german woman conned by a hospital in sosua?

[Tamborista]

Insurance claim scumbaggery is not unique to The Dominican Republic, it is alive and well right here in the best NYC hospitals. I had the pleasure of a brief visit to the ER last year, and I caught a little $10K USD bill submitted to AETNA for a 5 minute consultation. Well, I blew the whistle and she got smacked down to $122, JAJA!

The problem with The OP is they had her and her $5K ransom. Tourists should get travel insurance for $35 to cover you abroad, CMC takes it with a smile.

 

[dv8]

i gather that the woman lives here. i know the article calls her a tourist but this is the impression i get. there is a cedula number on that recibo de pago, it would make sense that the cedula belongs to her and not to the representative of the hospital.

 

[Tamborista]

i gather that the woman lives here. i know the article calls her a tourist but this is the impression i get. there is a cedula number on that recibo de pago, it would make sense that the cedula belongs to her and not to the representative of the hospital.

So she should have known better, and had local insurance, oh well, lesson learned.

 

[frank12]

Dr. Bounigal inserted a metal pin in my leg in 1988 at Clinica Abreu in Sousa after a late night attack while sleeping. Four days at the clinic and everything was under US$2,000 and my insurance company paid in full when I submitted my receipts.

What kind of attack, leg spasms? epilepsy? a wife attack? or an actual burglar attacking you?

Frank

 

[Dark_Scorpion]

the report is here:
TURISTA ALEMANA DENUNCIA POR TRES D?AS DE INTERNAMIENTO POR AMEBA COBRARON 25,OOO DOLARES Y NO LE DEVUELVEN US 5,000 QUE DEPOSITO AL LLEGAR, EN CENTRO MEDICO DE SOSUA

the woman deposited 5k dollars upon being admitted to the hospital with her two kids in august last year. the hospital charged her insurance a whooping 25 thousand dollars for the treatment and 3 nights in the hospital. they are now refusing to refund the initial deposit.

and wtf? 25k dollars for a treatment of a god damn amoeba? my surgery and one night in a luxurious suit in clinica union was about 1,250 dollars. this money is INSANE!

$5,000 deposit? Why didn't she just find out the price up front and just pay the necessary amount? What is wrong with gringos who come to the DR? What fool pays a "deposit" down here? You find out what a service cost and you pay them in full or you go someplace else. Simple.

Foreigners get screwed because they don't know how to keep things simple. Just pay for the service in full man, f*ck deposits and insurance and all that complicated BS that leads to situations like this. Foreigners must follow the KISS philosophy, which is to keep it simple stupid.

 

[Dark_Scorpion]

So she should have known better, and had local insurance, oh well, lesson learned.

Local insurance? You mean trust Dominicans to insure you, are you kidding me? Hell no, I don't trust local or foreign insurance, if you don't have the cash to take care of yourself then you shouldn't be in the DR. Screw insurance.

 

[Tom F.]

What kind of attack, leg spasms? epilepsy? a wife attack? or an actual burglar attacking you?

Frank

Frank, the kind of attack that involves palos de pico. I was living in Bella Vista, Sosua in an isolated house working and living with solar electricity. November of 88 two men and a boy broke in the house while I was asleep and starting beating me in bed while asleep. Got up to fight and one broke my leg, and the other bopped me on top of the head a few times. The only thing said to me was "money" so I assume it was a straight up robbery. I found out many years later it was neighbors who did it to me. The 12 inch or so pin is still in there. For many years I slept very lightly.

Also, I was hospitalized last year in the US for 11 days and the bill came to around US$180,000, I found the insurance paid about $30,000 and if I did not have insurance, I would of been responsible for the entire amount.

 

[Mauricio]

Local insurance? You mean trust Dominicans to insure you, are you kidding me? Hell no, I don't trust local or foreign insurance, if you don't have the cash to take care of yourself then you shouldn't be in the DR. Screw insurance.

you must be the dumbest foreigner living in DR.

 

[frank recktenwald]

Local insurance? You mean trust Dominicans to insure you, are you kidding me? Hell no, I don't trust local or foreign insurance, if you don't have the cash to take care of yourself then you shouldn't be in the DR. Screw insurance.

From personal experience I know Humano delivers but then again I didn't read this in a book.

 

[keepcoming]

Insurance claim scumbaggery is not unique to The Dominican Republic, it is alive and well right here in the best NYC hospitals. I had the pleasure of a brief visit to the ER last year, and I caught a little $10K USD bill submitted to AETNA for a 5 minute consultation. Well, I blew the whistle and she got smacked down to $122, JAJA!

The problem with The OP is they had her and her $5K ransom. Tourists should get travel insurance for $35 to cover you abroad, CMC takes it with a smile.

You were one the smart ones. Many do not even look at their bills (family owns medical billing company) let alone question any charges. I can almost guarantee that 1 in 3 bills have some type of "error" on them. Having a good travel insurance can save you a lot of time, money and stress.

 

[rubio_higuey]

As to what D_S wrote, I agree with a part and disagree with a part.

Foreigners should keep it simple ... ask how much things cost. The clinic must know how much a per-night stay cots, in a private suite and in a shared room. They were in a shared room (all 3 of them in one room). I guess that does not cost more than RD$1,500 per night or max RD$2,000 per night. Here in Higuey the best clinic best room costs about RD$2,500 per night. So sum it up - 3 days, 3 persons, at RD$1,500 = RD$9,000 pesos. Multiply by 3 for any medicines, lab tests, etc. that is 27,000 pesos. The KISS thing would be to not pay more than US$700 deposit.
Example: Xray: 500 pesos, complete blood, stool lab test - less than RD$800-900 max, CT scan RD$5,600.

Amoeba etc.. my daughter was diagnosed with suspicion of one, with insurance (20% copay) I paid like RD$700-750 for tests, and that included a RD$600 test that was not covered by insurance ... that leaves the other covered tests (blood, stool, urine) at 150 pesos...20% copay ... means base charge was about 750 pesos. So sum up, that is about RD$1,350 in full complete exams you can think of for Amoeba. The exams were done at Patria Rivas, not the cheapest of labs. So RD$1,350 x 3 = RD$4,000 pesos.

So with 3 days being hospitalized plus a complete set of tests = for all 3 of them = RD$13,000.

Now calculate 3 "sueros" per day an average for each one, at RD$800 ... that is RD$21,600 (and I am pushing it here).

Now calculate 2 daily doctor consultations, per day, for 3 of them, at RD$700 each = RD$12,600

Now add material gastable... let's say RD$1,000 per day for each one of them = RD$9,000

summary: TOTAL maximum cost pushing it to 12,000 feet high levels = RD$56,200 = about US$1,340

So double the initially though deposit of US$700 ... we get at less than US$1,500 ...pushing it.

US$5,000 is an armed robbery, and charging US$25,000 to foreign insurance is absolute insurance fraud perpetrated by the Medical Centre.

 

[Dark_Scorpion]

you must be the dumbest foreigner living in DR.

I beg to differ.....I've been here over a year without getting scammed, extorted, robbed, or ripped off in a hospital. I'd say that makes me pretty smart, what do you think?

Anyone who relies on local or foreign insurance is a moron. Insurance is a scam, period. I already explained this the other day. Insurance is a scam because you pay a company up front for the promise to aid you in an emergency.......now, what if they don't?

 

[Dark_Scorpion]

As to what D_S wrote, I agree with a part and disagree with a part.

Foreigners should keep it simple ... ask how much things cost. The clinic must know how much a per-night stay cots, in a private suite and in a shared room. They were in a shared room (all 3 of them in one room). I guess that does not cost more than RD$1,500 per night or max RD$2,000 per night. Here in Higuey the best clinic best room costs about RD$2,500 per night. So sum it up - 3 days, 3 persons, at RD$1,500 = RD$9,000 pesos. Multiply by 3 for any medicines, lab tests, etc. that is 27,000 pesos. The KISS thing would be to not pay more than US$700 deposit.
Example: Xray: 500 pesos, complete blood, stool lab test - less than RD$800-900 max, CT scan RD$5,600.

Amoeba etc.. my daughter was diagnosed with suspicion of one, with insurance (20% copay) I paid like RD$700-750 for tests, and that included a RD$600 test that was not covered by insurance ... that leaves the other covered tests (blood, stool, urine) at 150 pesos...20% copay ... means base charge was about 750 pesos. So sum up, that is about RD$1,350 in full complete exams you can think of for Amoeba. The exams were done at Patria Rivas, not the cheapest of labs. So RD$1,350 x 3 = RD$4,000 pesos.

So with 3 days being hospitalized plus a complete set of tests = for all 3 of them = RD$13,000.

Now calculate 3 "sueros" per day an average for each one, at RD$800 ... that is RD$21,600 (and I am pushing it here).

Now calculate 2 daily doctor consultations, per day, for 3 of them, at RD$700 each = RD$12,600

Now add material gastable... let's say RD$1,000 per day for each one of them = RD$9,000

summary: TOTAL maximum cost pushing it to 12,000 feet high levels = RD$56,200 = about US$1,340

So double the initially though deposit of US$700 ... we get at less than US$1,500 ...pushing it.

US$5,000 is an armed robbery, and charging US$25,000 to foreign insurance is absolute insurance fraud perpetrated by the Medical Centre.

Its okay, lol, because when these foreigners come on DR1 crying because they got scammed, or I read about them getting whacked in the news, I either laugh or I'm indifferent. I just find it funny I've lived here with no problems, and any problems I do have I will deal with them successfully.

Anyone who can't follow my posts isn't playing with a full deck of cards. Anyone who doesn't understand establishing a price up front, or who can't see insurance is a total a fraud, is nuts. There are so many insurance scams going on these days that anyone relying on insurance is gambling with their financial health, well being, maybe their lives. But whatever.

 

[dv8]

you know guys that i am all for going off topic but can we not make it another thread about scorpio?

 

[hammerdown]

Anyone who can't follow my posts isn't playing with a full deck of cards.

And anyone writing those posts isn't playing with one either.........

 

[Mauricio]

I beg to differ.....I've been here over a year without getting scammed, extorted, robbed, or ripped off in a hospital. I'd say that makes me pretty smart, what do you think?

Anyone who relies on local or foreign insurance is a moron. Insurance is a scam, period. I already explained this the other day. Insurance is a scam because you pay a company up front for the promise to aid you in an emergency.......now, what if they don't?

A whole year!! What an enormous achievement!

From your posts I read you live a paranoid life, seeing scammers and thieves behind every tree. In the USA it's worse because you are black. You have created your own little world where everyone out there is only trying to steal from you or treat you bad.

On insurance: I pay one for my family, and know that what I pay per year is what I would spend more or less when I wouldn't have insurance. But that one day when one of us five is due to receive mayor medical assistance the insurance picks up the tab. What if they don't? That's a stupid question, what if the cook in the restaurant you eat poisons your food? What if the Internet company you paid your internet service to upfront won't give you service? It's based on trust.

If something really serious would happen, like cancer, I'd probably go back to my country where the insurance can't refuse to pay for it, but I guess you'd probably leave it untreated, since that's just nature. Survival of the fittest, right? Wait till you have kids (God forbid)

 

[Dark_Scorpion]

A whole year!! What an enormous achievement!

From your posts I read you live a paranoid life, seeing scammers and thieves behind every tree. In the USA it's worse because you are black. You have created your own little world where everyone out there is only trying to steal from you or treat you bad.

On insurance: I pay one for my family, and know that what I pay per year is what I would spend more or less when I wouldn't have insurance. But that one day when one of us five is due to receive mayor medical assistance the insurance picks up the tab. What if they don't? That's a stupid question, what if the cook in the restaurant you eat poisons your food? What if the Internet company you paid your internet service to upfront won't give you service? It's based on trust.

If something really serious would happen, like cancer, I'd probably go back to my country where the insurance can't refuse to pay for it, but I guess you'd probably leave it untreated, since that's just nature. Survival of the fittest, right? Wait till you have kids (God forbid)

Considering some foreigners have had their wallets lifted the first time they vacationed here, I'd say a year without trouble is pretty good. When insurance works, its great. When it doesn't, not so great. Mauricio, has it ever occurred to you that most people on this planet have no insurance? Has it ever occurred to you that, for like the last 5,000 years since the dawn of civilization, most humans had no insurance. Oh my, how did they ever survive and prosper without insurance? Some people see the need for exponential complexity. Not me.

 

[dv8]

and now, can we move on with this thread?

 

[Tamborista]

and now, can we move on with this thread?

Why do folks continue to engage in conversation with sheet-rock?

 

[wuarhat]

I believe the charges to the insurance company. In 2005 I spent two short overnight admissions to Centro Medico Bournigal in Puerto Plata for reduction of the fracture of the two bones in my right forearm (twice!) under general anesthesia. I used my US insurance for coverage. Because Bournigal was a "participating provider" and they got pre-authorization, I did not have to pay any deposit at admission, but they did take an impression of my credit card.

Bournigal billed my US insurance almost twelve thousand dollars for two overnight admissions. Blue Cross/Shield paid in full and I didn't have to come up with a cent. However, since then I obtained local insurance since I refuse to allow my US insurance to be gouged like that.

ETA: When a patient has international insurance, the clinics here charge international rates for the same services that are much cheaper if paid outright or with local insurance.

I had exactly the same experience. Two nights, Bournigal, Blue Cross / Blue Shield about 6 years ago. It was a respiratory type thing, and this was the second time I had the problem. The first time I paid myself and I do not think it was more than $400.00 US. For some reason, I decided to use my BC/BS the 2nd time and they billed them around 10k. It really ****ed me off and I went up quite a few tiers at BC/BS to file a complaint, and they wouldn't do a thing and could care less!

Were there any negative financial consequences to either of you personally, or was it just BC/BS that paid excessively?