Cataract Surgery

Dr. Biscoe removed one for me. I was very pleased with him & the hospital but the hospital bill was ridiculous & they would not reduce it. I then went to Puerto Rico to have the other one done & used Dr. Jose Matos-Moro in San Juan where it was very much cheaper & I didn't have to pay any co-pay & the insurance covered half the plane fares.

Oops, got the name wrong.

Jose G. Matos Malave Md,
Specialty: Ophthalmology
Address: Capital Center Sur Ph1202
Arterial Hostos 239
City: San Juan
Phone: 787-281-0030

Trade,

Thanks!

Did you have to hang around in PR for any length of time?

You have to go once for the appointment & they'll send you downstairs for blood work, then return after you get your surgery scheduled, go the day before surgery & get a fast check-up (plus you need a chest ex-ray which I got on St. Thomas) Then stay overnight because the doctor needs to see you the day afterwards. They also insist on you having somebody wait for you while they're doing surgery.

Trade,

I wonder why they required the chest x-ray? I've had cataract surgery on both eyes plus multiple retina surgeries (all done stateside) and never had any x-rays taken. Didn't have any blood work either. Just curious! (I never dreamed I'd have these problems with the eyes when I reached my 60's, now it's almost routine and scary!) I always keep my fingers crossed while on-island! So far so good.

Trade,

I think I did have blood work done on my first operation, so I guess it must have just carried over from one surgery to another. I don't remember having it done again but of course I'm getting older! 😀

DanielB, I have no idea about the chest ex-ray just that they required it in Puerto Rico. I don't recall that I had to have it done with Dr. Biscoe. They sent me to some doctor for a routine check-up (heart, etc.) I also didn't understand why I had to have somebody waiting for me with the surgery. I glossed over that & almost had to pay a taxi driver to sit there but the doctor allowed one of his staff to be the person waiting. I used Priceline for the hotel & bid & won the Sheraton by the cruise ship docks in Old San Juan. They also required you wear socks during the surgery with the excuse that the room is very cold so I had to run around & finally found some at Marshall's over there.

Medicare fully covered my cataract surgery. In VI or PR are there charges above Medicare? I would assume the hospital charges would be covered, as well as the surgery.

Medicare doesn't cover Multifocal lenses/Accommodating lenses. That would have cost me about $2,000 above Medicare, so I just got a normal lens.

I don't know what Medicare covers here as far as the hospital goes. You'd have to check with Dr. Biscoe to see if he accepts it. Not all doctors do.

Edward: Don't ever assume in the Virgin Islands...

Good advice. Assumptions are for planning. Confirmation is for preparing. Double-checking is for doing. I've lived in post-Soviet space for 6 years; same story.

I double-checked. Dr Biscoe confirms Medicare will take care of its share and TriCare for Life will cover the rest.

That applies to his charges as well as to pre-procedure exam and hospital charges.

While Dr. Biscoe was operating he had music playing in the background, including this song:

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.

😀