This iReport is part of an assignment:
Bitter pill: The cost of health care in the U.S.
About this iReport
- Posted March 4, 2013 by
- traveller623 Follow
Location
Rethymno prefecture, Crete, Greece
Rethymno prefecture, Crete, Greece
Assignment
 |
More iReports you should see
Paying full freight abroad
After a recent eleven-day in-patient psych hospitalization for a family member, while we were temporarily resident in Greece, I as an American was alarmed to hear that we would have to pay the full cost on discharge--the hospital would not itself deign to deal with either Medicare or Blue Cross, both of which cover this patient. But full freight turned out to be 471.11 Euros, or $627 US. They charged us for only ten days at 40 Euros ($53.24) per day, plus 71.11 Euros ($94.64) for a CT scan of the brain (for which we got to take home the actual film). That kind of sticker shock I can survive.
This is in a country with a national health system. Under that system, citizens are theoretically covered, but like much in Greece it is hideously broken, so that national health patients are extorted for bribe money, called fakelaki ("little envelope"). Perhaps had we paid fakelaki the care would have been better, but it was not too shabby without it.
This is in a country with a national health system. Under that system, citizens are theoretically covered, but like much in Greece it is hideously broken, so that national health patients are extorted for bribe money, called fakelaki ("little envelope"). Perhaps had we paid fakelaki the care would have been better, but it was not too shabby without it.
- TAGS:
- GROUPS:
What do you think of this story?
Select one of the options below. Your feedback will help tell CNN producers what to do with this iReport. If you'd like, you can explain your choice in the comments below.
Be and editor! Choose an option below:
More from this assignment - Bitter pill: The cost of health care in the U.S.
iReport welcomes a lively discussion, so comments on iReports are not pre-screened before they post. See the iReport community guidelines for details about content that is not welcome on iReport.
© 2013 Cable News Network. 
Comments