the health care system

mamielizabeth

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Feb 9, 2008
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Hi,
I was looking for some information reguarding the health care system in the DR and how it works, specifically how to access and then pay for health care ,doctor appointments ,hospitilization. Are there gov programs to pay for these services and if so who qualifies? An overview or maybe someone can refer me to a link or site about these issues?
 
Jan 5, 2006
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There's the public health systems, known as hospitals. For the most part, you're looking at run down buildings with horrible sanitary conditions, non-existent or non-working equipment, etc. Really not a place where you want to end up.

The private health system is known as clinics. The care provided is for the most part significantly better. It is available to anyone who has insurance or the cash to pay for their services. Appointments are really not needed for regular visits or most testing. It's usually done on a first come, first served basis. Although the available care and equipment are much better than in the public system, there is probably only 1 facility in the entire country (CEDIMAT) that is up to first world standards. HOMS in Santiago should be up to those standards once they are fully operational.
 

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
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There are public hospitals and clinics which do not charge for stays, consultations or operations. If you have to be admitted you have a bed and that is all. No sheets, pillows, blankets, toilet paper. You pay for all medecines, stitches, xrays, blood (which they always make you buy even if you do not need it). There are also public clinics in most towns. These are all fine for vaccinations, basic broken bones and basic stitching.

Then as has been said there is the private sector which is noramlly around 500 RD$ for an appointment. Then you pay for all tests, x rays etc. Some of the private clinics even in small towns have operating theatres and rooms.

You can have insurance here which varies from around 500 RD$ a month upwards but do read the small print. Most have a maximum payout. In my case I spent 12 days in Plaza de la Salud in the Capital with very good care and facilities and the total bill was around 700,000RD$ of which theinsurance paid out 350,000 as its maximum.

On the whole I think even if I have no insurance I spend considerably less on health care here than I ever did in the UK when I had to by law pay into the government National Health plan, and I do not find the care to be any worse.

Matilda
 

sueeng3

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May 5, 2008
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Have a look on the have a heart thread
As a brit one of our concerns was health care
just 3 weeks ago my husband collapsed with chest pains

he has now had a triple bypass with the best care i have ever seen.
He was in the clinic central medico in pp

they did lots of tests then sent him to Cedimat in Santo Domingo and wow what a place,
he had the best treatment ever !!
i had family and friends telling me to fly him back to England
with 3 collapsed vains,i dont think so !!
He is now home and doing well, if i had flown him to England to go on a waiting list i dont think he would have lived
It was worth every penny,the staff were fantastic as were the doctors

i would say dont worry about a thing here ( if you can pay !! )
 

gringosabroso

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Oct 16, 2004
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HOMS, Santiago!! US Medicare eligible??

An American friend from POP recently visited the evidently near complete HOMS hospital facility, in Santiago. He told me that some kind of final American medical inspection was then going on; when complete & successful, HOMS would then be approved for treating Medicare recipients; essentially all retired Americans? Meaning the USA gov't program would then pay for treatments to Americans @ HOMS.
* I have hear nor read anything about this? True? False? Undecided?
* My more general comments on DR medical care; I am an American, living in POP for 12 years; in my extenisve experience, as a patient & a payor, is that available medical care in Santo Dominog & Santiago is generally far, far superior to avialable care in the rest of the DR. Comments?
Thank you.
 
Jan 5, 2006
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HOMS would then be approved for treating Medicare recipients; essentially all retired Americans? Meaning the USA gov't program would then pay for treatments to Americans @ HOMS

This has been heavily rumored for the past several months. Right now it seems like they've petitioned the Medicare programs for approval, but the final resolution is anyone's guess.


available medical care in Santo Dominog & Santiago is generally far, far superior to avialable care in the rest of the DR.

This is true for the most part. There are some exceptions though, such as Hospital de Traumatologia Juan Bosch in La Vega which is a dedicated trauma center, and provides excellent care in a very modern facility.

In general terms, the best medical facility in the country is CEDIMAT in Santo Domingo, and in particular, the cardiac care team led by Dr. Pedro Ure?a is on par with the best facilities in any first world country.
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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Santiago
An American friend from POP recently visited the evidently near complete HOMS hospital facility, in Santiago. He told me that some kind of final American medical inspection was then going on; when complete & successful, HOMS would then be approved for treating Medicare recipients; essentially all retired Americans? Meaning the USA gov't program would then pay for treatments to Americans @ HOMS.
* I have hear nor read anything about this? True? False? Undecided?
* My more general comments on DR medical care; I am an American, living in POP for 12 years; in my extenisve experience, as a patient & a payor, is that available medical care in Santo Dominog & Santiago is generally far, far superior to avialable care in the rest of the DR. Comments?
Thank you.

Why don't you call them and ask them of the status? I posted their phone numbers in the following thread.

http://www.dr1.com/forums/627628-post9.html

There is also another thread that breifly discusses this:

http://www.dr1.com/forums/living/76051-homs-international-health-insurances.html