# Cost of health care



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Today I had an op on my right eye at CdS Hospital, Marbella. Nothing major, just a cataract op.
I was interested to receive a 'bill' telling me the cost of the procedure, €865.
I had the other eye done last autumn so the total cost was €1730.
A friend had the op done privately, she thinks by a CdS surgeon moonlighting. I think the cost was €4000, not sure if that was for one or both eyes.
I am a great fan of the CdS Hospital and I am surprised that the same procedure seems to cost at least twice as much, maybe more, when done privately.
It reinforces my belief in publicly funded health care.


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## Roy C (Sep 29, 2012)

Pardon my ignorance but could you not get this done by the state healthcare or is this something they don't do?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Roy C said:


> Pardon my ignorance but could you not get this done by the state healthcare or is this something they don't do?


I don't think she had to pay. The hospital is in the state healthcare system. It's just informative and is done in quite a few places now so that the patient is aware of how much the procedure actually cost.


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## fergie (Oct 4, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> Today I had an op on my right eye at CdS Hospital, Marbella. Nothing major, just a cataract op.
> I was interested to receive a 'bill' telling me the cost of the procedure, €865.
> I had the other eye done last autumn so the total cost was €1730.
> A friend had the op done privately, she thinks by a CdS surgeon moonlighting. I think the cost was €4000, not sure if that was for one or both eyes.
> ...


Hope all went well with your eye surgery today, and hope it is not too uncomfortable, how is the other one done last autumn? Is there a marked improvement.:fingerscrossed:
I hope you don't mind me asking, but does your regular optician refer you for the operation? Or do they inform the GP to refer when cataracts are ready for surgery.
I was diagnosed with cataracts last summer, by specsavers, she said they would take about 2 years till my eyes needed surgery, but they didn't explain the referral process.
I must admit, I am a bit scared of having the left eye done, as I already have a lot of corneal scaring from years of ulcers, due to a virus, in the optic nerve.


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## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

*Eyes*



fergie said:


> Hope all went well with your eye surgery today, and hope it is not too uncomfortable, how is the other one done last autumn? Is there a marked improvement.:fingerscrossed:
> I hope you don't mind me asking, but does your regular optician refer you for the operation? Or do they inform the GP to refer when cataracts are ready for surgery.
> I was diagnosed with cataracts last summer, by specsavers, she said they would take about 2 years till my eyes needed surgery, but they didn't explain the referral process.
> I must admit, I am a bit scared of having the left eye done, as I already have a lot of corneal scaring from years of ulcers, due to a virus, in the optic nerve.


In the 'olden days', a patient had to wait until he was almost blind before the op was done, but nowadays it can be done almost at the minute it is discovered.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

fergie said:


> Hope all went well with your eye surgery today, and hope it is not too uncomfortable, how is the other one done last autumn? Is there a marked improvement.:fingerscrossed:
> I hope you don't mind me asking, but does your regular optician refer you for the operation? Or do they inform the GP to refer when cataracts are ready for surgery.
> I was diagnosed with cataracts last summer, by specsavers, she said they would take about 2 years till my eyes needed surgery, but they didn't explain the referral process.
> I must admit, I am a bit scared of having the left eye done, as I already have a lot of corneal scaring from years of ulcers, due to a virus, in the optic nerve.


Yes, thanks, all went well. Have to go back to the hospital this morning to check all is well and have to wear an eye protector whilst sleeping for a month.

Like you, my optician told me two years ago I had cataracts and last spring I went to my village consultorio where the doc referred me to the CdS Opthalmology guys.
No need to be scared (although understandable) as you will be in very good, caring hands.

The only disadvantage I have experienced is the shock of seeing more clearly my ageing, lined face in the mirror.


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## fergie (Oct 4, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> Yes, thanks, all went well. Have to go back to the hospital this morning to check all is well and have to wear an eye protector whilst sleeping for a month.
> 
> Like you, my optician told me two years ago I had cataracts and last spring I went to my village consultorio where the doc referred me to the CdS Opthalmology guys.
> No need to be scared (although understandable) as you will be in very good, caring hands.
> ...


Thank you Mary,


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

fergie said:


> I must admit, I am a bit scared of having the left eye done, as I already have a lot of corneal scaring from years of ulcers, due to a virus, in the optic nerve.


Will e-mail you.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

mrypg9 said:


> Today I had an op on my right eye at CdS Hospital, Marbella. Nothing major, just a cataract op.
> I was interested to receive a 'bill' telling me the cost of the procedure, €865.
> I had the other eye done last autumn so the total cost was €1730.
> A friend had the op done privately, she thinks by a CdS surgeon moonlighting. I think the cost was €4000, not sure if that was for one or both eyes.
> ...


We do have private medical cover (I get a discount from my employer) but the only times we ever use it is for specialist check-ups because the waiting list is much shorter, and occasionally when we are away. If somebody needs to go to hospital then we'll go to a public one because, in Madrid at least, we have found them to be better than the private ones.

Also we have found some doctors do both work part-time for the state as well as running their own practices.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Chopera said:


> We do have private medical cover (I get a discount from my employer) but the only times we ever use it is for specialist check-ups because the waiting list is much shorter, and occasionally when we are away. If somebody needs to go to hospital then we'll go to a public one because, in Madrid at least, we have found them to be better than the private ones.
> 
> Also we have found some doctors do both work part-time for the state as well as running their own practices.


I don't know about now, but in the past the soc sec doctors would ask if you had private, tell you to go to the specialist through the private and then go back to them with the results. The treatment in public tends to be better.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Chopera said:


> We do have private medical cover (I get a discount from my employer) but the only times we ever use it is for specialist check-ups because the waiting list is much shorter, and occasionally when we are away. If somebody needs to go to hospital then we'll go to a public one because, in Madrid at least, we have found them to be better than the private ones.
> 
> Also we have found some doctors do both work part-time for the state as well as running their own practices.


I have used private health care, so has Sandra, but our problems went undiagnosed and we wasted a lot of money.
It was my optician who did an examination and said she thought I might have other problems...I went to my local consultorio..she was right.

Yes, a lot of consultants and surgeons work in both sectors. A friend who paid a lot for her private cataract op thinks the same doctor did mine at the CdS Hospital.


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## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

mrypg9 said:


> Today I had an op on my right eye at CdS Hospital, Marbella. Nothing major, just a cataract op.
> I was interested to receive a 'bill' telling me the cost of the procedure, €865.
> I had the other eye done last autumn so the total cost was €1730.
> A friend had the op done privately, she thinks by a CdS surgeon moonlighting. I think the cost was €4000, not sure if that was for one or both eyes.
> ...


I have been quoted €2,000 to remove one cataract by a private hospital in Alicante. Unfortunately, this is not covered by my health insurance as I had a cataract removed from the other eye before retiring to Spain so there is an exclusion in the policy. The optician told me that, even with glasses, my vision is reduced by 20% in the eye with the cataract and they won´t even put me on the State Hospital waiting list until vision is reduced to 50% with glasses. The optician said that once on the list I will wait up to two years to be given an appointment for the op. My Spanish neighbour has cataracts in both eyes and he has been given the same information by his optician (a different one to me). Oh well, at least the exchange rate is good at the moment!


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## Dunpleecin (Dec 20, 2012)

There is a clinic called QVision in Almeria, where the top man there is a pioneer in cataract surgery and is one of the top 5 eye surgeons in the world. It will cost €1500 per eye, but if you are on the NHS system in Spain, I think it's possible to have it done there on the NHS, but I'm not sure.

After the initial consultation, and the surgery, there is a check up the next day, after a month, after 6 months and after a year and I think 2 years too. At any time you can go back if there are any problems. They also do finance terms so you can pay over 2 years.

Doesn't matter where you are in Spain, if you go to their site, easy with a google, and do a bio on Dr Juaquin Fernandez you'll find out all you need to know.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

One of the top 5 eye surgeons in the world and he moves to Almeria


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Isobella said:


> One of the top 5 eye surgeons in the world and he moves to Almeria


and just why should he not move to Almería, if that is his choice?


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

baldilocks said:


> and just why should he not move to Almería, if that is his choice?


It does sound a bit odd. You'd think he'd go where the money is, Marbella or Madrid.
It's his choice though...
I'm happy to stick with the excellent care provided by the Junta de Andalucia. 
We've already wasted thousands of euros on so-called top range private health care whilst waiting to be eligible for free regional care.


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

mrypg9 said:


> Yes, thanks, all went well. Have to go back to the hospital this morning to check all is well and have to wear an eye protector whilst sleeping for a month.
> 
> QUOTE]
> 
> I don't have a cataract yet but if, after the operation, you get to sleep for a month, I can't wait...


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

thrax said:


> mrypg9 said:
> 
> 
> > Yes, thanks, all went well. Have to go back to the hospital this morning to check all is well and have to wear an eye protector whilst sleeping for a month.
> ...


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