What are you hearing about health care?

Yayow

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Sep 4, 2007
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I was recently involved in an auto accident, and spent a few nights in Bournigal Hospital in Puerto Plata. I have health insurance (Blue Cross/Blue Shield) through my ex employer. But I hadn't picked up insurance to cover me specifically down here. So I had to pay out $1,300 and now over the next few months, hopefully I can get reimbursed through my NY insurance company. I had planned on getting some health insurance down here, but obviously procrasinated.

Now due to the experience of the last month, I am planning on pulling the trigger in case something else happens. But now I am hearing that most of the health insurance companies in D.R. are going bankrupt. This includes Humanis which is number one down here, and I also believe the same fate is predicted for the number two company down here. I hear Humanis has at best three months, before they go totally under.

Does anybody out there know of a good alternative for health insurance (family plan); or have more information on the fate of health insurance in the D.R.
 

Yayow

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Sep 4, 2007
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I guess to be more specific, I am wondering about a viable option for health insurance down here (as a secondary option), I know I am covered through my NY insurance for emergencies, but what about local things, or medication etc., things I may not want to go through my NY insurance for. Regular doctor visits for example.

Like I said I am hearing some horrible things about the state of health insurance down here (bankrupcty corruption etc.), and was wondering if someone has other viable and good options.
 

boca chica dave

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Sep 25, 2004
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I was recently involved in an auto accident, and spent a few nights in Bournigal Hospital in Puerto Plata. I have health insurance (Blue Cross/Blue Shield) through my ex employer. But I hadn't picked up insurance to cover me specifically down here. So I had to pay out $1,300 and now over the next few months, hopefully I can get reimbursed through my NY insurance company. I had planned on getting some health insurance down here, but obviously procrasinated.

Now due to the experience of the last month, I am planning on pulling the trigger in case something else happens. But now I am hearing that most of the health insurance companies in D.R. are going bankrupt. This includes Humanis which is number one down here, and I also believe the same fate is predicted for the number two company down here. I hear Humanis has at best three months, before they go totally under.

Does anybody out there know of a good alternative for health insurance (family plan); or have more information on the fate of health insurance in the D.R.

Go online to ck out your bc/bs there are clinics in the dr where you should have coverage though i'm not sure about the PP area. You may have to call them.
 

jrzyguy

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May 5, 2004
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this really wont help the OP out. But when i got really sick in the D.R. (with no insurance either there or in the U.S.) the doctor made two house calls, gave me two injections and about 6 scripts. I think the whole bill came to 60 bucks!!! My Dominican friend said i was being ripped off...but i was very happy. WITH insurance in the US i would have spent a lot more.

Sorry..doent help you...but i just thought i would share.
 

Yayow

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Sep 4, 2007
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Yayow, your posts are most disturbing regarding the pending fall of DR health care insurers. Let us hope someone in the know can respond.

Where did you hear about the imminent failure of ARS Humano?

Didn't mean to cause alarm, but heard it from two different sources, with supposed personal knowledge (and aware of my most recent situation), both cautioned me to hold off, on acquiring insurance at this time. Trust me I was not thrilled to hear this also, because I do have a family down here, and would like them especially my daughter to be as protected as possible. I would not like to put either of these persons (as far as who revealed this info.) in jeopardy as far as their positions, I just felt if I heard it from two different sources, I needed to find out more about it, and am asking anyone with knowledge to please respond. I don't know if this is fact, that is what I am trying to find out, but to say the least I am concerned. Also if this is fact.... I don't know if anyone with actual knowledge would be willing to go on record in an open forum such as this to reveal that info. I guess I am just hoping for some real and substantial information.

The reason I am looking for insurance down here more specifically is that, as I said I was in a bad accident and was unconscious for awhile, was taken to the first hospital or clinic (where they couldn't wake me) and eventually sent to Bornigal where I woke up. When it was time to leave although my insurance company told them I would be covered, my company in the States needed to review the information being that it was a foreign hospital, so that left me with having to pay the bill myself, and hopefully getting re-imbursed once my company in the states is satisfied with my care (I have been told there is no guarantee, and even if it is approved I am looking at about three months to recoup that amount), needless to say I had to put up $1,300 US. I am thankful that I had it, but of course now I wonder if I didn't have that amount available what would be my options. So I want insurance that would cover that amount if necessary {so I wouldn't have to pay (go into pocket) for that amount of cash to get treated}, and eventually they and my insurance in the States would determine exactly which part of that bill, each was responsible for. Of course if a small co-pay or something like that was necessary I wouldn't mind that.
 

AlterEgo

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Jan 9, 2009
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Check out Worldwide Insurance in SD - that's who insures our relatives and they say it's pretty good. I don't know anything about them personally.
 

Lambada

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Mar 4, 2004
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Yayow, your posts are most disturbing regarding the pending fall of DR health care insurers. Let us hope someone in the know can respond.

Where did you hear about the imminent failure of ARS Humano?

No idea where he heard it, but I would wonder why Dominican College of Surgeons is signing agreements with 10 ARS if this is true. It wouldn't make sense really, would it?

Cirujanos firman acuerdos servicios con diez ARS
 

Yayow

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Sep 4, 2007
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Again hope I am wrong

Again, I hope I am wrong, the reason it was brought up is because I heard it, and wanted more info.

Thanks for all that have provided information, it is very helpful in regards to future decisions, also a special thanks for those that have taken the time to respond via pms.
 

Manzana

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Jan 23, 2007
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Copays

Best wishes on a speedy recovery. The report seems very optimistic to me though, in the sense that if one could get emergency care and spend a couple days in a hospital in the US and get a total bill for $1300 there wouldn't be a health care crisis. $1300 is more like the copay if you have good insurance that covered 90% of the costs.

Wouldn't local medical insurance be paid on a month to month basis? If so then you really aren't risking much as long as the policy up to now has been paying as agreed. It's not as though you'd be paying in advance and potentially losing your money if they went under. Wouldn't you just have to get a new company in that event - or am I missing something? You would still be backed up by BC/BS as you are currently.
 

Yayow

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Sep 4, 2007
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Never thought of it like that

Best wishes on a speedy recovery. The report seems very optimistic to me though, in the sense that if one could get emergency care and spend a couple days in a hospital in the US and get a total bill for $1300 there wouldn't be a health care crisis. $1300 is more like the copay if you have good insurance that covered 90% of the costs.

Wouldn't local medical insurance be paid on a month to month basis? If so then you really aren't risking much as long as the policy up to now has been paying as agreed. It's not as though you'd be paying in advance and potentially losing your money if they went under. Wouldn't you just have to get a new company in that event - or am I missing something? You would still be backed up by BC/BS as you are currently.

Good point didn't look at it that way, when I was told that.
 
Feb 7, 2007
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Usually insurance is paid ins installments and very few insurances (unless corporate plans0 are paid monthly. And even if you pay monthly, the amount you would pay is higher. I find the best ration between price and advance payment to be 3 months installments. Monthly would be percentage-wise much more expensive, and 6 and 12 months payment would not save that much % compared to 3 months.
 

gringosabroso

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Oct 16, 2004
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Medicare? BC-BS of Mass.?

I'm an American living in POP; I'm on Medicare; Medicare will pay zero for Americans' medical treatment in the DR. Why? I don't know. Will Obamacare solve this problem for us? Most unlikely!!
* I have my supplementary coverage with BC-BS of Mass. I raised some of the same questions you did; BC-BS told me & put it in writing that I must pay DR medical bills 1st with my own cash; then get copies of the bills & submit them; BC-BS would then reimburse me.
* I haven't experienced this yet. Medical expenses are so reasonable in the DR that I don't think any American health insurer would quibble??
* DR Health insurance for older Americans? I approached 2 DR health insurers, comparison shopping; both told me that it would not sell health insurance to anyone over the age of 60, DR or foreigner, @ any price!
* Age discrimination? Or, . . simple self interest?
 

La Profe_1

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Oct 15, 2003
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I'm an American living in POP; I'm on Medicare; Medicare will pay zero for Americans' medical treatment in the DR. Why? I don't know. Will Obamacare solve this problem for us? Most unlikely!!
* I have my supplementary coverage with BC-BS of Mass. I raised some of the same questions you did; BC-BS told me & put it in writing that I must pay DR medical bills 1st with my own cash; then get copies of the bills & submit them; BC-BS would then reimburse me.
* I haven't experienced this yet. Medical expenses are so reasonable in the DR that I don't think any American health insurer would quibble??
* DR Health insurance for older Americans? I approached 2 DR health insurers, comparison shopping; both told me that it would not sell health insurance to anyone over the age of 60, DR or foreigner, @ any price!
* Age discrimination? Or, . . simple self interest?

I am also an American living in POP. My Blue Cross policy (Traditional Blue of Western NY - no Medicare yet) has an out-of-area rider which pays in full. I was hospitalized in Bournigal in 2005 and Blue Cross paid the bill (US $11,300) in full without my having to file for reimbursement. Because they were billing a US company, their bills were higher than is normally charged in the DR.

It really depends on the particular policy and on the riders that policy contains.