Is the grass greener? Physician billing under Canadian Medicare

With the US healthcare system currently in a transitional state, medical group administrators here are becoming more curious about the way that the healthcare systems of other countries work. The experience of the Haig Clinic, a medium-sized multi-specialty family practice, is offered as a representative example of the Canadian Medicare system in the province of Alberta. Nearly one-half of all claims are now received by Alberta Medicare in EDP magnetic tape form, and total turnaround time is approximately two weeks for "clean" claims. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of man Alberta health professionals, it is an efficient system of billing, merging the world of Medicare with the world of electronic data processing.