View Full Version : Medical Emergencies
After spending 2 hours in A&E (ER) yesterday with my 3 year old daughter (one and a half inch cut on her head from a park slide), I thought about our trip to florida, and what we would do in an emergency.
I think it would be a good idea to know the location of Hospital Emergency Rooms in the Orlando Area, and the location of walk in medical centres for non emergency treatment. Does anybody know where they all are?
Also would we need to produce our insurance documents before we would get treatment, and it it a good idea to have a credit card with you with plenty of credit to pay, and then claim back later.
What happens if you had nothing with you and you had an emergency situation?
Sorry to hear about your daughter and I hope she's better soon.
If you rent a home via a home owner from one of the three OV.com sites, they will normally provide info about the hospitals and medical centers nearest to their home, I know we do. It would be impossible to provide contact info or a list for ALL the hospitals and medical centers as there are a great many of them!
You should always carry your travel insurance documentation around with you as you never know when you're going to need it. Normally you don't get a choice about how this works with payment as your travel insurance usually has a limit (like GBPounds 200-500 - read your policy) under which you're expected to pay, keep all receipts and claim back when you return home. Almost all hospitals and medical centers accept credit cards!
If it's likely to cost more than this, you probably have to contact your travel insurer's emergency phone before authorising treatment and they will then verify that they will be responsible for the costs. If it's a life or death emergency situation, then you need to phone within 24-48 hours to the emergency phone number to let them know what is happening so that they can either arrange further treatment in US or make arrangements to transfer the patient back to the UK.
In your daughter's accident case, note that it would be cheaper to take her to a walk-in medical center rather than a hospital as hospitals are about twice as expensive as medical centers. For small accidents, stitches, etc, etc medical centers are cheaper.
Always read your travel policy documents as soon as you receive them to make yourself familiar with any excluded conditions or their claim procedures for treatment, etc.
There is walk in clinic on the 192 just past Wal Mart. We used it last year $100 + just to be seen. Very thorough though.
Newhomebuyer
18-04-2005, 20:24
My husband was admitted to Celebration Hospital about 3 years ago.
Everything was very efficient including the 'financial consultant' who was soon on the scene when they admitted him. She requested details of our insurance company and a good faith deposit of $400 dollars. My husband had to sign a form, accepting financial responsibility.
He received expert attention and a fabulous room for 3 days for $16000. This money was the total of many separate bills. X rays were one bill, ambulance another, anaesthatist another etc.
If our insurance company had, had a leg to stand on, they would not have paid out. I had to prove everything to them, including the fact that I reported him being admitted to hospital within 24hours.
Keep everything and make sure you notify them as soon as possible should something unforseen occur.
andy and ann hales
18-04-2005, 21:50
we as owners have full details of the nearest walk in centre (dentist) and ER along with telephone nos and directions from the house.
There can not be anything worse than being on holiday with a sick child and not know what to do.
I had to use the services of a walk in centre a couple of years ago. I telephoned my insurance company first and agreed that I would pay the Doctor's fees on my credit card and claim the money back on my return. I also needed to go to hospital for tests and the hospital billed me once I returned home and I just forwarded these onto the insurance company. It was really very easy and the medical service I received was excellent, not like waiting for hours at an A & E department in the UK!!
Magical Dreams
18-04-2005, 23:43
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by andy and ann hales
we as owners have full details of the nearest walk in centre (dentist) and ER along with telephone nos and directions from the house.
There can not be anything worse than being on holiday with a sick child and not know what to do.
[/quote]
Same here!
Has Blottie says, there are many available in the local area to most communities!
Always read the manual supplied with your villa to familiarise yourself with the amenities close by.
Thanks, it sounds like the best thing to do would be to locate 192 so that I know where it is.
I'm glad to hear that there are to many to list. Theres only only one A&E covering 5 local towns in my area!
I'll make sure that I carry the insurance details with me, and the terms and conditions. To be honest I would pay any amount if my child was sick, but I want the reassurance that there would be no delay while any finances were sorted. I don't usually go anywhere without plastic in the US so we should be ok then!
Magical Dreams
19-04-2005, 00:04
We are lucky in Pontefract, as we have our own General Hospital & A&E, only 2 mins away!
[msnembarrased]
My 3 y/o was ill in Florida last year and my insurance company (British Airways Exc Club Ins) sent a Doctor to the villa, they were fantastic.
One thing I would say is don't just go for the cheapest ins, check the policy for medical cover - mine is unlimited but many are not, also make sure you declare any medical conditions not matter how small when you take out the policy, and take all the policy details (make copies and keep in different places just in case you lose them) with you.
But most importanly once you have done all that relax and enjoy your holiday[msnwink]
I read the conditions of my insurance and there is a £10,000,000 limit so we should be ok! They have a 24 hr call centre, and say they pick up all calls within 30 seconds.
I've applied for a new credit card just in case.
Magical Dreams
19-04-2005, 12:41
that's good to here
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by paul357
I read the conditions of my insurance and there is a £10,000,000 limit so we should be ok! They have a 24 hr call centre, and say they pick up all calls within 30 seconds.
I've applied for a new credit card just in case.[/quote]Right, now you've got that all sorted, have a great time and I hope you won't need them! :)
Thanks, I intend to!.....22 days and counting!
pieman790
21-04-2005, 02:18
Our 2 year old fell sick last October 2 days before we were due to come home. We took her to the walk in medical centre by Walmart on the 192 - she had a thorough examination and diagnosed with an ear infection. We paid the centre charges of approx US$100 and then that again in the chemist at Walmart for the drugs. On returning to the U.K we just sent off the receipts for a refund.
We could not fly home until 2 days after our due departure but the Insurance Policy stated that only one Parent can stay with a child. This is a standard clause in the majority of insurance conditions, we were not aware of it and believed we had the best policy going and we had read the conditions a few times but had not really focus on what the clause was saying.
The airline eased our predicament and changed our flights for not much money so that we could stay together as a family.
Please read the small print and have a brilliant holiday.
These may be of help if you are situated close to one of these
Florida Hospital, 200 Hilda Street, Kissimmee
Tel No: (407) 846-4343
Florida Hospital Celebration, 400 Celebration Place, Celebration
Tel No: (407) 303-4000
Osceola Regional Medical Centre, 700 W. Oak Street, Kissimmee
Tel No: (407) 846-2266
Poinciana Family Medical Centre, 820 Cypress Parkway, Poinciana
Tel No: (407) 847-2212
julieanne
21-04-2005, 15:53
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by paul357
I read the conditions of my insurance <span style="color:red">and there is a £10,000,000 limit</span id="red"> so we should be ok! They have a 24 hr call centre, and say they pick up all calls within 30 seconds.
I've applied for a new credit card just in case.
[/quote]
Is £10,000,000 the normal limit on medical insurance??
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by julieanne
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by paul357
I read the conditions of my insurance <span style="color:red">and there is a £10,000,000 limit</span id="red"> so we should be ok! They have a 24 hr call centre, and say they pick up all calls within 30 seconds.
I've applied for a new credit card just in case.
[/quote]
Is £10,000,000 the normal limit on medical insurance??
[/quote]Yes, sometimes it's down to £5,000,000 or up to unlimited (not many policies have this!) so you need to check your individual policy.
I can't imagine how ill you would need to be to have even £5,000,000 of treatment so I don't think it matters unless it sounds really low!
If the insurance company could charter a plane and a nurse/doctor to get you back to the UK for cheaper that the cost of the treatment then they would do it, so either way you should have enough cover.
The main thing is to make sure you are covered for everything you intend to do on holiday, I checked my cover and I'm ok on a jet ski (which I will be doing). I'm ok on a motorbike up to 125cc, but not over that, or even on a quad bike of any size (an I can't even ride a motorbike). I'm also not covered for go-karting (which I'll probably do at fun spot on I drive).
Now I've read the terms of my insurance I've founf you get some odd things included....
I get a allowance if we get hijacked! We're talking about a daily rate of a couple of hundered pounds for each day! If I got hijacked I'd be happy to get out alive with my family safe. The last thing on my mind would be a few pound I claim back from my insurance company.
If you were unlucky enough to be involved in a major car smash you would not be able to be flown home and I suspect the medical bills would tot up very quickly.
Robert5988
24-04-2005, 00:10
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:You should always carry your travel insurance documentation around with you as you never know when you're going to need it. [/quote]
Not always convenient to do this especially if family are on 2 separate outings.
I always send an email to myself with all phone numbers of insurance company, credit cards companies, car rental, driving licence, passport No etc etc. You will then always have access to all details if anything is stolen.
Good Idea I will do this myself