Third World Healthcare?

Being home after surgery and 5 days of hospitalization feels wonderful. There is no one to blame but myself for the self inflicted injury I suffered while working outside, but there are many people to thank for helping me while I was hurt and sick.  I will get to that later in the blog.   

In his book, A Pirate Looks at Fifty, Jimmy Buffet writes that travel outside the U.S. changes a person.  The more places and cultures one is exposed to around the world the more one learns, engrained beliefs are challenged and the mind is opened to new ways of thinking.   When I read A Pirate Looks at Fifty I had just turned 50 and what Jimmy said rang true with me.  I had already traveled extensively and lived outside the U.S. and it had been a life changing experience.  My recent hospitalization in a Central American country that is considered by many to be third world was a positive experience that makes me appreciate living in Panama even more.  

Since only about 20 percent of native born Americans have their passport that means around 80% have never traveled outside the country for that eye-opening experience of foreign travel that Jimmy Buffet writes about.  That is easy to understand.  For over 50 years, from sometime after the end of WWII up until sometime before 911, the United States was probably one of the best places on the planet to live.  My grandparents, with the exception of brief trips over the border to Mexico back in the days when it was safe, never traveled outside of the U.S.A.  The same was true for my father.  Nobody retired to Mexico in the 60’s unless they had escaped from prison, as portrayed in the Shaw Shank Redemption.  Today, despite the violence in Mexico, fueled by the U.S. appetite for illegal drugs, many Americans have retired to places in Mexico.  Many other countries are also popular retirement destinations for U.S. citizens who are looking for a better life, better weather and a more affordable daily existence than the U.S. offers.  Some, but not many people initially consider leaving the U.S. in search of better healthcare or to escape the bureaucratic healthcare nightmare that has become the U.S. system, but they should.   

My wife and I do not return to the U.S. frequently.  Collectively we spend less than 6 weeks a years visiting relatives in the U.S.  Twice, I have gone 2 years without a state-side trip.  One of our biggest fears is getting sick or being in an accident while visiting in the United States and having to see a doctor there or even worse, having a health problem that would require hospitalization.  Why?  Because over the last 9 years we have become accustomed to the far superior and flexible healthcare available in Panama, Central America.   The lack of medical bureaucracy, the ease of seeing and communicating with your doctor, the medicines that are available in Panama (and the rest of the world) that are not allowed in the U.S. and, importantly, the ability to have access to this care WITHOUT health insurance.  Health Insurance is not part of our budget.

Early on a Sunday morning when I realized I was in trouble from my injury, Belinda called the surgeon at home on his cell phone and he told us to go immediately to the hospital and that he would be waiting for us.  He was waiting at the admission desk for us, by-passing the emergency room.  First question….”Do you have insurance?”  I answered, “No, I’ll self pay”.  “Good, give us a $300.00 deposit and sign here.  Do you want a private room?” was the concise response.  I took the private room option and was in my room hooked to an I.V. within minutes.  No complicated paperwork, no filling out forms, no delay, no hassle whatsoever.  Just $300.00 and signature and I was being helped by what seemed to be an army of caregivers.       

  

Over the next 5 days there were x-rays, numerous ulta-sounds, a cat scan, an EKG, general anesthesia surgery, lots of I.V. delivered painkiller, antibiotics, temperature and blood pressure checks and pretty good food when I could eat.  There were no requests for money beyond the first $300.00 deposit I made on that early Sunday morning, other than 60 cents for extra coffee.  Remember that I have no insurance.  However, every two days they brought me an itemized accounting of what my bill was up to that moment so there were no financial surprises.

The nurses and the doctors all seemed to enjoy their work and care about me.  When it came time to be discharged from the hospital I did have one question about the bill which was answered and explained within moments with another detailed statement.  Because I am retired, without asking, they surprised me with a 20 percent discount on the already very reasonable hospital charges.   With the swipe of a credit card we were on our way home, feeling grateful to the professional and friendly staff of Mae Lewis Hospital in David, Panama.  Thanks to Dr. Cattan for being so accessible and doing the surgery that brought me immediate relief.  Thanks to Dr. DeGracias for his managing my infection and for being so friendly and interested in me.  Thanks to my wife, Belinda, who made the long trip back and forth to the hospital daily and for taking care of everything on the farm while I was gone.  Thanks to my friend Mike Smith for bringing me really good hot coffee each morning and thus saving me the 60 cents for extra coffee.   Also thanks to those who were concerned and who came to see me.            

Healthcare is an important consideration for those who expatriate from the United States. Living outside the U.S. has taught me that there are places where the weather is better, the climate is more agreeable, the cost of living is lower, the food is fresher, the air is cleaner, the beer is cheaper and the health care is superior.  I wouldn’t want to give up any of these things. Thanks Panama.

P.S. If you can afford it, get a passport and follow Jimmy Buffet’s advice and explore the world, learn a new language and explore other cultures.  It will change you.  If you can’t afford to travel it may be because it costs so damn much to live where you are that there are no funds left over for international travel.  If you are not young enough to back pack, use the internet to explore the world and your options for healthcare outside the U.S.  If you are sick and are not getting the care you need in the U.S., consider that many people are discovering, for example, they can travel to Puerto Rico for good healthcare at a fraction of the cost of U.S. based care.