Hi,
Just want to know if a tourist or students has a fever or illness, do they go to the hospital or the clinic? How does the process go? Need a Primary care physician?

I heard from a lady within the hospital that you would need to have a PCP down there even if you have medical insurance.

thanks,
Kris

I went to the clinic last year with an infected coral cut. From walking in to out the door took 1 1/2 hours and cost $40 US. I was most pleased with both the quality of the care and the cost.

KJ, I don't know what PCP is, however, if you have a hospital stay, they will require you pay in cash or credit card, even if you have insurance (which should reimburse you later). For quick visits or office visits, It's as Ron said, cash, and cheap.

PCP = primary care physician
It usually depends on what kind of insurance you have whether visits to an ER need to be authorized by a PCP or not (at least in the US). The local folks have their own insurance, some govt sponsored, some combination of govt/private that cover local services. Many tourists have paid cash for dentists/ER visits at very reasonable rates. (At least this is the info I've gotten when asking locals about the insurance situation and having had some friends who needed medical care on a short term basis.)
You might want to check with your insurer to see what the requirements are if expenses are high for an extended hospital stay with high costs.

(Message edited by babsoleary on May 20, 2007)

I have international medical insurance (with a deductable). I pay privately for my medical appointments (20.00 USD for an office visit), blood work (100.00 USD for a pretty full on blood profile) and spent part of the night in the ER after having a reaction to a scorpion bite and paid 150.00 USD. My client had an appendix attack and her Canadian insurance covered it all. GREAT medical care IMHO that San Fransisco for me and for my client.

KJ,

Like most places if it's an emergency, go to the ER, otherwise go to the doctor's office. If you want to see a specialist or have tests done, you need to see a regular doc first for a referral. Most people see Dr. Schrader (in the building next to St. James Med School) or Dr. van der Vaart (Centro Medico Central, across from the hospital). Both take 'walk-ins' or you can make an appointment.

Alex

I have found the doctors here to be good and cheap. I have gone several times, including after falling into a cactus and having about 40 needles in my body! The most I paid was $40.

If you are a worker bee type of resident, like me, you are covered by SVB (or another one if you are a highly-paid worker bee, but I don't know about that one). We are required to select a single PCP, and that doctor has to authorize all treatment before SVB will pay for it. If you are a tourist or non-working resident, you will have to talk with whatever insurance you carry.