Lost in currency conversion

You’ve heard of lost in translation. Often happens when you travel. But how about lost in currency conversion. This appears what happened when the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) incorrectly billed for an overnight stay in June of last year at the Cape Berton Regional Hospital. The health department sent two notices (together) that an outstanding amount hadn’t been paid up. The original cost was $7818.10 (Yup, that’s what it costs for overnight and a few tests). Yet, the dear people at Nova Scotia Health didn’t seem to make the connection between Canadian and US dollars, or should that be the conversion. They kept insisting that $1637.69 was owing. Uh, no. The patient, an American, was covered by GeoBlue travel insurance, a US provider. The bill was paid in full. Their payment, dated Nov. 17 of last year, was for the total $7818.10. It even says this on the form to “NSHA Accounts Receivable Service Centre $7818.10 Canada Dollars.” But it was paid in US currency which was $6180.41, the equivalent of the Canadian amount. So, Nova Scotia Health made a boo-boo. They thought the $6180.41 was Canadian dollars and therefore remitted a balance (two notices) of $1637.69 ($7818.10 minus $6180.41). Clearly, they assumed the payment by GeoBlue was in Canadian money when it was in US. We alerted Nova Scotia Health August 30, resending GeoBlue’s documentation as proof of payment. We’re still waiting to hear from them as to whether the bill has been cleared. The wheels of bureaucracy turn...

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller