health insurance/public hospitals

1st of all we need to know your age

68 y/o Dennis

Karmsun:

From what I know so far, if you are over 65 you can not buy private insurance in Turkey. The only options you have are to use public hospital service or try to but international Health insurance  All the companies I have contacted so far are very expensive $600/month and up. I have a neighbor where I live that is an insurance salesperson with over 2500 contracts in Turkey. In a brief conversation he said he can help me but only after I am here in Turkey for a year with a residence. I will have a meeting with him to find out my options. When I do I will be happy to pass on any information I learn.

In the meantime I am forced to use the public Hospital. I just had an experience with them for a urinary tract infection/over sized prostrate problem. X-rays, blood tests, catheter and a one night stay in hospital was very in-expensive. Under $150.00 USD.

No one spoke any English and the treatment was a little on the rough side. I will have to say the treatment to relieve my pain and the meds they prescribed are working. Not as good of an experience as you might have with a private doctor but as I said it was not expensive and I have to trust that they made a good analysis of my problem.

If you have any questions in the meantime please feel free to ask.

Dennis

Thanks a lot for that info, very interesting and sorry to hear about your incident. Hope everything is going well for you. Price you paid was way lower than what it would be here in the US. But.....if something very serious happens: Cancer, heart problems (surgery) and difficulty communicating on top of no insurance........NOT GOOD. I would definitely be interested to hear what solution your neighbor might have. Please keep me informed Dennis.
           
                   I have another question for you but will send you PM on here.

That is true my friend. I have been in Kusadasi for 9 weeks now and I am over 65. I recently had a medical emergency and visited the local public hospital. I was kept overnight, had blood tests, catheder inserted, x-rays, ultra sound and was prescribed medication. I do not speak Turkish but luckily a friend came along to translate for me.

All this cost me under $200 USD. Treatment by staff was not like the states but they did a fine job in getting me back on the road to good health.

I have a 2 year renewable residency card which greatly reduced my hospital costs. I am being told by a neighbor who works in the health insurance business that he can get me affordable health insurance after I am here for 1 year.

If I can be of any further help, please let me know.

Dennis