Clinics/Hospitals in Cebu similar to St. Lukes Clinic in Manila

[apellica 80]

Hi all,

 

My fiancee and I are currently going through the K1-Visa process and one of the things we want to prepare for is the medical exam at St. Luke's Clinic.  She doesn't want any surprises and is trying to find a clinic that is equipped to do the same level of tests as St. Luke's.  My fiancee currently lives in General Santos.  The clinics/hospitals around her area are either just not properly equipped and/or won't provide her any tests without an referral.  I don't even know how difficult it is to get a referral there without having some known problem.  If you are feeling fine, some doctor's won't even waste there time. Generally, Filipinos don't have a dedicated doctor and just go the clinic/hospital when they are not feeling well.

 

She tried going to a local hospital and her company's insurance (MaxiCare) won't cover any of the physical exam or communicable tests.  She asked a lot of questions on what she can do and they couldn't help her or provide her some direction on how to obtain the tests, the costs, etc.  So, we are thinking she can go to Cebu (since she visits there often for family) and find a good place there that can do the tests for a fee.  In any case, she is looking into Chong Hua Hospital as an option.  Again, we just want to avoid any surprises that can cause an instant denial when she goes to the interview.  What are your thoughts?  Any advice or recommendations?  Is it expensive to get these tests done?

 

[Sarge2155 4,584]

7 minutes ago, apellica said:

Hi all,

 

My fiancee and I are currently going through the K1-Visa process and one of the things we want to prepare for is the medical exam at St. Luke's Clinic.  She doesn't want any surprises and is trying to find a clinic that is equipped to do the same level of tests as St. Luke's.  My fiancee currently lives in General Santos.  The clinics/hospitals around her area are either just not properly equipped and/or won't provide her any tests without an referral.  I don't even know how difficult it is to get a referral there without having some known problem.  If you are feeling fine, some doctor's won't even waste there time. Generally, Filipinos don't have a dedicated doctor and just go the clinic/hospital when they are not feeling well.

 

She tried going to a local hospital and her company's insurance (MaxiCare) won't cover any of the physical exam or communicable tests.  She asked a lot of questions on what she can do and they couldn't help her or provide her some direction on how to obtain the tests, the costs, etc.  So, we are thinking she can go to Cebu (since she visits there often for family) and find a good place there that can do the tests for a fee.  In any case, she is looking into Chong Hua Hospital as an option.  Again, we just want to avoid any surprises that can cause an instant denial when she goes to the interview.  What are your thoughts?  Any advice or recommendations?  Is it expensive to get these tests done?

 

Only SLEC can do the medical, no other clinic can ONLY SLEC, if you do it SLEC will not accept outside clinics.

[Hank_ 9,174]

10 minutes ago, apellica said:

Hi all,

 

My fiancee and I are currently going through the K1-Visa process and one of the things we want to prepare for is the medical exam at St. Luke's Clinic.  She doesn't want any surprises and is trying to find a clinic that is equipped to do the same level of tests as St. Luke's.  My fiancee currently lives in General Santos.  The clinics/hospitals around her area are either just not properly equipped and/or won't provide her any tests without an referral.  I don't even know how difficult it is to get a referral there without having some known problem.  If you are feeling fine, some doctor's won't even waste there time. Generally, Filipinos don't have a dedicated doctor and just go the clinic/hospital when they are not feeling well.

 

She tried going to a local hospital and her company's insurance (MaxiCare) won't cover any of the physical exam or communicable tests.  She asked a lot of questions on what she can do and they couldn't help her or provide her some direction on how to obtain the tests, the costs, etc.  So, we are thinking she can go to Cebu (since she visits there often for family) and find a good place there that can do the tests for a fee.  In any case, she is looking into Chong Hua Hospital as an option.  Again, we just want to avoid any surprises that can cause an instant denial when she goes to the interview.  What are your thoughts?  Any advice or recommendations?  Is it expensive to get these tests done?

 

You are overthinking things!     You are not going to avoid any surprises by all of that, just wasting time and money.     

 

Get the medical done at SLEC and move on!

 

https://www.visaconnection-philippines.com/medical---slec.html

 

https://www.visaconnection-philippines.com/us-embassy-usem.html

[Del A. 44]

32 minutes ago, apellica said:

Again, we just want to avoid any surprises that can cause an instant denial

I think what you should address is the root of the problem: your fiancee's mindset. I was as worried as she is at the time of my exam but it came out fine. Note that I didn't do anything special health-wise before my medical, either. With my research I've seen a lot of beneficiaries adopt their own routines weeks or months before the medical because..well..there's not much to do for "preparation" besides that, and there's no sure way of telling that these methods actually have quantifiable results; but it certainly gave them peace of mind and confidence. Maybe your fiancee could do something like this instead so she could be more at ease.

 

I've seen some people who tried to replicate the medical exam at St. Luke's Medical Center (the main hospital, not SLEC) just to have peace of mind that they'll pass. I don't know if they all had insurance coverage on that, but if they didn't I'm sure it wasn't cheap. I've seen 1 or 2 that had good results from the "mock" exam but had trouble with the SLEC exam anyway, so you guys really shouldn't bother.

[apellica 80]

30 minutes ago, Sarge2155 said:

Only SLEC can do the medical, no other clinic can ONLY SLEC, if you do it SLEC will not accept outside clinics.

I get that.  What we are trying to do is not substitute it for SLEC.  She can't avoid SLEC and that is perfectly fine.  We just want to know the type of results she would receive before she does it again in SLEC.

 

28 minutes ago, Hank_ said:

You are overthinking things!     You are not going to avoid any surprises by all of that, just wasting time and money.     

 

Get the medical done at SLEC and move on!

 

https://www.visaconnection-philippines.com/medical---slec.html

 

https://www.visaconnection-philippines.com/us-embassy-usem.html

I might be overthinking things, but isn't getting denied at the interview also ends up being a waste of time and money (Plane tickets, Hotel stay, Clinic costs, Application Fees, etc...)?  If she gets denied, we have to pay most of that all over again.

 

I'm going to make something up for the sake of argument if you guys don't mind.  Let's say she has an interview in May 2020 and goes to SLEC during that same week.  She then gets tested for gonorrhea and it is positive.  She probably will be sent home to get it cured and then has to go back to SLEC and prove the results again causing further delays.  What we are hoping for, is if we caught it earlier (while we are in this long waiting period) we would have months to cure it and avoid any potential delays before the interview.

[apellica 80]

9 minutes ago, Del A. said:

I think what you should address is the root of the problem: your fiancee's mindset. I was as worried as she is at the time of my exam but it came out fine. Note that I didn't do anything special health-wise before my medical, either. With my research I've seen a lot of beneficiaries adopt their own routines weeks or months before the medical because..well..there's not much to do for "preparation" besides that, and there's no sure way of telling that these methods actually have quantifiable results; but it certainly gave them peace of mind and confidence. Maybe your fiancee could do something like this instead so she could be more at ease.

 

I've seen some people who tried to replicate the medical exam at St. Luke's Medical Center (the main hospital, not SLEC) just to have peace of mind that they'll pass. I don't know if they all had insurance coverage on that, but if they didn't I'm sure it wasn't cheap. I've seen 1 or 2 that had good results from the "mock" exam but had trouble with the SLEC exam anyway, so you guys really shouldn't bother.

I hear ya.  Yeah it is the peace of mind we want more than anything.  That's why we want to go to a reputable clinic that can replicate the routine done in SLEC.  The K1 Visa process is not cheap to begin with, so I hate to lose time since I find that to be very valuable these days.

[Peter and Kat 52]

27 minutes ago, apellica said:

I hear ya.  Yeah it is the peace of mind we want more than anything.  That's why we want to go to a reputable clinic that can replicate the routine done in SLEC.  The K1 Visa process is not cheap to begin with, so I hate to lose time since I find that to be very valuable these days.

Hi. I am a physician and I understand your predicament. I myself sought consult from the pulmonologist and was advised to do a preliminary xray a month before my medical exam at st. Luke's. I have no symptoms of tuberculosis but I am constantly exposed due to my line of work. That is what I felt would delay my visa processing. Luckily I was cleared. 

 

My advise is to go to any reputable internist and explain your situation. He or she would most likely do a more focused exam and do tests on what you are most worried about. That way you have clearance from a specialist as well as your peace of mind. Your health card most likely won't cover the costs of the consult and the exam but at least having more focused tests done is cost efficient. Good luck to you! 

[apellica 80]

5 minutes ago, Peter and Kat said:

Hi. I am a physician and I understand your predicament. I myself sought consult from the pulmonologist and was advised to do a preliminary xray a month before my medical exam at st. Luke's. I have no symptoms of tuberculosis but I am constantly exposed due to my line of work. That is what I felt would delay my visa processing. Luckily I was cleared. 

 

My advise is to go to any reputable internist and explain your situation. He or she would most likely do a more focused exam and do tests on what you are most worried about. That way you have clearance from a specialist as well as your peace of mind. Your health card most likely won't cover the costs of the consult and the exam but at least having more focused tests done is cost efficient. Good luck to you! 

Thank you for the response.  She will try her best to find a place equipped to do that and is reputable.

[Commish10 427]

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I have a few questions about SLEC.

Will I be allowed in with her and 3 yo daughter?

Her daughter has some type of minor heart condition that is monitored by a doctor monthly. Should we bring those records?

 

Thanks

 

[Sarge2155 4,584]

38 minutes ago, apellica said:

Thank you for the response.  She will try her best to find a place equipped to do that and is reputable.

My wife got a check up prior to SLEC xray and all she came out clear. Got to SLEC she had to give sputum. Bottom line  hard to get peace of mind you can not base other clinics on SLEC, but to each is own. SLEC is a whole another animal.

[apellica 80]

3 minutes ago, Sarge2155 said:

My wife got a check up prior to SLEC xray and all she came out clear. Got to SLEC she had to give sputum. Bottom line  hard to get peace of mind you can not base other clinics on SLEC, but to each is own. SLEC is a whole another animal.

Is SLEC so advanced to compared to any other clinic in the country?  I feel like there just has to be other venues out there like St. Luke's.  It blows my mind that SLEC is so different than any other medical institute around....

[Commish10 427]

2 minutes ago, apellica said:

Is SLEC so advanced to compared to any other clinic in the country?  I feel like there just has to be other venues out there like St. Luke's.  It blows my mind that SLEC is so different than any other medical institute around....

It is the place that the US embassy has contracted with probably because of its proximity, and that most people do their medical and interview within a day or 2 of each other. 

[payxibka 10,045]

10 minutes ago, apellica said:

Is SLEC so advanced to compared to any other clinic in the country?  I feel like there just has to be other venues out there like St. Luke's.  It blows my mind that SLEC is so different than any other medical institute around....

Normal clinics follow standard Philippines medical practices.   SLEC follows the contracting foreign state's standard medical practices,  which could be / will be different 

[Peter and Kat 52]

57 minutes ago, Sarge2155 said:

My wife got a check up prior to SLEC xray and all she came out clear. Got to SLEC she had to give sputum. Bottom line  hard to get peace of mind you can not base other clinics on SLEC, but to each is own. SLEC is a whole another animal.

How far apart were the initial check up and the check up at SLEC? Was an initial xray done? The xray done at SLEC was as standard as any other xray. No special procedures were administered. She could have easily contracted it between that time period if she weren't careful enough. Tuberculosis is endemic in the Philippines that is why precautions are always necessary. 

 

36 minutes ago, payxibka said:

Normal clinics follow standard Philippines medical practices.   SLEC follows the contracting foreign state's standard medical practices,  which could be / will be different 

Tuberculosis is tuberculosis, there is no grey area. Diagnostics are the same. Clinical practice guidelines are standard regardless of which country you go to. 

[Peter and Kat 52]

58 minutes ago, apellica said:

Is SLEC so advanced to compared to any other clinic in the country?  I feel like there just has to be other venues out there like St. Luke's.  It blows my mind that SLEC is so different than any other medical institute around....

It is the same. You just pay a hell of a lot more for tests that could be done at any other hospital. By the way, I forgot to mention that a friend of mine owns Davao Doctors Hospital in Davao City. It is a tertiary hospital and way closer to General Santos than Cebu. Your fiancée might like to inquire of their services for her preliminary clearance.