How much are the Doctor's services on the ship?

[devotedchristian]

Is there a Disney "Health Insurance"? I read on another trip report a Mom had to pay $150+ prescriptions for her child to see the Doctor on the Wonder.

Is that the norm?

 

[jel0511]

Yes it's the norm and sometimes it's MUCH more. The Dr's that staff the health center are not Disney employees, but an outside service that does the charging. They also don't accept any type of insurance, no "Disney Insurance" so if you need their services expect to pay royally. The family at the table next to us had to use the health center. The wife twisted her ankle in Mazatlan and they charged her $250 to say it wasn't broken and wrap it in an ace bandage. They did give her a receipt to try to submit to her insurance company at home, but they said it wouldn't matter. They're deductible for out of network services was MUCH more than that and they'd get nothing back anyway.

 

[devotedchristian]

Thank you Lori, so should I include a *health budget*? I mean God forbid if we any of us were to get sick and I'm trying not to think that way. But I will have my DS with me so I have to.

I mean, it never would have occurred to me to add $200-$300 in out-of-pocket- health expenses.

What happens if you don't have the money? Will they refuse to treat you?

 

[inkkognito]

It was around $700 when I popped off my knee cap and they had to put it back on (that included a velcro cast/brace thing, crutches, and a follow up visit the next day). We submitted it to our HMO, and they reimbursed us in full.
Barb

 

[jel0511]

They just charged it to your on-board account, so they do treat you. So, you'd be on the hook at the end of the cruise with DCL. I guess it depends on your insurance company. It looks like Barb's covered it, but I know mine wouldn't cover anything until I was over $450 and then only 70%. Check your health coverage, but you will have to pay if needed and then try to get reimbursed. Drugs are also expensive and charged at the full rates, and I know my prescription plan would tell me tough luck if I tried to get reimbursed.

 

[tvguy]

This is why I always get on my soapbox about budgeting realistically for a cruise.....you never know what might happen.
Folks complain about having to pay for passports and that they can't afford them. One visit to the doctor on the ship could easily exceed the cost of passports for a family of 4.

 

[Big MacK]

Worse that that, do not get injured while onshore. We had to go to a Hospital emergency room, and with the Dr's exam, x-rays, etc, the bill came close to one thousand dollars, to find it was a bad sprain.
Have to pay up front, in cash (credit card)! They do not recognize (or care) about any health coverage you have in the states.
The Vacation Plan we obtained through Disney tolds us on the phone that they will reimburse, send them the reciepts. Still waiting.

 

[jel0511]

This is why I always get on my soapbox about budgeting realistically for a cruise.....you never know what might happen.
Folks complain about having to pay for passports and that they can't afford them. One visit to the doctor on the ship could easily exceed the cost of passports for a family of 4.

You're absolutely right. Anything can happen or you can not keep to your budget. Our first 7 day crusie, our onboard account was only about $600, and that included our tips. Our past one, we spend almost $2000 and I don't know where it went. Now, both of those totals included tips and we don't drink, so no alcohol either. It just adds up really quick, and with the ship on a cashless system, easy to spend and hard to keep track of. I'm on vacation and go with the flow, if someone had to go the Dr, bummer because they were sick or hurt but my account would just be bigger. We're also lucky because any of these things wouldn't break the bank or make us sacrifice and cut back during the rest of the trip because of unplanned expenses. Sometimes things happen and you just have to deal.

 

[wdw1014]

While on our cruise a couple of weeks ago, my son dislocated his knee. Thank heavans it went back on its own. He was taken to health services. He was seen by a nurse who wrapped it and told him he should have it looked at when he got home. Guess what? There was no charge. Maybe 'cause we did not see a doctor...I was still expecting a charge to show up on our bill at the end of the cruise, but there was nothing...They even wrote a note for us to give to guest relations so we would not be charged for shore excursions which he could no longer do.

 

[johare]

They just charged it to your on-board account, so they do treat you. So, you'd be on the hook at the end of the cruise with DCL. I guess it depends on your insurance company. It looks like Barb's covered it, but I know mine wouldn't cover anything until I was over $450 and then only 70%. Check your health coverage, but you will have to pay if needed and then try to get reimbursed. Drugs are also expensive and charged at the full rates, and I know my prescription plan would tell me tough luck if I tried to get reimbursed.

Wouldn't the vacation protection plan you purchase from Disney cover this? It has up to $10,000 in coverage for emergency medical and dental services.

 

[jel0511]

Wouldn't the vacation protection plan you purchase from Disney cover this? It has up to $10,000 in coverage for emergency medical and dental services.

As stated above, maybe. You still have to pay out of pocket and try to recover the money from the insurance company. That's how all vacation insurance companies work, it's not valid while onboard or if you get hurt onshore either. You pay at the time service is rendered and try to recover from your travel insurance or health insurance once home. Some travel insurance want you to try to first recover from your primary health insurance before paying, so that might also cause a delay in receiving your money back.

 

[videogal1]

As stated above, maybe. You still have to pay out of pocket and try to recover the money from the insurance company. That's how all vacation insurance companies work, it's not valid while onboard or if you get hurt onshore either. You pay at the time service is rendered and try to recover from your travel insurance or health insurance once home. Some travel insurance want you to try to first recover from your primary health insurance before paying, so that might also cause a delay in receiving your money back.

I have had to submit a form for reimbursement for on-ship medical care to the travel insurance provider twice. No muss, no fuss. Print the form, fill it out, and submit it to the provider with the ship-supplied receipt. Refund in a couple of weeks


GET TRIP INSURANCE, especially if you depend on Medicare, as Medicare does not cover medical expenses incurred outside the country.

 

[vossjemi]

Yes, trip or disney insurance should cover it. Yes, it may seem like a pain to pay first and submit later, but that is one of the reasons you buy insurance, right? Also, if you go to www.insuremytrip.com, and put in your quote, it will list a host of policies. On the right is a color coating identifier so that when you look in each policy you can see if you are purchasing a primary or a secondary policy. I prefer primary so go with travelex travelite.

 

[tvguy]

Yes, another issue, even if you have travel insurance, YOU have to pay ALL costs, and they will reimburse you later.
You miss a flight and have to rebook at a last minute fare rate.......that can easily cost $500 to $700 per person.....plus hotels....plus food, etc, etc, you can easily rack up thousands in unexpected bills for a family of 4.
Like I said, that's why I get riled when when people say they can't afford to go on a $7000 cruise because $400 in passports are now required. God forbid they have someone twist an ankle and incur a $500 bill.

 

[SandraLee]

FWIW . .. . My DD had an ear infection on board the ship. I did pay (as I expected) and submitted it to my insurance company. They treated it as an out of network, ER visit -- just as it was. Cost me my $50 deductable.

 

[MrsMork]

I paid just over $500 for treatment for a kidney stone. The cost was no more than the local ER would have charged. My HMO reimbursed me, my trip insurance would have covered any unpaid expenses. The HMO did have a $20 copay whick I did not bother to fill out paperwork to the trip insurance to get back. Reimbursement was quick and I was able to pay the credit card promptly. Small price for the reassurance that good medical care is available if I need it again.

 

[barkley]

i believe travel insurance is a must for unexpected issues that occur. as far as medical issues go-i will not travel without it. always know exactly what any private medical insurance you may have will cover outside your normal service area or home state (out of the country good luck on any private insurance plan covering anything!). our hmo will only cover "medical emergencies" out of state, and they LIMIT it greatly. we were so thankful to have travel insurance (through disney) for our first trip several years ago. both of our kids ended up with ear infections (first time flyers across country) and absolutly had to be treated (beyond the pain there is the danger in rupturing an eardrum on the return flight). at that time there was an in room doctor service in orlando (doctor came to the hotel room did the exam, called in the perscription to the pharmacy and had it delivered to the hotel)-we had a deductable of $50.00 but the insurance covered everything else-about $500.00. we just had to fill out the forms, attach a photo copy of our hmo's policy (from the handbook) and copies of the bills-we were reimbursed within about 30 days.