Medical Care In Cuenca (Revisited)

A reader said that they couldn't read the posting for some reason.  Below is the original posting with an added caveat.

Medical Care In Cuenca

I mentioned in an earlier post that Sharon and I enrolled in the Coopera Credit Union Medical Insurance.  The monthly premium is $4.75 for both of us. Yes, the decimal point is in the right place.  This premium entitles us to medical and dental visits for a $2 co-pay. The medical doctor is bilingual but the dentist only speaks Español. Coopera's medical office is in San Jacquin which an easy bus ride from Cuenca.

I have slightly elevated blood pressure so I was having my pressure checked when I mentioned to Dr. Peña (the Coopera Doctor) that I was having trouble with my hip. She gave me the name of a Orthopedic Specialist and I called and received an appointment the next day.

Cost For the Coopera Dr. - Copay  $2
Cost for 30 day supply of High Blood pressure medicine $1.85
Cost for Buses to San Jacquin and Latino Clinic $2 actually it was 96 cents since I am over 65 and eligible for a 12 cent bus ride.
Cost for Orthopedic Specialist after insurance reimbursement $5

Are there any drawbacks to the Coopera Insurance.  Yes, one doctor not easy to get to in an emergency.  $480 limit per person annually on health benefits. But, you can't beat getting an appointment with a specialist in one day and finding prescriptions that are 1/5 of the cost in The States.

*** Caveat ****

As it turns out the yearly limit is $400. You have to visit the doc every time you want to renew the Rx at the reduced price.  Still a good investment for non-emergency care. 

Arie & Gary's Art Students Showing

Arie and Gary had a showing of their student's work today.  The paintings and drawings were quite good.  Ok, I am a little biased on Sharon's work.  She never painted before and I was very impressed with her rendering of the New Cathedral.

Oh, and if you live in Cuenca don't forget to watch the video on Cuenca Tech Life to find out how you can win a meal for two at the fabulous California Kitchen.

Easter In Cuenca

We celebrated Easter in Cuenca with a spur of the moment pot luck dinner.  One of the benefits of being retired is having the time to establish new friendships.  Our new friends Gary and Arie came over with their Spanish teacher and 4 of their friends and our pot luck dinner had 11 participants including Sharon and me.

We had a great lamb stew with rice and salad. Sharon made Key Lime Pie and I made fruit smoothies.
Muy rico.

A Stroll Down Primero de Mayo

Sunday is definitely family day in Cuenca.  Primero de Mayo ( the street I live on) is fairly busy but on Sunday it looks like a Ghost town.  The movie below is a recreation of a walk back to my condo from Tres Puentes( Three Bridges).