October 22, 2003

More fun with the Romanian medical system

fpi_girl.jpg Anca pointed me to a web page of a medical clinic that offers subsriptions - an altogether alien thought for a German. They also have a page that lists prices for services (presumably for non-members). I was amazed to find that a visit to a general practitioner costs $10 for Romanians and $50 if you're not a "romanian language speaker".

Go figure.

Posted by claudia at October 22, 2003 09:26 PM
Comments

If you have time.. go and see if you like them.. also they can tell you more about membership.. and if you need one..
I think in every country expats are better paid than the locals..
In this case.. all you have to do is to learn romanian ;)
"Prices for the patients who are not romanian language speakers"

Posted by: Anca & Misha at October 22, 2003 11:06 PM

Is it possible that part of the price difference is the cost of calling up a whatever-language-you-speak translator for the doctor on zero notice? Having a stable of translators on-call can't come cheap, even in Romania.

Posted by: Diane at October 23, 2003 04:22 AM

It's true that we get paid better than locals - we also already have a health insurance and I don't really see why we should have another. It still might be necessary, though.
In any case, I'd be more than happy to pay more (even if it is outrageously more) if I thought the money would go towards people who need it. However, the Medicover clinic is part of a multinational concern and I don't quite think that the higher charges for expats are meant to support Romanian orphanages or anything the like. Call me suspicious.
Also, the idea with the translators is good but I don't think it applies here. It's just that they charge those people more who have more. Which, as I said, would be okay, if...
Also, this is the first clinic where I encountered such a tiered system. Which makes me dis-inclined to use them. I'll have to do some more research on this. I'll keep you guys posted. :-)

Claudia

Posted by: Claudia at October 23, 2003 09:42 AM

Medicover is not my company.. and I do not make advertising for it.. is just the health care clinic where I go when I feel sick.
Bio-Medica has the same membership system..
click here
I think that all the companies which try to offer better services use the membership system.
Here is how Bio-Medica explain this:
"Aiming to the quality of the medical services that you desire, BIO-MEDICA have chosen to concentrate it's entire attention (also by combining all the concepts previously mentioned) to a limited number of individuals. This is how we have come to develop an integrated system, later called VIP MEMBER. Any VIP MEMBER benefits of the prompt response of any of the BIO-MEDICA departments or of the MEDICAL NETWORK MEDNET."

Have fun!
A&M

Posted by: Anca & Misha at October 23, 2003 01:30 PM