- Thread starter SARAH KATZ
- Start date
Charge for Emergency Admission to the CMC?
I've been to CMC twice. Once to have some stitches pulled out of my face I bought in Jamaica
a week before: Cost? Free, so I gave the doctor a 500 peso "tip".
Second time, Dengue. Cost? Test and advice. I was there for most of the morning/ early afternoon and
I believe the bill was around 3,000 pesos including my blood work/ test.
a week before: Cost? Free, so I gave the doctor a 500 peso "tip".
Second time, Dengue. Cost? Test and advice. I was there for most of the morning/ early afternoon and
I believe the bill was around 3,000 pesos including my blood work/ test.
they all have a charge - hospitals do.
Without insurance - you'll see it.
Ontario (as a point of reference) is $335 when you walk in the door.
$50 at CMC seems reasonable.
As to the stitches mentioned above -
I just paid 300 to the vet for my dog.
500 for a face is good !!!!
Without insurance - you'll see it.
Ontario (as a point of reference) is $335 when you walk in the door.
$50 at CMC seems reasonable.
As to the stitches mentioned above -
I just paid 300 to the vet for my dog.
500 for a face is good !!!!
I am pretty sure it is against the law not to treat someone in an emergency room unless they pay first.
“La atención de emergencia a pacientes en estado crítico es un tema de ley y de derecho que no está en discusión, porque no estabilizar a los pacientes en un centro de salud carece de justificación”, afirmó este lunes la ministra de Salud Pública, doctora Altagracia Guzmán Marcelino.
Añadió que se trata de un derecho fundamental de las personas contenido en la Constitución de la República y que además se trata de una obligación dispuesta por la Ley General de Salud (42-01)”.
This was in relation to Caamano, the war hero who was denied treatment at private hospitals. Of course they can charge afterwards but not refuse to treat you unless you pay in advance.
Matilda
“La atención de emergencia a pacientes en estado crítico es un tema de ley y de derecho que no está en discusión, porque no estabilizar a los pacientes en un centro de salud carece de justificación”, afirmó este lunes la ministra de Salud Pública, doctora Altagracia Guzmán Marcelino.
Añadió que se trata de un derecho fundamental de las personas contenido en la Constitución de la República y que además se trata de una obligación dispuesta por la Ley General de Salud (42-01)”.
This was in relation to Caamano, the war hero who was denied treatment at private hospitals. Of course they can charge afterwards but not refuse to treat you unless you pay in advance.
Matilda
That may well be, but I know of several cases of Dominicans involved in seriuous moto accidents and CMC just gave them the bare minumum treatment and then sent them on to a public hospital in Pto. P. I know of some gringos that weren't attended to until they produced a credit card, but these weren't life and death situations.
Basically, CMC is not really equipped for serious life-threatening emergencies. Bournegal in Pto. Plata is better, but it has it's limits, too. If you have a real serious medical emergency here on the North Coast, chances are good that you are going to die.
My wifre's brother-in-law was in a very serious moto accident. They took him to CMC where they bandaged him up as best they could. Called a taxi to take him to P.P. He died on the way there. That's the level of "treatment" you are going to get.
It was my part-time pool guy on his day off - I have full TSS for him - he has pneumonia - on his way to hospital in PP I understand someone told him to go to CMC as an emergency.
He did, CMC accepted him (without insurance? prepayment?) - put him on a drip and kept him in for 2 nights - now apparently they want a payment..............once I have all the docs from him (the medic has already done the TSS report/form for me) I'll have a better idea.
Presumably they checked he was insured before admission and looking at other responses the CMC practice is to send to another hospital if there is no valid insurance/prepayment so no idea why, if he wasn't covered, they kept him in?
Odd :-z
He did, CMC accepted him (without insurance? prepayment?) - put him on a drip and kept him in for 2 nights - now apparently they want a payment..............once I have all the docs from him (the medic has already done the TSS report/form for me) I'll have a better idea.
Presumably they checked he was insured before admission and looking at other responses the CMC practice is to send to another hospital if there is no valid insurance/prepayment so no idea why, if he wasn't covered, they kept him in?
Odd :-z
They accepted him so presumably his TSS nsurance was ok - at the end of the month guessing he didn't have cash/$50 for admission (it was his day off).
Certainly, the system here is odd.
But let me tell you, others are no different.
I have had too much experience lately.
My visits here have generally been good..... all covered
But let me tell you, others are no different.
I have had too much experience lately.
My visits here have generally been good..... all covered
I heard there was also a law about riding motos without helmets, driving drunk, wrong side of street etc........
What insurance coverage is accepted at any given hospital is a policy decision. Having insurance is no guarantee that it is accepted at the facility you stumble into.
Nonwalk-in, emergency treatment at private facilities without insurance details being available at the time is limited to stopping the bleeding, making sure the patient is breathing. If you are conscious you will be asked for insurance details or a payment method before corrective treatment begins. If you are not conscious and there is no one to provide insurance details or to put down a deposit, your treatment might be limited to keeping you stable until such details are worked out.
Required life saving treatment is supposed to be provided everywhere and the payment details worked out later. Non life threatening injuries regardless of how painful or urgent may not be so quickly addressed. When in doubt a smaller facility will usually try to pass a patient off to a larger facility if the odds are good enough that the patient will arrive there not dead.
I don't know anything about insurance available to the common man here. If they can afford a gringo type policy, they are probably ok just about anywhere. If not, then it's possible that not every private clinic or hospital will accept and treat locals beyond what their policy covers or they can pay for.
I'm often on my own when out and about. One of the misgivings I have is being run down on my moto and delivered to CMC (about the only option here in Sosua) in a condition unable to communicate. I don't want people standing around waiting for me to wake up before getting down to business. I have a photocopy of my insurance in my wallet (which will be the first thing that goes missing), with my moto papers, inside my helmet and a laminated card in my pocket. I have also stopped into CMC and had them open a file for me and my wife. The only thing currently in that file is our insurance info and two emergency contact numbers - one for a person who speaks Spanish and the other my wife whose Spanish is limited to yelling at me to "stop drinking and get to work".
Nonwalk-in, emergency treatment at private facilities without insurance details being available at the time is limited to stopping the bleeding, making sure the patient is breathing. If you are conscious you will be asked for insurance details or a payment method before corrective treatment begins. If you are not conscious and there is no one to provide insurance details or to put down a deposit, your treatment might be limited to keeping you stable until such details are worked out.
Required life saving treatment is supposed to be provided everywhere and the payment details worked out later. Non life threatening injuries regardless of how painful or urgent may not be so quickly addressed. When in doubt a smaller facility will usually try to pass a patient off to a larger facility if the odds are good enough that the patient will arrive there not dead.
I don't know anything about insurance available to the common man here. If they can afford a gringo type policy, they are probably ok just about anywhere. If not, then it's possible that not every private clinic or hospital will accept and treat locals beyond what their policy covers or they can pay for.
I'm often on my own when out and about. One of the misgivings I have is being run down on my moto and delivered to CMC (about the only option here in Sosua) in a condition unable to communicate. I don't want people standing around waiting for me to wake up before getting down to business. I have a photocopy of my insurance in my wallet (which will be the first thing that goes missing), with my moto papers, inside my helmet and a laminated card in my pocket. I have also stopped into CMC and had them open a file for me and my wife. The only thing currently in that file is our insurance info and two emergency contact numbers - one for a person who speaks Spanish and the other my wife whose Spanish is limited to yelling at me to "stop drinking and get to work".
CMC has done a great job for many. But as pointed out, they are not free. Nor are several other clinics/hospitals and the peoples hospitals usually don't have the equipment nor even a bandage.
The OP asked about "Emergency care". I guess that that depends on the individuals definition of Emergency?
CMC can handle just about anything and can stabilize and transport if needed. If my wife is in cardiac arrest I don't care what the costs are. But we have cash and insurance.
IMHO: If an expat does not have some sort of medical insurance or the bank account then understand your options. You have a lot more then most of the Dominican people. But don't expect any clinic/hospital to "make you well" for free.
The OP asked about "Emergency care". I guess that that depends on the individuals definition of Emergency?
CMC can handle just about anything and can stabilize and transport if needed. If my wife is in cardiac arrest I don't care what the costs are. But we have cash and insurance.
IMHO: If an expat does not have some sort of medical insurance or the bank account then understand your options. You have a lot more then most of the Dominican people. But don't expect any clinic/hospital to "make you well" for free.