USA travel insurance

[appinlad]

Some sage advice for those holidaying in the US of A to ensure they have adequate travel insurance! On my recent trip I suffered a recurrence of a heart problem and was taken to Dr Phillips Hospital in Orlando. I cannot fault the attention i got apart from perhaps too attentive! It seemed to me that when someone presents from out of country with travel insurance all sorts of tests etc are trundled out. I knew my heart problem would right itself (which it did) and tried to get discharged. There is the problem you can of course discharge yourself but, as explained, this would invalidate your travel insurance. So I was stuck in hospital for ages waiting for a doctor to agree to release me. My wife handled the insurance contacts for me - SAGA through First Assist. Unfortunately despite repeated efforts we couldn't send them any documents nor could we get anyone in the hospital to accept our insurance details (weird) so we had to post it to them.

Since returning I have received individual bills from all (except the cleaner). I have passed these to my insurers but continued to receive chase up bills including letters from a Swiss Debt Collection company. I also had to pay for my own doctor to write a report to say I was fit to travel, this despite declaring all medical conditions on the policy application. I am assured the bills are now being paid but still have a nagging doubt that on my next visit the US Border people will stop me for non payment of debts! After some $13,000 costs I have changed my perspective on Obama Health Care. Our NHS may be dire at times but its free.

On the amusing side I was taken into hospital by 'mickey mouse' paramedics - Disney's Reedy Creek Fire Service!

[Clare R]

'Free' at point of use I agree, but free it is not!

[Tonish]

At $13,000 you got off cheap! 20 years ago we got bills of well over $1,000 after we took my two year old son to a Miami hospital and got treatment from the emergency room. All he needed were some antibiotics for a fever; there was no overnight stay and we were in and out in a couple of hours, but there were bills from admin, nursing, doctor, radiography etc etc etc. They just kept coming.

[florida4sun]

The greatemnt is the same for locals too. They have to cover every angle, if not you sue! 10 years ago I took alocal in with chest pains, turns out to be stress related. Final bill was getting in for $20,000.

[syrup]

It does show though that good medical insurance is essential with everything declared. Some people spend thousands on holidays but skimp the health insurance.

[jimiansville]

I can't agree more that it is very important to have adequate travel insurance. I ended up in Heart of Florida Hospital and diagnosed with a gall bladder problem about 15 months ago. After 4 days and every test known to man I managed to escape and fly home with no treatment! The bill was over $30,000 which my insurance eventually settled. I went to my GP here in the UK and was referred to hospital for tests. Turned out to be a small abrasion in my stomach. $30,00 for a wrong diagnosis does not seem good value for money!

[Andrena]

My husband had treatment for a build up of calcium in his shoulder about 15 years ago and the bill was about £14,000 sterling, thankfully paid by PPP. It was crazy, he had everyone in the hospital submitting a bill it seemed and after the operation he was discharged about 2 hours later. The surgeon had him back every second day for check ups, I think he seemed to think that all his Christmases had come when PPP said they would pay all the bills. Our grandson also had to have treatment at Celebration and the bill was horrendous for what was just a mild chest infection.

Andrena

[Laurel Oak]

I'm sure we all crticise it at times but it makes you thankful for the NHS.

[SDJ]

The bill for an ambulance to take me 8 miles to a hospital was $950!!![msncry] That was before I had treatment and they were pushing the CC machine in front of me actually in the ambulance even though I was in agony....[msncry] Fortunately my insurance covered everything.

[MTP]

The issue with the NHS, though, is that as it is free at the point of service, the users very often have no idea of the costs involved. I imagine that if the bill was tallied up for every patient it wouldn't be very much different. It's just a different financial model. Perhaps if people did have to pay for the treatment it would be abused less and appreciated more?