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what constitutes an emergency you have just returned home and found your daughter fallen from a tree her leg bent at a peculiar angle underneath her a son has cut his finger with the carving knife and the bleeding wont stop y or a neighbor comes- over for help she has just been badly beaten about the face and head and there are bruises and swelling perhaps your husband or wife is experiencing shortness of breath sweatiness and chest pains signs that heart attack may be im minent your mind races fearfully is it an emergency what should i ask yourself these questions is the victim bleeding badly has consciousness been lost and not regained e has breathing stopped e is the person unable to move is the person in unbearable pain is blood being vomited o is an on coming heart attack suspected o is there a possibility of concussion any of these symptoms could result from poisoning a severe cut a fall or beating drowning electrocution ap- pendicitis choking a heart attack a major illness these symptoms usually mean the person is in urgent need of help and you must see that they get to the emergency department of a hospital right away do its not always easy to know but one thing is certain you must collect your thoughts and act quickly but what should you do if youre not sure its an emergency it could be a child complainingof an unidentifiable pain a fever that doesnt subside chest pains or an extended period of vomiting should you risk the consequences of just waiting to see definitely not says dr bruce rowat director of emergency services at toronto general hospital get professional advice over the phone call a doctor a hospital emergency department or an ambulance service the latter two are always open and explain the situation youll be speaking with trained staff who can advise you of the best course of action theyll see you get the proper help fast if an ambulance is needed theyll get you one if an ambulance is not required they may suggest you see a doctor and if your family physician isnt available that you visit the emergency facility of a hospital where nonemergency staff are always on hand a hospital emergency department can also advise you over the phone of simple lifesaving techniques that can be employed until professional help is obtained if the victim has suffered a severe fracture leg back or neck do not attempt to move him protect the injury until the ambulance arrives if the break is not severe such as a broken arm the injured person can be driven to hospital if care is taken to protect the injury with a makeshift sling or by cradling it with the other arm in case of a heart attack loosen e restrictive clothing if the victim is conscious keep him in a sitting position if unconscious lie him down and make sure to keep air passages open by gently tilting head back and keeping tongue extended in the case of bleeding which wont stop apply pressure to the wound with your hand preferably wrapped in a clean cloth if the source of the injury or illness is not known and the victim is unconscious keep air pssages open and move him only if its absolutely necessary most importantly check to see that the victim is breathing and remains breathing if breathing stops apply mouthtomouth resuscitation j in the case of poisoning or choking follow the steps listed in the article taking care in the home page 5 if it is necessary to call an am- bulance its comforting to know that a modern ambulance comes equipped with a full range of modern medical equipment and trained staff vital care can be provided before reaching the hospital but everyone concerned with rising health care costs will want to avoid calling an ambulance needlessly nor will they want to risk diverting emergency health care teams and ambulances from real emergencies remember that you can always get professional advice and direction over the phone if there is any doubt in a persons mind says dr rowat i advise they call emergency services are there to help 24 hours a day a tip for travrttrers understanding your health insurance not being affiliated in any way with the government or the governments ontario health insurance plan ohip we believe we can say with objectivity that when it comes to health insurance protection ontario residents are among the most fortunate in the world residents of no other area are better protected by basic governmentsponsored programs both at home or when they travel abroad- this statement from walter cannon director of blue cross canadas largest nonprofit nongovernment health plan the very excellence of their basic coverage however has made many ontario residents complacent about the need to understand the extent or limits of ohips coverage cannon continued this is particularly true as it relates to unexpected illness or an accident occuring outside canada obviously ohip cannot afford to look after every eventuality anywhere in the world extra coverage people do not realize continued cannon that an average claim for hospitalmedical care abroad can easily total 10000 to 15000 ohip will look after the majority of these costs but the patient is often left with bills totalling hundreds or thousands of dollars this is where their blue cross coverage becomes valuable hospital costs under ohip claims from the united states are settled by ohip on two different bases depending on the individuals case for elective non emergency admission ohip will pay 75 per cent of the standard- ward rate charged by the hospital and 75 per cent of other insured hospital services covered by ohip for emergency unexpected admission such as care following a car accident ohip will pay 100 per cent of the charge for standard ward accommodation and insured hospital services in all other foreign countries other than usa ohip generally pays all hospital charges at the standard room level be particularly aware that you will almost always be expected to pay the bill before you leave the hospital and submit your claim to ohip for reimbursement upon your return home be prepared financially for this eventuality it says this tomb placcsadcadlycurscon all who enter and if youre smart youll be covered by the blue cross health plan while outsidccanada traveiitersiguide c5vf information for travellers uln the travellers guide to the ontario health insurance plan and can bo requested from the i heal ui resource centred communications rbranohontario ti ministry of health hepburn block queens park toronto jii and get detailed receipts in duplicate if possible to submit to ohip and blue cross where ambulance service is used ohip will pay 75 per cent of the charges if the amount is not more u than that charged for the same service in ontario to obtain reimbursement from ohip you must show a receipt indicating the number of miles transported and a certificate signed by a doctor stating that ambulance services were justified doctors costs under ohip j hospital and doctors fees are paid separately for doctors fees ohip will pay exactly as it would if the service had been performed in ontario ie 90 per cent of ontarios accepted medical fee schedule unfortunately however most doctors in the usa and other foreign countries do not charge the ontario fee schedule and the difference can be substantial payments of doctors excess fees account for the major claim made to blue cross again be prepared to pay the doctor when service is rendered and claim reimbursement when you return home blue cross plan all canadian provinces agree that canadians planning to travel abroad should take out an additional shortterm health coverage like the blue cross health plan while outside canada the blue cross plan supplements ohip payments for hospital accommodation and doctors fees private nursing ambulance service prescription drugs certain airtransport home o and other benefits up to a maximum of 10000 per person coverage is available to individuals and families for any period between 7 days and six months cost is fifty cents per day for single coverage or one dollar per day for a family blue cross makes no exclusion for age and no medical examination is required to claim on the blue cross r benefits send a copy of the reimbursements made by ohip together with the duplicate receipts of bills incurred to blue cross at 150 ferrand drive in don mills blue cross will reimburse you directly for 100 percent of the outstanding eligible items li blue cross