Where can we do these tests? How much does it cost? Any recommendations for an english speaking pediatrician in Baden or in Waldshut?
My 5,5 month old baby has to have his blood and urine check (urinalysis, urine culture and a complete blood count). We have travel insurance and this is not an emergency (just a regular check up because of his condition) so I guess we will have to pay the full price. I would also like him to get a regular check up at the pediatrician (weight, height, motor skills).
Any reason you haven't got Swiss health insurance?
Cost of tests depend on which tests are done and how many, plus cost of Doctor appointment, really impossible to say, but easily 500chf.
We (me and the baby) are staying here for less than 3 months so we don't have a residence permit. I'm not sure we can have insurance without residence permit.
Between Trafo and Alstrom connexa building there is a health centre, they can do testing IRC
You mean IFA?
http://www.arbeitsmedizin.ch/index.php?id=3
They said their pediatrician was overbooked. I tried to tell the nurse (i guess the nurse called me on the phone after I e-mailed them) I need the lab tests, she kept going on about the doctor.
Do I need some kind of prescription from the doctor to do these tests?
This is how it works. You will need to see a doctor who will arrange the lab tests. They will not do them without a doctor visit. Also, you will not get the results without seeing the doctor again.
Let me get this right.
You have a 5.5 month old baby who needs professional medical monitoring on a regular basis, you don't speak the local language, you're trying to diddle your insurance to pay for something that is not an emergency, although you do admit this, and you still travel.
If your child needs medical attention, what importance is the cost ?
Of course we will pay for the tests (but I am not a millionaire and I care about the costs) and we are sending the results to our pediatrician back home. In case there is something wrong - we are going back.
I didn't know how it works.
Thanks.
Not sure where you get the idea that she's trying to diddle the insurance? She made it clear in her OP that she doesn't think it's covered by travel insurance and is prepared to pay herself. How is that diddling the insurance?
There are several paediatricians at IFA in Baden. You have not said if you speak German but at IFA most of the doctors speak English. As your husband lives and works here, there should be no problem with having the bills for treatment sent directly to your husband. If the blood analysis is not done in house there might be a separate charge for that if it is sent to an outside lab for analysis. If you want to know the costs up front you need to contact someone in the accounting department at IFA and they can give you this information.
It may also be possible to have everything done in one appointment if the blood work analysis is done in house and results are ready quickly.
Quote " We have travel insurance and this is not an emergency (just a regular check up because of his condition) so I guess we will have to pay the full price. " Unquote
There is an implication with the " so I guess we will have to pay"....
Thank you so much, Mrs. Doolitle.
I guess i will have to be more assertive at IFA.
You are most welcome. Hope everything is okay with your baby.
Although I live 5 minutes from Waldshut I do not know any paediatricians there. Only veterinarians.
If your husband works for Alstom or ABB, you should mention this when you speak to IFA. IFA has been referred to lately by other doctors I know as a factory.
I can also highly recommend the following paediatrician in Baden. He speaks English.
Dr. Markus Renggli
Mellingerstrasse 1
5400 Baden, AG
Telefon: 056 221 84 41
If you need any further help you can always send me a PM.
Otherwise you might consider going all the way to Zürich.
You can always be seen at the Permanence by Hauptbanhof, you pay by credit card on the spot and then it's between you and your insurance. I've been there a few time when my GP was away, it's not a very personalised service but it's way better than most walk-in clinics I have been to.
There is also a Kinderpermanence by Stadelhofen (haven't tried it).
If you really need medical attention specialised in babies, I would go to the Kinderspital. The nurse at the reception of the clinic speaks reasonably good English, so do the doctors, and again the wait is a lot shorter than similar places I have been to in Norway, France or Québec. We've been there both for the Troll and for little guests from Norway who needed medical attention (and had only travel insurance).
Where are you from?
If for example it's the UK, it would be cheaper (and probably) less hassle, to get a cheap Easyjet seat and nip back for a few days to see your Dr at home.
Possibly cheaper, not sure about the hassle since we're talking about a 5,5 month old baby.
Mine was a dream to travel with but still, unless the savings were sizeable there is no way I would've taken the train from home to the aiport, taken the plane to London, taken the train home in the UK to see the doctor and done the same thing the other way around to get back to Baden for a blood test.
I've had plenty of tests done at the Permanence, and because we are exempted from Krankenkasse they require that I pay on the spot (I get a refund from our insurance later). It never got expensive enough that I would consider paying for train tickets, plane tickets, food and so forth to get them done abroad.
Thank you all for your answers. I even taught about going home, but it would really be too much hassle and not that cheaper (keeping in mind that the costs here were 500 chf).
Anyway, we have already done the tests at IFA. We went there, explained the situation, showed them our previous test results and the doctor allowed us to do the tests. We didn't even see her/him (they are all fully booked so she/he couldn't take us). The nurse I talked to yesterday was with us all the time and was very kind. We even got blood and urin test results and the baby is fine . We are still waiting for urine culture results.
We will receive the bill, total cost is less than 150 chf.
In the meantime, I received an e-mail from dr. James in Lauchringen, Germany, she speaks English and she can see us.
Today was a good day!