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Medical Rip-Off on Regatta Now ...... So Ticked Off


china addict
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We boarded Regatta in Lima 3/29/17 and have been under Code Red Stage Two ever since for gastro reasons. Not Oceania's fault and we are observing necessary protocols. Despite rigorous hand washing my husband contracted pink-eye so we visited the medical center. We had no problem with the $150 consultation fee and chuckled that the $10 eye drops we get at home would probably cost $50. They cost a little more, but my outrage came the next morning when we received the medical bill. The doctor prescribed a second item, a 1/8th ounce tube of ophthalmic neosporin, which we leaned after the fact cost $270. I have not made a typo. One eighth of an ounce of eye ointment cost $270. I've raised kids before and drops alone have cured their pink-eye. IMO the ointment wasn't essential and we should have been told that it cost $270 beforehand rather than the next day.

 

 

When lodging an official complaint on board, I was listened to politely but told they were powerless to do anything about it because Corporate determines the prices. I complained to the doctor who repeated that Corporate sets the prices and he doesn't know the cost of what he prescribes. Wink, wink. The Medical Center is obviously a profit center for O.

 

 

I feel ripped off to the tune of $270 and whether it's covered by insurance or not, it's the principle that matters. I used to be an Oceania cheerleader. This is our sixth cruise with them and would be our last except that we have another on June 2nd that is already fully paid for. I am now dreading it. In my eyes they have lost their honor. I don't patronize companies I don't respect. A sad day for me.

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Be glad you have insurance and that the medical center had the antibiotic your husband needed. Pink eye is very contagious and your fellow cruisers thank you for getting it taken care of immediately.

 

Hard to say whether antibiotics are a profit center for a cruise line. They have to stock a wide variety of medications, many of which will go unused and will have to be thrown out when they reach their expiration date.

 

Mary

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Hard to say whether antibiotics are a profit center for a cruise line. They have to stock a wide variety of medications, many of which will go unused and will have to be thrown out when they reach their expiration date.

 

 

 

+1, brilliantly and succinctly stated! :hearteyes:

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You might want to read more about so-called "pink eye" and what can cause it and, more importantly, what the usual forms of treatment actually are. I'll leave it at that. Some might question the actual need for that Neosporin ophthalmic ointment.

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The cost of medical care on cruise ships is high by most standards. That said, I believe the entire cost of the medical facility needs to be figured into the equation. Such as, the salary of the physician and nurse(s) and the equipment at the med center. As has been stated a wide selection of medications is kept on hand. Then the portion of the cost for crew care can be subtracted. The overall result will not really be comparable to care on land.

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All true, they do have to stock and discard a lot of meds. Prescription Opthalmic neosporin is $27 on Good RX. Seems as though they should have been told the cost.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Sounds like a major RIP OFF to me. Shame on Oceania for doing this kind of thing.

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Medicine costs dough... the $ 270 is not that far out of line for a RX, and a Dr evaluation.. My wife pays $480 a month for 30 BP pills . . My wife had a fainting spell was taken to the Hospital on the ship, they ran a CBC and ekg she was in 30 min.... Bill $ 798 on Insignia with a Spanish MD some months later a similar episode same tests, same situation in the hospital for 30 min on Siena , with a Dutch Doctor $ 1375 No meds given or IV/TKO. I think the doctor sets the price for service and is contract with the ship. Moral... get sick on Insignia

On the other hand I got a infection im my arm in Easter Island, had to go to the hospital 2 x daily for 10 days, and some minor surgery to boot extensive IV and meds Ecuadorian doctor $6000...... Having some insight to medical services, I will say the hospitals on O are set up and equiped as good or in many cases better than many US ones... I was deeply impressed with their Lab and Code gear... Top notch cutting edge tech. Part of your bill is maintaining such a sterling facility.... Its good to know its there....if you need it.

Had Kaiser... 0 deductible no limit paid 100% in every case

Second moral if you have decent medical.. your 270 is 100% covered.... so bottom line does it really matter..... thats why you have good coverage.

Here in the US a basic ER visit will set you back on the average $1300.00 Thats a national average I just read.. Most patients never really see their net cost bill because it goes to insurance on O you pay and then you go to the insurance hence sticker shock...

Edited by Hawaiidan
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Sounds like a major RIP OFF to me. Shame on Oceania for doing this kind of thing.

 

Yes, because the Cruise Line should obviously:

1) buy enough to keep it in stock whenever it is wanted.....er......needed

2) use valuable storage space to cart it halfway around the World

3) discard it when it is expired

4) have a doctor there to proscribe and a nurse there to administer it

5) sell it at CVS prices.

 

Funny how everybody turns Bolshevik at the Pharmacy entrance :confused:

Later, Comrads ;)

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Yes, because the Cruise Line should obviously:

1) buy enough to keep it in stock whenever it is wanted.....er......needed

2) use valuable storage space to cart it halfway around the World

3) discard it when it is expired

4) have a doctor there to proscribe and a nurse there to administer it

5) sell it at CVS prices.

 

Funny how everybody turns Bolshevik at the Pharmacy entrance :confused:

Later, Comrads ;)

CVS seems to make money doing it their way and they do not have a captive market unlike the cruise ships. Since Oceania's guests have no other place to turn then they can be RIPPED OFF . Too bad, Still say shame ***** Oceania for charging so much for a vital product.

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CVS seems to make money doing it their way and they do not have a captive market unlike the cruise ships. Since Oceania's guests have no other place to turn then they can be RIPPED OFF . Too bad, Still say shame ***** Oceania for charging so much for a vital product.

 

If CVS were required to travel around the World continuously whilst operating, you might see a very different pricing structure.

 

The larger point though is that Medical Care, unlike any other amenity on the ship, must be provided, regardless of cost, and regardless of use. If the patients aren't asked to shoulder the real world costs, they will be added to the bottom line and ALL OF US will pay them.

 

How much may I put YOU down for?

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I'm the OP and my whole point was that we were not told the price of the ointment until the following day and not given the opportunity to decline it. Drops alone will cure conjunctivitis, as every mother knows. We were tricked into a $270 item that was not medically essential. this was neosporin eye ointment, not a cure for cancer. Shame on Oceania. And short-sighted too because they have lost two loyal clients. Sometimes, Principle does matter. If we can afford the cruise we can obviously afford vital medication, but this was daylight robbery.

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you can ask the cost BEFORE you leave the medical centre & decline if you feel it is not needed

 

Maybe the medical centre is like the shops & not run by Oceania but have a contract to supply a service to the ships

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OP again. We could not find out the price before leaving the medical center. Even the doctor claimed he didn't know. Prices determined by Corporate, and they figured it out pretty quickly overnight. I squawked immediately but was told nothing could be done. My whole point is yes, you should know prices before accepting the medication but we were denied that opportunity. Even at CVS or Walgreens you have the choice of getting a generic product or refusing an item that is too costly. This was legal extortion.

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you can ask the cost BEFORE you leave the medical centre & decline if you feel it is not needed

 

Maybe the medical centre is like the shops & not run by Oceania but have a contract to supply a service to the ships

 

Its my take that yes the medical dept is contract... What your paying for when you use the medical facilities it the maintenance of such facilities... dont focus on the minutia ..look at the big picture.

Playing Doctor and deciding what you will on not use or take....is having a fool for a patient. Evern Md's Nurses and PM's know this....

It not like ordering at MC Donalds... mmmm I ll take the large flow O2 but, only give me the 1/2 antibiotic and oh hold the CPR...... and do you have any specials...

Quality costs... and I reiterate.... I bet you would have a stroke if you saw what your doctor and or hospital billed your insurance. It is just that on O they give you the bill to take to the insurance..and its a real awakening to many

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If you want to make comparisons, make the comparison with the ER charges for this antibiotic at your local hospital at 3am.

 

Please don't let this incident ruin your cruise. Enjoy the rest of the cruise and stay healthy.

 

Mary

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The cost of medicine onboard aside, am I the only one who finds it odd that nor seems to creep up far more often on O ships than on other lines? This past year I can recall reading of several instances on Marina and others. Maybe it's just me. Hope so.

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I have not seen any reports of Noro this season on O that does not mean it was not there

It seems Noro is not as prevalent this year as it was in 2016

 

the current situation is reported to be a GI problem

yes symptoms similar to Noro but there is some bug that seems to come from Peru

Friend of ours did a land trip to Lima was sick when there & a few weeks after returning home same symptoms others have reported the same thing happening

 

As for reporting to CDC yes it may seem like O is in the headlines more

2 % of 680 pax =13 pax compare that to a larger ship of 3000 pax

2% =60

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The cost of medicine onboard aside, am I the only one who finds it odd that nor seems to creep up far more often on O ships than on other lines? This past year I can recall reading of several instances on Marina and others. Maybe it's just me. Hope so.

 

I think Oceania's passenger demographics may contribute to a more frequent incidence of noro outbreaks than on mass market lines. As we age our immune systems may no longer be as robust as when we're younger, and on a cruise ship with a significantly higher average passenger age you may just have a higher percentage of passengers who are exposed to noro actually become symptomatic. By no means does everyone exposed to any particular virus, whether noro or the common cold end up sick.

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I would guess that in this case it is Lima that is the culprit and not O. Not too long ago there was a similar thread about GI illness out of LIma. I remember it because I posted there about my experience on a land trip in Lima that lead to jokes about "ceviche ice cream" ( I got sick from either the ceviche or ice cream) :D

I hope it all clears up soon.

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Yet another message from the angry OP. Yes, we have insurance but unnecessarily boosting medical bills means that we all pay for it in the end. Not appealing unless you are part of Big Pharma. Drops and ointment for an eye infection is what the Brits call a "belt and braces" approach. Both will hold your pants up but you really only need one. Hawaiidan, I think you owe me an apology for implying that I am a fool of a patient. We are only talking pinkeye for heaven's sake and nothing life threatening. For those who are fans of Regatta's doctor, he never mentioned that it was infectious, never told my husband not to cross-contaminate his eyes and never told me to be sure to use a separate face towel. I asked if we should notify our room steward that our linens needed sterilization but he said not. BTW, I see many ER bills that are later slashed by the insurance company by virtue of being the primary caregiver for my 91 year old mother. As a reasonable adult I would rather see our medical dollars directed towards those who are genuinely ill and in need, rather than fattening the pockets of opportunists. Yes yes yes we will get the $270 back, but that's not the point.

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