Ultrasound technicians behaving like ambulance chasers!?!

I am not in Quebec, but am in Canada. This sounds sketchy. In any province I have lived screening ultrasounds (due to high risk) and diagnostic ultrasounds (like to clarify a mammogram finding) have been covered.

This link for QC's Health Insurance Plan (http://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en/citizens/health-insurance/healthcare/Pages/medical-services.aspx) states the following:

Please note that some types of services are covered only when rendered in a hospital. These include certain highly specialized examinations, such as ultrasound (except when performed as part of assisted procreation procedures), computer axial tomography (CAT or CT scans) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs).

You were in a hospital so that is not an issue. Unless it is a former hospital converted into a private radiology clinic? I know if I go to those here in Alberta mammograms are covered, but MRIs are not. They need to be done in hospital to be covered.

According to that link some doctors in QC also opt out of the health insurance plan, bill patients direct, who either can or cannot get reimbursed, but they need to tell patients this ahead of time. To me though this does not seem to be the case with an in-hospital diagnostic ultrasound.

Yes, if your ultrasound was done in a hospital, this seems sketchy, and manipulating women who are in fear. Also...uh, fraudulent. I think that a call to the Régie is in order if that is the case. Heck, you might even call them to ask if this sounds right.

Ah, yes...a private clinic would explain it. Basically, you could have gone back to your doctor with the mammogram results and had a referral to ultrasound in a hospital facility and it would have been covered...but you may have had a longer wait and increased anxiety in the wait depending on your own personality type and such. So they offer immediate ultrasound for $100 knowing that for some women it is worth it to get it immediately. Specialized diagnostics (ultrasound, MRI) is one of those areas in Canadian healthcare where there is a two-tier system in some provinces at least. In Alberta some have been trying to "shut down" private MRI for a while (you still need doctor referral) with no luck. Those who have the money ($900 or so for breast MRI) can jump ahead and get in within a day or two. Others may wait weeks....or months for screening MRIs.

I do think the private clinic should disclose that patients can be referred back to their doctor to pursue covered ultrasounds as part of the process of offering immediate ultrasound. Some might not mind waiting, might want to discuss with their primary doctor, have another friend or family member with them, or whatever.

Yes, absolutely understandable. It is very, very stressful to be told that something suspicious is on your mammogram...and further tests are needed. You are vulnerable, and when told you need an ultrasound "immediately" of course you automatically start feeling pressured and when they add "by the way, we can do one right now for you for $100"...well, is it any surprise many people will jump on it? Or feel pressured to do so? I can't imagine how those who can't afford the $100 must feel to be told they need to do this immediately, and they can't due to finances. What will they be thinking as they leave that clinic? Mammograms here for those older than 40 are by self-referral too, so what of those who take the right steps to get a mammogram after 40...but have no primary care doctor to go to right away, and can't afford the ultrasound "immediately" and leave wondering if they are jeopardizing their health all because they had to choose food on the table over an ultrasound that month.

As you said, you were made to feel it was very urgent, and made to feel very pressured. No wonder you felt taken advantage of! It would be one thing if they advised you of all your options, but that does not sound like that is the case and it sounds like maybe their phrasing is intended to add some pressure.

Honestly, getting an ultrasound THAT day, versus a few days later, or a week later, would not make a huge difference even if there IS cancer, except in terms of your own psychological impact (such as your own anxiety level). While some cancers do progress very fast (IBC for example) in most cases a few days is not going to be significant. Finding out it looked cancerous that day, versus a week later, and ending up with the biopsy that week or one week later would really likely not have mattered.

I am sorry that you and your friend felt taken advantage of. I imagine there is some kind if reporting process with the Physician's College or something you may want to look at, to file a grievance about the clinic, or if there is a way to file a grievance about the technician with their own licensing body, but I am not sure of all the details of that process or what have you.

No problem Celine. I have had some frustrating experiences with medical providers, and some truly excellent ones, and I hate seeing anyone ending up on the frustrating side when I know it does not have to be that way! And it should not be. We are all human beings and ought to be treated as such, even if it is "routine" for the medical provider. I tend to have pretty high anxiety around my breast health, almost leading to panic at times, and am exactly someone who would feel incredibly anxious and pressured in that kind of situation (and would be more than willing to pay rather than wait if I had the money available) so can really relate to how you would feel taken advantage of.

Your friend should probably lodge a complaint directly with the hospital. I expect they would have to do an internal review. That does not seem at all consistent with the QC's universal health care coverage as indicated in the link I provided earlier. If that does not work, then to the Régie itself might be in order.