www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Pops was recently ran over by a motorcycle while walking down the street. He has a broken pelvis and is waiting on surgery. Please keep him in your prayers.

Rover, thank you for the update - Pops is a great guy and I personally wish him the best as well as a speedy recovery.

BTW - he was RUN OVER, not RAN OVER

_________________
Jaco is called little USA by all ticos

Wow, that is unbelievable. I truly feel for him. It has to suck to be in pain like that and they are trying not to take care of you. What is this BS that is always doled out to people about the "great" health care system and how they will take care of you here? Biggest misinformation out there! Be well Pops and hope you are better soon.

Posted from AM Costa Rica as it will be difficult to find later:

Expat accident victim languished during Caja doctors strike
By Zack McDonald
of the A.M. Costa Rica staff

A quick trip to the AM/PM left Ed Hansen, a former policeman from Atlanta, stranded for days without necessary medical attention in Hospital Calderón Guardia while Caja Costarricense medical staff members were on strike.

Last Saturday morning Hansen was struck by a motorcycle as he crossed Avenida 7 in front of Casa Amarilla, to get breakfast for his girlfriend and K*ds. The motorcycle kept going while Hansen was left writhing in the street with three broken bones in his leg.

Hansen said he knew he needed surgery.

¨I didn´t see him,¨ Hansen said. ¨I got hit pretty good. Now there´s nothing holding my leg on.¨

He was taken to Hospital Calderón Guardia where, unaware of the anesthesiologists strike, he stayed for five days with no treatment.

After realizing he was not going to receive speedy treatment, he asked to be transferred to Hospital Hotel La Católica in Goicoechea where he said he had to put down a $400 deposit for a room with no guarantee of being provided care.
Hansen said the doctors there told him his injuries were definitely serious and that he could not walk or be moved anywhere else -- not even by plane, ruling out the possibility of being transported out of the country.

The doctors also told him they needed $10,000 before they could treat his injuries. He has Kaiser Permanente medical coverage from the United States.

¨The doctors said from their experience in the past with Kaiser they would need the money upfront to do the procedure,¨ Hansen said. ¨And Kaiser would reimburse me.¨

Hansen agreed to pay $1,000 dollars to the hospital to get approval for the surgery while the administrative staff negotiated the remainder of the bill with Kaiser.

Around 3 p.m. Thursday, Kaiser and Hospital Católica workers reached an agreement, and a doctor told Hansen he was approved for the procedure. However, no one provided him with specifics such as when the surgery would take place. He said he was left again, wondering what was next.
Finally, Hansen was taken in for surgery around 7 p.m. Thursday. He commented on his ordeal:

¨I don´t advise anyone to come to Costa Rica without consulting their insurance company. Anybody can be hit.¨

_________________
* These are the "Good Ole Days". Enjoy Them.

* RENT but, "Don't Buy a Home in Costa Rica" until you have lived here for THREE years.

Jesus,
Pops hope everything goes well after surgery. Get up and get going again. See you on my next trip.
This makes me wonder about how great medical services are in CR. That long before they operated,
hope they are good about pain meds. Get well !!!
Regards, 911 Driver

_________________
The happy hour is a device either for getting rid of social obligations hurriedly en masse or for making overtures toward more serious social relationships, as in the etiquette of whoring.- Brooks Atkinson

HOLY SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

get well soon Pops!!!!

if there ever was a reason to take up a collection to help a guy out this would seem to be the one.

_________________
im way deep into nothing special
riding the crest of a wave breaking just west of hollywood

If anybody is interested in donating to help offset Pops' medical bills... follow this link (we used this page to collect for the orphanage) and click on the "DONATE" buttoon in the center. You can use Paypal or any credit card.

http://home.roadrunner.com/~orange/crthelps/

I will make sure 100% of the money collected gets to Pops.

Orange:

Thanks again for your stepping up.

While I have never met Pops, and may never since I have not been to CR in a while, this is a good man to help. He has seemed to go out of his way to help others.

With all the talk about "brotherhood" on this board, all of the "brothers" should be able to give him some real help when he needs it.

Health & happiness to all................

_________________
It's not the size of the wand that put the rabbit in the hat, it's the magic in it!!!

Awesome idea, LaDiablo and Orange!

Thanks a bunch. I'll make sure Pops knows the CRT brotherhood is taking an active interest in his wellbeing.

mh

_________________
mh

UPDATE - Pops was operated on last night - the operation was a success but he's still in recovery under observation.

mh

_________________
mh

Thanks so much for the update on Pops. Truly weird that when I first came to San Jose I took Pop's tour and it was riight across from the Casa Amarillo on 7th Ave when Pops told me be very careful crossing the street--the drivers here don't respect pedestrians. This seems to be the exact same spot that he was hit. (start Twilight Zone music now ).
Get well Pops!

_________________
" Omit no happy hour that may give furtherance to our expedition."

Yes, insurance coverage can be tough for ex-pats unless they belong to the "caja" or national healthcare system of their host country. I have a great retirement PPO plan from my previous employer which works well in the USA. However, even though medical bills incurred in a foreign country are technically "reimburseable" under my plan, is is very limited as to what and how much it will pay in. Plus, like Pops, I would be responsible for fronting the money. As an ex-pat, that's why I bite the bullet, and pay $55 per month for comparable coverage through an EPS down here.

Damn sorry to hear about that, I wish him a speedy recovery. This is why I am uber-cautious as pedestrian here. Just today, two vehicles that appeared far away were going a lot faster than I thought. As I crossed the street, they banged on their horn and didn't slow down a notch. I had to sprint like hell or would have gotten hit. This happens fairly regularly. Got to have eyes in back of your head as a pedestrian down here!!!

_________________
Man I'm living life like a great white shark swimming with minnows! It's all about panocha, great scotch, fine cigars, loud-ass rock music and speed, speed, speed - plus spending as much time as possible in paradise on earth, Costa Rica!