It’s Thursday morning at the Bay Pointe Hospital (I don’t know why they added the “E” to Point) I stop by the lab to pick up the results and they can’t be found. Hands were scratching heads, Tagalog is flying around the room at the speed of light. Pandemonium has taken over; my blood pressure is 135 over 105. But I managed a smile and asked if someone else could have picked them up?
Yes the kind young lady from TriCare (My insurance) had picked up all my tests. So instead of going to X-Ray I went to her office. There they were. That was nice but I wish she had told me it was part of the service so the kids in the Lab wouldn’t have panicked. 10:00 I see the doctor, well that was when I should have but she was late and I saw her at 11:00 (Nothing odd about that is there?)
Here is the part that pleased me, “Sir Paul, you are in very good health, all your test results are excellent.” She stated. Hmmm than why is my blood pressure so high? I wondered and then asked.
“Sir we really don’t know, as there is no medical reason that is causing it” She explained, but BTW your cholesterol is over 200 and I’m going to give you a pill for that. Now I’m wondering are the Hyper-tension and bad cholesterol connected is some obscure way?
Oh and I did receive a script for the Hyper-tension, but as an afterthought it seemed to me as the high cholesterol seemed to be the major-major concern. Doctor would you write a quick note to my dentist telling him I’m Okay-na-okay? She did, like it was a normal thing to her. Case closed!
While wandering the halls of the Hospital Mayang felt that she too should have a physical as it had been a couple of years since her last one. Now here is the shocker, neither TriCare or PhilHealth will pay for a physical to find out if you’re in poor health. Are we under ObamaCare and just didn’t know it?
Okay, my wife wants a physical so she is gonna’ have one. But I will be the one to be the one to pay for it on my dime.
Now TriCare rules require that I pay the first $150.00 deductable every year. So I’m happy this didn’t happen last December, so now I’m covered for the rest of the year. But I still must pay out of pocket 25% of the cost for the rest of the year. I am thankful I’m here in the Philippines where I can easily afford the 25%, and sure am glad I’m not back in the states where 25% would break me .Drugs are also paid for to a certain extent but I’ve not got to that part yet as that I must do it online.
After Mayang’s physical it was discovered her cholesterol was high also, so now I have to pay for her physical and $ 150.00 for her TriCare deductible, which because of the cholesterol finding she is now covered, TriCare will now pay for the rest of her treatment. Yes I’m also very confused, and I’m crapping money left and right and two weeks ago I foolishly bought a new car.
While talking to another old Kano, he explained a lesson that he had just learned.
Do not try and mix your TriCare and PhilHealth because then you will have two governments climbing up your butt!
We use PhilHealth in town where TriCare is a bad word to the small clinics and doctors who can’t afford the 6 person team to do the paperworks the US Government demands. Plus the long wait required for the doctor to receive their money.
So the new Paul is now tasked with moderation in his life from now on, less Beer, less rum, way less salt and more salads in my future, these are things I can deal with, but it’s my friends I worry about. If one of them calls me a Vegan, “it’s on”, the Donnybrook will commence post haste. Are vegans allowed to eat animal crackers?
Summing it all up, I now take my medicine every morning; I now have an electronic Blood Pressure machine a DIGITAL SPHYGMOMANOMETER (I can actually pronounce that). And I take a reading morning and night, but I wonder if they could make an APP for a cell phone to do that? The machine is available at all Mercury Drug Stores at the low-low price of PNP 2,200.00 each. And it is so easy to use.
Oh, and one week later I now have the note my dentist required. Let the drilling commence… But there is a rainbow after every rainstorm, 9 extractions cost PNP 5,400 the gold in my mouth was worth PNP 8,500.00 for a profit of PNP 3,100.00. I could open a business. I now fully understand the cowboy expression; “He’s a bit long in the tooth.”
Hmmm, corn on the cob!
He is geting old is all ok lol
Pedro;
Getting old?, I’m pretty much there!
Paul, I am 100% disabled vet. What do they pick up of the tab?
Philip;
I’m sorry to hear that and thank you for serving.
There is a VA Clinic in Manila who will serve you upon transferring your case there. I won’t go into trying to provide more information as I lack the knowledge on that subject. And I really don’t want to hand out any “Bad Skinny”
But I will dare to guess that one or two of LIP readers can provide you with straight poop and I hope they respond to your question.
Hi Paul, I’ll share some basic info to Philip. Hope it helps Info is based from experience years ago with a young retired navy guy. He always has appointments. Then free check ups, free medicines and if hospitalization is needed, they pay for it too. There are VA affiliated hospitals like St Luke’s, UST, etc. Very basic info, sorry. I try.
Sugar;
A young retired Navy guy! I remember being that, but was he using the VA hospital or TriCare?
Hi Paul,,, Yes just add Arthur-itis and Diabetics to that and we make a good pair ,,, 🙁 ,,, Actually , my last lot of blood tests came back very good considering I don’t follow any of the Diabetic guide lines ,,,
You have just join the OLDIES club Paul ,,, It doesn’t creep up on you like they say,,, it jumps on you from a great height ,,, lololol,,
Russell’
I’ve been lucky for 66 years and if High Blood is all Karma can throw my way, then the luck continues. I have friends younger than me who are fraught with medical problems as I just slide on by. As I write this I’m knocking on every piece of wood I can find!
Yes you are right Paul ,, I feel the same way ,, every day is a bonus 🙂
Russell;
You must look at life that way.
Welcome to the club Paul, for high cholesterol and blood pressure, my membership started a few years back also. Two pills a day and mine is under control , so could be a lot worse I guess. Where do you have to order you mail-order meds from Paul. I am not military, so will different for me I guess when I get there, but was wandering how it worked there, and do you have to order meds from another country or local.
For some reason this post didn’t appear on my FB Wall, so I responded on LIP! Hey Bob are you blocking me???? (LOL)
Bill;
Mercury Drug store anywhere in the Philippines (More common than a 7-11 in the states) Both pills of 90 each, were less than $35.00 which if I take the time I can be reimbursed for
Hi Paul and good thing you are taking your blood pressure pills.. But you should watch out for the cholesterol medicine as some of them can harm you. I was taking Lipitor until I got a warning on USA TV about how it might give me diabetes/stroke/kidney failure etc. that was just for women only????? Oh sure now….no more Lipitor … now I just take my blood pressure med. and walk a little more, as for the veggies they are OK every other day but don’t make your self crazy worrying about cholesterol…
Dave;
My wife had a bad reaction to her cholesterol medicine, and we had to change the script. But thanks for the warning about Lipitor, I’ll talk to my Doc when I see her next week.
I don’t know, Paul, but being around pretty young Pinays at Bay Pointe, TriCare, and the dentist’s office in ONE day, I think, would make the average guy’s blood pressure to shoot up to 135/105, or even up to the 140s. Regarding Mayang’s $150 TriCare deductible you have to pay, is that just for her, or does that cover you both? I wonder if you availed yourself of the paperworks from TriCare and paid the paperworks a close ocular inspection to determine if the $150 per year deductible doesn’t apply to you both. To me, $300 deductible per year, plus 25% out of pocket expenses for the rest of the year, plus the yearly premium for the insurance do not sound okay na okay. So sorry to hear, that you will be the one to be the one to have to pay for all of these, but if not you, sino pa? 🙂
John’
The Insurance id free except for the 25% and the $300 deducible per year. But if you think that high sign up for ObamaCare, and then you know what high cost really is. But 25% of a small amount is not really bad at all. Glad I’m here and not in the states paying $36.00 for a box of Kleenex the hospital calls a “Mucus recovery system.”
Oh Mayang’s complete physical tests and Doctor set me back $60.00 Na-Lang!
Folks, here is an item that is sort of amusing, and horrifying.
Non military healthcare insurance in the US. The standard for all companies is preventative care is free and no deductible. Once past a certain age, colonoscopies are preventative care and free.
Except.
If you walk in to have one and expect it to be free, what can happen is if a single polyp is found it will be removed. That one polyp transitions the entire procedure into “treatment”, not preventative care. The whole thing then gets billed at the standard rate, with the polyp removal extra.
So you can go to sleep expecting no charge, and wake up $2000 poorer. AND . . . you won’t be told about this unless you ask.
Owen;
That is kinda sad. But when you turn healthcare over to a for maximum profit cooperation it is what you will receive.
Paul, Obamacare doesn’t affect me a whit. My wife and I are covered by a private HMO, carried over from my days in federal service to the present time. We are very happy with it. The out-of-pocket costs for hospitalization, doctors’ fees, emergency visits, and routine office visits are ridiculously cheap. The copay for office visit with internal medicine is $10.; with specialists such as orthopedics and opthalmology, it is $20. There is no charge for lab work. Prescriptions are filled and delivered to our home at a cost of $7 each for a 3-month supply. Making appointments is fast and easy, and there is no ridiculous waiting when you show up for your appointment. You sign in with the receptionist, flash your medical card, pay the copay, and you’re called in 5 minutes later. The doctors will even call you at home to follow-up on certain issues.
The premium for this health insurance is adjusted to the annual COLA, and is automatically deducted monthly from my OPM annuity. The premium has never impacted our finances in a big way because at no time have I ever felt the lessening of our buying power because of it.
In summary, the service and professionalism of the medical staff at Kaiser Permanente and the level of care we receive from them is the major stumbling block for why I am unable to convince my wife that it is more fun in the Philippines.
John;
You were grandfathered in on the old CSR plan before FERS, but remember Military Healthcare used to be great also until Congress meddle with it, yours could be next or deemed lacking in coverage by ObamaCare (ObamaCare speak for costing the government too much)
Paul – there was no grandfathering involved. At the time government service switched over from CSRS to FERS around 1983 you had the option of remaining in CSRS (no Social Security taxes) or switching over to FERS (with Social Security taxes). I have only a passing interest in Obamacare, but doubt seriously if it will ever impact people who have private HMOs like me, who not only have HMO, but also have overlapping coverage in Medicare, as well.
John;
I sailed with guys that switched from CSRS to FERS as they were advised to do it. But as I told them if the government tells you they have a new plan, run as fast as you can from it. The guys that stayed CSRS are very happy now albeit Medicare is useless in the Philippines along with most US Government plans.
Paul, I have not tried to avail myself of Tricare benefits yet but even if I can find a Hospital or doctor that accepts it, I am sure to have problems! Namely, My ID card expired over two years ago just as I was coming to the Philippines and I did not notice it until after I got here. I meant to ask you about that while I was there with you in Subic but was having too much fun and it slipped my mind. Is there some place I can get a new one short of going back to the USA? I don’t like leaving the Philippines at all and especially with out my asawa!.
Joe;
Mine expired when I went on Medicare, but it’s not really expired as it says indefinite I spoke with a Senior Chief Personnelman from the USS Land when she was in port and he smiled and said not to worry about it. My wife’s is also expired and the embassy will only issue new ID’s to first timers. But since she’s registered with DEERS TriCare said no problem as they understand where we live. Contact [email protected] and they can tell you where the nearest TriCare provider is closest to you/
Hey Joe, Susan would probably be ecstatic to visit the USA.
It sounds like for the most part Paul you are in good health and that is a good thing. 200 Cholesterol at least to me does not sound all that bad and those readings can change from one hour to the next. Did they ask you not to eat anything or drink anything but water for at least 8 hours before the blood test ? I had a reading of 240 many years ago and my doctor at that time said he would rather see me lower that reading by diet instead of me taking pills for it, which I did. Who knows what it is right now though LOL. I think a similar situation can happen with blood pressure. Well, after donating suitcase loads of Bp Cuffs ( thats a lot easier term to use than sphygnomoeter LOL ) and having them all tested out on me to make sure they survived the trip, I learned a little about that too. If a medical office gives me numbers I dont like I ask them to try the other arm, or try another Bp Cuff on me. I usually go thru a bit of aggrivation at a doctors office here in the USA and that affects the blood pressure readings they make. The readings I get when I am there in The Philippines are 130 over 80 and sometimes 130 over 70. I am beginning to think Blood Pressure taking must be ” More Fun in The Philippines.
One thought that has ocoured to me in recent years about age, it sneaks up on us when we are asleep !
Bob (NY);
I do that (Switch arms) with my digital what’s a ma call it. I only accept the best reading. I wish I could do the same with my lotto numbers.
Like you said adjusting the diet is working also, as my goal is to be pill free.
Paul did they check how thick your blood is? Mine gets thick every now and then and makes the pressure go up. I have to partake of a couple rum & cokes every night for a few days to thin it down. Or take an aspirin for two or three days and that thins it down.
Loren;
Another way is to cut yourself and time it, but don’t wait too long! (LOL) I use your Rum & Coke plan!!!
Paul
Interesting article. Consider the following if you are living in Oz.
1. 1 hour wait for doctor? Your lucky. Can be 30-60 mins depending on the workload. If you ring early enough you may be lucky to get an appointment that day. Otherwise expect 1-3 day wait.
Forget about attending hospital emergency department.
2. Private medical insurance for two of us from April 1st is $A444 per month before rebates or loading. This is Top Hospital cover level 3 ($500 excess) + Classic extras ( Dental glasses etc )
3 ECG $A295 + followup visit $95
4. Visit to periodontist for 6 month check up $A247.
5. Visit to GP $65 if not bulk billed through Medicare
Private health insurance and Medicare can minimise these costs but there is still a co payment to be made.
Dave Oz
David;
That was funny, your comment on waiting for a doctor.
But looking at what you’re paying out I feel good about being in the Philippines. Where are you living and what coverage do you have?
I use to have a gentle whinge about waiting for doctors but when my daughter was on the way ( wife was in labour ) we were at the doctors getting the go- ahead to go to hospital ,,, my wife felt things weren’t quite right so the doc. sent her for a scan ,, this was at midday ,,,, got back to the docs at 3pm with the scan ,, the baby was bum down,, there was no chance of being born in that position ,,,, by 4pm we were at the hospital ,,, we took 4 doctors out of that doctors surgery and at that time it was full,,, I will never complain about waiting for a doc. ever again
And this was in a very busy doctors surgery in Bundaberg QLD
Russell;
To have a child delivered safely is worth any wait!
http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2014/03/23/study-fuels-debate-dietary-fats-and-heart-disease/jOBI1f2VGs9LQT1zUwoDHM/story.html
Just sayin…..it’s never as easy as stopping something etc. much like myself, I use butter and eat lots of meat….but also lots of veggies. Lots of cardio types exercise. WALKING fast and long everyday. No shorts and tights for me in the gym. Just everything in moderation and fresh and unprocessed.
Paul, how much exercise do you get. Sounds like that may the big change you might need.
Does anyone know the incidence of heart attacks among Filipinos living in the Philippines? I am not sure if it still the practice, but during my youth in Salaza, Palauig, Zambales, I remember that kids were fed rice saturated by lard and bagoong sauce in the belief that the kids will become fatter. Being fat is synonymous to good health, as well as a sign of affluence, you see.
Often heard coming through the bamboo slats of the bahay kubos at mealtimes during those dark days of abject poverty in the barrios was the lamentation of mothers and grandmothers feeding their youngsters to eat rice sprinkled with salt to induce fattening of the cheeks, “Asin, asin, pang-palumeg pingping”.
John;
It was the same way in Puerto Rico in the 80’s, if you had a fat kid you were well off. But what they didn’t know that after 2 years old those fat cells are forever. If a Puertorican lady was wearing curlers in her hair during the day she was going out that night so she must be rich. Ah bless the Spanish for all they left behind.
Anon;
My dog Coco the flying Labrador and my grandson are my primary forms of exercise every day. Moderation in anything is great, even beer. (It’s true!!!) If someone could explain why one day in February 2014 my blood pressure shot up while shopping in the air conditioned Royal Store on Subic Free Port I have a better understand of the whole deal.
Next time you have to write about the new car…the missed ATV or something.
As soon as there’s something about health, all posts/comments are stories about illness and medicine.
” Ohh i have that too” ” I eat this and that pills”… No offend, but that’s how it is and w don’t need to make ourself older than we are. Isn’t life great? We (most of us) live in Philippines, what more can we want.
Remember Sidhartas (Buddha) words: We we think, we become 😉
Keep serving all the fun and jokes Paul, we (I) enjoy. And since facial mimic is hard to express in written words, i have to say, that there’s a little glimpse (can i say that?) in my eyes, so don’t be offended or take it to seriously.
Axel;
No one is trying to make anyone older, hell most of us are already there. But as I’ve stated so many times in the past; “Paul can only write about what is happening to him” I don’t get to pick the subject the Philippines does.
A secondary purpose is to inform fellow readers, I learned about a problem medicine and a fellow reader learned about Mercury Drug Stores. (I received no pay from them to plug their stores.
So only Budda knows what I’ll write about next week, but he’ll get it wrong sometimes also. (LOL)
I see i quoted Buddha wrong – or incomplete: “What we think, we become.”
Axel;
That’s okay as Buddha has often misquoted me.
Glad it was minor and easily treatable shipmate. For me I pretty much steered away from Beef since I moved to the Philippines with the minor every other month Hamburger.
Terry;
Foreswearing Beef and replacing it with pork? If they try to remove beef from my menu just shoot me now, because I don’t want to be here.
I forgot the important: I hope you get that pressure under control, drink tea from Guaybano and eat/drink Malungay. That”ll do the trick 😉
Axel;
Each Dr. Wac-wac has a different remedy. Here in Bataan it the leaves of the avocado tree boiled into tea, BTW it’s not half bad, and the wife is happy when I drink it. A Win-Win!
Philip Nell … who is the “they” you are asking about? I’m a vet but I have no disability and don’t use the VA … but they do seem to provide for disabled vets pretty well here, as long as it is service connected. I write often about health issues, TRICARE, VA and such on my PhilFAQS (dot) com blog , and sometimes on Bob’s too.
Thanks Dave,much I don’t know. Here the VA takes care of my and my wife. My wife has champs , for wives of 100% disabled vets. I have dental, she does not. All of my meds and supplies ate free here.
I heard rumors that we have to pay up front then get reimbursed. WE are making this move.
Phillip;
I’ve never heard that except with medicine, Tricare requires I buy it then submit a claim.
Paul,
I have Blue Cross and they pretty much cover everything, but we will probably change the coverage when we renew because we really don’t need that much coverage since medical care is low cost here. I also get an Health Insurance Subsidy with my pension. Anne and Myself had a great time in Subic. We were surprised to get rain on the way home. I see another trip back to the floating bar in the future. I will vouch for you that you are cutting back on the beer and rum lol.
Randy;
It was a good day food and cocktails on the Hoochie Floating bar at Blue Rock. Blue Cross or Blue Rock, it all good! I cut back the next day.