Cancer Treatment Las Palmas - Out Of Pocket Expenses

[FRY]

I'd like to share my experience: (sorry it's a bit long)

In January/February this year, I underwent 7 weeks of Chemo-Radiotherapy in Las Palmas for throat cancer. So that was flying out every Monday morning, and and returning Friday night for 7 weeks.
The Central Salud pay for your flights only. All transport in Gran Canaria, food and accomodation, you have to pay for yourself. They DO NOT pay for Taxis. So that's buses from the Airport to Hotel, hotel, buses from Hotel to the Hospital, and food. At the end of your treatment, having kept EVERY receipt, you hand it all in and you get paid back. That's what's supposed to happen.

I finished my treatment near the end of February, and having sorted out all my receipts, which amounted to almost â,¬2000.00, handed them in at the beginning of March.
8 MONTHS down the line I am still waiting, despite numerous visits to them, including the last one accompanied by the editor of a local newspaper.
They are under-staffed. One woman is doing all the financial paperwork for the Central Salud, for the whole of the Island, this is what they say.

Whilst in Gran Canaria, you are allwed â,¬50.00 per day for ALL EXPENSES. It's not possible to find a Hotel in LP for less than â,¬50.00, so it's  down to a Hostel. Which in LP are not very Salubrious to say the least. Treatment in the mornings and 6 hours later in the early evening means 4 bus journeys per day, and what you have left is for food.
If you are a couple, you can stay in the Red Cross Apartments across from the Hospital, for free, which includes a nice kitchen. They don't take singles.

So, now I am told that by the end of this month it will be resolved. At the moment, I am almost â,¬2000.00 out of pocket. Watch this space.

Lastly, I would like to apologize to those who have asked for Donations for UK Cancer Charities, that they've organized in some Bar, and received an abrupt answer. I hope they understand. I have received NOTHING in Fuerteventura, and had no help whatsoever. except for my two friends who have tried to resolve. this, thank you to them.
There is only one Bar I know that raises money for a Cancer Charity in Fuerteventura, and that's for specialised equipment that's needed, and a great job Paul and Julie do too.

Anybody else gone through this Rigmarole  ?? 

[malabu]

And how did the treatment go, did they treat you right, etc. ? i hope everything went well for you.

[SheilaW]

Will be interested to hear how it goes, although I can't help with any information. I too find it a shame that so many Brits here collect for the UK while state funding over there is far better than here.

It won't help you but I wonder whether there aren't some good deals to be had on sites like HomeAway or by advertising for a room in milanuncios etc.

Hope the stress didn't affect your health too adversely and that you got top-notch medical care.

[Jester10]

As someone who was also treated for throat cancer earlier this year (in the UK) I've been raising funds for Macmillan who gave me, and continue to do so, wonderful support. I think if I lived abroad and wasn't able to rely upon the NHS I'd consider taking out a robust health care insurance policy.

Hope you're recovering, it's a horrible treatment, even 10 months down the line whilst being in remission I still feel like pooh. My story is told on Amazon if anyone is interested search #shouldertoshoulder, the island gets mentioned! All proceeds are going to Berkshire Cancer Trust and Macmillan.

[Brightspark]

Went through it when our little one was born 12 weeks early.
Flights were supposed to be reimbursed in full as promised.
After several months of flights back and forth found out that we could only claim for flights after the day she was born.
After keeping receipts to the tune of around â,¬2700 we had so many issues with paperwork and rubber stamps that we eventually gave up, but that's what their system is designed to do and indeed it worked very well.

Just wrote it off as a bad debt.

Sorry not to sound optimistic but I'm just being realistic.

[fourthwisemonkey]

Just keep hassling them. My wife had to fly out just for a consultant appointment. I paid for my ticket and hers was prepaid (booked directly at the travlel agents), we got the bus as no need for a taxi in our case. Arrived at hospital, waited forever and then when we went in to see the consultant......it was the wrong one. Kept all the paperwork and tried to get a refund. (their error) After a fair few visits to the admin at the new centro salud in puerto, lots of shouting we were told needed proof from Las Palmas hospital that we had actually attended. When we got the correct appointment we went through the same rigmarole at Las Palmas being bounced from person to person until eventually we demanded the hoja de reclamacion and stated we were issuing a denuncia. All of a sudden evryone became really helpful and we were taken to the main office somewhere in the middle of las palmas hospital where we were given numeroud stamped,signed and dated bits of paper. Took these to Rosario and then 4 weeks later ALL the money from the first wasted trip was returned (including my flights, buses and a meal.)

Not the same situation as the OP but it does show it can be done but boy is it a hassle and I am sure it would not have happened if my various spanish friends had not been with us at the various offices, shouting and generally being very dogmatic.

Hope everything went OK treatment wise as you will need all your strength and patience on this one.

[FRY]

Thanks for all the good wishes, I appreciate it. I must say that my treatment over the 7 weeks in Las Palmas was brilliant, I couldn't have wished for better. And my Otorrino Consultant (ear, nose and throat) at the hospital in Rosario, is brilliant also. I had a 6 monthly CAT scan last week, and will see my Consultant in Rosario this Monday, hopefully still clear. It's just my Saliva Glands that are still troubling me from the Radiotherapy, but this is normal as they take a good hammering.

My only problem is the bureaucracy side of it, and the paperwork trying to get my expenses back. I think a Denuncia may be the next step.

On a high note, it's good to see that "FLICKS BAR" in Corralejo raised â,¬2300 for the "Fuerteventura Charity Against Cancer", for the purchase of a machine to help against Lymph Node Cancer. They, and "Revival 70's Bar in Caleta, are doing a great job.

FLICKS BAR:

[fifi]

Wishing you the best of health from now on FRY.

An article about the Radiotherapy services was in the paper so I thought I would post it here for you. https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.canarias7.es%2Farticulo.cfm%3Fid%3D438881&edit-text=&act=url

[FRY]

Thanks for that Fifi, at least we know they are aware of the problem. They just don't have the money in Fueteventura / Lanzarote to install the required equipment, and staff to run it. Maybe if they follow the Balearics system, things will improve. At the moment, it's ridiculous.

On a lighter note, I received the results of my 6 monthly CAT Scan, and it's positive, all clear. Thanks to all the great nurses and staff at the Hospital Negrin, Las Palmas.
I do have to fly over though, every 3 months for control, to make sure it doesn't return.

[FRY]

Update:

I have today received my expenses money, paid into my bank. 9 Months after I finished my treatment.

They paid in â,¬1300. My expenses out of my own pocket were â,¬1750, so I'm â,¬450 out of pocket. My allowance over the 7 week plus a couple of days period, was â,¬1800. So now I have to go through the rigmarole of asking why It's down, I know I'll get no joy, but you have to try.

Anybody starting cancer treatment in Las Palmas, be aware of this, and keep EVERY receipt, no matter how small.

[fifi]

 http://www.canarias7.es/articulo.cfm?id=444679

I think this article is referring to funding for a Radiatiotherapy unit which translated appears as bunker.

Translated version here  https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.canarias7.es%2Fislanot.cfm%3Fi%3Dfv&edit-text=&act=url

[woe10]

Fifi, thanks for sharing,  yes that refers to the concrete bunker in which to house the RadioTherapy machine. That concrete Bunker has to be a minimum of 300mm thick due to the amount of radiation emitted. Add on top of that the cost of the machine which is around â,¬4million, plus the cost of trained technicians and nursing staff, it's not going to happen any time soon unfortunately.

[Snowdrop]

Every little bit of fundraising helps - Books Cards & Things in corralejo did their bit with their mince pies and sherry for fuerte cancer and is continuing their support 👍

[woe10]

Construction of Bunker for Radiotherapy Machine. Click image for bigger view.

http://nukmedkon.com/en/veritas.php