MedExtra Medical Solutions, 457 Lakeshore, Dorval, QC (2025)

05/28/2019

CANADIANS EXPERIENCING LONGER “WAIT TIMES” TO RECEIVE THEIR HEALTH CARE

Waiting for treatment has become a defining characteristic of Canadian health care.

The Fraser Institute released its 2018 annual report on queues & wait times for specialist visits and diagnostic and surgical procedures. The findings are based on surveys of about 2,400 physicians all across Canada, covering twelve (12) different specialties including orthopedic surgery and radiation oncology.

And as you can see from the infographic, there is a huge difference from the 1993 report!

The current study shows that Ontario has the shortest total wait time at 15.4 weeks, while New Brunswick has the longest at 41.7 weeks. The waits in British Columbia and Alberta are both just over 26 weeks.

These long wait times often have serious consequences to the patient such as increased pain, suffering, and mental anguish. In certain instances, they can also result in poorer medical outcomes - transforming potentially reversible illnesses or injuries into chronic, irreversible conditions, or even permanent disabilities.

The one caveat is that according to the report, even though Canadians wait longer for health care than people in many other countries around the world, they are generally more satisfied with their experience once they are actually seen.

CONCLUSION = The results of the survey indicate that despite provincial strategies to reduce wait times and high levels of health expenditure, it is clear that patients in Canada continue to wait too long to receive necessary medical treatment.

05/14/2019

THE DIFFICULTY IN FINDING A FAMILY DOCTOR (PLUS 4 SUGGESTIONS)

Health care is a demand-driven industry.

In a world of fixed resources (ie – number of doctors, specialists & pediatricians), that means as more people need to see a physician, the less access is available to everyone else.

Each doctor only has so many hours in a day and therefore the biggest hurdle in finding a family doctor is finding one who is accepting new patients.

Why is demand so great? To sum up - we’re all living longer. And we need more care as we age. Baby boomers, the oldest of whom are now in their mid-60s, will continue to increase demand for doctors’ time over the next two decades.

Some suggestions and tips to finding a doctor in your area:

- Go to the nearest walk-in clinic and ask there if they know any doctors who are accepting new patients.
- Search online for doctors in your geographic neighborhood and then call the front office to inquire about taking on new patients.
- Peruse social media and do a search for local doctor’s offices to see if they have availabilities.
- Ask everyone you know, and ask them to ask their friends, too. Ask as many people as you can if they are happy with their doctor and if they can give you the contact information.

04/30/2019

MEDEXTRA MEDICAL SERVICES – CORPORATE OVERVIEW

Far more than just a menu of services and a resource network, MedExtra identifies the principal issues underlying employee absenteeism, applies advanced triage protocols to identify suspicious claims and our proprietary Care Management to manage and reduce corporate costs & risks.

"ALL TOGETHER" is used by plan sponsors across Canada, insurance carriers, managing general group agencies, brokers, agents & Canada’s largest assistance provider.

Our Approach:

MedExtra’s Care Management is proactive, collaborative with treating physicians and best practice based to deliver Early Medical Intervention to accelerate diagnosis, treatment, return to health and work, with minimal costs and inconvenience, for plan sponsors and plan members.

Care Management is MedExtra’s proprietary process functionally integrating IT, Care Managers, Resources and treating physicians to get the right information, to the right professional, at the right time for efficient, effective & engaged care with no running around.

What We Do:

MedExtra helps group benefits consultants design Extended Health Benefits plans to pro-actively control cost & risk. MedExtra takes care of all the details to accelerate return to health & work.

For plan sponsors, MedExtra provides a corporate Medical Director service to help uncover questionable absenteeism claims.

For plan members, MedExtra provides a medical concierge service for over 30 critical illnesses.

04/11/2019

DIRECT TO CONSUMER TELEMEDICINE AND TELEHEALTH SERVICES

There are many telemedicine & telehealth companies that are now offering patients with minor illnesses “around the clock” access to physicians - via telephone or videoconferencing - directly on their smartphone, tablet or laptop computer.

Use of such services has been growing rapidly over the past several years, with more than 1.2 million online visits recently reported. And a survey of larger organizations & companies indicated that ninety percent (90%) expected to offer such services to their employees during the upcoming year.

While direct-to-consumer telemedicine services do increase patients' access to convenient health care, researchers say new strategies such as higher co-pays or targeted marketing may be needed if telehealth is to fulfill its potential as a cost saving strategy.

But although no service is going to be perfect, telemedicine is a positive and growing medical treatment option. And as the system and parameters are streamlined and made more efficient, the results will show that telemedicine saves time, money, and lives.

The bottom line is that with the rapidly rising cost of healthcare, and the fact that’s it nonexistent in some places, the need for telemedicine continues to grow. It may not be the option for everyone, but the pros seem to outweigh the cons.

Being able to treat patients from their home, give valuable medical support and information, and provide service to less developed areas makes it hard not to believe that this technology will play a large part in lives in the future.

04/03/2019

OUR NEW & IMPROVED MEDEXTRA WEBSITE IS COMING SOON!

MedExtra Medical Solutions is excited to announce that our brand new, state of the art Website is almost ready for the live launch!

The new & improved version will contain a plethora of information about our company and the various Medical Services and Solutions that we offer. It will also contain our new “Patient Portal” where you will now have the ability to do an array of different things to facilitate the exchange of your information & medical history:

1) Easily download and fill out our All Together Case Initiation Documents for Employers (and re-upload with signature).

2) Easily download and fill out our All Together Mandate & Information Release for Individuals (and re-upload with signature).

3) Easily fill out (directly online) our Care Management Overview Form – which includes areas such as your Medical History, Current Diagnosis, Undiagnosed Issues, Diagnostic Results, and any questions or comments you may have for us. There is also an area for you to upload any documentation you wish to present to us.

MedExtra offers more than a menu of services and a resource network. We identify the issue and provide the optimal medical solution to effectively control the cost & risk of plan member health issues.

ALL TOGETHER is used by plan sponsors across Canada, insurance carriers, managing general group agencies, brokers, agents & Canada’s largest assistance providers.

03/11/2019

THREE (3) TECHNOLOGIES THAT COULD SHAPE THE FUTURE OF CANADIAN HEALTHCARE

Technology in the Canadian healthcare industry has seen some amazing advancements over the years and continues to grow at an accelerated pace. If you’ve been to the hospital lately, you’ve probably noticed just how advanced healthcare technology has become in recent years.

And just think about what the healthcare industry will look like over the next decade:

1) ALLOWING PALLIATIVE CARE PATIENTS TO VIRTUALLY TRAVEL THE WORLD
Virtual reality is a healthcare technology that will allow palliative care patients to experience life beyond their imagination – especially to those that are confined by hospital beds and/or wheelchairs.
Imagine them having the ability to do such things as roam the streets of Paris, climb a nature trail in the the Rockies or walk along the Great Wall of China!

2) REMOTELY MONITORING PATIENT’S VITAL SIGNS VIA THE CLOUD
From the comfort of a patient’s home, a “Health Station” would be set up and all vital signs can be taken and automatically sent to the cloud to be monitored remotely by their physicians, caregivers, family members, and anyone else in the patient’s circle of care.

3) SKIN PRINTING MACHINE MINIMIZING THE NEED FOR SKIN GRAFTING
Researchers at the University of Toronto have designed a handheld machine that can actually print skin. Using a gel-like substance that contains skin cells, in a matter of two (2) minutes or less, a skin-like substance is deposited from a duct tape-looking dispenser. This substance is then applied directly on top of a wound or burn to allow for the healing process to begin.

And there are many, many more scientific advancements being made on a daily basis! And as technology continues to advance, Canadians’ visits to hospitals and clinics will start to become more engaging, more interactive, and less costly.

02/28/2019

BRAIN INJURIES & CONCUSSIONS ARE ON THE RISE

There has been a lot of attention in the news these days about athletes and concussions in sports.

But concussions and traumatic brain injuries don’t only occur on the ice or on the playing field – they often happen outside of the sports world and can have a very serious impact on the workplace.

When it comes to statistics, the Public Health Agency of Canada has predicted that, by 2031, the number of hospitalizations due to traumatic brain injuries will increase by twenty-eight percent (28%) in comparison to 2011.

And as the numbers increase, so do the insurance claims.

MedExtra is singularly focused on controlling plan member-related cost & risk. MedExtra’s suite of corporate medical solutions bridge the gap between what people and plan sponsors need, and what the public healthcare system, group insurance plans, EAP’s and conventional value add-ons provide.

02/06/2019

INSURANCE COVERAGE IMPLICATIONS OF AN EMPLOYEE WHO SUFFERED A BRAIN INJURY

Head and brain injuries can have devastating, life changing effects for both victims and their families. A head injury or brain injury can have serious or even fatal consequences.

Therefore, Canadian health and safety laws make specific requirements for employers to assess and minimize the risk of their staff being injured by falls, a falling object, or being crushed.

Traumatic brain injury is often called an invisible injury. Employees with brain injuries may seem fully recovered, especially if they have no physical disabilities, but cognitive, emotional, and behavioral problems may linger and appear when the employee is stressed.

Recovery following a brain injury may be measured in weeks, months or years. Many employees with mild brain injuries experience complete recovery. Some with severe brain injuries experience only mild long-term difficulties. Others may require care or special services for the rest of their lives.

Having the proper insurance policy in place will determine how much compensation you are owed for your injuries. With that in mind, here is a general idea of some of the items you might be able to receive compensation for:

• Medical bills and associated medical costs
• Loss of work wages and future wages if unable to return to work
• Physical pain
• Mental suffering and stress
• Loss of the enjoyment of your life

And although the outcome for employees with brain injuries may initially seem dire, many recover. Rehabilitation helps promote recovery through a return to work, family and community. Most employees will adapt over time in a structured, supportive environment at their place of employment.

01/29/2019

DON'T BE CAUGHT PAYING OUT OF POCKET!

MedExtra provides supplemental health services to bridge the gap between what people and employers need; and what the public health system and group insurance plans provide.

MedExtra counts among its clients; individuals, employers, benefit consultants, regional and national Managing General Agents, international financial services companies and insurance companies across Canada.

See infographic below - don't be like Pam... be like Gloria - and call us today!

01/09/2019

POLYPHARMACY – POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF TAKING MULTIPLE PRESCRIPTION MEDICINES

Polypharmacy is defined as the simultaneous use of multiple drugs to treat a single ailment or condition, or the simultaneous use of multiple drugs by a single patient, for one or more conditions.

Taking multiple medications at the same time can affect the status of a person’s health (especially in an elderly person). However, most people think that medication-related problems are limited to things like allergic reactions or an occasional bout of sleepiness.

But polypharmacy can cause a number of other serious side effects that are detrimental to a person’s health:

- Confusion
- Incontinence
- Agitation
- Insomnia
- Falls
- Sleepiness
- Decrease in appetite or thirst
- Increase in appetite or thirst
- Depression
- Walking difficulties

A large study of patients sixty-five (65) and older found that twenty percent (20%) of them had received at least one (1) prescription for an inappropriate medicine.

And in any given year, well over one hundred and seventy five thousand (175,000) people in North America, aged sixty-five (65) or older, will visit an emergency room due to an adverse reaction to a commonly prescribed medication.

If you or a loved one are experiencing one or more of the above symptoms, it is important to look closely at the medications (prescriptions, over the counter products, herbals, supplements and vitamins) which you or a loved one is taking, to make sure the problem is not associated with your specific medication use.

01/01/2019

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

To you and your family - from all of us @ MedExtra Medical Solutions..

12/24/2018

MedExtra Medical Solutions would like to wish you and your family a very Happy Holidays!! 😀

MedExtra Medical Solutions

05/28/2019

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12/24/2018

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