A 30-year failure (Healthcare)

[craftbeerlover]

Wanted to share an 'ongoing' experience from a very good friend of mine (After reading his messages I cant help myself but once again ask myself "what the F is wrong with this country")

"Still waiting. They called and asked me come in early and they could get me out by 1600. Then they are trying  put the cannula in while i have my shirt still on. They told me to fast at 1400. I haven't eaten since 0800 Now my sugar is at 45. I hate incompetence"

"They tell you to bring a companion. Now they give me a pillow and sheets. I look over at the companions cot and nothing. 🤔"

"Bathroom without towels, my bed and my companions bed without linen"

"This place is the most incompetent hospital i have ever seen"

Hospital is - De La Salle University Medical Center

[JJReyes]

On 8/15/2024 at 7:58 AM, MotorSarge said:

Find someone local to get a pedicure done once a month, it's less painful and cheaper than corrective procedures & medications.

We are preparing for our trip to New Zealand and Australia, to be followed by a visit to the Philippines.  Prices in Los Angeles are becoming outrageous.  A manicure and pedicure for two (just cutting, no polish) is $100 plus $40 in tips.  This is at a huge, mass production, old salon with about 50 operators who are all new immigrants from Vietnam.  I assume prices at a modern, fancy salon is much higher.

The next visit to a nail salon will be in Makati where prices are more reasonable.  Unfortunately, the facility we frequented was located in Greenbelt 1, which I heard was demolished.  With a bad back, I can no longer cut my own toenails.  At least ingrown toenails are a thing of the past.  My justification for this expense is that it is cheaper than visits to a podiatrist

Edited August 24 by JJReyes

[MotorSarge]

On 8/24/2024 at 7:22 AM, JJReyes said:

Prices in Los Angeles are becoming outrageous.  A manicure and pedicure for two (just cutting, no polish) is $100 plus $40 in tips. 

Wow.... unbelievable....very sad how our economy has touched every facet.

[craftbeerlover]

On 8/24/2024 at 9:22 PM, JJReyes said:

A manicure and pedicure for two (just cutting, no polish) is $100 plus $40 in tips. 

Food for thought:   If people were not paying this, they would be out of business.   Do people really have this much disposable income to pay 140 dollars to get their nails cut?   The answer has to be yes

[scott h]

11 minutes ago, craftbeerlover said:

140 dollars to get their nails cut?

One of the reasons I will probably never move back to the States. I just don't think I am intellectually equipped to deal with the prices. I understand price and wage inflation. But I still get gob smacked bonkers when a burger flipper is making 20 buck an hour minimum wage.... I think I made $1.45 an hour or something like that.......

At least when I deal with peso's I have to stop and convert it in my head so the shock settles in slowly 

[Mike J]

31 minutes ago, scott h said:

One of the reasons I will probably never move back to the States. I just don't think I am intellectually equipped to deal with the prices. I understand price and wage inflation. But I still get gob smacked bonkers when a burger flipper is making 20 buck an hour minimum wage.... I think I made $1.45 an hour or something like that.......

At least when I deal with peso's I have to stop and convert it in my head so the shock settles in slowly 

Agree about moving, we are spoiled by the cost of labor here.  My wife and I have an experienced, 30+ years, masseuse come to our house once a week.  We each get a one hour Thai massage.  Total cost is 600 peso.  I cannot even guess what it cost in the USA to have a massage for both of us at home.  Maybe $300 plus a tip?

[JJReyes]

10 hours ago, craftbeerlover said:

Food for thought:   If people were not paying this, they would be out of business.   Do people really have this much disposable income to pay 140 dollars to get their nails cut?   The answer has to be yes

I also got a haircut last Saturday at Fantastic Sam's, a franchise chain.  It was $45.00 plus tip.  The operator mentioned that business has been very, very slow.  I guess most of their customers prefer to eat than go to a barber shop. 

The price for one of our prescriptions at Walmart Pharmacy tripled since the last time we renewed it.  The pharmacist suggested downloading a discount coupon on our phone.  The result is a 40% discount based on the new price using the coupon.  Wait a minute!  The net amount is still an increase.  The company offering the coupon now has our name, address, phone number and details about our prescription.  

The only positive news is the annual flu shot.  Ours is free under Medicare.  The government is billed $170 each for the vaccine and service.  A woman came to the counter during our visit and asked for the price since she had no insurance.  The pharmacist informed her that if she signed a paper that the price quoted was unaffordable, the Lilly Foundation would be billed.  The Eli Lilly corporation is the largest manufacturer of diabetes drugs, insulin and flu vaccines and this foundation was established by the family that started the business.  The Lilly Foundation recently donated $100 million to the National Parks Service to supplement their budget.

[scott h]

7 hours ago, JJReyes said:

It was $45.00 plus tip

In the meantime, here in the Philippines. 

I was actually thinking that today would be self-maintenance day. Haircut 100 pesos, straight razor shave 100 pesos, tip 100 pesos. Saunter down the street (50 meters) for a manicure, pedicure and foot spa (nothing beats getting your callouses scraped off lol) 500 pesos including tip. So, I will be 800 pesos ($16) poorer, but I will be Guapo! Yeah, you can keep the States 

[Mike J]

8 hours ago, JJReyes said:

The price for one of our prescriptions at Walmart Pharmacy tripled since the last time we renewed it.

I take six maintenance drugs.  Sounds like a lot, and it is, but I am old.  In the USA each of those drugs would require a prescription.  Here I can go to The Generic Pharmacy and get all six by jotting them down on a piece of paper.  I do see a doctor occasionally to make sure the stuff inside my body is still making the right kind of noises.  The point of this post is that I can buy all six of those meds for less than what my co-pay was in the USA and that was 11 years ago and fewer meds.  

So, in this area at least, the healthcare system in the Philippines is working (at least for me). 

[jimeve]

23 hours ago, craftbeerlover said:

Food for thought:   If people were not paying this, they would be out of business.   Do people really have this much disposable income to pay 140 dollars to get their nails cut?   The answer has to be yes

I'd want a full body massage and dinner with copious amount of wine, for that price.