Hospital parking barely an issue

Re: Parking fees at city hospitals (SP, March 23)

We are seniors and over the years our four parents have required surgeries and treatments requiring hospital stays. All four passed away in hospital — two after short stays and two after long-term care. All were treated with the highest professional and compassionate care. Total bill was zero.

We have birthed three children in Saskatoon and over the years we have made many visits to hospital emergency care. As a family we have also had several surgeries with hospital stays — some short term while others were longer. Total bill again zero.

While spending several winters in the warmer climes of the U.S., we became aware of medical terms that were quite foreign to us: co-pay, deductible, cap, not covered, insurance cancelled, pre-existing condition, and medical bankruptcy.

On one U.S. visit, my wife required emergency medical help in the middle of the night. While she was very capably being attended to medically, I was at a 2 a.m. meeting with the hospital accountant where I presented my credit cards and was on the phone to our Canadian insurance company about coverage ... extremely stressful.

Any petty concern over a lack of free parking has never been an issue in any of the above. To avoid hospital parking hassles or costs, I would suggest taking a bus, a cab or get dropped off. Although our universal health care may be in need of some upgrading, hopefully subsidized parking is not even remotely on the list.

Roger Mcrae, Saskatoon