Good luck and glad it all worked out in the end. I guess the moral of the story is that if you have good connections you can get good medical care in the DR.
- Thread starter cobraboy
- Start date
My Recent Trail: A Medical Journey in the Dominican Republic
Thanks for writing this informative tale of dominican healthcare. I found a real genuine element of caring in my limited experience as a nurse in dr. They work too hard for me, soft lazy American that I am.
More smoothie ideas. Raw oats. Grind them dry. Milk or yoghurt or combo. A product called PB Fit. It is dried peanut powder, low in fat, high in protein and delicious peanut flavor. Goes great with banana and frozen strawberry.
Take good care. I love it when you reference your mom.
More smoothie ideas. Raw oats. Grind them dry. Milk or yoghurt or combo. A product called PB Fit. It is dried peanut powder, low in fat, high in protein and delicious peanut flavor. Goes great with banana and frozen strawberry.
Take good care. I love it when you reference your mom.
Certainly connections help anywhere in life.
The lesson here is in most cases the DR is not behind the world in medicine. As anywhere it's better if you have assets.
Some aspect of DR healthcare that I find appealing are:
While we aren't talking organ transplant here, this story shows a multidisciplinary approach that works for the ultimate benefit of the patient.
While there are some differences from the states, to some extent the states could take some lessons.
The lesson here is in most cases the DR is not behind the world in medicine. As anywhere it's better if you have assets.
Some aspect of DR healthcare that I find appealing are:
- Simplicity: It is not bureaucrat & record intensive where providers practice defensive medicine. This is evident with the minimum of CYA paperwork one has to filter through
- The patient can be as in charge as he wants to be. He can take more control of what kind of care and how much of it.
- Economy: The care I've received here is as good as anywhere (except in a rural area after a motorcycle crash; another story altogether) at 1/3 the cost or less.
- Access: one can actually have a meaningful relationship with doctors on a real-time basis, including cell access at night.
- People orientation: in the states you're seen as a potential lawsuit. Here you're seen as a patient.
While we aren't talking organ transplant here, this story shows a multidisciplinary approach that works for the ultimate benefit of the patient.
While there are some differences from the states, to some extent the states could take some lessons.
I assume a dental cyst like I had?
PM me your e-addy and I'll get you in touch with Alida's sister, the dentist. She'd be a good starting point. Like anywhere the network within a group of doctors is important. In my case, her network is young, highly intelligent & polished professionals who offer first-world services.
I can't compare doc vs. doc. The first quote, a total of RD$74,000 with root canal---and I will say that jacking up the quoted price RD$10,000 was rather off-putting---was for an aggressive approach. I suspect he'd have done the canal without testing because it never once came up.
Apples to apples, Dr. Franco's surgery was RD$16,000 complete, and the endodontist was going to be RD$12,000 but never got done. The problem was the fractured jaw. Above and beyond the extraction & cyst mitigation, the entire hospital bill for the jaw fracture, including surgeon, anesthesia, facility & titanium hardware fees, was around RD$68,000. I think we paid around RD$20,000 above the insurance plus drug co-pay.
Hi.
The dentist I have in Bavaro. She works with a Surgeon (a very good one). But the same issue. Quoting 60K and much more if the jaw breaks in the procedure for the then needed surgery and titanium etc.
I am looking for an alternative to this surgeon because of the same "Gringo" price issue. Need just the cyst removed and 2 molars (I don't have wisdom teeth...).
Quoted price always seems steep to me. Well, no surprise for a surgeon working the Punta Cana / Bavaro area.
Insurance does cover nothing?
Will PM you. Thanks!
The dentist I have in Bavaro. She works with a Surgeon (a very good one). But the same issue. Quoting 60K and much more if the jaw breaks in the procedure for the then needed surgery and titanium etc.
I am looking for an alternative to this surgeon because of the same "Gringo" price issue. Need just the cyst removed and 2 molars (I don't have wisdom teeth...).
Quoted price always seems steep to me. Well, no surprise for a surgeon working the Punta Cana / Bavaro area.
Insurance does cover nothing?
Will PM you. Thanks!
Not exactly the way to lose weight. I suppose you can do lots of walking until you bet the ok to do other exercise. When Yris had her operation at Union Medico the waiting for the administration to add the bill was the longest part as well. I had paid 5000 upfront and when they tallied up the bill I was expecting to pay more but was pleasantly surprised with an 1800 peso refund.
If you read post #27 AGAIN you'll see that insurance paid $48,000. Is that correct Robert?
Looks like. Which is interesting since I was told by dentist and surgeon insurance would NOT cover a dental cyst removal...
wow.. great write up, CB. Feel better. Bet you will not have the same taste for chicarrones after this.
We had to wait about 3 hours for the bill to be put together.
They hold you hostage until it's done.
More or less.
Some doctors don't accept insurance, so it's cash.
Dr. Alonso's---the guy who fixed me up well---fees were higher than the insurance would pay, so we happily paid the difference in cash.
The hospital charges were all covered except RD$3500 MOL.
Insurance considers it a "tooth extraction." I paid cash for that.
When the jaw fractured, the insurance considered it a near-emergency.
It took a couple of days to get the insurance under control, but once approved all went fairly well---beyond typical Dominican inefficiency.
I'm staying fairly put until the doc gives me the go-ahead. Your jaw is an important piece of anatomy...
Is the title meant to read "Trail" RC ot should it be "Trial".. ??
Whatever.... the trail was a trial.....
Whatever.... the trail was a trial.....