Our experience with the onboard Medical Clinic

[Caribbean Chris]

So glad your mother is doing well. A close friend was on a Cunard world cruise with her mother (also our friend) a few years ago, and mum began having heart issues at sea a couple of days west of Hawaii. The clinic staff did their best with drugs, but could not perform heart surgery in their limited service facility. Too far from land to med-evacuate her. Ultimately they could only keep her comfortable and she soon passed away. Eventually on arrival in Sydney, her remains were flown home.
 

So I don’t think of the onboard clinics as any kind of a hospital - rather, as an urgent care emergency room. As many posts have described here on CC, it’s quite common for a patient to be taken to a hospital in the next port and for the ship to depart on schedule. 
 

So - yes! Always get travel insurance.

Edited April 22, 2023 by Caribbean Chris

[DCThunder]

1 hour ago, Caribbean Chris said:

So I don’t think of the onboard clinics as any kind of a hospital - rather, as an urgent care emergency room. As many posts have described here on CC, it’s quite common for a patient to be taken to a hospital in the next port and for the ship to depart on schedule. 
 

So - yes! Always get travel insurance.

My recent experience with the Med Center on Oosterdam would support this statement.  I slipped and fell, in the process twisting my ankle and having a non-displaced fracture of the fibula.  I was taken to the med center, x-rayed, and fitted with an orthopedic boot. The next port was Montevideo and the staff arranged for me to go to a hospital there for a consultation with an orthopedic doctor who confirmed the dignosis and told to try to stay off the foot for 4-6 weeks, get follow-up x-rays the next two weeks, and enjoy my cruise.  I then went back to the ship and did precisely that.

 

Now my injury wasn't heart related or anything life threatening, but I was very pleased with the treatment I got from the Med Center staff.

 

Oh, yes, and GET TRAVEL INSURANCE!

[jimdee3636]

One thing to be aware of is that HAL's "Platinum Protection" plan covers much---and sometimes all---of the costs and losses associated with onboard illnesses or injuries. Just recently, on what was going to be a five-week Hawaii/ French Polynesia cruise on the Koningsdam, I developed early on an "out of the blue" medical condition that required immediate attention. The ship's medical staff did a great job of patching me up (so to speak), but the doctor strongly urged me to cut the cruise short and to consult a surgeon as soon as I returned home (which I did, and I'm having surgery next week). 

 

With the help of the K-Dam's "disembarkation coordinator," we got flights home from the first stop, Honolulu (the flight costs, along with the onboard medical charges, were billed to our onboard account, which of course we paid before disembarking).

 

Since returning home, we have had an excellent result with our Platinum Protection claim, which is administered by AON Insurance. Earlier this week, AON direct-deposited nearly $15,000 into our checking account, representing a) the airfare home, and b) the "trip interruption" part of the claim, i.e., the 80% of the cruise (four weeks out of five) that we never got to take. Since we were staying in a Vista Suite and it was a long cruise, the trip interruption aspect was by far the biggest part of the claim. The onboard medical bills (under $1,000) are currently being reviewed by my health insuror (which is "primary"), but whatever they don't pay AON will.

 

HAL's Platinum Protection can also serve, I believe, as a sort of "cancel for any reason" coverage up to a day prior to sailing (although in that situation I think it only reimburses 90% of the cruise cost).

 

Anyway, a big thanks to the K-Dam's doctors, nurses, the disembarkation person, and to AON Insurance, for helping us get through a stressful situation. And as others have said, don't get on a cruise ship without some sort of travel insurance, even if you think your health insurance "covers everything." Your medical bills may only be a small part of the loss.

 

Jim

[BeachBum47]

On 4/20/2023 at 10:03 AM, trickylibrarian said:

Thanks for sharing.  She looks like a young 82 yo.

Thank you! Yes, she's very young at heart and we have so much fun together. 

[BeachBum47]

On 4/20/2023 at 10:41 AM, julia said:

Thanks for sharing your story.  If I may ask, (now that it's been four months), has your travel insurance settled all the costs?  Was it an easy process or was it a hassle?

Yes, we have been reimbursed by the insurance company. We bought our insurance through *****, which is who we booked our cruise with. The insurance company is called Generali. They were excellent!! Because I was all alone in a hotel dealing with this (and did not want my mom to have any stress at all so I didn't tell her anything about the financial situation) I was on the phone with them quite a bit and they were SO kind to me. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.

I spent quite a bit of money living in a hotel for 10 days (and Uber back and forth to the hospital) plus my flight home (which was $700 one way because it was last minute) and their max payout was $2000 so I'm out quite a bit for my own expenses but that's the way the ball bounces sometimes. 

So, to answer your questions, it was a very easy process to get reimbursed. Organizing all the paperwork was a hassle! lol But they were great to deal with.  

[BeachBum47]

On 4/20/2023 at 5:21 PM, lissie said:

We just got full insurance for  our upcoming 25 day cruise which is part of a 2 month trip to mainly Canada - its  about US$3500 (not a typo) for the 2 of us because of my partner's  pre-existing.   For comparison - last year  we did 3 months overseas including 55 days at sea - and the same company  charged us around US$900 (same pre-existing conditions). 

 

The insurance agent told us that insurance has gone through the roof because of the number of Covid claims on cruise ships. Last year we took an option without Covid cover - but that wasn't possible this year.  

 

We are reassessing an upcoming Japan trip with cruises next year. It may be significantly cheaper to just do a land trip - insurance may kill off cruising for some people soon than it does land travel - which is quite odd. 

 

We are lucky to even be able to get insurance - friends who were planning a 1/2 world trip when they are over 80 in a couple of years have just cancelled because they can't get insurance for anything longer than 60 days! (the cruise alone is longer than that) 

 

So once I'm older (I'm 61 he's 70) we will probably not be cruising - which is odd we started cruising because of my partner's health issues made it easier - not so much now. 

Check with Generali Insurance. That's who we used and it was much cheaper. Just be aware that their maximum payout for medical is $50,000. 

 

[BeachBum47]

On 4/20/2023 at 5:45 PM, Torquer said:

What an interesting story with a wonderful ending.  This is the first I have heard, in this detail, how HAL handled a medical emergency and it sounds very good.

 

It really does show the importance of having good medical insurance when out of the country.  In our case, while I am still working, my employers medical insurance fully covers medical emergencies outside the country (subject to the same deductibles and limits as in the US).  When we retire, we will definitely find a Medicare Advantage plan that has similar emergency coverage when traveling outside the US (hopefully we will do a lot of that).  So the only reason we buy travel insurance now is due to having to cancel the cruise before we leave for a medical reason (especially covid) and for emergency medical transportation back to the US.  We didn't buy it before covid and may stop in the future and take our chances about the medical evacuation, although we have it for our next cruise in June.

 

Just so you know, Generali insurance covers up to $250,000 for medical evacuation (i.e. getting you home) and it seems like a lot but my mom was flown home first class with a nurse (the nurse had to be hired and fly to San Diego from wherever she was and then pick my mom up at the hospital) with oxygen on the flight (which you can only imagine the paperwork for that!). Then, I was not allowed to pick her up at the airport. They had a car & driver meet her and the nurse at the airport and drive her straight to her house. I should also mention that we live a ferry ride away so they had to drive to the ferry, wait in line, do the ferry ride, etc. It must have cost them a FORTUNE. 

[GeezerCouple]

15 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We often discuss these kinds of insurance issues on the CC/Cruise discussion topics/ trip cruise insurance board.  And by the way, some (not all) Medicare Advantage Plans do include some out of the country coverage for Emergency/Urgent Care.  
 

Folks need to be aware that nearly all out of country coverage will require you to pay the bills and later seek reimbursement.  
 

Hank

 

And here is a link to the CC section on Travel Insurance:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/?

 

It's a good place to ask questions and also just to browse if one isn't familiar with the types of travel insurance/coverage, etc.

And also to learn about the differences between "cruise line" insurance and "3rd party" insurance, which typically starts the moment you walk out your door and ends when you walk back in again.

 

We "don't leave home without it".

We've had quite a few claims, including a few large ones, and all were paid without any aggravation at all.

 

GC

 

[lissie]

5 hours ago, BeachBum47 said:

Check with Generali Insurance. That's who we used and it was much cheaper. Just be aware that their maximum payout for medical is $50,000. 

 

That is not even close to being enough for travel  to the USA!  Not for someone who could  have a heart attack 

[Sea42]

10 hours ago, lissie said:

That is not even close to being enough for travel  to the USA!  Not for someone who could  have a heart attack 

I agree! The testing costs alone are thousands of dollars, add to that the actual care and treatment, $50,000 won't last 2 days in our hospitals.

 

[WriterOnDeck]

On 4/22/2023 at 6:21 PM, DCThunder said:

My recent experience with the Med Center on Oosterdam would support this statement.  I slipped and fell, in the process twisting my ankle and having a non-displaced fracture of the fibula.  I was taken to the med center, x-rayed, and fitted with an orthopedic boot. The next port was Montevideo and the staff arranged for me to go to a hospital there for a consultation with an orthopedic doctor who confirmed the dignosis and told to try to stay off the foot for 4-6 weeks, get follow-up x-rays the next two weeks, and enjoy my cruise.  I then went back to the ship and did precisely that.

 

I'm currently on the world cruise and fell in the Canary Islands (private excursion). Upon return to the ship my knee swelled, so went to medical. They X-rayed, found fractured patella, and said I would go ashore the next day in Agadir, Morocco, for an MRI to check for ligament or other damage and an ortho consult. They didn't know whether I could come back. Long story short no ortho consult in Agadir so had MRI and came back. MRI results were good, so the onboard docs had a telemedicin call with U Tex Medical Branch (supports ships at sea), who said I could recover on board. I initially had a partial plaster cast but eventually they got me the necessary knee brace. I'm still doing well, and will stay on till late July. Great service IMHO.

 

BTW, I blogged about it starting with this one:

 

https://www.writerondeck.com/2023/04/07/if-only-i-hadnt-missed-that-one-little-step/

Edited April 24, 2023 by WriterOnDeck

[ontheweb]

4 minutes ago, WriterOnDeck said:

I'm currently on the world cruise and fell in the Canary Islands (private excursion). Upon return to the ship my knee swelled, so went to medical. They X-rayed, found fractured patella, and said I would go ashore the next day in Agadir, Morocco, for an MRI to check for ligament or other damage and an ortho consult. They didn't know whether I could come back. Long story short no ortho consult in Agadir so had MRI and came back. MRI results were good, so the onboard docs had a telemedicin call with U Tex Medical Branch (supports ships at sea), who said I could recover on board. I initially had a partial plaster cast but eventually they got me the necessary knee brace. I'm still doing well, and will stay on till late July. Great service IMHO.

 

BTW, I blogged about it starting with this one:

 

https://www.writerondeck.com/2023/04/07/if-only-i-hadnt-missed-that-one-little-step/

Glad it worked out for you.

[Sea42]

6 minutes ago, WriterOnDeck said:

I'm currently on the world cruise and fell in the Canary Islands (private excursion). Upon return to the ship my knee swelled, so went to medical. They X-rayed, found fractured patella, and said I would go ashore the next day in Agadir, Morocco, for an MRI to check for ligament or other damage and an ortho consult. They didn't know whether I could come back. Long story short no ortho consult in Agadir so had MRI and came back. MRI results were good, so the onboard docs had a telemedicin call with U Tex Medical Branch (supports ships at sea), who said I could recover on board. I initially had a partial plaster cast but eventually they got me the necessary knee brace. I'm still doing well, and will stay on till late July. Great service IMHO.

 

BTW, I blogged about it starting with this one:

 

https://www.writerondeck.com/2023/04/07/if-only-i-hadnt-missed-that-one-little-step/

I'm glad you are continuing to recover. And thank you for your blogs! I've followed them for years now and look forward to each new entry. Safe travels!

[BetsyS.]

WriterOnDeck - Sorry about your fall, but glad you got great medical care and can continue on your cruise.  Best wishes.

[BeachBum47]

On 4/22/2023 at 8:44 PM, lissie said:

That is not even close to being enough for travel  to the USA!  Not for someone who could  have a heart attack 

 

I agree but the interesting thing is that her final total bill was $300,000 but I had already negotiated it down to $16,000. I literally signed a contract saying I would pay $16,000 and then saw the "real" bill going up, up, up every day. CRAZY. As a Canadian, I had NO IDEA that Americans can negotiate hospital bills. 

[lissie]

5 hours ago, BeachBum47 said:

 

I agree but the interesting thing is that her final total bill was $300,000 but I had already negotiated it down to $16,000. I literally signed a contract saying I would pay $16,000 and then saw the "real" bill going up, up, up every day. CRAZY. As a Canadian, I had NO IDEA that Americans can negotiate hospital bills. 

That is bizarre - that's news to me too ! 

[Guest ldtr]

13 hours ago, BeachBum47 said:

 

I agree but the interesting thing is that her final total bill was $300,000 but I had already negotiated it down to $16,000. I literally signed a contract saying I would pay $16,000 and then saw the "real" bill going up, up, up every day. CRAZY. As a Canadian, I had NO IDEA that Americans can negotiate hospital bills. 

One issue is that one of the reasons a resident of a foreign country can negotiate the bill down so much is because it is not unusual for foreign residents come to the US, get treated, then leave the country and never pay. 

 

From the hospitals point of view better to get something than nothing.

 

Does that amount include all of the various doctors that bill separately from the hospital itself.

[crusinbanjo]

11 hours ago, BeachBum47 said:

 

I agree but the interesting thing is that her final total bill was $300,000 but I had already negotiated it down to $16,000. I literally signed a contract saying I would pay $16,000 and then saw the "real" bill going up, up, up every day. CRAZY. As a Canadian, I had NO IDEA that Americans can negotiate hospital bills. 

I have negotiated my medical bills, including hospital bills for years.  As a younger self employed man I could not afford quality health insurance.  As a result, whenever I needed heath care, I would offer to pay cash, if the Dr, (or whatever), billed me at the same rate as they would bill insurance companies.   Most often, they accepted my offer and the price difference was very dramatic, usually about 25% of the initial invoice.

[daisy-mae]

21 hours ago, WriterOnDeck said:

Long story short no ortho consult in Agadir so had MRI and came back.

A same-day MRI? I thought that only happened on TV hospital dramas. 

[Ichiban Nekko]

Thanks to OP for starting this thread and sharing experiences. So glad all was resolved, since that sure was a chunk o' change you ponied up initially.

 

We had a very positive experience with the Medical Unit on the Nieuw Statendam last November. I wouldn't call the facility an Emergency Room, but agree more with the Urgent Care term. We were extremely impressed by the quality and amount of technical services. We simply cannot say enough good things about all the staff in the unit who we interacted with.

 

In addition to the excellent medical staff attending to DH, we really appreciated the Doctor personally talking with our 3rd party insurer. He made it absolutely clear that the facility at Grand Turk (our next stop) was inadequate and that we should be taken to the US by air ambulance. We were flown to Florida and went to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. By the end of the week, we were on a flight back to Virginia.

 

The coverage we chose included primary medical (rather than secondary). Consequently, the costs of the air ambulance and attending RN and tech, all medical costs in Florida were paid by the insurance. We did pay HAL for DH's time in the Medical Unit. After submitting our claim (with receipts), we were reimbursed not only for our Medical Unit costs, but also our lost cruise days (we were medically disembarked on Day 4 of a 21-day cruise) and all costs incurred in Florida (hotel, Ubers, meals, new airfare, etc) in about two weeks.

 

I would also like to tell people that the HAL staff on board were absolutely wonderful during this stressful time. They offered meal services for us at any time, helped with accounting, etc. Our head room steward (already burdened with too many cabins to maintain) offered to pack our bags for us - a kind offer that we declined. However, he absolutely insisted that he personally take charge of our bags to ensure they were with us at disembarkation.

 

Without trip insurance, I cannot begin to imagine the costs we would have had to cover. It was beyond disappointing to curtail this long-anticipated cruise. At least we didn't have to pay for a vacation we didn't have and/or all the associated costs with returning home.

 

We have bought trip insurance for years. We will continue to do so. This is our way of saying that we hope you do too.

 

 

 

[TiogaCruiser]

On 4/24/2023 at 6:18 PM, BeachBum47 said:

 

I agree but the interesting thing is that her final total bill was $300,000 but I had already negotiated it down to $16,000. I literally signed a contract saying I would pay $16,000 and then saw the "real" bill going up, up, up every day. CRAZY. As a Canadian, I had NO IDEA that Americans can negotiate hospital bills. 

Normally, no.

[pmjnh]

Thank you for sharing. Thank must have been very scary for you both. I am glad your mom is okay.

 and.... you do not look not 54 and 82!!

[Jake Martin]

If you are over 65 from the US and carry a supplemental Medicare policy, Plans F and G do cover up to $50,000 of foreign medical care.

They are the most expensive plans, but worth it.

Virtually all cruise ships are flagged in Bahamas, Panama, not the US.

[ottahand7]

35 minutes ago, Jake Martin said:

If you are over 65 from the US and carry a supplemental Medicare policy, Plans F and G do cover up to $50,000 of foreign medical care.

They are the most expensive plans, but worth it.

Virtually all cruise ships are flagged in Bahamas, Panama, not the US.

Thanks for that information.  I have part F but never knew the up to amount.   Part F is no longer offered to new retirees. 

[oldbluff]

24 minutes ago, ottahand7 said:

Thanks for that information.  I have part F but never knew the up to amount.   Part F is no longer offered to new retirees. 

You are correct. Plan G is available, which we have. The big attraction for us is covering surprise extra charges from doctors and labs. The foreign medical is a bonus, although we still get travel insurance. I figure the Plan G $50K can stretch our travel insurance medical coverage if needed.

 

I believe the only difference between plan G and the discontinued plan F is F covers payment of the annual Medicare plan B premium of a few hundred dollars.