There appears to have been a large and possibly record-setting number of temporary ER closures or service interruptions across the country in 2023 so far, with CTV News finding hundreds instances where a hospital emergency unit, usually in a rural community, has been shut down for hours or days to Canadians seeking emergency care.
I’m in the U.S., and have a bit of a permutation on this.
I live in a sparsely populated county. But we have two hospitals and hundreds of doctors.
However, my insurer pulled out of the county in May. So it’s a 70 mile drive to another county for urgent care.
I fell on Sunday and thought about making that drive. Instead, I decided to treat the injuries myself.
So we have plenty of open facilities. But it could easily cost $5,000 or so for routine treatment.