Health Care.... for fffrrrreeeee?

A few weeks ago Kyle fell off his bike and hurt his left wrist. This past Sunday it was still bothering him, inflicting moderate pain upon supination (turning his palm up) so I persuaded him to see a doctor at the Three Hills Hospital. He seemed a bit leery, afraid of the cost. I kindly reminded him there is none... health care is covered by the government through taxes. I have never seen anyone so hesitant to give out information as he was when handing the admitting clerk his Alberta Health Card, and telling them his address and phone number- as we were walking to the waiting room he whispered to me "They're not going to send me a bill are they?"

After he got X-Rays done, and had seen the doctor ( NOTE: nothing was broken or fractured, just a sprain that was healing slowing because of how frequently us humans use our wrists) he came to me with a hurried expression on his face and pulled me out of the hospital as fast as my short legs would move.

It was just like that Ikea commerical where the lady is running out to the car yelling at her husband to start the car because she got such a good deal she thought she must have stolen something. Kyle rushed me to start the car and drive away saying "they didn't even get me to sign anything, i just got an X-Ray done, talked to the doctor and they let me go without it costing me anything! They even offered to give me a tensor bandage, but I was afraid to push my luck. They might have charged me for that". I assured him they wouldn't have.

Since, other then the odd nightmare he tells me about where he is charged for going to the hospital... his wrist is getting better. I was happy to share in this hilarious first encounter with our health care system here in Canada- and it helped me to appreciate how nice it is to not be afraid of the cost to see a doctor when something doesn't seem quite right.