Systemic over billing by hospitals for foreigners

Norm AllardGuest09 June 2015 03:47:56

My wife was recently operated on at Davao Medical School Foundation hospital. DMSF.
We had a firm quote which we paid upfront, which was negotiated with the social welfare and the billing department.
On release, the billing took 5 hours, they claimed an amount over and above the quote for an extra 28, 000 Php.
After 90 mins of arguing they reduced this amount to 5,000 Php.
A blog i am a member of for expats, suggests that foreigners are systematically over charged as a matter of procedure.
I would invite any feedback of your experiences and especially about DMSF.
Regards,
Norman Allard
Davao City

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Norm Allard Guest

Norm AllardGuest09 June 2015 23:25:01

Nothing new...They will even KIDNAP you if you dont pay...WHAT A COUNTRY!!! No honor...PESO is KING...

ryanmaryland Member

Member since 09 August 2016

ryanmarylandMember19 August 2016 06:41:04

It saddens me to see other Filipinos taking advantage of a person just because of the difference in nationality. I do hope the service and payment at a different medical center in the Philippines is not as foul as this one. Thanks for sharing!

dinky2408 Contributor

Member since 23 September 2015

dinky2408Contributor19 August 2016 07:12:54

122

Your need to keep a record of all your bills, as accounting and record keeping in the Philipinnes is generally poor. And yes at times you will get charged twice for the same bill, so be aware.

Mixknight Active member

Member since 17 November 2015

MixknightActive member20 August 2016 00:20:27

We use St Lukes in BGC, I have never had a billing problem,plus i think it is the best care outside of going to Korea for treatment. Also I am a US Vet and have the billing go though the VA in Manila. So if your country has an embassy and you are ex-military you might look into who they suggest for medical treatment. No matter what i have been charged it was still 500% cheaper than getting it done in a USA hospital.

biongrady New member

Member since 05 May 2018

biongradyNew member05 May 2018 01:45:10

Quick question, I am a us navy veteran contemplating moving to Davao and wanted to know are you a Veteran utilizing the VA health system outside of Manila or retired Military utilizing the Tricare system?

pnwcyclist Philippines Expert

Member since 27 June 2017

pnwcyclistPhilippines Expert06 May 2018 10:43:41

1489

No problems with Chong Hua or Cebu Doctor's Hospital in Cebu City. We have always been treated fairly by doctors and staff. Personally I think the claims of overcharging foreigners, especially "as a matter of practice" are a bit excessive. Remember, it's a hospital, there are doctors and guesswork, and other variables involved. They don't always know what they're going to find once they open you up. Try getting an estimate up front of an operation in the US.. it will probably be off by thousands of dollars.