bioTD Is At It Again, BIG TIME

January 11, 2012

And my second chance to see my new special friend - Laura Chinchilla, but this time, Stef was with me to see that I was not joking.

It has been absolutely unbelievable the progress that Robin and the bioTD group has done in such a short period of time. After they won the innovation award that I told you about - Laura asked Robin how they were doing with the National Healthcare System - After he answered, she immediately set up a meeting with the necessary people involved and made sure bioTD was on top of the list.

Then, Laura decides that bioTD should have the elite status of a Nationally Recognized Company and made it a point to do the official inauguration and sign the papers to put bioTD at that status. That happened today, and it was very exciting. There were over 200 people in attendance, news people and you name it. Somehow, Stef and I were asked to sit in the front row by the podium - now, this was pretty cool because we would only be less than 10 ft away from the speaker at the time.

Robin was the first speaker and his job was to welcome everyone and thank the people who have supported bioTD. His thank you's took quite awhile.

The first Government speaker was Mayi Antillon Guerrero - the Minister of Economy, Industry and Commercial - Now, I have got to tell you that this woman came on very strong with her praise of bioTD and how the government will support their efforts. Then, she told the bankers and everyone else in the audience to do the same.

Now, it is time for my new special friend and soon to be neighbor to speak. Dona Laura Chinchilla Miranda , Sra. Presidenta del la Republica de Costa Rica - One thing that surprised me about Laura is how short she really is. Every time I saw her on the news or in the paper, I would have sworn that she was about as tall as Stef, but I was wrong - However when she starts talking, you can see a great sense of determination and strength that this woman has within her.

Laura was very kind to Robin and backed up everything that Ms Guerrero had said. Then she added much more in words of support for Robin and bioTD. That she was very proud that a company with so much to offer was born in Costa Rica and will become known on a world-wide basis as a Nationally Recognized Company of Costa Rica.

Here she is signing the documents making bioTD an Officially Recognized Company of Costa Rica. 

Now, we have the ribbon cutting ceremony - Robin's cutters were a little dull and Laura had to help him finally get the ribbon cut.

I need to take a minute and show you pictures of some of the people who have supported bioTD from the beginning.

Don & Elaine Butland from Canada who are friends and neighbors who have a vested interest in bioTD

Peter & Nim Parsons - who now live in Atenas and are friends and neighbors. Peter is an attorney was very instrumental in helping Robin get the legal side of things all set up.

Dennis and Karolyn Matthews more friends and neighbors who are strong supporters of 

bioTD.

And, sitting in the front row - my lovely wife Stephanie and your's truly.

Do you notice the empty chair sitting next to me? Check this out :-) 

That is about it for this stage of the game. Robin and the boys at bioTD are now working with a group to place their products in India and the United States - This is going to be big, and I will keep you posted.

New Year's Eve 2011 & Our Anniversary

December 31, 2011

Tonight is New Year's Eve and as some of you know - the anniversary of the night Stef and I wed 28 years ago

 Happy Anniversary Stef!!!

Based on what I have been seeing and hearing in the news, there are many who are going to say good bye and good riddance to 2011 and bring in 2012 with a hearty welcome hoping for much better things to come. Fortunately for us, we were not really affected bad with all that happened in 2011, but do like the idea of a new year and a new start.

Anyway, we got a small group together to go to a great restaurant  that I found one night. It is called Fogo Brasil Rodizio located just as you go into downtown San Jose. Now, this place is pretty cool.  This is a Brazilian Steak House that has the largest salad bar that I have ever seen with everything from green salads to sushi and all kinds of breads and deserts. I could exist just on the salad bar alone! Then, they bring you so many different kinds of meat on a stick hot off the grill where they carve it right off for you. Mmmmmm it is so good!

The group consisted of our new neighbors Gary and Sherri  Brown who just bought a house here in Atenas and are from Mass. Then, we have our other neighbors who we have become friend with - Alan & Debbie Green, and Debbie's mother Billie. Alan is the yacht broker who I helped build him a website - remember? Don't forget if you are in the market for a nice yacht just contact Alan at:  Family Yacht Sales

Left to Right are: Debbie's mother Billie, Debbie Green, Stef, Your's Truly, Sherri Brown,

 Gary Brown, and Alan Green

The napkins - I think - were set up to look like birds in the glass - I think

This gives you an idea of what the meat looked like when it is cut right off the skewer and these guys were running around all over the restaurant with different types of meat - I loved it

This is our waiter Antonio who was always there to make sure we had everything we wanted.

All in All - everyone had a great time, great companionship, and great food - what else could you ask for.

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

Season's Greetings

Please click the link below to see our Holiday Wish to You.

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=3237178738683&source=jlfb&cont=2

Enjoy,
Pete & Stef

Costa Rica's Judicial System - A Great Disappointment

After being here for 4 years, the one great disappointment that I have had is from what my experiences have been with the judicial system that exists here. Because this site is seen all over the world, it would be difficult to give you specifics without getting into trouble with the government. All that I can tell you is to be very careful in who you are dealing with and do some research on the subject before you move here. However, the one thing I can tell you is that you will need to learn to be very patient because the system is very slow and a case may take as long as 5 years to settle, and forget about anything getting accomplished around Christmas time.

New Garden For Stef

Remember the garden Stef had? It was made of bamboo and regular wood. It didn't last long because some types of bamboo rot after two years and termites ate up the wood used for the beds. By the time it was done, it only took less than 1/2 hr to tear the entire thing down. We also had to set the wood on fire to get rid of the termites. If we didn't do that, then the termites were going to head for the house, and that would not have been a good thing.

Every time I looked that way and didn't see the garden, something felt like it was missing because I knew how much Stef enjoyed it. - I decided that while she was gone, that it was going to be re-built, and made in such a way that it would last for at least 20 years.

I got my man Biron, who is an outstanding welder to make the frame out of steel and weld it together on site. Then, I had him also make the platforms for the tables out out steel. We used Cedar for the boxes that set on the platforms.

It was finished just in time before Stef returned and the results were well worth the effort. Take a look..

With the construction phase of the project completed, Noel found some real good black dirt to put in the boxes. He also added charcoal, coffee shells and rice shells to the mix. Using all this, things are going to grow very good.

The green cover on the roof area is specifically made for this purpose and will allow 50% sunlight to enter the area.

This cost me a little more than expected because Biron got a little fancy with his welding artwork. Now, my friends who come to visit are asking me not to let their wives see it because they are going to want one.

Stef has the seedlings ordered and they will arrive tomorrow...

Stef leaves Costa Rica

September 27, 2011

Stef was pretty anxious to head to Tennessee. You can see how excited she was. When we usually go there, we take an aftenoon flight and arrive in Nashville around 10:00 PM. However, her flight was scheduled for 7:00 AM, which meant that I had to have her at the airport at 5:00 AM, which meant that I had to be up at 3:30 AM - Oh Well so much for getting a good night's sleep.

I got her to the airport on time and went with her to the check-in desk to see if her bags were not too much over-weight, and they were. One thing that our friend Johanna told her is that she takes a shopping bag with her and put the excess in that because a shopping bag is not counted for a bag or weight. This is something we should all remember for future airline travel.

She gave me a hug and kiss goodbye and headed for the gate.

There she goes 

After she took off - I headed home and went back to bed for a couple of hours. She was scheduled to land in Nashville early afternoon and my friend Bob would be there to pick her up.

The Ya Ya' Girls Invade Tennessee

Stef has been away from Tennessee for several years now, and had a desire to go back and see her friends and relatives. When she told me this, she said that she had planned a month's stay there I was a little shocked. Now, little did I know that the plans she made involved several real cool events - AND -  included the Costa Rica Ya' Ya' girls meeting her there for some fun times. Oh God, do you know what that means? An invasion on Tennessee that those town-folk in Nashville are not used to. I immediately emailed my friends there and told them to batten down the hatches because they didn't know what they were in for. (in the picture) Karolyn - CR, Guess who - CR, Kathy - CR, and Carol from TN who is going to have to put up with these girls.

I had no interest in going back to the States because with all that is going on there, I get depressed. In addition, someone had to stay here and take care of things while she was gone. Besides, it would give me a chance to relax a bit, but that never happened.  Because I do not have any idea of how to cook, Stef took several days and made me about a month's worth of food, which she put in the freezer for me. I do know how to microwave things :-).

The itinerary that she put together was pretty intensive:

• Meet with her twin sister Denise whom she hasn't seen in a few years.
• Get together with some of our friends in Nashville.
• Meet the Ya' Ya's and go to Gatlenburg for a few days at Charlie's mountain resort
• Go on the annual Fall Cruise at Center Hill Lake near Nashville and raise hell. (we were the founders of this event in 1993 - there were 3 boats involved - She said there were over 100 boats this year)
• Back to Nashville and see some more friends.

To put this all into one post would make it a book, so I decided to break it up into events on several posts. - Stage 1 is about to come - Stay with us, or her should I say.

bioTD Is On the Move

August 17, 2011 - A very exciting and special day!

Remember my friend Robin who started the pharmaceutical company? If not, go back to my post dated June 11, 2011.

This is Robin and his lovely wife Ursula

Robin's team has won about 5 awards since that posing. However, today they were awarded the big one. This was for Award Winning Medical Ideas sponsored by XXI Century Strategy headed by Franklin Chang.
They won the award for the development of a replacement for the Pap Smear test - Citofem. When you go back and read my post, I stated that this was going to be the big one of all the products they have developed. 

"This award is for an outstanding contribution to science and technology. It also allows us to assess the Costa Rican efforts to develop projects based on the development of a better Costa Rica" said Costa Rican astronaut and physicist Franklin Chang Dias, president of XXI Century Strategy.

This is a picture of Dr. Roy Mora accepting the award from guess who? Laura Chinchilla - the President of Costa Rica! Dr Roy is Robin's right hand man and has done a lot of work in the development of Citofem
It also just so happens that Dr Roy has more than gone out of his way to help me with a medical condition that I had.


Robin asked me to come along for this presentation, which forced me to get dressed up in a coat and tie for the first time in years - but it was well worth it. The presentation was given at the Presidential Palace in San Jose, and there were a lot of special people in attendance. It also gave me the opportunity to meet and chat with:

US Ambassador

Anne Slaughter Andrew

The first woman ambassador to Costa Rica

Franklin Chang


Astronaut 
Holds the record for the most flights (8) into space


President 
XXI Century Strategy 


Franklin is considered a Nation Hero in Costa Rica

And last, but not least

My new special friend :-) Also, soon to be my neighbor

Laura Chinchilla

President

Republica de Costa Rica

As you can see, Robin and his team at bioTD are really making some inroads in the field of medicine. To get the details regarding Citofem, just click below to go to their website:

CITOFEM 

US Debt, Debt Ceiling, FFA and Politics

I am not one who likes to discuss Politics and refuse to be in any discussion related to it. However, after what I have seen in the past several weeks, I have got to say something.

This is the building where some people work when they want to. After several weeks of intense political bickering where the future of the US was in question and they were more worried about their political motives, I don't think that they accomplished anything but to delay an eventual bankruptcy when interest payments account for 40% of total expenditures. Then when this was over with, they decided to go on an extended recess with no decision on the outstanding FFA bill leaving thousands of people unemployed and lost revenues that amounts to billions of dollars. I really don't know what to think about all this, but it is truly disheartening how these people can actually get away with things like this. The only public response to this is that they will vote these people out of office. - With the way I see it, it really won't change things.

I am truly embarrassed to say that these people are the leaders of our country. God help us!

One Solution to this crap is what one very successful businessman said:

Subject:  "I could end the deficit in 5 minutes,"

Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the best quotes I've heard in all this drama about the debt ceiling:

"I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC. "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election."


One thing that I would like to add to this is "And, without retirement benefits"

This will be the first and only post regarding subjects like this, but this thing has really eaten me up mentally - And so, that is it.

Our New Neighbor That Lives in Trees

Josette and Vincent are staying in our apartment until their container arrives so they can move into their new home here in Hacienda Atenas. One day last week as they were driving back, they ran across this mangy animal that was no further than 20' to the entrance of our property. It is a Costa Rican Two-Toed Sloth that they were able to get a couple of pictures of him - again, right by my driveway.

According to what I have read, these critters are supposed to live in the tropical rain forest areas. It is a long way from home, but must have heard about the great weather in Atenas. Fortunately, they eat leaves and are not dangerous, so I guess he can stay around here because from the looks of his claws I really don't want to force it to leave.

For more information on the Two-Toed Sloth of Costa Rica - Just go to this link:

http://www.calnative.com/stories/n_sloth.htm

AEROCASILLAS - Beware

This is an update on the "H" truck situation, or should I say dilemma. No, let's just say -The final straw

This post got to be very long because I just got carried away with it. Because of that, I dedicated a separate page for it because it contains some very important facts. If you have any intentions of using this company, it would be in your best interest to read that page. The tab is located under the title picture.


7/10/2011 - see update on page

Not Sure About This

 

Do you remember this vehicle? Well, it has been since the day after Christmas that we have been able to use it. I'm starting to forget what the interior actually looks like. It all started about a year ago now since I got it stuck and destroyed the rear-end. That had a very negative affect on the transfer case, which leads us to today's situation. 

First.. A little background This is a transfer case. It's purpose is to enable the vehicle to have the 4x4 function. Pictured, is my old transfer case. It was also damaged when I messed up the rear-end. Now, I need to make one thing clear here - The vehicle has about 65,000 miles on it. I purchased it from the second owner who was the CFO of HP here in Costa Rica - my stupidity was that I was so anxious to get the truck, I didn't completely check the vehicle history. I later found that it was purchased by a diving equipment company who ran the ever-loving hell out of it along the Pacific Coast. - I have had over 50 vehicles in my life, and never, never had problems like I have had with this one. Now, on with story of the transfer case. Our mechanic Luis tried and tried to fix the old one with any part he could find, but it finally gave out completely the day after Christmas when I was on the way to drop some gifts off to some friends.

Time to find a replacement - no such luck in Costa Rica in spite of all the Terracans running around throughout the country. The Hyundai dealer here is a complete waste of time when looking for parts. I even went to their Regional Office, but to get all the parts needed to rebuild the case, they wanted $3,800 - Are you kidding me!!

I finally found a remanufactured unit in Oakland, California - these guys were great and got me one shipped out to our CR Courier in Miami. (There will be a special post on these guys soon) -  Then the courier brought it into Costa Rica. You are not going to believe this, but I get an email yesterday saying the part is damaged. I think what happened was that someone in Customs when they took it out of the box for inspection dropped it on the concrete floor and broke a piece of it off from the case. Check out the picture of it below. SOMEONE IS OUT TO GET ME!!

 

Luis thinks the part can be welded back onto the unit, so we are going to go to Customs to check it out. God, do I hope everything works out. In addition, the courier company has said that they will pay for all the repairs. Wish me Luck, because I need it!!

One thing that I need to mention at this time - This truck has gained a reputation in town - My friends no longer call it the Hyundai, or the Terracan 

They call it the "H" truck

What I am going to do if everything turns out good is

Paint it Black so No One Will Recognize It

New and Exciting News in the Medical Field

I have this dear friend who is also a neighbor of mine. At the time, we had known each other for about 6 months before we talked about the careers in our previous lives. Well, I would have never believed it, but he told me he was a retired bio-chemist. During his last stay in Costa Rica, he taught chemistry at the University of Costa Rica so he wouldn't get bored. This is just the beginning - read on...

Well, during this stay in Costa Rica, (which I sincerely feel he has now made the decision to stay this time for good) this guy tells me that he recently decided to start a pharmaceutical company. I was shocked. It appears that he got a team of scientists together who were medical professions and had developed some very interesting new products and wanted to introduce them to the world. I asked him "why would you want to do something of this magnitude when you are retired?" His response was, which was very interesting was:

"The products that we have developed are very innovative and will help the medical industry world-wide and I want to make sure that the world knows that they were developed in Costa Rica because this has never happened before - I want to help the people of Costa Rica be recognized for their ability"

Well, that was good enough for me. My friend started working on his business plan and did so for about 2 months non-stop. Because of my background and knowledge of writing business plans, he sometimes asked me to review his progress. In doing this, I really learned a lot, and saw that he was putting together one of the best business plans I had ever seen.

During all this, I discovered that his team had come up with some amazing products. I don't know the names of all of them but this is basically what they are:

• There is one that he claims is better than the well-known and probably most used skin care medication on the market. I have used this product for years and swear by it. He gave me a sample of his product to try, and yes - it is better. It seems to act quicker and much more effective.
• I didn't know it, but using latex gloves can cause a rash. His team developed a spray that one who is going to use latex gloves, sprays it on their hands, the hands become protected. In fact, the spray will make any rash from latex gloves go away. Knowing the number of people who need latex gloves, this innovation is significant. Another thing that came out of this was that one of Costa Rica's major banks became interested in the product because the spray protected the teller's hands from the germs that came from handling money. The bank calls it the "Invisible Gloves."
• They also developed a medication to treat acne. I haven't had a need to test this one, but I'm sure it works pretty good.
• Now the big one - The current pap smear test has been around for decades. These guys have come up with a new test that will detect cancer sooner and is less invasive to the patient. According to what I have been told, if they add something to the solution, if the woman is pregnant, it will also determine the sex of the baby. - This one really amazes me.
• They have developed some other products, but the ones above are really going to help his company grow.

I had to tell you about this because his team has really come up with some great products, and I am proud to be his friend.

Oh yes, I need to tell you about this. I have learned that my friend is very well-connected in Costa Rica. One day, he tells me that the company won some sort of award for innovation and the President of Costa Rica was going to present it to them. Well she did, and invited them over to her house for coffee and discussion after the presentation. Now, it appears that the President is going to go to their facility and tape a news program honoring them for being the first facility of its kind in Costa Rica and how proud the country was of them - My God, the President now.. oh well

If you want some more information on this company, they have a website that you can go to. The link is below

http://www.biotd.net/

I want you to know that this is not an advertisement. Just wanted to let you know about a cool friend I have.

National Health Program vs Private Insurance

In a recent post, I said that I would provide some information regarding the differences in the two healthcare programs in Costa Rica. Now, I can tell you that I am not anywhere near an expert on this subject. Below, is what I know and have experienced.Please see below..

National Healthcare Insurance of Costa Rica

The National Insurance of Costa Rica is called the CAJA.  As far as I know, you must have a residency in order to join. This is the program that all citizens of Costa Rica are covered under. The rates vary based on income, but the best place to get it is through the ARCR (an expat organization based in San Jose) Through the ARCR, our monthly premiums are about $50 per month. This includes complete coverage on medical, dental, hospital care and prescriptions. There is no co-pay, and my pre-existing conditions were not a factor.

This program has its pro’s and con’s as any other National Healthcare Program would have.  Some of the cons are that sometimes it takes a very long time to get some necessary testing and procedures done, and all of the prescriptions are generic.  The pros are that:  If you have an emergency need, there is no one better qualified to help you.  Once you start going to the local clinic and seeing a doctor, they will test you every 6 months and make sure you have the drugs that are necessary to maintain your health. From my last test, they found that I had diverticulitis and made sure that I was put on a daily fiber supplement program.

The CAJA hospitals are very good, and you don’t have to wait forever to get in for your appointment. The one I usually go to is the Hospital of Mexico located close to San Jose.  My last trip was to get a bone scan. I was in and out in about ½ hour and the equipment was identical to that of my bone doctor’s in Nashville, TN. According to what I have heard, this hospital is also considered one of the best for cancer treatment.

Private Insurance

The main company for private insurance is INS (Instituto Nacional de Seguros.) There are other companies around, but this is the main one.  The private insurance companies are very similar to those in the US, but much less expensive. They have a very good program to supplement the CAJA. Here you have a choice of doctors and hospitals to choose from. Their coverage is very good, and if you want to use a private hospital like CIMA, then this may be a program to do some more research on. The costs vary depending on your medical records. Stef opted for this additional insurance and her annual cost is around $1,200. I would expect mine to be somewhere just under $2,000. The way her program works is that she pays for the prescriptions and other care up front. She provides the receipts and is immediately reimbursed.

My Personal Program and a Recent Experience

So far, I have been extremely happy with the CAJA. The doctor I see is very highly qualified and always willing to help me with my needs.  I was also very happy with my experience at the Hospital of Mexico. Because of this and the low cost of medical care in Costa Rica, I choose to just take the CAJA program and pay cash for the other if needed.

Recently, I had to have some polyps removed from my colon.  The doctor I was working with regarding this condition told me that it would take 6 months to get into a CAJA facility to get the procedure done. Because all my friends were on my case to get it done, I opted to go to a private clinic for the procedure where I would have to pay cash.  It was done at a price of $1,300 including the biopsy lab work on the polyps that were removed.  The way I looked at it was that this was cheaper than paying the annual premium for the Private Insurance. – Now, I don’t know how much something like this would have cost in the US, but I will bet money, it was one heck of a lot cheaper.

That is about all I can tell you about the insurance programs in Costa Rica. Hope it helps.

Some Information on CR Properties

Somehow, I have been getting pretty involved in helping people to develop websites and blogs.  I guess I do this because I really enjoy creating things. Must be from my marketing background in my previous life. Atenas is big on real estate and apartment rentals because of its location. Because of this, it seems like all the websites I have been involved with relate to those topics. Because of everything that is going on in the states, I was thinking that it might not be a bad idea to share these opportunities with you. You may not be interested, but may have friends that are – believe it or not, recently I’ve been getting some phone calls from friends in the US who want more information on Costa Rica. Anyway, take a look at these sites and let me know what you think..

This is a full-blown website that just went live this morning. It’s about a new Eco Development near Atenas that is pretty neat.

http://www.ecofriendlyhousingincostarica.com//

This blog I did for some friends who have properties for sale.

http://homespropertiesandlotsatenascostarica.blogspot.com/

This blog I did hits pretty close to home because it is about lots for sale in the community where we live.

http://haciendaatenaspropertiescostarica.blogspot.com/

This is an important blog to us because one of these apartment buildings happen to be owned by us.

http://atenascostaricaapartments.blogspot.com/

I really enjoyed developing these sites. This morning, it occurred to me that maybe  others need to know about these properties, so now you have it.

Healthcare in Costa Rica - Part 1

I have been wanting to discuss this subject for a long time because I'm finding that many people who come here are not aware of the healthcare and dental services that Costa Rica has to offer. This is going to be a long post, but after you read it, I'm sure you will think it was well worth the time.

Background
When I retired, I opted to continue my medical coverage with my company's retirement plan. It started out as being reasonable for the coverage I had, but every year they would raise the premium about $100 per month. To the point that it was getting unaffordable. And, I'm sure this is the case for many of you.

When we moved here, we took on an International Healthcare policy that was pretty reasonable. Like, less than half of what I was paying for the other. At the rate we signed up for, it covered the world - except the United States - if I wanted coverage for the US, then the premium was double - does that tell you something?

When we obtained our residency status in Costa Rica, we were able to sign up to use the Government's National Healthcare Program. This is called the CAJA. Our monthly family premium is about $50 a month and it covers everything - Doctors, Dentists, Hospital, Testing and Prescriptions. There is no co-pay. After signing up for this, I cancelled my International Plan because I never had a need to use it. The Caja is the only insurance I have at this time. If I need something done in a Private facility, I'll pay cash because that comes out to be much less than a Private Insurance Policy - I will explain that later. Now, Stef is a little spoiled and thinks she needs a Private Insurance Policy, so she has one. It costs her about $100 a month and covers just about everything, including her prescriptions.

Healthcare in Costa Rica
Costa Rica offers excellent healthcare in all areas. They have some high-tech equipment that you don't see in the US. The doctors are usually educated in the States and speak very good English. The one thing that really struck out at me was they show that they care for you. This is because the culture here teaches the children to always respect the elderly, and that disapline is carried on through adulthood. In fact, the doctors here will even make house-calls - when was the last time you experienced that?

The cost for healthcare services here is much cheaper than in the US. A few examples from my experiences are:

• An Ultra-sound for $50
• A colonostopy for $320
• An EKG with equipment that let me see and hear my heart beat and some other test that I had in a major hospital affiliated with Baylor University for $250
• A complete eye exam with high-tech equipment that printed out my prescription - $6

Compare that against what you are paying for in the US. - They are very, very good here and the prices are more than reasonable.

Now, one thing that will blow you away is - I have never had to wait for more than 5 minutes to see a doctor, or make my scheduled appointment at a hospital or testing clinic. In fact, at the big fancy hospital, they took me in early for my tests.

Now, a little story that I will never forget - We know a couple from the Northeast who have a home near us. they are very dear friends who spend about 5 months a year in Atenas. He is about 74 years old, but looks healthy as a horse. - One night after a dinner party, he had an attack and had to be taken to the hospital. The Red Cross were out there to the house within 10 minutes after the call - They decided that he needed to go to the hospital - they took him to the Red Cross Clinic in Atenas and transferred him to a specialized ambulance to get him to a Government Owned hospital in nearby Alajuela. In that ambulance was a doctor, a priest, and all kinds of high-tech equipment. On the way to the hospital, the doctor ran a test on my friend. He told him that there was a problem with the lower right side of his heart. They got him to the hospital where he spent the night and was released the next day. Total cost for everything - $327. My friend who was leaving for home to the states the next day was told that he needed to see a doctor in the US to follow-up on his condition. This is what happened..

He returned to the states and immediately went to see his doctor at one of the highest respected medical centers in the country. He had to wait 12 hours for the tests to begin. After a month of tests and what probably cost his insurance company about $30,000 - they told him that he had a problem with the right lower side of his heart. Amazing!!!!

When it comes to Dental Care in Costa Rica, you will be amazed. Costa Rica's second biggest industry is dental care for people from all around the world. Why? Because they do great work at about a 1/3 rd of what it costs in the US. I was paying $50 a month for dental insurance with a large deductible. To get my teeth cleaned, I go to a local dentist who cleans my teeth all by himself and charges me $40.The equipment is similar to that in the states, but for some reason, he does a better job cleaning my teeth than anybody else has in the past. Examples of costs for some dental items are:

• Veniers - $250 each
• Crowns - $250 each

With prices like this, it is no wonder that people come here for their dental work because they get high quality dental care and the difference in cost more than pays for a vacation here.

This is a lot to digest, so I think that I am going to break this post up into several parts - In my next post, I will try my best to explain Costa Rica's National and Private Healthcare systems. Until then...