Verdun Hospital Nurse Unfairly Fired After Asking Patient With Expired Health Card To Pay $500 Deposit: Arbitrator

An emergency room nurse lost her job at a Verdun hospital after she demanded a patient pay a $500 deposit in 2019 or face a long wait to see a doctor, an arbitrator has ruled .

According to the report, a man was found in the hospital's emergency room with an expired medical card. Trinity Nurse asked him to update it or throw it away; Otherwise, it may pass and wait too long.

Dr. Paul Saba, a physician at Lachine Hospital, says uninsured people are typically asked to pay up front.

In an interview: "If they don't have a Quebec health card, it's really arbitrary... Each institution has its own policy."

"If you're not breathing, nobody cares, but if you have something like a broken wrist, you're going to have to provide some kind of insurance."

A patient from Verdun Hospital left and then returned with emergency surgery. The nurse was later fired.

The arbitrator reversed the decision, explaining that doctors often do not treat uninsured patients and keep them in the waiting room to make it easier for the next person on their shift to see them. Then the responsibility falls on three nurses, because they have to take care of everyone.

Dr. Saba says refusing to treat a patient is unethical and against Quebec's Good Samaritan laws, and hospitals pick up the tab if they can't pay.

He said a standardized procedure should be introduced to clearly indicate when and how a patient should pay.

"A doctor should not be a bill collector, she should provide medical care and not worry about how she is paid," said Saba.

These emergency care costs vary from hospital to hospital, but usually exceed $1,000.

• Jewish General Hospital, $1,055.67.
• MUHC: $1,129.47.
• Lakeshore Hospital: $1,129.47.
• Mary's Hospital, $1,129.47.

The Kentron South Board of Health responded to this issue:

"This incident is unfortunate and does not reflect how Verdun Hospital treats our patients. Patients receive assistance even if they do not pay a deposit. »

Patient advocate Paul Brun said there are exceptions, but uninsured patients must pay.

"If you need emergency medical care, you should get it. It doesn't matter where you come from. We are talking about human life here," he said.

"In my opinion, if a non-Canadian needs non-urgent medical care, they should be asked to pay."

Dr. Saba confirmed that Quebec must create standards to prevent patients from experiencing medical and financial hardship.

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