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A couple of quick health care questions

A couple of quick health care questions

Old Mar 18th 2018, 10:52 am
  #16  
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Default Re: A couple of quick health care questions

Yes, I'm not willing to risk not getting it. It took me some time to get authorization here and only the university clinic could prescribe it and not get trouble from the health providers. Hopefully, I can get into contact with a doctor who knows the situation with this medicine in Portugal.
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Old Mar 18th 2018, 8:20 pm
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Default Re: A couple of quick health care questions

Private insurance, the one I have at least, has very limited cover for medications.
When you get your government PT health card, and prescriptions are made with that number on it [even from private doctors or private hospital] you buy with a steep discount that varies with the medication, but for expensive meds the discount is usually very high.

Of course this depends on whether the med in question is available here for your condition.
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Old Mar 19th 2018, 4:42 pm
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Default Re: A couple of quick health care questions

Yes, I'm not willing to risk not getting it. It took me some time to get authorization here and only the university clinic could prescribe it and not get trouble from the health providers. Hopefully, I can get into contact with a doctor who knows the situation with this medicine in Portugal.

On this forum, I have seen praise for the Portuguese pharmacies.
A visit to a couple of pharmacies, to ask about the medication you require, might be fruitful.
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Old Mar 19th 2018, 5:43 pm
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Default Re: A couple of quick health care questions

Originally Posted by ricko
On this forum, I have seen praise for the Portuguese pharmacies.
A visit to a couple of pharmacies, to ask about the medication you require, might be fruitful.
A search through a web such as attached will list most medicines available in Portugal


Lista de medicamentos do Infarmed | Atlas da Saúde
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Old Mar 19th 2018, 5:54 pm
  #20  
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Default Re: A couple of quick health care questions

Thanks - I've checked Inframed already and it was marked as "Not Marketed" so I called the manufacturer and they told me yes it's available in Portugal but can only be obtained at a hospital and not at pharmacies. It could be because it has to be refrigerated but also could be because it is expensive too. Next step is to find a hospital doctor in Portugal to ask if they would prescribe it and if they have been successful in doing so.
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Old Mar 20th 2018, 9:35 pm
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Default Re: A couple of quick health care questions

Perhaps this info will help some people. We dumped our Allianz Medical Insurance and opted for state medical.
We got our SNS medical cards and saved us some €1 350,00 pa.

I then went to my "Family Doctor" and paid €2.50 for my script. Did not see the doctor but placed my script with the staff.

A few days later I got an SMS for the medication and showed it to the pharmacy staff.

Got my meds at 30% of the price I paid at the same pharmacy when I was on private med insurance. Never mind the €12,50 I had to pay per visit privately.

So I saved €10 for the appointment and about €8 for the medication. This equates to €54 every 3 months or €216 pa plus €1 350,00 to total of
€1 566 .00 pa savings. How good is that for a cheapskate and freeloader like me?
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Old Mar 21st 2018, 9:12 pm
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Default Re: A couple of quick health care questions

Originally Posted by Ukkram
Perhaps this info will help some people. We dumped our Allianz Medical Insurance and opted for state medical.
We got our SNS medical cards and saved us some €1 350,00 pa.

I then went to my "Family Doctor" and paid €2.50 for my script. Did not see the doctor but placed my script with the staff.

A few days later I got an SMS for the medication and showed it to the pharmacy staff.

Got my meds at 30% of the price I paid at the same pharmacy when I was on private med insurance. Never mind the €12,50 I had to pay per visit privately.

So I saved €10 for the appointment and about €8 for the medication. This equates to €54 every 3 months or €216 pa plus €1 350,00 to total of
€1 566 .00 pa savings. How good is that for a cheapskate and freeloader like me?
Ukkram, did you have a Medal insurance?

I agree with you. For me the most frightening would be unnessesary check-ups within the private sector, so that they keep themselves busy. It is all about money money money.
The combination money and health is for me an unhealthy one ......

Another thing is that those expats who will leave Portugal several months yearly, will continue to pay for the private health insurance and get (almost) nothing in return.

Last edited by Pilou; Mar 21st 2018 at 9:15 pm.
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Old Mar 22nd 2018, 9:19 am
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Default Re: A couple of quick health care questions

Originally Posted by Pilou
frightening would be unnessesary check-ups within the private sector, so that they keep themselves busy. It is all about money money money.
The combination money and health is for me an unhealthy one ......
I think of it the other way around; more checkups are better, and the over stressed public sector is likely to avoid them.

The insurance company bean counters don't allow unnecessary procedures. Every single test is queried. Indeed, people complain about it both ways!

Recently I was in for kidney stones; the specialist said he'll order just a few essential checks.

I told him order as many as he can; early detection of disease is a life saver. I'll cover the copay.

In any case, the private plans might not benefit the OP, as they cover little or no costs for medication.

However, in some cases at least, the private sector doctors can order procedures and meds to be administered at the public hospital. Of course the patient needs to have the pubic sector medical cover as well.

I think in this case, if the OP is serious about a move to Portugal, the only way is to come in person and inquire at the public hospital in the area of potential residence. Meet the actual specialist or assistant, with records in hand, and ask.

This is serious and costly stuff, if it turns out the required meds are not available then the move will have to be reversed.
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Old Mar 22nd 2018, 9:25 am
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Default Re: A couple of quick health care questions

Originally Posted by liveaboard
However, in some cases at least, the private sector doctors can order procedures and meds to be administered at the public hospital. Of course the patient needs to have the pubic sector medical cover as well.
If the private doctor would tell me I need surgery, he can oder a surgery in the state hospital and give the details of the check-up that shows I need it?
Will I save time by doing this?
To see a skin doctor in the public sector, I need to wait more than 1 year. When the private doctor will tell me I have skin cancer, could I be treated in the public sector quickly?

Last edited by Pilou; Mar 22nd 2018 at 9:30 am.
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Old Mar 22nd 2018, 9:25 am
  #25  
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Default Re: A couple of quick health care questions

Originally Posted by liveaboard
I think of it the other way around; more checkups are better, and the over stressed public sector is likely to avoid them.

The insurance company bean counters don't allow unnecessary procedures. Every single test is queried. Indeed, people complain about it both ways!

Recently I was in for kidney stones; the specialist said he'll order just a few essential checks.

I told him order as many as he can; early detection of disease is a life saver. I'll cover the copay.

In any case, the private plans might not benefit the OP, as they cover little or no costs for medication.

However, in some cases at least, the private sector doctors can order procedures and meds to be administered at the public hospital. Of course the patient needs to have the pubic sector medical cover as well.

I think in this case, if the OP is serious about a move to Portugal, the only way is to come in person and inquire at the public hospital in the area of potential residence. Meet the actual specialist or assistant, with records in hand, and ask.

This is serious and costly stuff, if it turns out the required meds are not available then the move will have to be reversed.
Excellent advice. I am kicking myself for not doing that when I was there this winter. I did visit a private doc for an eye infection but we only briefly talked about it. Unfortunately, she knew nothing about the medicine and seemed to slag off the national health insurance - which I think was more her interest than mine.
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Old Mar 23rd 2018, 8:17 am
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Default Re: A couple of quick health care questions

Originally Posted by Pilou
If the private doctor would tell me I need surgery, he can oder a surgery in the state hospital and give the details of the check-up that shows I need it?
Will I save time by doing this?
To see a skin doctor in the public sector, I need to wait more than 1 year. When the private doctor will tell me I have skin cancer, could I be treated in the public sector quickly?
My wife got a referral by a private ENT to the state oncology hospital and started treatment within days.
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Old Mar 23rd 2018, 9:02 am
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Default Re: A couple of quick health care questions

Originally Posted by Ukkram
My wife got a referral by a private ENT to the state oncology hospital and started treatment within days.
Thanks for this info. So this is a non-expensive way to speed up.
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Old Mar 23rd 2018, 9:12 am
  #28  
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Default Re: A couple of quick health care questions

Originally Posted by Pilou
Thanks for this info. So this is a non-expensive way to speed up.
I don't think you can rely on it to work in that manner in all circumstances.
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Old Mar 23rd 2018, 9:20 am
  #29  
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Default Re: A couple of quick health care questions

Originally Posted by Red Eric
I don't think you can rely on it to work in that manner in all circumstances.
This could mean that when a check up in the private sector proves somebody has cancer, the public sector would ignore that and would tell you to wait 1 year to have the first appointment.
If that would be the case, I would not stay in Portugal!
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Old Mar 23rd 2018, 9:32 am
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Default Re: A couple of quick health care questions

No, I wasn't talking about cancers specifically. I was talking about using private consultants for referrals to the public service in general.

For example, waiting lists for ophthalmology are quite long in my area and as a result my wife uses a private practitioner. I don't think it would have been an option - or not one that would have provided a short cut, anyway, even if it were possible - to have him refer her to the public service for the 3 operations she had to undergo last year.
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