Paying a hospital if you get sick in the Caribbean

[Mjasp]

We just got off a cruise that had 2 medical evacuations.  I ALWAYS purchase trip insurance, I'm also always concerned because you hear of those horror stories that some islands take advantage of you and won't treat you until you fork over thousands of dollars.  We are going on a 10 night Caribbean cruise and am very concerned about this as we start getting older.

Can anyone who has personally taken ill in the Caribbean and went to a hospital tell me if they actually want cash upfront or do they accept your medical insurance (not Medicare) as my medical insurance from my employer covers me out of the U.S. or trip insurance that they can call and confirm the coverage.

Thank You!

[GeezerCouple]

10 minutes ago, Mjasp said:

We just got off a cruise that had 2 medical evacuations.  I ALWAYS purchase trip insurance, I'm also always concerned because you hear of those horror stories that some islands take advantage of you and won't treat you until you fork over thousands of dollars.  We are going on a 10 night Caribbean cruise and am very concerned about this as we start getting older.

Can anyone who has personally taken ill in the Caribbean and went to a hospital tell me if they actually want cash upfront or do they accept your medical insurance (not Medicare) as my medical insurance from my employer covers me out of the U.S. or trip insurance that they can call and confirm the coverage.

Thank You!

 

Most (almost all) travel insurance will *reimburse you* for what you had to pay medical providers while you were traveling.

 

Most overseas hospitals/clinics/physicians would have no way of knowing if your particular insurer or policy was valid for services they provide (or was valid at all!).

 

At one overseas hospital, in the billing office, I saw a sign that stated that they would only accept insurance guarantees from insurers they were already familiar with (and to ask them about it).  We had a relatively small bill there, so we just charged it, and submitted the bill after we got home.  Likewise, elsewhere, we had some physician charges and we had to pay cash (not charge), and then we got a receipt (handwritten on physician's letterhead) and submitted it for reimbursement when we got back.

 

You should *not* expect to be able to present some sort of insurance docs and have the overseas medical provider "get the money".  (IF that were to happen, you should consider yourself quite lucky.)

GC

 

 

[Mjasp]

Thank you so much for your reply. 

[Philob]

Some travel insurance companies will have a list of doctors or medical facilities that they recommend you go to.  Doesn't mean you can just show your insurance docs and not pay directly, but it's a starting point when discussing payment with the facility.

 

 

[klfrodo]

I hope you know that there is NO REQUIREMENT for your local doctors office, clinic or hospital for them to accept your insurance card and file the claim for you. Those that do practice this policy do so for you convenience. My wife had a doctor who did not file a claim for your convenience. (She didn't want to bother with or pay another person to deal with 500 different insurance companies.) We would pay with cash, check, debit or credit, then we would have to file for reimbursement from BCBS ourselves.

 

Here in the US we have pretty much the same policy as other places. Yes, there are US laws that require life saving measures regardless of ability to pay, but after that, you can be refused for service if unable to pay.

Edited February 10, 2020 by klfrodo