Frustrstions with Trish - Alberta Health Care

[kerrbeari 14]

Has anyone else been reimbursed by Alberta Health Care for some of the costs of their surgery? Before I had surgery with Dr Ponce I told Trish I would need a detailed reciept. Of course the one she gave me just said I paid $5500 usd for the surgery. Today I emailed her and asked for:

an itemized receipt on official letterhead showing:

-showing the name and credentials of the anesthesiologist (including his first and last name)

- a breakdown of the $5500 in fees

- the duration of anesthesia (what time the procedure started & ended)

- the date of each service provided

- hospital admission and discharge

She emailed me back right away and said no I e has ever had an issue with the generic receipt and that Dr Ponce doesn't give out his notes. Umm what????

[Ms.AntiBand 2,984]

You get reimbursed for put of country surgery? I have a feeling that when you said a detailed receipt .. This was not communicated as an itemized receipt. I believe theres a difference. This is not the fault of anyone except perhaps miscommunication at what the receipt was to entail. I've had several surgeries in MX and I've never been given a itemized receipt. Here in the states, the IRS takes the pmt received receipt.

Hopefully, you can talk to others who have been reimbursed and see how things were handled.

[kerrbeari 14]

I thought this forum was for Canadian sleevers. I'm not talking about the Canada Revenue Agency - I'm talking about Alberta Health Care reimbursement for out of country reimbursement.

I asked Trish for a detailed receipt before my surgery & I didn't get one. I asked again after my claim got delayed for additional info. You can call it a receipt or a letter on official letterhead it's semantics. My PROVINCE wants to know very SIMPLE information about my surgery from my surgeons office on official letterhead and Trish said NO she wouldn't get it for me. That means I am out $1,500 thanks very much.

I know you may have had a great experience with Trish & that's why you are defending her but not everyone is going to have the same experience you did. Lucky for me there is another coordinator who works for Dr Ponce that is going to get the info for me even though I paid Trish & not her. She's doing it out of kindness. ALBERTA sleevers beware that if you don't get the info you won't get reimbursed. If you choose Trish make sure you get her to agree before u pay her.

[Ms.AntiBand 2,984]

I'm not defending anyone. I got the the same general type of receipt from all my surgeons down there. Sorry you had a difficult time obtaining the type you needed. And it's awesome you guys get a partial reimbursement. That would be nice.

[kerrbeari 14]

Sorry I took offense to the miscommunication part because I am a professional accountant and I emailed Trish with the specific info I need and got a flat out no. many people from Canada & Alberta specifically go to Mexico for the surgery & those of us who do need some specifics detailed - many of us have used Trish and this wouldnt have been the first she's heard of it. Yes it is nice that our provincial health plans reimburse us (at least Alberta does) for out of country health care costs but they need to know things like how long u stayed in the hospital, the anesthesiologists name etc. Not hard stuff but they don't just take your word for when u hand in a receipt for $5500. They don't pay for the whole cost - - just what it would have cost in Alberta (thats why they need the info) which is why it would come out to around $1,500. I talked to Dr Ponce's coordinator in Canada and she gets this info for all her patients. Thank god she's helping me out so I can recoup some of the cost of the surgery!

[Apmcd 3]

Just wondering how you made out. I am also from Alberta but not sure how to go about reimbursement. Do you mind telling me what forms I need to fill out?

[kakaw 33]

Go online, google "out of country forms Alberta health" and you should get the form you need to fill out. Include a detailed receipt from your surgeon. Exactly what the OP stated in their first post is needed.

[kerrbeari 14]

Trish did absolutely nothing to help me - but Dr Ponce's other coordinator Deborah (She's Canadian) got me the info I needed. Now I'm still waiting to hear from AB health care to see how much they will reimburse me.

[kerrbeari 14]

I just got my cheque for $1,631!

[new-mamma 6]

I just got my cheque for 1,631!

Wow! I didn't know that there might be a possibility of a refund. I hope BC medical is the same way???