Medical Insurance

I have Medicare and another plan from my former employer.  No problems so far.

Thanks

I just called my insurance carrier about this today.  We also have Medicare and a supplemental insurance from my former employer.  There are no participating providers with my insurance carrier in Puerto Rico, making everything there "out of network."  After Medicare pays what it will, it goes to the insurance company. My husband and I will each have a $1000 annual deductible and they will pay 80% of any charges after that.  I was also told the first doctor seen in an emergency room will be covered 100%. 

Perhaps you should call your insurance provider to see how they will cover you in Puerto Rico. 

We just read an article that discusses the probable worsening of health care in Puerto Rico due to federal cuts, and my husband is becoming more and more anxious about our potential relocation there.

Yes, those are legitimate concerns.  We have the blues and I think we have decent coverage in PR,  I will double check on that and call them.

I have also have read that some folks experienced/complained of very long wait times to see a doc (may have been the ER?).   These may have been in the SJ area, I don't know. 

I am also concerned as I will need to see a dermatologist, dentist and an ophthalmologist in PJ at some point.   Not sure if that will work out?  Looking for recommendations if you have any please.

Based on what I read in the news, it looks like the medicare issue / medicaid issue may be in the way to being resolved, however it may be 2017 by the time that it does. Mean time there are funds to keep the system going which is due to run out in 2017.

I could be wrong, but I strongly feel that this whole thing will end up being resolved partially very soon. Politicians will get involved in DC, they want the 4,000,000 votes of PR residents in the US mainland.

Before people panic, see what happens by the end of December and then see what happens before July 1 2016.
Things look bleak but they will get better.

For those with short term plans, rent for a year, see what is going on, then decide to get out or get a permanent place in the island.

If you need critical and specialized treatments, stay in the mainland until things get better.
Just my opinion.
Rey

In PR can I expect to be able to call a doctors office, schedule an appointment for a routine item like a check up or minor item and have the appointment kept within a reasonable act time?

Sitka wrote:

In PR can I expect to be able to call a doctors office, schedule an appointment for a routine item like a check up or minor item and have the appointment kept within a reasonable act time?

Define reasonable
Some doctors make appointments but they tend to have more than 1 person scheduled for the same time. Not likely to change for a while. 1 to 2 our wait is normal.

Since doctor get very little for each patient they see they have to make the money by volume, so they have too many patients to see each day.

Many doctors don't do appointments because they fear that patients don't show up in time, that's why they make you sit and wait.
On the other hand, once it's your turn they have all the time in the world, ask about the children, other family members, talk about politics and other news items, it's a social event, too. I noticed this at family doctor appointments but also with specialists in the Centro Medico. Now maybe it's because my wife makes friend very fast (I went with her, I have had two doctor appointments for myself in 13 years, two too much).
One time we were sitting with two medical professors at the UPR who were treating my wife and had a ten minute discussion about computers and related stuff and I ended up taking care of the IT for one of them. That was at a regular appointment, that took almost 30 minutes(!) for my wife after we had spent like 6 hours in the waiting room.

Sitka wrote:

In PR can I expect to be able to call a doctors office, schedule an appointment for a routine item like a check up or minor item and have the appointment kept within a reasonable act time?

Maybe there are some private doctors where this will work. My dentist friends make and keep appointments, I never see more than two people in their waiting room.
The majority of the doctors just want patients to come and use the old "first come, first served" system.
Patients get at 5 AM or earlier to doctors who start calling patients in at 9:30, 10. If you arrive at 9 there are already 30 people in the waiting room.