Health care -- USA compared to Costa Rica

[Blue_In_AK]

My daughter and son-in-law have just moved to the west coast of Costa Rica for six months. Shortly after arriving there, the toddler developed a 102 degree fever, and when it didn't break after a day or two, they took him to the local clinic to get checked out. While there, he was seen by the doctor twice, a nurse practitioner once, had lab work done with immediate results, got a prescription, and were sent on their way with ABSOLUTELY NO CHARGE.

How much do you think this would have cost in the USA?


It makes me sad.

[SoCalDem]

1. They should consider staying there

There is no price that can be put on peace of mind...and it's very beautiful there too:)

[Blue_In_AK]

4. It is SO beautiful.

I talked with my daughter yesterday on the web cam, and she walked me all through their house, showed me the "yard," which was full of banana trees and gorgeous tropical flowers (the property includes four acres). The beach is about 500 yards from where they live. No paved roads for miles. We're going down to visit in January, and I can't wait.

Their plans are kind of fluid right now, so they may end up staying there longer than six months. Ultimately, I think they'll be heading to Australia which is my son-in-law's home. Either way, I see great vacations in my future. :)

[elleng]

11. Will be quite a change from Alaska, eh, Blue???

:hi:

[Blue_In_AK]

15. No kidding, especially at that time of year.

[slackmaster]

2. My uncle had a heart attack in Costa Rica

They took him to a teaching hospital. He spent two days in cardiac IC, then took a flight home to New Jersey.

The Costa Ricans sent him a bill for $5,000 for the whole adventure including the ambulance rides. He wrote a check and mailed it to them immediately.

[ProudDad]

3. Probably a minimum of over $2500 here in Arizona...

:shrug:

But of course, the same price in nearly every other civilized country on Earth...

[Crunchy Frog]

5. I want to move to Costa Rica so bad.

[Toucano]

6. There are some holes in this story.

I don't mean to be rude, but this experience is atypical and some facts are sketchy.

What is "the local clinic"?

If your daughter hadn't paid into the public insurance system, locally called "the caja", a public hospital would have certainly created a bill. If they did not, they're committing fraud against everyone who pays into the system.

If she had paid into the system, then, well...she paid for it with her monthly premium. It's not "ABSOLUTELY NO CHARGE". Since you didn't describe her having to wait half the day to see the doctor, I suspect it wasn't a public hospital.

If she has health insurance from a U.S. company, a private hospital or clinic is going to bill that insurance provider.

There are also private clinics that operate like an HMO or urgent care center. These bill immediately for services if you're a non-member and provide a membership program for "afiliados" that includes basic care like you describe for a set monthly fee. This fee may be as little as $50 per month for a family plan.

At any rate, it certainly isn't "ABSOLUTELY NO CHARGE". Somewhere, someone paid something. If not, they committed a crime.

[Blue_In_AK]

7. I'm just going on what she said.

She is in Montezuma, and I'm assuming that's where the clinic is since they don't have a car down there. She said there is also a private clinic there, which is where they intended to go, but the cab driver misunderstood and dropped them off at the public one, and since they didn't know any better, that's where they went. She said they did have to wait a while, but not unduly long, and they were with the health care professionals about 45 minutes. I don't know her insurance status -- she was an attorney with a law firm in Los Angeles, but I'm sure lost her insurance when she quit. She may have COBRA, I don't know.

What she told me was they were in and out, as I stated, and that no one asked for any money.

[Toucano]

8. Okay, Montezuma's population is less than 5,000 people - on a good day.

It's not even technically a town.

And it doesn't have a public hospital. A taxi drive to the nearest public hospital in Puntarenas or Nicoya would have been memorably long, so I suspect she was at a private clinic. There's some room for doubt.

As I said, the details are sketchy and I don't mean to seem argumentative.

I simply don't think it's helpful to use an anomalous experience with sketchy facts to represent something that may have happened outside of the norm, as the norm.

Everybody is supposed to pay - through private insurance, an private affiliation or the public system.

Maybe your daughter and grandchild just got some of the plentiful Costa Rican hospitality! :-)

[madmax]

9. Would you live in Costa Rica?

:evilgrin: I peeked.

A few years back during the Clinton witch hunt, we toyed with the idea. Got a book, 'Living in Costa Rica, by ?. Good points and bad such as roads, having to go to one side of the island to buy things like appliances, furniture and the like. How do you like it? It's pretty much out of the question for us now but, what if... :)

[Toucano]

10. I adore it.

I really have no major complaints. I'm very proud to be neo-Tico.

It's not the land of "milk and honey"; no place is. I only regret not having done it sooner.

Emigrating here provoked me to re-examine - quite literally - everything I thought I knew. I learned more about myself than I think could have been possible if I had continued living in the U.S.

The learning curve was tough, and it was not without challenges. I'm much better off for it, though, all things considered.

It isn't a transition everyone can make, however. Every year I meet 8 or 10 people who arrive with starry-eyed glee. Most return to the north inside of a year - much worse off for the experience. They get sold a very false impression, and they never listen or follow good advice.

I could go on and on, but my cultivated DU persona is very *impersonal* ;-). I've already said WAY too much!

Salud!

P.S. "Living Abroad in Costa Rica" is probably the best resource to help a North American prepare for the cultural differences.

[jancantor]

13. I thought about it. I decided to stay in the US

I'm glad I did, but I love Costa Rica. Nicaragua, otoh... :l

[madmax]

18. Thanks for the first hand experience and reality check.

I don't think I could do it now. Too old ;)

[Blue_In_AK]

14. Yeah, I think she said about 1,000 people,

not many at all. And, of course, I have no way of knowing if it was anomalous at all, just that my daughter was rather amazed at how pleasant the experience was, and how no money changed hands. And perhaps you're right, they were just being hospitable -- because the baby IS really adorable, and I personally don't see how anyone could refuse him. :)

Oh, by the way, the clinic was in Cobano, not Montezuma where they live. My daughter has been keeping a little blog for the past couple of years, and now that she's not working she has more time to write. If you want to check it out and read about her experience with the "clinica," the link is here: http://alaskatoaustralia.wordpress.com/ Plus, you can see the charming grandchild who rated the free care.

[Toucano]

17. Super! Thanks for the link. n/t

[jancantor]

12. My experience in Costa Rica

I suffered some nasty 2nd degree burns on my legs from surfing. I was treated free of charge at some sort of clinic. I didn't have to wait long. I get the distinct impression I was not the first case of sunburned traveler that they dealt with :)

Otoh, I have phenomenal insurance in the US and have received world class care, to include an orthopedic surgeon who did a great job. It cost me zero dollars as well

If you have good insurance, our system compares with the best in the world. The problem is - if you don't. Heck, my insurance covers 20 acupuncture visits per year free of charge, even. And 35 chiropractic visits.

[aikoaiko]

16. My doctor would have not to bother coming in and take some children's tylenol instead.

$5.