Good Case for Travel Insurance...

[Terre]

We have some friends whose wife went to Cancun with her daughters this past week and fell while there. She broke her leg so badly that the doctors in Cancun were not equipped to do the surgery and she had to be airlifted back to the U.S. Her husband had to fly down there and when he started making arrangements to fly her back he was told he would have to pay $20,000 cash up front before any arrangements could be made.

 

Fortunately, his son-in-law's business wired the money down so they could get her out, but then the pilot had to pay customs $2,000 for them to not have to go through customs before they left.

 

Another problem he had was trying make phone calls back home. Apparently the phones don't work as well after 5:00 p.m. and everyone at the hospital who could speak English had left for the day. He was very frustrated, but finally got her home and in surgery. The doc here had to put in a plate, pins, and do a bone graft! If he'd had the insurance, everything would have been covered. He may have still had to pay the $20,000 up front, not sure, but it would have been reimbursed.

 

We always get the travel insurance and fortuantely have never had to use it, but now I'm positive it's a good idea.

[Toto2Kansas]

Definitely a case where travel insurance would have jumped in. Many times you must pay upfront but are reimbursed afterwards.

Same thing happened to a friend of mine, BUT she didn't think she needed insurance. She learned the hard way unfortunately. :(

 

Hope your friend is healing quickly and so sorry to hear about the accident.

[jhannah]

Yikes! What a terrible experience. This is truly a prime example of why travel insurance is so worthwhile. All we need to do is think of paying this claim vs. coughing up a couple of hundred for the premium.

[Coral]

I agree - good example.

[SRQfireman]

We have some friends whose wife went to Cancun with her daughters this past week and fell while there. She broke her leg so badly that the doctors in Cancun were not equipped to do the surgery and she had to be airlifted back to the U.S. Her husband had to fly down there and when he started making arrangements to fly her back he was told he would have to pay $20,000 cash up front before any arrangements could be made.

 

Fortunately, his son-in-law's business wired the money down so they could get her out, but then the pilot had to pay customs $2,000 for them to not have to go through customs before they left.

 

Another problem he had was trying make phone calls back home. Apparently the phones don't work as well after 5:00 p.m. and everyone at the hospital who could speak English had left for the day. He was very frustrated, but finally got her home and in surgery. The doc here had to put in a plate, pins, and do a bone graft! If he'd had the insurance, everything would have been covered. He may have still had to pay the $20,000 up front, not sure, but it would have been reimbursed.

 

We always get the travel insurance and fortuantely have never had to use it, but now I'm positive it's a good idea.

 

 

This intrigues me......."but then the pilot had to pay customs $2,000 for them to not have to go through customs before they left"

[Iamthesea]

I have heard mention of this before...it is called paying off customs.

 

Terre - So sorry to hear of your friend's injury. Thank you for the insurance reminder again. So many people think that insurance just covers your trip, but the real expense is the evacuation cost when needed.

[Terre]

Thanks everyone for your concerns for our friend. Yeah, everything in Mexico is a bribe...

[chipandjohn]

Wish I had bought insurance. I'm laying here with a herniated disc and have a cruise scheduled May 7th that is still questionable that I'll make it. I have another epidural scheduled that my help. The only other time I bought insurance was when my mother was ill and she pass seven days before we were to leave on a cruise. Selfless to say but that was close and you never know. We have another cruise Oct 22nd and I’ve told everyone that just for a few more dollars we can all buy peace of mind. a

[NitaBcruising]

So sorry for your friend's misfortune! It is kind of you to pass on the info, as it's a great reminder for us all! :)

[Iamthesea]

and once when the stone fell out of a ring. All claims were paid, in full, and promptly.

Elaborate please? Just how does travel insurance pay for a lost ring?

 

There is another post on Cruise Critic from someone that bought a ring on one of the islands in an approved shop and lost the stone. They are getting nowhere with compensation. Perhaps they two can claim it on their travel insurance (if they had it.)

[PescadoAmarillo]

I still had the ring (a 14K gold setting), but the prongs were empty. It was on a 30 night cruise, about day 8 or so. I reported it lost to Guest Relations the next morning, and searched the theater for it, where we were sitting for the show the night before. I was hoping it might show up sometime during the cruise, but it didn't. Before I disembarked the ship at the end of the cruise, I got a Report of Lost Property report from guest relations, signed by both the chief purser and myself. When I got home, I took photos of the setting, missing the stone, and filled out the claim forms I had been sent by the insurance company, and mailed it all in with the report from the ship. I kept copies of everything, and kept a phone log of conversations with the insurance company customer service, but within about 3 weeks, I was reimbursed the entire cost of the ring less 25% for depreciation, since I did not have the original receipt. Then I took the ring to a jeweler, who was able to replace the stone for about the same amount I had been reimbursed. A happy ending!

[Iamthesea]

WOW! We are talking travel insurance and not homeowners?

[kathe]

We were on a Royal crossing when about 1/3 across the Atlantic we were diverted back some 300-600 miles off the coast of Halifax for a medical evacuation.A massive Canadian Helicopter arrived.Now I would not to discuss the cost of this with the Gov.of Canada.We were a day and half late getting into Southampton.That taught me never go without insurance.Kathe