I can stack on my personal anecdotes about how the BC health care system has treated me incredibly well. I've gotten fast access to surgery. I've had quick access to specialists. I have a family doctor.

If you're not a citizen/landed immigrant/registered with a visa/etc anywhere in Canada you're going to see the raw costs of medical care for sure. You mention being in between visas. Depending on your accent and skin color you may have also experienced the systemic racism that exists in Canada that no one likes to admit exists.

At the end of the day, BC medical care works great if:

1) you can navigate and advocate yourself through the system 2) you have extended health coverage (usually through an employer but can be bought privately) 3) you have a doctor/nurse that can help connect you into the expedited route in the system 4) know when and how to access the secret private health industry (ie pay $700 for an MRI tomorrow instead of waiting for years for free ones) plus having the ability to pay for it.

I've seen this over and over. It's super charged squeaky wheel syndrome.