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Local Items: Question about doctors
Bonaire Talk: Local Items: Archives: Archives 2005 - 2006: Archives - 2005-07-17 to 2005-11-07: Question about doctors
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tish (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #259) on Sunday, July 17, 2005 - 5:10 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I have been making my medical appointments in the US, but now I am going to stop that and try to receive all my medical care (assuming no emergencies) on or near Bonaire.
I would appreciate recommendations from LOCAL RESIDENTS who regularly use local doctors. I would especially appreciate warnings about any doctors to avoid. (Feel free to e-mail me directly with those.)
I am looking for
A gynecologist who does thin-prep pap smears
A reliable place to have mammograms and have them interpreted
A family practice doctor who can do a full range of blood tests and an EKG during an annual physical exam
Someone to keep an eye on my arthritis and prescribe anti-inflammatory medication for me. The last time i checked there was no such medication which is not dangerous to me available on Bonaire. Would Curacao or Aruba have a bigger variety available?
A dermatologist good at recognizing and treating skin cancer.
An ophthalmologist expert at dealing with retinal damage.
An allergist to treat my inhalant allergies.
I would also love to hear about any doctor who is willing to accept American medical insurance. I am fully covered outside the US, but so far I have found doctors want to be paid in cash.
Thanks so very much!
Tish

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By J Rushman (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #101) on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 12:50 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Tish,

If you're moving permanently to Bonaire, it would be good to have a copy of your most recent tests and blood work with you in Bonaire. This is especially important for the mammogram. Get a copy (or better yet, the original) and take it with you. It will be of immense benefit to the radiologist when interpreting future mammograms.

John R.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tish (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #263) on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 7:35 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks, but I have lived on Bonaire for a long time and I already know what you're saying. I appreciate your wanting to help, but I just need answers to the specific questions I posted.
Thanks!!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By seb (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2330) on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 9:17 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Tish, you might consider getting your long term prescriptions via mail, probably easier, I have a pal who had quite a difficult time getting a recurring scrip for an anti inflammatory.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tish (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #265) on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 9:43 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks, Seb and John. I truly appreciate your interest! But I am not looking for the kinds of comments you have made.
I will no longer have any US doctors. I would need a US doctor to obtain a prescription. And my prescription plan will not ship outside the US. I need to go local.
Please, I only want answers to the specific questions which I posted at the top of this thread.
Please, do not respond unless you are a resident of the ABC islands.
Thanks very much for understanding!
Tish

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Michèle Knuf (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #5) on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 10:34 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Dear Tish,

I don't know about gynecologists, I do know that Bonaire has almost no doctors who "specialize" in a certain field. When I needed a dermatologist I was informed that one comes once a month to Bonaire, as do all other specialists.(your family doctor is informed of their schedules)
I myself have doctor van der Vaart (opposite the Hospital) and I think he is great. He is Dutch and very straight to the point, he really listens to you and always does his utmost to figure out what is wrong.(I've had doctors who just issue "any" prescription to send you home as soon as possible).
I don't know about is policy for insurance, I would check with them, their phone no. is 717-7140.I know I haven't answered all your questions but I hope this helps.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tish (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #269) on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 11:07 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

It does help. Thanks, Michele.
Keep those recommendations of doctors coming, please.
Tish

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ruth van Tilburg (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #391) on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 3:16 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

If you don't have it already, I recommend getting health insurance here (though I'm not sure what might be excluded as 'pre-existing'-careful there). I've been very happy with Valarie (American living here many years/Insurance agent at MCB). If you get the right insurance, once your gp ("huisarts" or house dr.-what you'd consider a family dr./general practitioner) makes a referral to a specialist, the insurance will pay the ticket to/fm Curacao to the specialists. All the specialists you mention are in Curacao, except I think we do have one gyno & one shrink here, but again, you need a referral from your house dr. to see any specialist. Unless there's something unusual, it's your gp who does your pap (and orders any/all blood tests, etc, which are conducted at the lab, not by your dr)--then you must take the pap to the lab yourself-some tests are done on Bonaire, others are sent to the large labs in Curacao; the results are sent back to your house dr. Insurance will not cover things like your rental car for the day to get to/fm your CUR appts-only the plane ticket. There are specialists who travel here (orthopedics, eye dr., etc, but their appts are usually for SVB patients-our national health care for workers). Never hurts to ask though (your house dr. will give you a name & referral, you'll call the hospital to arrange the appt-most specialists use an office in the hospital to see patients).

There is only one place on Bonaire to get a mamogram--your house dr. will write a referral for it, and you get it done at the hospital (mammog's are done on Wednesdays). It's surprisingly modern, and the woman x-ray tech (Connie) who conducts them is very good; then they're read by a radiologist who visits Bonaire on Tuesdays to read all the x-rays left for him. A mammogram here also includes an "echo"--an ultrasound by the ultrasound tech, also in the hospital. The readings/results are sent back to your house dr, and you follow-up. The kind of full physical exam you're talking about exists in Venezuela & Colombia (lots travel from here to those countries 1x/yr for this). Your house dr. would be the one doing your annual physical, and ordering an EKG at the hospital, labtests for the lab, etc.

If a medicine is available on Curacao, it is available here too (not necessarily in stock, but available w/in a week or so-the Botica will order it for you--but only drugs that are approved here in the NA). If it's not in CUR, it's n/a here-so that's your call to keep up that Rx from the US like others have suggested.

I have met no dr/hospital here willing to work with non NA insurance co's. Just make sure you have plenty of credit on your credit cards in case an emergency comes up--the credit card will be necessary as your "guarantee" to pay for hospital expenses, ambulance flight, etc. I guess then you'd submit those receipts (after translating them?) to your US co. My house dr. for many years has been Dr. Lont, up in Noord Salinja, 717-2246.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tish (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #271) on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 4:28 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Ruth,
Thanks for your very helpful reply.
I already use Dr. Lont. Fine person, great nurses.
Tish

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ann Phelan (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1877) on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 6:41 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I use Dr. Schrader (GP) and am very happy. It is 35,00 Naf for a medical visit. Some scripts here are very affordable but most are very high. I have insurance from International Medical Group.

Good Luck Tish..

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brigitte Kley - Coco Palm Garden (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #320) on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 7:00 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I have always a copy of my last payment to the private insurance in my walltet (address of the company, your referral number etc). If you need an emergency treatment, you have first to garantuee with your credit card, but they ask directly your insurance if they insure your treatment and than the bill is send also to the insurance and not to you. Other smaller bills you pay first, bring them to your insurance agent and than they are reimbursed. Marion and I use Russels insurance for many years now - next to Scarlett flower shop.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tish (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #273) on Tuesday, July 19, 2005 - 11:02 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks!!
Since my US insurance covers me here, I am unlikely to buy duplicate coverage, but I will talk to Valarie. She is my agent.
My US insurance does not require any referrals, so if anybody knows names of specialists and contact info, that would be helpful. Otherwise, I will ask my doctor.
Thanks everybody!!
Tish

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ruth van Tilburg (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #392) on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 8:51 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Besides local insurance co's, it's usually the specialists who require the referrals in order to make the appt.--they like to get a letter from your house dr. telling them why you need to see them. Will your US insurance cover the flights to/fm CUR?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tish (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #281) on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 10:31 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

No, Ruth. Point well taken.
However, before I consider paying for duplicate health insurance, I want to receive recommendations of specialists people have had good experiences with in the ABC islands. If I can't find people in the fields I mentioned at the top of this thread in whom I can feel confidence, then there's no point in my paying all that extra money.
I would prefer to see specialists in Aruba rather than Curacao after reading the Bonaire Reporter's recent coverage of problems at the hospital on Curacao. Did you know the whole board of the hospital has resigned? Frightening.
I have heard some Curacao specialists come to Bonaire to see patients. Does anybody know which ones do this?
Tish

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Marion - Casa Oleander (BonaireTalker - Post #89) on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 4:00 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Dr. Evertzs, a dermatologist comes once a month on Saturdays to the office of Dr. Dorvil in Tera cora next to La Portugesa. He doesn't make appoinments. Information which day and what time he comes you get at the hospital.

Every Friday there is an orthopedic surgeon at the hospital for people who are SVB insured. Ask at the hospital which day he sees other patients, usually Mondays. That is 3 times a month Dr. Kooi who stays for a few days.
The others just come for 1 day. Dr. de Windt is very good.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tish (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #404) on Wednesday, October 12, 2005 - 3:10 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks to everybody who gave me answers about doctors!!
Also, Ruth, I have learned from Valarie that I am way too old to qualify for NA health insurance. Good thing I don't really need it, huh? :-)
Tish

 


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