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.... I have a specialty question that you may be able to answer. I have a rare bleeding disorder called Hemophilia A, and I know that there are over 1000 documented cases in Taiwan, but don't know what kind of care I could expect if I were to come over as a Foreign teacher. I am on a program such that I receive a certain amount of the medication per week. It is an obscenely expensive medication, and I'm wondering if they would frown upon a foreigner like myself coming in to create such a burden on the medicare system, or if they would even cover me at all. Any information you have available or hints at the right direction of inquiry would be extremely helpful.
[Taiwan] [Hemophilia]
4 comments:
You need to name the medicines and then get a price list.
First of all, you're not eligible for health care anyways until you get an ARC and you live here for 4 continuous months.
Second, even without national health care, general health care costs do seem lower in Taiwan. I'd call (National Taiwan University Hospital, Veteran's Hospital, Cathay (Guo2tai4)) to find out the prices for what you need.
I stronglyk, strongly don't recommend coming here because you think you're going to save on healthcare costs (you might not), but more importantly living in a new environment with new food, air pollution, different water, etc, could mess you up even more.
Hmm. Interesting question. why not ask some Taiwanese doctors who are web-bloggers like DocVic, who is an ER doc.
Alternatively, call the major teaching hospitals in Taiwan, and tell them that you have this specific bleeding disorder, and see how arrangment would be made in terms of getting the treatment and paying for it.
Even if you do get health care and health care cost is considerably lower in TW, you get a great job teaching and making enough money, I wonder if there would be any adequate support system for you. I can only suggest you take a trip to Taiwan BEFORE you make the move. Check out the city(s) you have considered to go and find out. One thing I imagine now is making appt. with and seeing your doctor could take longer time. What if you need hospitalization? Do you have anyone there helping you? My father was ill 2 yrs ago and all of us were in the US. We had to hire 2 young ladys to help him, 12 hr shift. It could be done but it cost a small fortune. All in all, other than medical care, you have got to think about how you would build a support system around you in TW? Who would be there for you?
I don't have any information about whether the medicare system would pay for the medicine for Hemophilia, however, for medical care (for foreigners) in Taiwan, I know a lot of people go to the Taiwan Adventist Hospital. They have a Priority Care Center:
http://www.tahsda.org.tw/en/3120.php
It's a bit more pricy compare to having the health insurance but it's still affordable. Might be worth giving them a call and find out.
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