Hospitalized in China

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AMonk

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Re: Hospitalized in China
« Reply #15 on: March 24, 2008, 01:13:37 PM »
I was looking at my medical insurance and the best plan I found was Allianz. They will do very comprehensive insurance for $800AUS a year and a budget insurance for somewhere around $350AUS (but doesn't include going anywhere near the US >Asia/Pacific cover only).

OK.  Sounds pretty good.  But...is this only for the Ozzies?  Or can anyone get in on it?  (That is another concern of mine).
Moderation....in most things...

Re: Hospitalized in China
« Reply #16 on: March 24, 2008, 03:23:40 PM »
We could afford 3000 USD, but that's only due to years and years of Chinese Wife Syndrome.

Luckily my school does provide H.I.  It's with a company called Tiecare and can be used in other countries, with the exception of the USA or Canada.
It is too early to say.

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Schnerby

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Re: Hospitalized in China
« Reply #17 on: March 24, 2008, 05:04:32 PM »
OK.  Sounds pretty good.  But...is this only for the Ozzies?  Or can anyone get in on it?  (That is another concern of mine).

Not sure about just being for Aussies. It's not a question I asked. Allianz are international though so I think so there should be no reason it wouldn't stretch over borders.
They may be relying on Australia's reciprocal medical care agreements with NZ and other countries to make the Asia/Pacific cover cheaper. It's worth asking though.

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Foscolo

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Re: Hospitalized in China
« Reply #18 on: March 25, 2008, 02:58:57 AM »
It's not very interesting reading, but just for the record, the bill was as follows - round figures RMB.

   2 hour operation:           4,500
   Daily hospital rate                70
   X-Rays, medication etc.    2,500

And then there's another 1,000 or so for something I don't understand. Let's call it hygiene services ("these toilets are cleaned every year, regular as clockwork").

The total was about 10,000 for a three week stay, plus about the same again for upgrading to a private room at 600 a day for some of it.

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A point that has only been briefly touched on here is that nursing is limited to administering drips and injections - whether you need them or not. If the patient can't do much for themselves, somebody will need to be there round the clock. This is when you find out who your friends are. (Anna, Lorna, Xiao Ming, Amber, Jason, if you're reading this... well, you know what.)

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Can I really have seen what I think I saw? I hope I misunderstood.

   A man walks into the hospital clutching a bloody rag to the stumps of two severed fingers. He goes up to the reception desk.

   MAN:  I've just lost two fingers in an accident. I need somebody to sew up the stumps. You know, to stop the bleeding.

   RECEPTIONIST:   Where's your money?

   MAN:   I don't have it right here, but that'll be taken care of, I promise. I just need these stumps sewn up. I'm losing quite a lot of blood here.

   RECEPTIONIST:   Come back when you've got some money.

   The walks off, leaving a trail of blood drips.

I'll always regret that by the time I'd figured out what was happening and decided to intervene (the price of a round of JD & Cokes would probably have solved his problem) he'd left the building, and I couldn't find him. But it's OK, because that couldn't possibly have been what was actually happening, right?

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This is a rather depressing thread, isn't it? And it my fault - I started it. You let a newbie into the forum and within a few days he's taking about hospital bills and severed fingers. I'll shut up now.
 
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AMonk

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Re: Hospitalized in China
« Reply #19 on: March 25, 2008, 05:44:22 AM »
Sometimes, Life just isn't pretty, Foscolo.  I'd much prefer "truthful" over "window-dressed".  As would many of us here, I think. 

Moderation....in most things...

Re: Hospitalized in China
« Reply #20 on: March 25, 2008, 03:45:04 PM »
Foscolo, I had an experience in Brisbane Australia where I had to pay first before I went into emergency. I sliced my ankle in a large store and was bleeding profusely. The ambulance came and asked which hospital I wanted to go to . I said the nearest one.They asked if I had private health insurance and I told them that I did. When we arrived at the hospital emegency, I was not even allowed off the ambulance stretcher until my credit card had been swiped first. Even with the highest medical/hospital cover,they were not interested. If I didn't have the cash on hand, I too would have been turned away
and taken to the nearest public hospital where I would have had to wait for ages to be stitched.

As a matter of interest, my China teaching experience has been delayed/cancelled because of a recently discovered serious heart condition. My specialist tells me that he will not be able to recommend me for travel insurance. He tells me I won't be able to be insured, so I am not prepared to take the risk of having a serious medical problem in China. When/if my condition stabilizes, I have to decide about a short time in China and pray that nothing happens to upset the heart  uuuuuuuuuu

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Schnerby

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Re: Hospitalized in China
« Reply #21 on: March 25, 2008, 04:08:54 PM »
Well good luck with the heart!  akakakakak

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Foscolo

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Re: Hospitalized in China
« Reply #22 on: March 26, 2008, 08:39:39 PM »
Aye to that.
Free stuff for teaching English with jokes: ESLjokes.net.

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babala

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Re: Hospitalized in China
« Reply #23 on: March 26, 2008, 09:42:12 PM »
I just out of the hospital a few weeks ago after a 10 day stay. I was at the newest hospital in Suzhou (Kowloon) and I have to say, the treatment I given was great. Almost all of the nurses spoke english, my room was clean and they let me keep a 2 person room to myself the whole time I was there and even found a translator to come with the doctor everytime they did rounds. Also I would like to add that it was the Chinese doctor who caught the mistake of the foriegn doctor I first saw. The foreign doctor never even went over the results of my tests with me asasasasas The total amount I paid was 4200 RMB for the ten day stay.

By the way, the room was very clean and looked a bit like a hotel room. If you want to know if the bed was comfortable, just ask Con. He fell asleep in the other bed when he came to visit afafafafaf
Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try. Homer Simpson

Re: Hospitalized in China
« Reply #24 on: March 26, 2008, 10:54:35 PM »
That's one pretty hospital. SHould I require a stay, that's the one I'll pick.

And yeah, I want a buy one of those hospital beds.  Do they make doubles?  afafafafaf

And there is no liar like the indignant man... -Nietszche

Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task. -William James

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kcanuck

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Re: Hospitalized in China
« Reply #25 on: March 27, 2008, 03:16:05 AM »
Not to sound too cynical, it's pretty and clean and shiny now but what will it look like in a year?  Babs, I'm glad the hospital stay wasn't horrible and the digs were to your liking and happier still to know you're on the mend. agagagagag
I am still learning. Michelangelo

Re: Hospitalized in China
« Reply #26 on: March 27, 2008, 04:19:33 PM »
Stories like that make me glad of the NHS, for all its faults.

China's about as communist as ronald reagan.  Marx would be turning in his grave if he read stories like that.  llllllllll
It is too early to say.

Re: Hospitalized in China
« Reply #27 on: March 27, 2008, 09:47:53 PM »
Stories like that make me glad of the NHS, for all its faults.

haha!

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Foscolo

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Re: Hospitalized in China
« Reply #28 on: March 28, 2008, 09:02:03 AM »
For non-Brit readers, the NHS is the National Health Service. For less serious medical problems the service is usually quite good, although there can be delays and incompetencies. But generally speaking if there's something seriously wrong with you, you can be guaranteed state-of-the-art treatment for as long as it takes, or you die. And nothing will cost a you a penny. Brits who've never lived abroad complain about it regularly. Those of us who've seen life in countries with nothing comparable tend to realise that we're very fortunate. For one thing, if we get seriously sick abroad, we can just struggle onto a plane and go home to get sorted out.
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Re: Hospitalized in China
« Reply #29 on: March 28, 2008, 05:36:07 PM »
But generally speaking if there's something seriously wrong with you, you can be guaranteed state-of-the-art treatment for as long as it takes, or you die.

I think you need to rephrase that slightly! 

Otherwise, I agree.

People often talk about the waiting lists but it's actually pretty rare, unless it's got considerably worse in the last 15 years, to have to be kept waiting for something urgent.

It is too early to say.