Any one question on why you should have a passport or trip insurance?

[truck1]

If anyone has ever asked why you should have a passport or trip insurance, I think this article pretty much sums up the reason behind it.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news...nt_internallink_relatedcontent_2014_partners4

 

[CaoilinnsMom]

oh wow, that is horrible! Makes me think...

 

[deanimal]

What a terrible situation! From the description of the illness, it sounds like that little boy is lucky to be alive.

It's also interesting that there seems to be a lot of negative feedback about Carnival on various forums but it sounds like their customer service was very good in this situation. There's only so much a cruise line can do if people haven't made plans to cover themselves.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Here's hoping they'll get it resolved soon.

I'm wondering why the family's health insurance isn't helping, unless it doesn't cover emergencies outside the U.S. Also, $900 per day hospitalization is a lot cheaper(!) than a U.S. hospital would charge.

 

[Saamh]

I've heard most insurance companies may reimburse some costs after the fact but the patient must pay out of pocket up front.

 

[muse7mom]

This little one goes to the same school my DD does. I know the idea of not having to have a passport is a hot topic here and this is only one example, but just for peace of mind, we'll all take passports on every cruise. It's a small price compared to this poor family's experience.

 

[Uncleromulus]

A must read for all who insist that a Passport isn't necessary!!

 

[emilyann415]

I know of no health insurance plans that cover out of the country medical expenses.....not to say there aren't any. There was a story in our paper last month about a woman who was 24 weeks pregnant that flew to her brothers wedding in China (I am aware how reckless that is in the first place) but she went into labor while waiting for a connecting flight in Hong Kong! The baby is premature and has no passport, the hospital wouldn't initially agree to release the baby until the bill was paid in full (they have since changed their mind) and NO insurance as the birth was out of the country. Plus the whole mess with getting the baby home with no passport. A MESS.....but health insurance companies don't typically have contracts negotiated with drs and hospitals outside the USA.....We never used to get medical insurance while cruising.....just didn't occur to us....now we NEVER leave the country without it! A passport is simply a MUST!!!!

 

[Sunshine2U]

This post needs to be bumped up forever and a day. Trip insurance and passports should be requirements. Passports are easy to acquire. And just because you hope you are wasting money, it's called insurance for a reason and is a small cost against the potential expenses it covers.

 

[Uncleromulus]

I know of no health insurance plans that cover out of the country medical expenses.....not to say there aren't any. There was a story in our paper last month about a woman who was 24 weeks pregnant that flew to her brothers wedding in China (I am aware how reckless that is in the first place) but she went into labor while waiting for a connecting flight in Hong Kong! The baby is premature and has no passport, the hospital wouldn't initially agree to release the baby until the bill was paid in full (they have since changed their mind) and NO insurance as the birth was out of the country. Plus the whole mess with getting the baby home with no passport. A MESS.....but health insurance companies don't typically have contracts negotiated with drs and hospitals outside the USA.....We never used to get medical insurance while cruising.....just didn't occur to us....now we NEVER leave the country without it! A passport is simply a MUST!!!!

I believe certain Blue Cross plans cover out of country expenses--but only AFTER the fact. My guess is most countries would not accept a Blue Cross card, meaning you would need to pay up and seek reimbursement later.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Just checked and found my Federal Blue Cross does cover overseas care!!! In fact, it is primary before any travel insurance would pay. They even have a "network" of overseas Hospitals and doctors.

https://www.fepblue.org/en/faqs-overseas/

A good idea I guess is for everyone to check their own Insurance first and not to assume anything!!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Just checked and found my Federal Blue Cross does cover overseas care!!! In fact, it is primary before any travel insurance would pay. They even have a "network" of overseas Hospitals and doctors.

A good idea I guess is for everyone to check their own Insurance first and not to assume anything!!

Also good to check if they will cover medical evacuations. Just "medical coverage" sometimes means whatever care you get, not actually getting you home (via medial transfers) for more medical care.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Agree.

Mine has some evacuation coverage, but not to the US unless that is the nearest spot for the care needed.

And filing a claim isn't the easiest thing in the world based on what I am reading!!!

 

[Mom323]

Our TRICARE standard covers travel.

 

[AngelDisney]

Though I have Ontario Health Insurance Plan and additional medical coverage as a teacher, I always get additional medical insurance that covers all costs upfront so I don't have to worry about getting sufficient fund to pay off expenses. I always have passports and renew them before expiration. Having that peace of mind is priceless to me!

 

[jdb in AZ]

A friend of ours, ironically a retired insurance salesman, refused to get travel insurance because he has Medicare. I don't think Medicare covers expenses out of the country. His wife had a bad toothache on our cruise and she had to tough it out. Not my idea of a good time.

 

[Eeyorebabies]

We have Tricare Prime. They cover us for medical emergencies during travel. But they do not cover a medical evacuation from international waters. They will cover ambulance transport if on foreign land though. However, it all has to be paid out of pocket first. Then you give the receipt of payment to Tricare for reimbursement. They don't cover routine or non emergency medical care though. Urgent care must be preapproved by primary care and could take up to 72 hours for international urgent care approval.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I don't think Medicare covers expenses out of the country.

It doesn't.

 

[over50visits]

A friend of ours, ironically a retired insurance salesman, refused to get travel insurance because he has Medicare. I don't think Medicare covers expenses out of the country. His wife had a bad toothache on our cruise and she had to tough it out. Not my idea of a good time.

Medicare does cover a very few special, specific situations outside of the country, but they certainly would not apply to a cruise situation. However many Medicare supplement and Medicare Advantage plans will have overseas coverage. A good thing to check ahead of time!

In the story is said the hospital would not save their son's life unless they paid in advance. I don't know what insurance will be there that day to pay your surgery cost in advance. I hope there's more to the story than that! Perhaps the hospital found out they had no insurance and thus chose to make that demand. For whatever reason, how sad.

 

[SnowWhite2]

My parents were in Mexico when my dad had a blood clot in his leg. None of the hospitals will see you without payment up front. Luckily, my parents had large credit card cash withdrawal amounts available and was able to get the $3000 that my mom needed to get my dad into the hospital at the first place (resort town south of Cancun) and then another $5000 for the hospital in Cancun. Cash only. No cash, no admittance. My dad was flown out of Cancun to Miami on a private medical transport along with two flight nurses and my mom, all arranged by their medical insurance company. He then spent three weeks in a Miami hospital trying to get the clot dissolved. He eventually had to fly home first class (insurance company insisted) and had surgery once he got home. My mom stayed in a hotel in Miami for the three weeks he was there. Once in the US they did not have to pay upfront. Their insurance (UPMC, I think or UMPC?) paid all costs including the Mexico hospitals, air transport, the 1st class plane ticket and most of my mom's hotel bill with the exception of $100. They never saw any of the bills as the insurance company took care of paying all involved and refunded my parents their OOP costs.

But, the hospitals in Mexico would not have had a problem letting my dad die if they didn't have the money to be admitted. Please make sure you have a credit card that allows cash withdrawals so you can get services in a foreign country when you travel.