CTV News Montreal

Updated: Fri Nov. 20 2009 8:13:03 PM

ctvmontreal.ca

An elderly woman in a small Quebec border town is still reeling over a $17,000 medical bill she received two years ago, after she was rushed over the border to a U.S. hospital.

It was Dec. 23, 2007, and Susan Gendron-Leger found her mother, Pearl, snoring the same way her father did before he died in a coma two weeks earlier at her home in Dundee, Que., 115 kilometres southwest of Montreal.

"She was very cold and I tried to wake her up by pinching her hand and saying, 'Mom, Mom, Pearl!'" said Gendron-Leger.

With no response, Susan called the closest ambulance, the Fort Covington, N.Y. rescue unit, to transport her mother to the Ormstown, Que. hospital, a 40-minute drive from her home.

When paramedics arrived, they recommended transporting the unconscious woman to Malone, N.Y., 20 minutes away.

"It's her life. You take her Malone, she lives. You take her to Ormstown she dies," Susan said paramedics told her.

Pearl was taken to Malone Hospital, where she spent four days in intensive care with pneumonia and what she was told was a minor heart attack. Her hospital bill reached nearly $17,000.

Medicare reimbursed her less than $1000, citing she was not eligible for more because she had fallen ill in Canada.

Pearl appealed to the Quebec health tribunal, but lost.

Pearl has a good legal case, said Paul Brunet, director of the Council for the Protection of Patients. He's offered to help her go to small claims court where, if she wins, she'll be reimbursed up to $7000.

"From the facts that I have, there's no reason the government shouldn't pay. It's a matter of life and death. Either you offer services at the boundaries of the province or you reimburse the people who need to go elsewhere to get," said Brunet.

Pearl is contemplating the decision, saying she'd like to be paid back.

"I sure would and I don't want anybody else to get in this situation. It's not funny," she said, adding that she had to take out a major bank loan to pay off her bills.

Susan said though it's been stressful, she doesn't regret the decision to go to Malone, because it may have saved her mother's life.

Comments are now closed for this story

Jason B
Typically government response. When the government wants money, it goes all out to get it. If a tax-paying citizen is in a jam, and needs help, the government does its level best to find a way not to pay.

simon
"It's her life. You take her Malone, she lives. You take her to Ormstown she dies," Susan said paramedics told her.

The US slams a $17,000 bill.
Canada Health refuses to help.

As A Canada citizen she is covered by Canada Health.
She perhaps did not have, and why would she have, US medical insurance.

The right DECISION was taken regarding LIFE or DEATH.

The WRONG actions were taken by BOTH US and CANADA!!!!!

This is PATHETIC.
She should not have received this bill from the US.
The US should have been paid by Canada health!!!
Close to the BORDER this situation could be reversed with a US citizen being cared for in CANADA.

WHAT ARE NEIGHBORS FOR??

Does Canada health want to build a BERLIN WALL between US and Canada?

This was a case of life and death.

Perhaps Quebec and Canada would have chosen death.

FORGIVE me for my anger.

But I just had to say what my heart feels.

SICK !!!!!!