FloridaCharlie

2 hours ago, klfrodo said:

Thats about the dumbest argument possible. Using a companies BBB rating? Please.

We've all listened to your rant. Most have sympathized with you while at the same time understanding that having to get the Medicare denial is just part of the process.

 

I have NEVER in my life written to BBB to leave a compliment for a companies product or customer service. Back when I thought BBB was a leader in helping a consumer, I may have left a complaint or two, but never a compliment.

 

Look at yourself. BBB is rating this company 1.18 in processing claims. How many of those claims leading to the 1.18 score are from people like you who don't have a clue how the claims processing work and their expectations were wildly overstated.

 

Your rant is misplaced. Your rant should be sent right back towards yourself.

Your medical insurance was secondary. Your very first claim should have been to Medicare with a letter stating please don't spend much time trying to process this claim. I just need your denial letter. You would have received the denial in a matter of days.

That's the process, that's how life works. You're not special, get over yourself.

Whoever you happen to be ?? I'm over it and know what I need to do to recover my justified claim. It's just a matter of principle to me. Certainly don't need any advice from you. You sound like an "apologist" and a "homer" for the insurance industry. Bye !! 

14 hours ago, Mary loves to travel said:

@FloridaCharlie

 

thinking this over, I suspect a big part of your surprise and upset (over being surprised) is that at home, you have really excellent medical insurance, so generally just show your card & it's handled.    Seems what you had to go through with filing insurance claims due to your wife's injury on the ship was a process that was very very new to you.     So many of us have had to go through similar rounds so it seems pretty much standard.   

We had a doctor that we really liked, years ago; he used to file insurance claims for us.   It got so time cnsuming, that he realized he was paying an extra staff person to handle our insurance claims.   Going forward, he would provide receipts that we could use to file, but we had to file ourselves.

Had you understood the process, and not been surprised, you'd have been able to submit the paperwork to Medicare first, etc.    But, not knowing, you submitted to the travel insurance first, then after the "normal" 4-5 week turnaround time, finally found out you had inadvertently skipped the first step.    Frustrating, but if you research you'll see that all secondary policies work the same way.

Next time, you'll know.

 

Regards,

Mary

 

Thanks for your response BUT please be advised that we know the difference between insurance coverages, primary and secondary coverages, submission of claims, etc, etc. My wife is retired from the Medical Field where she worked for many years as an RN. The bottom line is that this Travel Protection Plans like AON Affinity's make it difficult and discourage folks from filing small claims like ours for minor medical issues while traveling. AGAIN ! Hundreds of claimants couldn't be wrong, please. Check the facts. Rated 1.18 out of 5 in processing claim settlements, hundreds of complaints some going as far as calling the process a "Scam". I've already contacted the Cruise Line's Customer Relations Dept and they are looking at my claim closely. A Refund should be coming soon !

10 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

[emphasis added]

 

I don't want to be an apologist for insurers, as it is obvious that there are some who slow down claims or otherwise try to discourage their need to actually pay.

 

Thank You ! AON's rating tells the story. Rated 1.18 out of 5 by the BBB in their Headquarters Hometown. Thank God our (peanuts) claim is minimal ($118.00) But the principle of how legitimate and documented Travel MEDICAL claims are handled is disturbing. 

27 minutes ago, rabin1 said:

thank you all very much. I purchased the Princess Travel and have Medicare and a supplement. I pray none of us ever have to use the insurance whatever we may have

Kathy

Good Luck ! We do as well. I'm a Federal Government Retiree with excellent medical coverage here in the US. Medicare A & B plus a great secondary coverage provided by my Federal Assoc. Insurance. We pay 00 for Medical care here at home due to my coverage. BUT when we cruise, we still purchase the Platinum Protection Plan sold by the cruise line. They should recognize the fact that you purchase the coverage which gives them a profit margin as well, and recover the cost of the ONBOARD first aid treatment themselves and not place the charge on your onboard account. We are not talking an Emergency Medivac case or Hospitalization here. End of Story !

1 hour ago, Babr said:

 

I know you are frustrated by the process, but that is the way travel insurance works unless you have a plan with primary coverage. Secondary coverage such as Princess always requires you to file with your primary insurance first. Even with Princess coverage, you can’t just present your card to avoid charges the way you do  at home with your health insurance.

 

Princess just sells a policy with their name on it. They are not in the business of underwriting insurance or administering claims. 

Really ! Well They are already admitting on the denial that they know Medicare will not pay for it. So, basically they are delaying having to pay the (peanuts) $118.00 claim. Medicare will not pay claims for Medical Services provided in the middle of the ocean by NON CERTIFIED providers. In this case, It was a very nice foreign Doctor working onboard the ship with no certification to practice medicine in the United States. Get the picture ! They know that. Basically they are making it difficult to settle a simple documented claim. In the meantime, Princess collects the nice premium for the plan way before you cruise and then if you have an injury onboard, they bill your onboard account for the cost of the Medical Service provided , living you with the task of battling with the Insurance Provider. This process needs to be addressed and changed. Period !

On 4/29/2022 at 2:39 PM, coo359a2 said:

I think I am answering your question.  Can only speak for myself and the insurance claims I've filed but straight old fashion Medicare does not cover international or medical bills on a Princess cruise ship.  Sometime the Princess insurance has me file the claim with Medicare which turn it down or they let me skip this step.  Probably adds 30 days on to the insurance process have to get a denial from Medicare.

And you are right on the Money with the above statement. I usually don't complain much as we love Princess. We are Elite Cruisers and always purchase their Travel Protection Plan. (Never had to file a claim, until recently) I'll be brief with my issue. Recently returned from 30 days of cruising and my wife suffered a cut onboard the ship which required Medical attention. Two days after the incident, we received an invoice in our cabin for $118.00. Went down to the customer service desk on the ship to complain and was informed that I would have to file a claim with the insurance company when we got home. Princess went ahead and charged my onboard account for the Medical Services. Got home and file a documented claim for the small charge and after waiting several weeks, recently received a letter from AON denying payment until I have filed the claim with Medicare. REALLY ! They are even stating on the letter the following "While we are aware that Medicare usually does not cover foreign medical expenses  your supplemental plan MAY cover the expense". This is all BS by the AON using a delay tactic to not pay the claim. They have not heard the end of this story from me yet as I intend to expose them for this "scam" they try to play on Seniors. Check out the BBB in the city where AON Headquarters is located and you'll find TONS of complaints from folks battling with them to settle claims. (They are rated at 1.18 from a 5) in settling claims for travel related issues. I have also filed a consumer complaint with Princess which is the one who collects the premiums for the coverages. Be Aware of these Tactics by Travel Insurance Providers !! Thank-you

37 minutes ago, CruiseandGo said:

If you booked directly with the cruise line, give them another call, be firm and tell them what you want.  Our April 19th cruise that we used the FCC with NCL was only cancelled about 3 weeks ago.  Cruise lines are eager for you to use your FCC and get you booked on another cruise instead of a refund.  You got some bum information. 

Never thought I would see you post these comments about being firm when you call the cruise line. There is no one firmer than I talking to  a cruise line agent especially when it comes to finances. Bottom line is that right now, cruise lines don't want to release cash refunds easy and are giving priority to refunds involving mostly FCC's. That's no problem to the cruise line as it involves future business without having to disburse cash refunds. You know me personally and know what I'm talking about. I'm still waiting for my $7700 plus refund from Princess for a cruise that was cancelled on March 10th. Upon my cancellation, they went ahead and immediately refunded ($670) to my credit card, the portion of the taxes and port charges ONLY. They could have processed the entire cancellation at that time by refunding the complete amount  on the reservation at the "click" of a button, just the same way they do it when you book a cruise over the phone with a credit card. Basically, I got caught in their game plan of preserving their 'Cash Flow' for a bit longer so they are able to sustain operations. SO now I must wait until they decide to refund the balance of my cancellation which amounts exactly to $7657.70. I'm very good with numbers. As far as FCC's is concerned, the cruise line has offered us the full refund plus a 25% FCC to be used on a future booking. We will use that FCC next year when we see how things develop in the industry and what changes will be made to regulate the industry. You can rest assured that It will not be business as usual and there will lots and lots of changes. So if we feel that we are not satisfied with the changes, then we'll turn to a different way of travel and enjoyment. In the meantime, we continue to wait for our $$$$$$$ refund . Hasta La Vista Amigos !!!

On 11/24/2019 at 10:03 AM, Coffeeluvr05 said:

I just thought I would share some of my observations I’ve gathered so far...

 

• The ship is large and beautiful! I’m not a crowd person and I have been able to find places all over to just sit and relax. 
• I have not been very excited about the dining room menus at dinner. On the other hand, the buffet is quite good and has a variety of items to choose from. This surprised me since I normally avoid the buffet at all cost.
• The wait staff have been wonderful and always try to accommodate. I have found all Princess ships this way though.
• The decor is light and bright and gives an open and airy feel.
• Many pax complain a lot and seem to want to share their complaints with us. We have not had anything to complain about. Well, except that one time they accidentally charged us for a cocktail when we have the PBP.
• The bathtub/shower is larger than my pre-cruise hotel shower. Water pressure is awesome too!
• The entertainment has been very good and varied in genre.
• Medallionnet Internet works quite well! Downloading files is slow so download movies, tv shows from home to your devices. Streaming the Disney+ app worked though. It seems to prioritize browsing and email then streaming video. That being said, I have had no issue with FaceTime.
• The Medallionclass app ordering works well, except sometimes it doesn’t detect you are in the area where you can order from and you have to move your phone around to get the right spot. You can not customize your drink order though. The only time it allowed a customization was for a martini. Up vs over and olives/twist, etc. The one time I ordered a drink that was $13 (pbp limit is $12) they only charged me the overage. 
• The gelato is real gelato and quite good. Do not let the free sample “scoop” deter you from purchasing. There is a vast difference in size! LOL

 

overall, we are really enjoying our time on the Sky and are savoring all of it!

Very nice and comprehensive review ! Couldn’t help but laugh at the following “ Many passengers complain a lot and seem to want to share the complaints with us “. Lol What else is new ?? We have a name for those folks on every cruise we’ve taken . “CHRONICS”. Never ceases to amaze us how folks spend money to go on cruises to become constant complainers . Feel very sorry for them !! I guess they have no life on land and decide to take their frustrations to the ocean . LOL 

This is a prime reason to buy insurance. :)

You are "right on" when you state the importance of buying cruise insurance. We are avid cruisers living in South Florida and have seen lots of instances where having insurance would have saved the individual involved tons of $$$$$$. Forget the fact of being protected if you have to cancel your cruise (that becomes a minimal cost) in comparison to being aboard a ship and suffering a major illness which requires for you to be medi-vac by helicopter to the nearest port. Trust me ! I've observed this scenario twice while cruising in the Caribbean. Do you realize what the cost of this ride is ??? (Between $25,000 and $40,000) depending on the travel distance. We do not book a cruise without buying insurance ! The cost is minimal in comparison to the outcome of any unforeseen event during a cruise vacation. It's a no brainer !!!!!

Love the Title ! You are probably a Psychologist using a "reverse method" to gain readers attention. LOL Love it. Can't wait for your review. My wife and I are booked on the 49 Day Cruise (Rome to Shanghai) sailing on May 21st from Civi. We've cruised on both Royal & Regal in the past. Can't wait to read your take on the Majestic. Thank You !