctors born and trained in the affected countries practicing in the US, Canada, and Europe than there were in all of the affected African countries. I wish the U.S. could be more like Cuba and train a surplus of doctors to send out into the world, rather than contributing to the shortage. Plus, it would give more of our young people the opportunity to realize their career goals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 Katie, be well! I'm glad they got all those precancerous growths removed in a timely fashion :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 Huh, for some reason I assumed Nova Scotia would be much more expensive! I'm not sure why, other than it's near water and near where Anne of Green Gables is from. Somehow to me that equaled more expensive, lol! Oh my, no, not more expensive! I forgot to mention that part, lol. In recent years, we've had a wave of Brits moving here because it is cheaper for them. And they are the ones buying up the more expensive houses, which just shows that there definitely is cheaper housing here. And Prince Edward Island (home of Green Gables and Lucy Maud Montgomery) is not far, and it's even cheaper (but I wouldn't want to live there and feel somewhat isolated in winter). There's a huge diversity, too, all around the Halifax region of the province. And there are pockets of areas that are up-and-coming again (google Tatamagouche). And the Northumberland Strait (between NS and PEI - Tata is on the strait) has the warmest waters north of the Carolinas. Also check out the town of Truro. And Antigonish, and New Glasgow and Pictou. And maybe Yarmouth. And the city of Dartmouth. Lunenberg. Bridgewater. Sydney. You should come for a visit - we'd be happy to show you around. Yes! I'll help, too. (we know each other) Thank you both for your posts! Can one travel to get care faster? Not sure if that works that way. As for the laid back part...I'm the least type A person I've ever met :) But might drive my husband bonkers. There definitely is a shortage of doctors here. It can take awhile to find your own. However, we do have walk-in clinics that are free for anyone who has provincial health care (google MSI). And emergency departments if push comes to shove. And you don't necessarily have to wait many hours - sometimes we've had to wait a few hours; sometimes we've gotten in within minutes - it just all depends on what's going on in the dept. And, we have the BEST women's and children's hospital in the Maritimes (google IWK). I'm a Type A person. I lived near NYC and then near Toronto for a few years before moving to NS. Coming here was a breath of fresh air, in that this type A girl could start to relax. I couldn't believe how nice people were. There is an element of being a "come-from-away," (also known as CFA) but with more and more people moving here from elsewhere, I think that label is diminishing unless you go live in a rural or small town area. The Halifax region has a lot going on - your husband might not go bonkers. It's a fun and funky small city with several universities with lots of students from here and all over the world. We have lots of ethnic restaurants, more and more local shops, farmer's markets cropping up everywhere... Libraries! The library systems here are wonderful! Borrow Anywhere Return Anywhere (google that, too). We've got regional systems and we've got university systems. All for free to residents of the province (or at least our region's system is free for us, as are the university systems). No. You cannot. You are assigned a doctor. I have a dear friend in NS who travels hours to her doctor in NB because she doesn't want to start over. I think she only has the right to have inter province care because her DH is RCMP. She is a Canadian citizen, born and lived nearly her entire life in NS. Honestly, I came back to this thread to delete my last post. I really didn't want you--or anyone--to take it the wrong way. I just want you to know the system doesn't work "like the US but better". It is totally different. That is neither better nor worse. You just might be surprised in ways you hadn't thought of. Sheesh, I have lived in NS for almost twenty years, and I have never been assigned a doctor! I've had two different doctors, and I chose them myself. I have no idea what you are talking about and why you keep saying that. My step mom (the one who lives in Amherst, NS) came to the US for health care when she had "more than basic" needs (like hernia surgery and an aggressive skin infection). The wait there was way too long, and with the skin infection, could have turned deadly (according to the docs in the US). Otherwise, I love how laid back the maritimes are, but that lifestyle isn't for everyone. That may be the case in a small town like Amherst, but it's not like that all over the province. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 See, being near Colleen NS would make me really like that place, no matter what the health care was like. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 See, being near Colleen NS would make me really like that place, no matter what the health care was like. :) Aw, thanks, friend! Bluegoat is pretty awesome, too. As are a few other boardies who live here, too. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wathe Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 Health care in Canada is national in the sense tht all provinces are required to follow the principles outlined in Canada Health Act, which manadates that health care be 1)publicly administered, 2)comprehensive, 3) universal, 4)portable (if one travels from one province to another, one's health care is covered with no special need for travel insurance) and 5) accessible. Health care is provincially administered and delivered. Each province has made up it's own system and there are significant differences from one province to another. It's a single payer system. There is no parallel private system for services that are publicly funded. It is illegal for MD's to bill privately for services that are covered by provincial plans (certainly true in Ontario. I understand there are some clinics in BC that have been testing the limits of the rules with this). This ensures that all have equal access (in theory). Also important to note: When we're talking about publicly funded health care in Canada, we mean hospital and doctor fees only. Things like prescription drugs, dental, are physiotherapy are generally not covered by public plans. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 (edited) Some links for you, OP: http://novascotia.ca/ http://novascotiaimmigration.com/ http://careers.novascotia.ca/ http://www.workitns.ca/index.php https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higher_education_in_Nova_Scotia http://www.novascotia.com/ https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zbq2WqcLTxsY.kSZBfqhJNE7Y&hl=en The previous poster mentioned that dental is not covered under MSI. That reminds me that Dalhousie University in Halifax has a dental school that accepts patients, and the services are MUCH cheaper than going to a dentist. The students do a good job and are closely supervised. We also have a Pharmacare system that pays for part of prescriptions for families under certain incomes. As to the doctor shortage, we also have a phone system (811) that staffs RNs. You can call 24/7 to be assessed over the phone if you don't have an immediate emergency. It has saved us many a doctor visit and given me peace of mind several times. Seriously, if you are attracted to the idea of NS, why NOT come for a visit. Come in mid-February - it'll probably be cheap for you to travel here then; it'll tell you whether or not you can take the temperature; and it'll give us tour guides something to look forward to in order to break up the winter blues, lol. :D Edited December 9, 2015 by Colleen in NS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BooksandBoys Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 I lived in Vermont for several years. I loved it, BUT. It's freezing - esch February I was there, we had two weeks when the high temps barely edged above zero. The buikdings, at least where I lived, aren't kept as warm as they are in much of the US because that would cost a fortune. We wore our scarves all day at work, long underwear under our regular clothes, and many of us had those fingerless gloves as well...for office and lab work! Home was worse - we could hardly afford to hear the house to 60 degrees (oil heat is soooo expensive), so I never really felt warm in winter. And, the lack of light is a real issue. I went to work in the dark and came home in the dark, but I spent weekends outside all day, which seemed to hold the SAD at bay. Vermont wasn't dreary, it just had short days. All that said, I loved it, and I would move back. Of course, Canada will be colder and darker...but, I'd consider it. As for dreariness: I lived in western NY for quite a while in the gloomiest, darkest town due to the lake's effect on the cloud cover. I even had symptoms of SAD in the summer because it was still dreary much of the time, but I didn't realize this until I moved to the most delightful, sunny city ever. I can handle short days, but I never, ever want to live in gloom again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 See, being near Colleen NS would make me really like that place, no matter what the health care was like. :) I love the maritimes regardless of their health care issues. Plenty of places have health care issues including the area I live in. You just have to know what they are and be able to deal with them. It's not good for anyone to cover up what problems are. Have them out in the open and share solutions... that's the most helpful. Boardies being in the area are just an extra special bonus. ;) My sole problem with Canada (maritimes included) is winter. As I get older, I'm more inclined to want to snowbird if anything. I've already been working on a southern trip in Feb/Mar and we're only as far north as southern PA - plus - so far this year, it's been a warm winter. Everyone's ability to tolerate and/or love winter is different. I think the suggestion for Katie to visit for a couple of weeks in Feb is ideal. Halifax is a great little city IMO. I've only been there once, but we enjoyed our visit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah CB Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 My sole problem with Canada (maritimes included) is winter. As I get older, I'm more inclined to want to snowbird if anything. I've already been working on a southern trip in Feb/Mar and we're only as far north as southern PA - plus - so far this year, it's been a warm winter. Everyone's ability to tolerate and/or love winter is different. I think the suggestion for Katie to visit for a couple of weeks in Feb is ideal. I think you have to understand the length of winter as well. Where we lived in BC, we had four seasons. Spring was beautiful and we opened up the outdoor pool at the end of May. People in NL kept warning me that they don't have spring and that summer is about 3 weeks long. They were kidding - kind of. I loved the winter in NL. I love snow. I don't mind dark and gray. I loved playing in the snow with the kids. Then April came. Then May. The snow in our front yard was finally completely gone sometime in May. June was horrible. That's when I started letting the weather get to me. By July, when the weather man would say, "Rain, drizzle, and fog today with a high of 8 (that's 46, I think)" again I was pretty much done. I would have gone anywhere other than here. I did finally get out to BC for three weeks of gorgeous sunshine. Anyway - yes, winter tolerance is important. Being able to get away for a sun break during the winter is important. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 Is it time for some (true) comedy? :lol: 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 (edited) You might want to seriously look into the health care system in a province like NS. I mean, talk to people (ahem) who have lived in the maritimes and what their experiences were/are. It all sounds so, so good on paper but...it's different, in every regard, than what you'll hear from Toronto or Vancouver and maybe Montreal. It is a world unto itself. We had to wait for 2 years to get assigned a doctor (yes, they are assigned. You don't get a choice. And no, that wasn't terribly long to wait). She had just gotten her license back after untoward issues, and very soon after she committed suicide after being busted for illegally selling drugs. Good times. At any rate, all doctor visits until we got our permanent GP meant going to the ER. So every ear infection meant sitting in the ER for 8+ hours with a screaming miserable kid just to get to triage. Mostly, doctors were so rare and difficult to see that for the general population the ER is used instead. So naturally it's overcrowded and overused, but because it's so hard to see your GP (if you have one, it's not guaranteed), it's the only option. Don't expect routine testing to work like it does here. I remember a friend waiting 6 months to hear back on tests done on a breast biopsy--a procedure I had had done many years before in the US. I got the results in an hour. She literally had to wait 6 months. For possible breast cancer. Six months. I never was able to get a dermatologist. I have had an incredibly rare deep tissue skin cancer--the kind that most dermatologists have never seen and so it makes them really excited to see me. It's so rare, papers have been written about my case. Health Canada decided I wasn't interesting enough for a dermatologist. A GP should be fine! Ohhhh... Remember the swine flu epidemic? The one where, in the US you had multiple choices how to get vaccinated? DS is allergic to an adjunct in certain vaccines. Because he was in ps at the time I wanted him to be vaccinated, but Health Canada refused to tell me whether the adjunct ingredient was used or not. I went to the very top, but nope. Didn't matter if a kid's life was on the line--they were NOT going to give me that information. He went without the vaccine and came down with the flu. Should I mention the MRSA due to inattention? Probably not. Honestly, this is NOT a knock on Canadian health care. It isn't. As I've said, I'm a huge supporter of national health care and of course in general it works fine. BUT. I'm concerned for you because I'm afraid that you want to jump in wearing rose colored glasses. Believe me, I get it. I do. We had spent years and years vacationing and traveling throughout Canada and had spent even more dreaming of and and researching living there. Especially NS. I'll forever love it and hold it dear to my heart. And I would never want to tell someone not to follow their heart. It's just, some of us have btdt and our experiences are true and valid. I'm not sure it would have changed our choices, but I wish now I had heard them (really heard them). And of course for every one set of experiences, another can be reported. Please believe me, this is coming from the heart. It's a huge amount of personal stuff for me to be throwing out there and I truly do wish you the best, whatever choices and decisions you make. Doctors in NS are not assigned. That's generally speaking against the way the system nation-wide is meant to work. My dh is about to go have a lesion removed and biopsied. They called with the appointment right way, he's going after Christmas. What you re saying sounds pretty bizarre, TBH, with regard to vaccination in particular. MRSA is found in hospitals everywhere. Edited December 9, 2015 by Bluegoat 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 Doctors in NS are not assigned. That's generally speaking against the way the system nation-wide is meant to work. My dh is about to go have a lesion removed and biopsied. They called with the appointment right way, he's going after Christmas. What you re saying sounds pretty bizarre, TBH, with regard to vaccination in particular. MRSA is found in hospitals everywhere. We were in NB. Those were a few of our experiences, and a few experiences of people we know. None were unusual. I only mentioned health care because of the impression that many or most Americans have of it. There just isn't disputing the fact that it works differently. Of course there are issues everywhere. That is my point. I currently live in an equally rural, impoverished, and beautiful state (waving at you across the gulf!). Like the maritimes, people come from all over the world, admire the incredible beauty and laid back lifestyle, and dream of living here. In that regard, it is not much different from NS, although it is far less isolated. Like there, however, the realities don't really match the postcards. I wouldn't dream of dashing anyone's dream and I totally get the sentiments the OP has shared about her reasons for wanting to leave this country. I've been there. NS is one of my favorite areas of the world in one of my favorite countries in the world. I just don't think it does a potential immigrant any favors to not highlight some of the challenges and differences as well as the lovely upsides. Honestly, it's been 4 years since we moved back and I'm still a bit raw from the overall experience. I've already way over shared past my comfort level and don't need to put myself out there any more by sharing our personal experiences. I wish the OP all the best. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 NB has a waiting list for doctors where you can be assigned, but that isn't the only way to get a doctor there,and people have the freedom to change. It's meant to make it easier for people having trouble finding a GP. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 Some links for you, OP: http://novascotia.ca/ http://novascotiaimmigration.com/ http://careers.novascotia.ca/ http://www.workitns.ca/index.php https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higher_education_in_Nova_Scotia http://www.novascotia.com/ https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zbq2WqcLTxsY.kSZBfqhJNE7Y&hl=en The previous poster mentioned that dental is not covered under MSI. That reminds me that Dalhousie University in Halifax has a dental school that accepts patients, and the services are MUCH cheaper than going to a dentist. The students do a good job and are closely supervised. We also have a Pharmacare system that pays for part of prescriptions for families under certain incomes. As to the doctor shortage, we also have a phone system (811) that staffs RNs. You can call 24/7 to be assessed over the phone if you don't have an immediate emergency. It has saved us many a doctor visit and given me peace of mind several times. Seriously, if you are attracted to the idea of NS, why NOT come for a visit. Come in mid-February - it'll probably be cheap for you to travel here then; it'll tell you whether or not you can take the temperature; and it'll give us tour guides something to look forward to in order to break up the winter blues, lol. :D Usually too, professional jobs include drug and dental coverage. Though the lack of a pharmcare program is really stupid. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 (edited) I think you have to understand the length of winter as well. Where we lived in BC, we had four seasons. Spring was beautiful and we opened up the outdoor pool at the end of May. People in NL kept warning me that they don't have spring and that summer is about 3 weeks long. They were kidding - kind of. I loved the winter in NL. I love snow. I don't mind dark and gray. I loved playing in the snow with the kids. Then April came. Then May. The snow in our front yard was finally completely gone sometime in May. June was horrible. That's when I started letting the weather get to me. By July, when the weather man would say, "Rain, drizzle, and fog today with a high of 8 (that's 46, I think)" again I was pretty much done. I would have gone anywhere other than here. I did finally get out to BC for three weeks of gorgeous sunshine. Anyway - yes, winter tolerance is important. Being able to get away for a sun break during the winter is important. Sarah, about the part I bolded: just to encourage you in your cross-country move, this past winter Feb. to April was absolutely HORRIBLE for the Atlantic provinces. Our snow finally disappeared in May, too, in our yard. We had storm after storm after storm for those three months. It was very unusual. Edited December 9, 2015 by Colleen in NS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted December 10, 2015 Author Share Posted December 10, 2015 I think I may have to give up. It's been overcast for two days here and I'm thinking I can't handle somewhere not sunny most of the year :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 How does New Mexico vote? Are they conservative? Have you considered San Diego? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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