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[quote=”costaricafinca”]Most of the medication supplied by CAJA are generic versions and many don’t just [i]’cut it'[/i].[/quote]
Are the generic versions the same as in th US. If so some are good and some are not. My experience has been that some of the buffering agents in the Name Brand drugs are left out in the generics and the actual “medicine” is the same. Just kind of “rough” when taken.
[quote=”DavidCMurray”]INS will cover some pre-existing conditions but they typically surcharge heavily. Other pre-existing conditions are excluded.
Medicare and Medicaid will not pay for any services rendered outside the U.S….Lately, I’ve heard that the CAJA will accept non-residents for enrollment. This would be something to check out. I think ARCR could help.[/quote]
Do you know how to find out what “pre-existing conditions are covered? (COPD?)
Medicare/Mediaid is not for the patient, its for the Medicos = to make certain they get paid.When/If you find out if CAJA accepts non-residents please post or PM me. Thanks.
Okay, now for the I’m ignorant part: what does ARCR stand for?
You asked, “Do you know how to find out what “pre-existing conditions are covered? (COPD?)”
You’d probably have to talk to an INS agent who would probably have to talk directly to INS.
In general, they won’t cover any pre-existing conditions directly. That is, they wouldn’t cover my diabetes, my hypertension or my high cholesterol. Those three conditions generally result in heart disease. In order to have heart disease covered, they charged me a 60% surcharge over the cost of their insurance otherwise.
You could apply for coverage, give them full disclosure of your medical history, and see what happens. Until you accept and pay, there’s no commitment on your part.
This to David and John: Thank you both for you help and advice. I’ve retired [my wife has not] and I wish to get absolutely correct information before I move to Costa Rica, as a full time permanent resident. I’m taking Spanish lessons now so that I may be more compatable with the Tico and Tica’s. Again, thanks.
[b]Robb,[/b] you will probably find, like most ex-pats here that they end up using private doctors rather than the ones at their nearest CAJA clinic, which is the one they [i]must[/i] use. You cannot pick your doctor/clinic.
You may also choose to use private labs for blood tests, etc as other wise you could have to wait 2-3 weeks for results or 6 months-1 year to see a specialist.
We have just made arrangements for our worker to have surgery on Sat, at a private clinic after the urologist/surgeon we took him too, told us that even though he required surgery ASAP, he would have to [i]wait 2 years[/i] to have it done at the CAJA hospital.[b]jdocop[/b],you are indeed very lucky to be able to get what you need in a timely manner, because [i]most of the ex-pats[/i] that we know use private doctors and are covered by CAJA. Have these been done yet, or do you have to wait?
My husband has HBP as well, and had to get tests prior to being prescribed generic meds, and everything seemed fine for 5 days, when things went haywire. Now, we will keep purchasing what a local doctor prescribed, and which has been the best he has had in the past 7 years, to keep this under control. I couldn’t even get our CAJA doctor to come to our home to remove a catheter, 3 weeks later, that was inserted after my ATV accident, until we paid him.
So count yourself [i]very lucky.[/i]CAJA is great for emergency care. Our workers wife…[i]they have had a bad time recently[/i]…was taken in for emergency surgery 3 days before Christmas, with symptoms that had got progressively worse for the past 6 months and they kept giving her pills & shots for the pain and told her that she would get her appointment within 6 months with an gynecologist.
I believe someone recently posted that [i]if you go to the Caja hospital in an ambulance you will be seen right away, but if you walk or drive there, wait you will…[/i]
I meant to add in my last post, that not everyone who uses a private doctor, will not at other times utilize a CAJA facility for a cold, or less serious complaint, but when [i]’time could make a difference in the outcome'[/i] they will probably chose to pay.
[i]jdocop,[/i] I realize you were making light of my situation, but when you are lying there, immobilized and in pain, it didn’t seem funny to me.There was not just the removal of the catheter, but other concerns that a doctor needed to address, but you know what, I would have been happy to have had a nurse call in and remove this and my husband told them this at the clinic, but the hospital has stated on the paperwork, that a [i]followup[/i] was required.
Anyway, enough of this, I am [i]’just about'[/i] back to normal…
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