Mother-In-Law Hospitalised - Sogod, Sthn Leyte

[Paul_QLD]

Just chasing any info possible re (potential) hospital costs that might be incurred in a provincial hospital. I assume heaps less expensive compared to say St Lukes in Manila, but no doubt they do command some sort of a premium fee none the less ...

Future mother in law, nearing 80 years of age, has they think suffered a stroke and was admitted to Sogod Hospital in Southern Leyte Friday night. Girlfriend flew down from Manila on Saturday to help out the other family members that have been looking after her so far.

 

GF tells me her younger sister who is employed in Manila has "Phil health" and this may cover some of her mothers hospital bills ... is this correct?

 

Being a stroke, God only knows how long she might be hospitalised for, if she recovers (or not) and if she does how long that recovery may take and what care is available going forward. To be honest the family has no savings, let alone any real income to speak of - buggers me how they exist, but they do!

 

Being hospitalised myself last year for twelve weeks with a broken leg, I know here in Australia, things are much more organised. Sharing a rehab ward with stroke victims for a few weeks, the treatment they got was very intense but obviously anything can happen re recovery, some make it out, some don't .... can only imagine a provincial hospital in Phils would be far from an ideal place to be!

 

Is there anyone else here had family/friends/associates that may have suffered a stroke in Phils. What was the treatment like???? 

 

p.s. I haven't been asked to contribute to any costs yet, but no doubt these request will come in some form even if not directly, just trying to be prepared  :)

 

[i am bob]

I don't know how the sister's PhilHealth policy would help but mom might have been covered under the Sponsored membership? This is reserved for the "lowest 25% of the Philippine population"... From what I have been told, the 25% is not a hard and fast number but more towards saying nicely that somebody is poor.

Sent by using a very long piece of string, a couple tin cans, 2 gaseous monkeys, Tapatalk and my Nexus 4

[Mike J]

My mother-in-law had a stroke in November.  They live in Moalboal which does not have a hospital, so she spent the first night in Badian.  The next day she was driven by ambulance to Cebu City.  She spent 12 days in the hospital.  I do not remember the exact amount, but it was less than $400 US dollar for the Cebu hospital all cost included.  This cost was after the deduction for senior citizen, and after Phil Health.  Hope this helps.

[Paul_QLD]

No idea either at the moment I am bob.

Good info Mike J, if it's that much it wont hurt so much.

 

Biggest frustration so far from my end is the lack of info being provided. Not sure if they don't know which questions to ask or are afraid to ask in case its bad news or the questions aren't being answered by the Drs/Nurses.

Guess it is a different system to what I am used to. Here we are supplied everything by the nurses, food by domestic staff, if you cant feed yourself the nurse will assist, bath you, etc .... there you have to go get what the Drs and nurses need drug wise, bring in food for the patient, feed them, bath them, etc. Big learning curve for me :)

 

BTW How did you mother-in-law go with the recovery?

[Thomas]

The father in a family, I know a bit, has got 3 strokes. The last made him almost paralyzed at left side. He spend 1 week in a local hospital before he was send home. Daughter said it cost 100 000 pesos, but at least her sister is a scammer, so I don't know if it's true. I mean the cost. Sure the father have got strokes.

GF tells me her younger sister who is employed in Manila has "Phil health" and this may cover some of her mothers hospital bills ... is this correct?

It's possible. Some relatives, as e g parents, can be included in a PhilHealth insurance. I did read the rules a year ago, but don't remember if it's automatic for no extra cost or optional for an extra fee.

 

Try to avoid the hospital found out it's a foreigner who will pay, so the bill don't get biger by that... But it's a chance PhilHealth stop overcharging.

[Mike J]

BTW How did you mother-in-law go with the recovery?

 

Forgot to mention that Mama came down with pneumonia while in the hospital.  I know  that was part of the 12 day stay.  As far as recovery, her speech is back to normal, but she can still not use the left arm/leg.  We were able to find a physical therapist who travels from Cebu city to Moalboal (three hour by bus).  The cost is 1000 peso per day, but already we are seeing improvement.  She is getting better much faster now and we are hoping that she can get use back.  In the interim, we bought a wheel chair for her.   I thought therapy should have begun much earlier, but the original doctor said to wait.  The family has since changed doctors, and the new doctor agreed that therapy was past due.  We have also had to pay a little for a part-time night only caretaker.  The family that is still at home (brother and Papa) was just getting worn out with the 24 by 7 care it takes.

 

Thomas has good advice about the long nose tax.  You should not have a problem with the hospital, but the doctors will sometimes pad their fee if they know an expat or overseas worker is paying the bill. 

[Paul_QLD]

Thanks all for the posts so far ...

 

Nanay seems to be doing much better over the last 36 hours. She finally woke up from her previous 2 days sleep. I got a photo of her smiling and am told her speech seems OK if a little high and stuttered - apparently now complaining now she wants to go home. Her IV drip is out, feeding hose is out of her nose and eating now with assistance from the daughters. On oxygen for now and could be for a few more days once home. 

 

Pesos, or lack thereof   :1 (103): have now been mentioned ...

 

Hospital bill as of yesterday was P20K, Fri->Mon. Also stated was the elderly assistance available and sis's health cover ... but not clear if this is yet to come off that P20K but I think this is yet to be deducted.

I said I have sent some money via bank transfer, but it may not be available for a few days. She said "OK Po, will ask cousin Marvin for a loan". He is a seaman currently home in the province until he next gets shipped out again.

 

Drs services not yet tendered. Have asked GF to check into paying the DR privately .... no response yet. (Update as I write - just got a response, the Dr owns the hospital apparently, so there's no savings coming there!)

 

Now, do I just play it dumb for now and over the next few days and hope that cousin Marvin will get some sort of payment plan in action from the rest of the family before he ships out and I am called upon again :)

[Paul_QLD]

Meant to say above ... sh&t I hope the Dr/owner of the hospital hasn't been advised this long nose is part of this family :whistling:

[Thomas]

I thought therapy should have begun much earlier, but the original doctor said to wait.

I don't know how long time they waited in your case, but as I have understood it, therapy training have to wait a while. They waited a while in Sweden for a relative of mine. I guess bleeding type of stroke have to stop

and clugged type have to be solved

before start therapy to not take to big risk making the damage worse/get additional stroke.