Health Care - Health & Fitness - Living In Cebu Forums

mactanfamily, on 01 January 2013 - 08:30 AM, said:

Guam has a horrendous health care system. They are always running out of beds. They are building a new Navy Base Hospital, but even as of last year they were sending vets to Hawaii to see a cardiologist as there were none on island. At their own expense! You are much better off in Cebu than on Guam.

Cebu is fine for most things, and you have St. Lukes in Manila which is good. Like most things in the Philippines, if you want or need anything better than below average, better stay in the US.

I strongly suggest you try it out here before you commit yourself. If you are not retired yet, you have probably not fully experienced what it is really like to live here.

??Let me echo that quote x 10. A minimum of a 6 month visit and better a year. Smash the rose colored glasses and delete the outdated info about the Philippines. It is virtually the same cost to live here in many respects as the U.S. Yes you can live cheaper, but you get into trade offs some can't make. Don't forget you are at the mercy of the currency??exchange rates and Philippine inflation. Health care here is on a pay as you go basis. You must pay before services are rendered and there is usually no bill me later option. In other words, if you can't pay for the care, you won't get it. If you can't make a significant deposit?? you will not be admitted to the hospital, no matter how dire your condition. This really bites when it is a weekend or holiday and the banks are closed. They will let you die outside the ER if you can't make the deposit. If you are admitted, you must pay the bill in full or try to make payment arrangements before you are released. Hospitals are allowed to keep you hostage unless you are in a ward until you settle your bill. Hospital charges and all associated costs are based on your selection of your room. If you take a private room, your charges will be more than a ward but less than a suite or semi suite room. There are a finite number of private rooms, and if they are full, your only choice may be a higher cost room. Wards contain about 15 patients and often have 45-60 visitors so rest is out of the question, along with security of your watch, wallet, etc. Here you pay for everything from toilet paper to suture kits. Each cotton ball the nurse uses is charged to you. If the hospital does not have the drugs,supplies,etc. needed you are expected to have someone go buy them and bring them to the hospital. Some hospitals will provide supplies, but at a significant markup. Prescription drugs here cost about the same or more than the U.S. If you walked into a drugstore and paid full price without a discount, you will get a pretty good idea of what they cost here. They are sold by piece, and there are no 30 day supplies for $4.00 like you have in the U.S. IF you can afford to pay for all medical care upfront and expect no reimbursement you might be comfortable moving here. If not, I would strongly advise you to look somewhere else. That IMHO and others might differ.

Source: http://www.livingincebuforums.com/ipb/topic/55501-health-care/

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