Health Costs - the big ones...

[CockneyRebel]

Reading the various posts and info I am confident I can afford small to medium procedures/medication. But what if it was something major like the big C (and I am really only talking to UK ex-pats here) would you go back to Britain and have that treatment on the NHS?

 

[bastonjock]

In a word, yes ,for anything big  head back to the UK

I'm sitting in a rehabilitation hospital as I type , I'm the NHS electrician,  i had to do a simple job in a ward this morning, before I went in I heard a groan ,so I checked with the nurse first ,all ok so I approached the patient ,he was obviously heavily sedated ,what shocked me was his physical appearance, half his head was missing ,it looked a bit like a hard boiled egg after it's been hit by  your spoon , dont know if it was a tumour or whatever, but to have to pay for that level of care in the Philippines would be unachievable 

The guys had operations and now a full team of physios and psychologist plus nurses to bring him back to as close as possible to a normal life ,maybe as many as 50 people involved in looking after one man, imagine the bill in the Phil's?

[CockneyRebel]

6 minutes ago, bastonjock said:

In a word, yes ,for anything big  head back to the UK

I'm sitting in a rehabilitation hospital as I type , I'm the NHS electrician,  i had to do a simple job in a ward this morning, before I went in I heard a groan ,so I checked with the nurse first ,all ok so I approached the patient ,he was obviously heavily sedated ,what shocked me was his physical appearance, half his head was missing ,it looked a bit like a hard boiled egg after it's been hit by  your spoon , dont know if it was a tumour or whatever, but to have to pay for that level of care in the Philippines would be unachievable 

The guys had operations and now a full team of physios and psychologist plus nurses to bring him back to as close as possible to a normal life ,maybe as many as 50 people involved in looking after one man, imagine the bill in the Phil's?

Yeah Jock, that is what I had assumed - just wanted to check. Much appreciated

[Dave Hounddriver]

2 minutes ago, bastonjock said:

imagine the bill in the Phil's?

I cannot even imagine getting that level of care in the Philippines at any price.

Many well-to-do expats die from lack of available service rather than the inability to pay for it.  A lot of us have made up our minds to return to our home countries for health care if there is time.  Quite often there is no time.  Illness often hits fast and you may not be healthy enough to make the trip back.  I have come to terms with that.  It is important that you realize this before retiring here.

For me, I have seen a few expats head back to their home countries for acute, critical health care.  Most eventually die there but it is dragged out over a longer time.  One fellow I know came back to Cebu from USA to spend his last 6 weeks of life (cancer) in Philippines rather than dying in a hospice in USA.  Having watched what he went through, I know I would prefer a bullet or a hospice in Canada.

[CockneyRebel]

8 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

I cannot even imagine getting that level of care in the Philippines at any price.

Many well-to-do expats die from lack of available service rather than the inability to pay for it.  A lot of us have made up our minds to return to our home countries for health care if there is time.  Quite often there is no time.  Illness often hits fast and you may not be healthy enough to make the trip back.  I have come to terms with that.  It is important that you realize this before retiring here.

For me, I have seen a few expats head back to their home countries for acute, critical health care.  Most eventually die there but it is dragged out over a longer time.  One fellow I know came back to Cebu from USA to spend his last 6 weeks of life (cancer) in Philippines rather than dying in a hospice in USA.  Having watched what he went through, I know I would prefer a bullet or a hospice in Canada.

Dave I couldn't agree more. Having seen two people die from strokes; they had zero quality of life; while all the medical care staff did what they could to keep them alive for the last weeks of their life; horrible to witness and utterly pointless. I decided then and there to get a DNR* note posted on the wall above my bed!

(* Do Not Resuscitate) 

[Mick]

I for one if it was anything serious, and I was able to get on a plane, I would be off like a shot. Taxi to a hospital and collapse in the doorway.... 

[bastonjock]

1 hour ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

I cannot even imagine getting that level of care in the Philippines at any price.

Many well-to-do expats die from lack of available service rather than the inability to pay for it.  A lot of us have made up our minds to return to our home countries for health care if there is time.  Quite often there is no time.  Illness often hits fast and you may not be healthy enough to make the trip back.  I have come to terms with that.  It is important that you realize this before retiring here.

For me, I have seen a few expats head back to their home countries for acute, critical health care.  Most eventually die there but it is dragged out over a longer time.  One fellow I know came back to Cebu from USA to spend his last 6 weeks of life (cancer) in Philippines rather than dying in a hospice in USA.  Having watched what he went through, I know I would prefer a bullet or a hospice in Canada.

Guys I see this kind of stuff every working day ,I cover two hospices and 4 rehabilitation wards ,I've seen people in very poor conditions ,grown men and women in diapers , the quality of live long gone ,a multitude of illnesses all of which have teams of nurses and doctors tied up just to stretch out a life that in my eyes is no longer worth living

Have you ever witnessed, locked in syndrome? That one looks like a living hell 

I have instructed my son and told him that u hope he will be strong enough to put me on a plane to veritas in Switzerland if I get to a long term incapacitated condition

He looked at me and said F*** that dad , I'll hit you on the back of the head with a shovel and pocket the airfare 

That's daddy's boy 

[fillipino_wannabe]

My wifes aunt died of lung cancer a few months back. Chemo was 40k pesos per go, had 12 sessions. They paid about 800k pesos in total for the 7-8 months she lasted.
I'd go back to the UK personally, NHS is better than the best private hospitals here (in my opinion).

Good for things like Dementia here though, my Wifes mum pays about 25k pesos per month and has a full time nurse, all her meds, maid etc. My gran pays 4.5k pounds per month for a care home in the UK lol.

Edited September 28, 2018 by fillipino_wannabe

[CockneyRebel]

22 minutes ago, fillipino_wannabe said:

My wifes aunt died of lung cancer a few months back. Chemo was 40k pesos per go, had 12 sessions. They paid about 800k pesos in total for the 7-8 months she lasted.
I'd go back to the UK personally, NHS is better than the best private hospitals here (in my opinion).

Good for things like Dementia here though, my Wifes mum pays about 25k pesos per month and has a full time nurse, all her meds, maid etc. My gran pays 4.5k pounds per month for a care home in the UK lol.

Good point - well made!

[Mike J]

12 hours ago, bastonjock said:

He looked at me and said F*** that dad , I'll hit you on the back of the head with a shovel and pocket the airfare 

Sounds like a good lad.