can i bring my father for a by pass operation?

[luck-e and Kookie 0]

hello,

im wondering if there is a way for my father to be in the US for his by pass operation.. He had a heart attack 2 yrs ago and was adviced to prepare himself for a by pass operation. I just got my k1 visa and will be leaving on june 8. Im really worried about him. he's scared going to hospitals to see a doctor. by pass here in the philippines costs 500k. i told him to go have his by pass operation already and he said, he want to have it done in the US. He tried to apply for a tourist visa so that he can go with me on june 8 but was denied.

im having mixed emotions of leaving right now. im excited to be in the US but sad because il leave him here. when i get to the US, is it possible to request to bring him there and have him do the by pass operation? I want him to be strong and healthy as i will be far from him for a while. i understand that i can petition him once i become a citizen but thats gonna take 4 yrs before i can file his petition. im realy worried about him.

thanks.

[Sylvia_n_Joseph 3]

Why do you think it would be cheaper to have it done here ? You father would not have insurance and you would have to pay for the costs up front.

I know my son had an appendix removed when he had no insurance and that added to up a 90000+ hospital stay.

[osioda 0]

I say if you can get a good doctor there an get the bypass for that kind of money you are by far better off, to do it there, the only way they would let him have it here is if he has insurance here. What you say it cost is cheap compared to here,

Steve

[aaron2020 11,651]

  luck-e and Kookie said:

hello,

im wondering if there is a way for my father to be in the US for his by pass operation.. He had a heart attack 2 yrs ago and was adviced to prepare himself for a by pass operation. I just got my k1 visa and will be leaving on june 8. Im really worried about him. he's scared going to hospitals to see a doctor. by pass here in the philippines costs 500k. i told him to go have his by pass operation already and he said, he want to have it done in the US. He tried to apply for a tourist visa so that he can go with me on june 8 but was denied.

im having mixed emotions of leaving right now. im excited to be in the US but sad because il leave him here. when i get to the US, is it possible to request to bring him there and have him do the by pass operation? I want him to be strong and healthy as i will be far from him for a while. i understand that i can petition him once i become a citizen but thats gonna take 4 yrs before i can file his petition. im realy worried about him.

thanks.

As someone who is coming to the US on a K1 visa this June, you need to know a few things about America. Life here is not easy and not everyone is rich as lots of people in foreign countries may think. We do not have socialize medicine. People have to pay for their medical care through insurance or out of their pockets. There are lots of people here who have neither insurance or money and go on with little or no health care. It appears that you think you can bring your father over for a free operation. That is not going to happen. People here in the US, both citizens and legal residents, don't get free operations. There is no way that US immigration will let your father into the US on a tourist visa so he can get free health care.

Even after you get your US citizenship, it will be very hard for you to petition for your father as it looks like he will become a public charge. The idea that someone can bring a sick foreign citizen to the US through the immigration process so the US taxpayers can pay for his/her health care is one of the reason that people here want to restrict the number of immigrants coming into the US.

Edited May 3, 2009 by aaron2020

[Sylvia_n_Joseph 3]

  osioda said:

I say if you can get a good doctor there an get the bypass for that kind of money you are by far better off, to do it there, the only way they would let him have it here is if he has insurance here. What you say it cost is cheap compared to here,

Steve

Insurance here would never pay for a pre existing condition. They would have to pay cash for the operation and the hosiptal stay.

[luck-e and Kookie 0]

  Sylvia_n_Joseph said:

  osioda said:

I say if you can get a good doctor there an get the bypass for that kind of money you are by far better off, to do it there, the only way they would let him have it here is if he has insurance here. What you say it cost is cheap compared to here,

Steve

Insurance here would never pay for a pre existing condition. They would have to pay cash for the operation and the hosiptal stay.

hi guys, the reason why i ask is not to be able to get free operation for my dad. It just so happen that i get insurance from my fiance's family's business and that can cover up to my parents degree. but the thing is he is in the philippines.

[Boiler 46,336]

Very very unlikely that it would cover your father.

Have a look at India, I know many people go there for such operations, much much cheaper than the US.

[Dakine 26]

I'd double check on the coverage. If he can get such as you say then have your fiance contact his senator and see what they can do about getting your pops to the US for surgery.

I wish you luck as I'm also skeptical about your papang being covered.

Edited May 4, 2009 by Haole

[Boiler 46,336]

as I am sure were the Consulate.

Perhaps something your Finacee could raise with his company's immigration lawyers?

[Sylvia_n_Joseph 3]

Read the fine print and see if he needs a medical before joining of if they have anything that won't cover preexisting conditions.

[motu 6]

Most Insurances won't cover his pre-existing condition. The only way it works is if he was over 65 and then he would be covered under Medicaid (but he may need to be an LPR for it). Have your fiancee check into coverage - most insurance companies won't add you to the husband's policy till you are married to him (yes, its not so simple). He may have a great plan that may cover your father eventually but I would be willing to bet it won't.

Applying for visitpr's visa is another thing - if he is coming for medical reasons, you need to look at that (there might be an option). Good Luck

[brooklyn212 0]

my friend mom did that surgery here. they don't have any papers. however, once she went to the hospital they gave her emergency medicaid. and they did the surgery for her. i'm not sure abt her age. if u go to gov't hospital that can b done.

[TayRivers 4]

  shihnazf said:

my friend mom did that surgery here. they don't have any papers. however, once she went to the hospital they gave her emergency medicaid. and they did the surgery for her. i'm not sure abt her age. if u go to gov't hospital that can b done.

I am sorry that the OP's father is ill and needs surgery. BUT why should she bring him to the US and him have his surgery at tax payer expence. I do not pay my tax so people can come to the US for "free" medical care.. There are people who are US Citizens who die every year because they can afford the cost of the treatment needed.

[vsmtghdy 2]

Try to check your insurance coverage and their policies if they indeed can cover for a new patient with pre-existing disease. Also for a new patient here in the US, it is not that simple to get and find a doctor that will accept him. And you cannot go directly to a specialist (Cardiologist), patient will need a referral from a primary physician. For new patients, the Doctor need to accept the patient and it may take 2-3 months for them to check about the patient's case and status (also of they think patient will be able to pay them, etc..).

That happened to my husband (and he is a US citizen), he is under my insurance coverage since I work in a hospital here in CA. I was looking for a Doctor to accept him as new patient and they told me that it would take 2-3 months and that is how it works. So what I did is talk to the Doctor directly. I talked to an Internal Medicine specialist that works in our hospital to accept my husband, and I got him scheduled for an appointment within a week. Then he was referred to a Cardiologist within a month and then referred to a Cardiac Surgeon within 2-3 weeks.

When he had his Cardiac Catheterization done, the cost was $37,000.00 and that is just for a procedure (and they can also do stenting during this procedure). My husband then underwent an open heart surgery for a valve replacement (which will be the same procedure= open heart= for a Bypass surgery). Lucky for my husband he don't need a bypass but only a valve replacement. But I don't want to seeor even think how much it cost.... My insurance paid for it all, but that is because I have a good Insurance coverage and I work in a hospital as an RN.

If you are worried that the cost of a bypass in the Philippines is 500K, that is way a lot cheaper than doing it here in the US. Just imagine a Cardiac catheterization is already $37K (which is p1,776,000), how much would you think an open heart surgery would cost here if your insurance will not cover for the opeartion? For your father's case, he will be needing work-ups prior to operation, like EKG, 2d-echo/doppler and cardiac cath to determine if he will be needing more than a bypass. Even if these procedures where done in the Philippines, they will have to repeat and do it here again because that is how the procedure works here. Doctors will not do things like surgery without having to check the patient themselves, and they need to do what is required before the operation.

Check your insurance coverage first then find a doctor that will accept your father and if you can do this, then I don't see anything wrong for your father to have his bypass done here in the US. But if you will encounter problems, then might as well have the surgery done there in the Phils. We have good/excellent cardiologist and cardiac surgeons in the Philippines. Don't know who your father's cardiologist is, but Dr. Tamayo is a Cardiologist in St. Luke's and she is also the Department head of Cardiac Rehab there, and she was my mentor during my Residency Training, she is a very nice lady doctor and they do cardiac surgeries at St. Luke's.

(Just an advice)

[Boiler 46,336]

The OP has moved on to bringing her nice and nephew to the US.