sabreline

On 5/26/2024 at 10:14 AM, CJANDH said:

Not a huge part of a serious medical situation. I can eat the $30K cancellation but not the $500K for emergency flights and hospitalization in a foreign port.

On 5/26/2024 at 10:14 AM, CJANDH said:

Not a huge part of a serious medical situation. I can eat the $30K cancellation but not the $500K for emergency flights and hospitalization in a foreign port.

Yes, exactly. My husband was hospitalized in Paris and air ambulance home. Total cost....$17,500 hospital, $15,000 missed cruise, $5,000 missed return flight on Delta and $112,500 for air ambulance. Hospital paid by United Healthcare, everything else paid by our Nationwide annual policy.

Thanks for the kind words! We just happened to have the $100k in our money market account at our bank because we had sold our house and kept some of the profit in the bank. I think if I was going to travel out of the country again, I would add a trusted relative to one of our bank accounts so that they could do a wire transfer if needed.

Thanks for your kind words! I think you have all the points covered. I guess the number 1 thing I would recommend to anyone would be..........make sure you have access to $100k in some way.....savings account, crecit card, IRA. Even then, I had over $100k in cash available but the issue was getting it from my account to the provider's account. And yes, my husband is much better......but we will NEVER recover from that experience.

Thank you. Yes, the point I was trying to make was absolutely lost in the thread. My husband has not recovered completely and sadly that was the last trip we will be able to make ever.

40 minutes ago, Smitheroo said:

I'm curious to know if your United Health Care policy was an Original Medicare Supplement (not connected to a Medicare Advantage Plan)  and what the hospital bill was. I ask this because my Medicare Supplement (Plan F, so top of the line) has a $50,000 international lifetime limit.  I know $50,000 wouldnt go very far in the US.   I am looking at GeoBlue which offers a single trip plan for one for about $200 that has 1,000,000 medical expense limit and 500,000 evac.   Interestingly, their multi trip plan only has 100,000 medical expenses.  Its not that much more than the single trip plan but you can see it has much lower medical expense benefits.  Why do these decisions always seem to require extensive research?

 

Our United Healthcare is a Meducare Advantage Plan. The hospital bill was surprisingly low.....11 nights, 2 CT scans, 1 EEG, multiple blood tests......$17,350!!!!!! And we were billed only after we get home. Study what they mean by "evacuation"....most just mean to the nearest acceptable hospital, not to your home hospital.

On 10/31/2023 at 12:57 PM, klfrodo said:

Yes it is. And for that, I apologize.

Let me rephrase.    While the hospital standards in the US require the availability of interpreters, it is an unrealistic expectation to think that all hospitals in every country around the world has the same standard. Therefore, understand what services are available to you from other sources. Other possibilities are from simple translations apps on your phone, to your embassy, to hiring a translator on your own dime. Also know what services are available from your travel insurance to include coverages available from annual medical assistance providers such as Medjet Assist, International SOS, Global Rescue, et al.

Just FYI.....I ysed 2 different translation apps on my phone....they do not always translate correctly, especially for complex discussions like medical issues. Secondly, I have had MedJet for many years. My husband has Global Rescue. Because the hospital in Paris couldn't come up with a diagnosis, Global Rescue would NOT provide evacuation, although they said I could "send a written request for an appeal"!!! We had been in a Paris hospital for 8 dats at that point so had no time for written appeals! So, as your post illustrates, you need several layers if protection just to be sure.

On 9/26/2023 at 11:47 AM, Ataraxia said:

I am researching Cruise Insurance, and the company will only pay up to £25,000 for a medivac from the ship. Is this a realistic price or is it too little.

We paid $112,000 for evacuation via air ambulance. Some bids were as high as $150,000. And be aware that YOU will have to pay the medivac company up front and then file for reimbursement when you get home!!!!

Well, if it makes you feel any better, it took almost 6 months for our reimbursement to.come but we get it all from Nationwide.

3 hours ago, klfrodo said:

Just a quick research on Assist America. My opinion only is that they appear to be a competitor of Medjet Assist. They don't provide travel insurance or any medical coverage, they are there to you for assistance in finding medical care or to assist you after medical care has been received, to include translation services and transportation back home if required. The above poster Saberline could have been greatly served with such an add on service had they been a member. Myself? I have Medjet Assist.

The biggest issue with having this additional membership is remembering you have it when you find yourself in a medical emergency and your mind is going 1000 mph with the current situation going on with yourself or a loved one.

Actually I DO have Medjet Assist and my husband has Global Rescue!! Unfortunately, Global Rescue ruled that he had a pre-existing condition.......which it turned out he DIDN'T.....and which Nationwide disagreed with...so it was no help to us and he has not renewed his membership. That's the problem with those memberships.....you need them IMMEDIATELY and you don't have the time to appeal their decisions!!!-

11 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

I'm guessing this thread gets taken down, for at least one reason, OP's language!

My goodness.

 

But back to the Ugly American.

 

Yup, when in the USA, things tend to work the way they do in the USA.

In France, like in France.

In <name of country>, like in <name of country>.

That's, um, sort of WHY there are "different countries":  there are differences in the cultures, and that includes, yes, LANGUAGES.

 

How would you (or others) feel if someone from France (or any other country with another language) came here and starting ranting and raving that we - GASP! - spoke ENGLISH!

Double gasp!

 

You really go to other countries and get upset when they speak their OWN language?

 

😱

 

GC

You must have missed the part where it was a HOSPITAL!! You know what happens when someone from any other country in the world comes to the US and is hospitalized? They are provided an INTERPRETER!!! They do NOT have to call their Embassy to get information And what started as a helpful post about my great insurance experience deteriorated when someone who wasn't interested in the subject decided I must be an "ugly American". Didn't care what language they spoke in hotels, restaurants, taxis, shops.....but a hospital in one of the biggest tourist cities in the world??? Yeah, I expected a little more.

16 minutes ago, klfrodo said:

Proves my point. Who gives a crap what is required in the US. You weren't in the US. You were in France where people speak French. 

Entitled much?

You are an idiot. I'm sure you're right...they spoke English but were too damn mean to admit it. They did 2 brain scans, 5 blood tests and an EEG....and he had a UTI but the morons didn't do a urinalysis. Only after we got home was he properly diagnosed and treated. And not only was I NICE to them.....I GROVELED to them!!! I even asked the US Embassy to call the nurse's station and thank them IN FRENCH!! You people with your "ugly American" BS ought to move someplace else!!

5 hours ago, klfrodo said:

I might have left that part out of my story. It kind of screams ENTITLED UGLY AMERICAN HERE!

 

I'm just thinking that you are blessed to be able to take multiple European vacations, tragedy strikes and your husband's life is saved by the medical professionals in Paris. After 11 days the bill is only $17K, and what do I hear? The professionals who saved my husband's life don't speak English.

I'd have been google translating the crap out of things plus doing my Babble and Duo-Lingo and becoming fluent in French for 11 days. It's not on them to speak English to you. Would have been more comfortable though. I would bet a lot of money that some of them do speak some English, but maybe there was some attitude from both parties on expectations.

 

You had a GREAT story to tell, and at the end, this is what I'll remember.  Very glad to hear your husband survived his medical scare.

Wow!!!! Do you know that hospitals in the US are REQUIRED to provide translaters?????? First of all...it was NOT a "tragedy" and they did NOT save my husbands life!!!!!! Quite the opposite.....if they had done a simple urinalysis and given him antibiotics, we would NOT have had to use an air ambulance! Second of all, who the hell are you to presume that I had an "attitude"????  It's pretty hard to have an "attitude" when you don't speak the language!! I guess the pastries I brought them EVERY SINGLE DAMN MORNING offended them??? Lastly, who gives a sh%+ what YOU remember about a post???

17 hours ago, CruisingAlong4Now said:

Hope hubby is doing well.  

 

You certainly got the "Paris unknown to most tourists" tour.

 

No one needs insurance until they need insurance.  Too many people focus on recovering the cost of the cruise, which is a sunk, known, and limited expense.  They really need to look at the unknown and unlimited expense of medical and evac costs.

LOL!!! Fortunately we had been to Paris before so had seen most of the sights! What was most shocking was that NOBODY at the hospital spoke much English! I had to have the American Embassy call several times just to ask questions for me. Highly recommend Le Dokhans hotel..they were wonderful to me. Yes, the cruise and airfare are relatively minor compared to the evacuation. The hospital cost wasn't even that bad...$17,000 for 11 days that included several CT scans, blood work and other tests!!

Nationwide

We had 2 trips planned for 2023 and for the first time, I bought an annual policy. My thought was that we probably wouldn't use it (we never have filed a claim) but if we did use it on the first trip, I would just purchase another policy for the second trip. Our first trip was to Paris, in April. We arrived at 6AM and by 3PM my husband was in a Paris emergency room. He was admitted to the hospital where he stayed for 11 days. The doctors advised against traveling commercially so we chartered an air ambulance. We missed our cruise of course and the second half of our first class ticket. Our hospital bill was reimbursed by our United Healthcare policy because he was admitted as an emergency. Yesterday we recieved 4 checks..one for each of us to cover our cruise and flight, one for the air ambulance and one for $250 for our UHC copay. We paid $1350 for the annual policy and the reimbursement was over $120,000. And THAT is why we always insure our trips!!! The loss of the cruise was not that big of a deal but the evacuation was significant. Note that we had to pay for the air evac ourselves and then get reimbursed by the insurance company but we were made whole so we are thrilled.

Used Squaremouth to find a policy. Bought an annual policy in January, because we had 2 cruises scheduled for 2023. On our first trip, my husband got sick in Paris on our pre cruise and was admitted to the hospital from the Emergency Room. 11 days later we flew home via a chartered air ambulance. Just today, after almost 5 months, we received checks covering 100% of air ambulance, entire amount.of cruise we missed AND the $250 deductible we paid for the hospital to United Healthcare for the hospital, which they coveted because it was an emergency. Well over $100,000.

On 10/19/2023 at 3:24 PM, Crusin till Im Dead said:

Klfrodo,

Thanks -- exactly what I wanted to find out...
I too called my company, UHC... and was told they would cover an Emergency; but I lack solid evidence, and the person wasn't 100% convincing.
So, I've checked with Tripinsurancestore and got a quote for their Annual plan; as well as Allianz Travel, and Sqauremouth.

I've never bought extra coverage, but feel for peace of mind, worth it.

Thanks

UHC ABSOLUTELY will pay if you are admitted via the Emergency Room. My husband was hospitalized for 11 days in Paris, admitted as an emergency, and UHC paid all but $250 of the bill. We paid it when we returned home and then filed a claim and they paid within 30 days. Out travel insurance policy paid us the $250 copay, as well as the ENTIRE amount for the air ambulance we had to charter, and our missed cruise.

Just read an interesting article about a man from New Hampshire who had a stroke in Curacao while on a cruise. His family was distraught because they did not feel the hospital he was being treated in was good enough. Their insurance....Allianz....would not pay for his return to an American hospital because, as the policy CLEARLY states, they will cover transportation to the CLOSEST adequate hospital. That is in almost every policy. They made a big stink in the media and now Allianz is going to pay for him to come home. THIS is why you have a MedJet policy!!!!!!

On 3/20/2023 at 9:27 AM, Very Sherry said:

MedJet's "MedJet Horizon" membership does the same thing. There's an article in FORBES by a writer who was evacuated during Covid because he was a member. So that's the one I got...seems like all the travel writers have it, so figured it was the best one.

We use Global Rescue for him because they didn't require a doctor's signature whenMedJet did.

On 3/16/2023 at 4:18 PM, Eno-Bob said:

A friend recommended a similar service - Global Rescue.  Was wondering if anyone has had any experience with that company?  TIA

Yes. I have MedJet but my husband has Global Rescue. He was quarantined in Jerusalem..not hospitalized ...but they called him every single day to check on him, they called the Covid hotel front desk one day when I couldn't reach him or anyone, and they called the Ministry of Health to help get the letter he needed to be allowed to leave. I couldn't have been more impressed with their service and have renewed with them.

12 hours ago, papaflamingo said:

If you are afraid to test within 72 hours of your cruise I would suggest you simply stop cruising.  Covid regulations worldwide are constantly updated and requirements will continue to shift.  I have insurance that will cover Covid cancellations (as well as any other illness or accident).  I suggest everyone do the same. 

You obviously have not faced this issue anywhere! Believe me, having " insurance that will cover Covid cancellations" is a VERY VERY  minor part of the problem. How about being 5000 miles from home and told that you should leave your husband in quarantine and go home while you  are still negative because you almost surely will turn positive. It was a terrible, horrendous experience. If this policy is not changed by by June, when our final payment for our Japan cruise is due, we will sadly....VERY sadly....have to cancel. I don't EVER want to be faced with that decision again!

20 hours ago, tango223 said:

 

Intended Address in Japan

Postal code    1600023

Prefecture      TOKYO TO

City                Shinjuku Ku

Address            6-6-2 Nishi-Shinjuku

Hotel Name       Tokyo Hilton

Thank you so much!!!!!

9 hours ago, Portolan said:

Not just you - I'm very adept at these things...and the Japanese site was unnecessarily complicated.  At the end, we have (each) a document that says we satisfied the "stay-out-of-quarantine" requirements (proof of vaccination and boosting accepted), a QR code indicating that we qualify for a fast pass for immigration and another for a fast pass at customs.  Your advice to not wait until just before you travel is very good.

OK....so what PREFECTURE is the Tokyo Hilton in and why is the city not listed in the drip down list? Thanks

1 hour ago, RachelG said:

What happened to you is my big worry.  Don’t want to be stuck away from home and having to quarantine.  

It didn't seem like it would be awful....just spend a week in a hotel, I thought.  It was without a doubt the WORST WEEK OF MY LIFE. 

Following this thread closely. We are booked on the Explorer in October. Having experienced a 7 day quarantine in Israel, where my husband tested positive and I negative, and where our travel company STRONGLY suggested I leave for home while I could... A good suggestion since 2 days after getting home I was positive.... I know all too well the stress of testing positive thousands of miles from home. It doesn't sound nearly as horrible as it really is! So, if there is still a testing requirement in June when our final payment is due, we will sadly be cancelling our trip.