Always Have Insurance

[azbirdmom]

2 hours ago, DCThunder said:

I know this will be an unpopular take, so here goes....

 

Someone upthread made the comparison to the ship Medical Department to a free-standing Urgent Care facility.  I think this is a very apt comparison in that the ship or UC can take an X-ray or EKG or dispense/prescribe some RX type meds, but they aren't going to do any "invasive" procedures.  Do they start IVs for instance?  I don't know the policy on that type of thing at either an Urgent Care clinic or the ship medical department.

 

But the point is, you aren't leaving an Urgent Care place without settling a bill.  They might agree to file insurance for you, but the insco will reimburse the patient/policyholder, not the UC.  It's no different with the ship medical department. 

 

I broke my ankle on the ship in Buenos Aires on a cruise last year.  The ship arranged for me to go to an ortho doctor in Montevideo for a consult. I wasn't allowed to leave that medical facility without settling up an $900 bill for the facility and another couple of hundred for the doc. I paid the bill and got reimbursed by the insco, as I did for my shipboard medical costs.

 

You can't exit the ship owing the casino.  Why should the med. dept be any different?  I understand the shock on the wife if the husband's treatment on the ship is a $20K bill.  But if someone owed the casino $20K and didn't tell the wife, that would be just as big a shock and there ain't no insurance for that kind of loss.

 

Anyway, that's my contrarian point.  Flame away.

Unlike money you spend in the casino the Medical area should be able to tell if you've purchased Princess insurance and know that they will be paid eventually, similar to the way that land based providers will be paid later by insurance.  I get it that it's much easier - for them - to collect immediately regardless of the inhumanity of how they do it.  Princess is a business after all.  But the cheery marketing materials for PVP lead one to believe that they are eliminating worries by buying it as implied by the screen snippet I posted below.  As it's for marketing purposes nothing says "you pay first and endure the hardship while we take our time before we get around to reimbursing you".  Princess could fix this if they wanted to but apparently they have little incentive to do so.  Which is sad.

 

[MsSoCalCruiser]

3 hours ago, DCThunder said:

I know this will be an unpopular take, so here goes....

 

Someone upthread made the comparison to the ship Medical Department to a free-standing Urgent Care facility.  I think this is a very apt comparison in that the ship or UC can take an X-ray or EKG or dispense/prescribe some RX type meds, but they aren't going to do any "invasive" procedures.  Do they start IVs for instance?  I don't know the policy on that type of thing at either an Urgent Care clinic or the ship medical department.

 

But the point is, you aren't leaving an Urgent Care place without settling a bill.  They might agree to file insurance for you, but the insco will reimburse the patient/policyholder, not the UC.  It's no different with the ship medical department. 

 

I broke my ankle on the ship in Buenos Aires on a cruise last year.  The ship arranged for me to go to an ortho doctor in Montevideo for a consult. I wasn't allowed to leave that medical facility without settling up an $900 bill for the facility and another couple of hundred for the doc. I paid the bill and got reimbursed by the insco, as I did for my shipboard medical costs.

 

You can't exit the ship owing the casino.  Why should the med. dept be any different?  I understand the shock on the wife if the husband's treatment on the ship is a $20K bill.  But if someone owed the casino $20K and didn't tell the wife, that would be just as big a shock and there ain't no insurance for that kind of loss.

 

Anyway, that's my contrarian point.  Flame away.

I’m sorry but how can you owe a casino $20,000? How can you owe the casino anything? You have to pay before you play. 

[Coral]

34 minutes ago, Wishing on a star said:

 

 

I am wondering if we need to make sure that we have some info with us, info for easy  financial access, etc.   We always have our regular insurance card, but maybe not other things that might be helpful.

 

A credit card with a large limit.

[tonit964]

34 minutes ago, azbirdmom said:

Unlike money you spend in the casino the Medical area should be able to tell if you've purchased Princess insurance and know that they will be paid eventually, similar to the way that land based providers will be paid later by insurance.  I get it that it's much easier - for them - to collect immediately regardless of the inhumanity of how they do it.  Princess is a business after all.  But the cheery marketing materials for PVP lead one to believe that they are eliminating worries by buying it as implied by the screen snippet I posted below.  As it's for marketing purposes nothing says "you pay first and endure the hardship while we take our time before we get around to reimbursing you".  Princess could fix this if they wanted to but apparently they have little incentive to do so.  Which is sad.

 

There is a saying and I can’t remember it word for word but it’s something to the effect of “never purchase insurance from the same company you’re doing business with”. Maybe this holds true for Princess.

I always purchase my insurance from an outside company. 

[TRLD]

1 hour ago, azbirdmom said:

Unlike money you spend in the casino the Medical area should be able to tell if you've purchased Princess insurance and know that they will be paid eventually, similar to the way that land based providers will be paid later by insurance.  I get it that it's much easier - for them - to collect immediately regardless of the inhumanity of how they do it.  Princess is a business after all.  But the cheery marketing materials for PVP lead one to believe that they are eliminating worries by buying it as implied by the screen snippet I posted below.  As it's for marketing purposes nothing says "you pay first and endure the hardship while we take our time before we get around to reimbursing you".  Princess could fix this if they wanted to but apparently they have little incentive to do so.  Which is sad.

 

A couple of problems:

 

1. 2 different companies, neither one Princess

2. Insurance pays only after primary declines

 

They could do what you suggest, but would be a substantially higher cost since it would need to be primary.

[ROXIETHEHORSE]

We always buy insurance within a couple days of booking a trip that will be outside of the US so that it covers pre-existing conditions. Also only buy insurance that has primary coverage with a high (at the minimum $100,000 per person medical) and $500,000 medical evacuation. We can eat the cost of a vacation (wouldn't be real happy about it), but we cannot eat the cost of a major medical issue away from the US. That would be catastrophic.

[azbirdmom]

1 hour ago, TRLD said:

A couple of problems:

 

1. 2 different companies, neither one Princess

2. Insurance pays only after primary declines

 

They could do what you suggest, but would be a substantially higher cost since it would need to be primary.

1) Princess collects the premium for the insurance, puts their name on it for marketing purposes, and layers on CFAR.  They also collect the money for the services provided by the medical department.  They have skin in the game.

2) Yes that is true.  But other travel insurers have figured out how to make coordination work when you seek emergency care and have medical insurance that is primary.  Princess in concert with AON could figure out a way to make this be as seemless as they make it sound when they sell the coverage to you.

[azbirdmom]

2 hours ago, tonit964 said:

There is a saying and I can’t remember it word for word but it’s something to the effect of “never purchase insurance from the same company you’re doing business with”. Maybe this holds true for Princess.

I always purchase my insurance from an outside company. 

Yep, I have an annual policy with Allianz in addition to a limited amount of international medical coverage through my health insurer plus some coverage through my credit card for other travel emergencies.  I was referring to the person who had Princess insurance yet had to pay $20K before being allowed to disembark with her husband who was being transported to a hospital.

Edited July 31 by azbirdmom

[Coral]

15 minutes ago, azbirdmom said:

1) Princess collects the premium for the insurance, puts their name on it for marketing purposes, and layers on CFAR.  They also collect the money for the services provided by the medical department.  They have skin in the game.

2) Yes that is true.  But other travel insurers have figured out how to make coordination work when you seek emergency care and have medical insurance that is primary.  Princess in concert with AON could figure out a way to make this be as seemless as they make it sound when they sell the coverage to you.

The only negative on this is the pre-existing condition clause/look back period. It would be difficult to figure out on the ship if someone is covered or not for a condition.

Edited July 31 by Coral

[TRLD]

1 hour ago, azbirdmom said:

1) Princess collects the premium for the insurance, puts their name on it for marketing purposes, and layers on CFAR.  They also collect the money for the services provided by the medical department.  They have skin in the game.

2) Yes that is true.  But other travel insurers have figured out how to make coordination work when you seek emergency care and have medical insurance that is primary.  Princess in concert with AON could figure out a way to make this be as seemless as they make it sound when they sell the coverage to you.

They also tell you that the benefits are administrator by a third party. Just as they tell.you on board that medical services are provided by a third party and full payment is due at time of service. That any insurance filing is the responsibility of the passenger.

 

Primary insurance certainly. Secondary insurance suchbas the Princess travel insurance not so much. When my wife and I both had coverage through different employers and each other's policy provided secondary coverage we always had to file manually after primary had finished paying what they would cover. Do not know of many places where primary and secondary insurance coordinates. The norm is one finishes then the uncovered remainder gets manually submitted to secondary.  They will usually what the name of any other coverage.so they can make sure who is really primary, but not to coordinate benefits.

 

They certainly could do it if they wanted to raise the price of the insurance and make it primary and that it covered all pre existing conditions. That would probably raise the price enough that they would sell considerably fewer policies.

Edited July 31 by TRLD

[wallyj]

4 hours ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

I’m sorry but how can you owe a casino $20,000? How can you owe the casino anything? You have to pay before you play. 

Many and this includes the Casino on Princess, allow you to ‘charge’ against your folio, much like a credit card. The daily limit can be in the thousands. 

[Cruisemeister2002]

9 hours ago, ROXIETHEHORSE said:

We always buy insurance within a couple days of booking a trip that will be outside of the US so that it covers pre-existing conditions. Also only buy insurance that has primary coverage with a high (at the minimum $100,000 per person medical) and $500,000 medical evacuation. We can eat the cost of a vacation (wouldn't be real happy about it), but we cannot eat the cost of a major medical issue away from the US. That would be catastrophic.

Due to having travelled mainly P&O they insist on a minimum cover of two million pounds when visiting the States. I must admit to being surprised that in their Ocean Ready section there's nothing about who you are covered with for your insurance or if you even have it.

[voljeep]

well, when on a cruise ship, you do have a choice, sorta - either don't go - or go to the only medical facility on board.  Not at all like on land where you have a variety of doctors, walkins, ER.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

9 hours ago, wallyj said:

Many and this includes the Casino on Princess, allow you to ‘charge’ against your folio, much like a credit card. The daily limit can be in the thousands. 

But they know what your card can clear. I was on a cruise with a friend years ago and that person ordered a drink. They instantly knew that it wasn’t clearing her card and they let her use the phone to call her bank. I doubt someone will be able to charge money at the casino if it wasn’t going to clear. 

[roxievegas]

2 hours ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

But they know what your card can clear. I was on a cruise with a friend years ago and that person ordered a drink. They instantly knew that it wasn’t clearing her card and they let her use the phone to call her bank. I doubt someone will be able to charge money at the casino if it wasn’t going to clear. 

the money you add to your casino bank is charged to your room folio.  

 

[TRLD]

4 hours ago, voljeep said:

well, when on a cruise ship, you do have a choice, sorta - either don't go - or go to the only medical facility on board.  Not at all like on land where you have a variety of doctors, walkins, ER.

Yep. Or wait until the next port and go to a local emergency room which will most likely require payment at time of treatment.

 

One of the facts of travel. For that matter if you are in the US and have a medical emergency they take you to the closest emergency room in most cases, or theone the ambulance service is affiliated with, you do not really get a choice there either. 

[MsSoCalCruiser]

1 hour ago, roxievegas said:

the money you add to your casino bank is charged to your room folio.  

 

Correct and they know if your card will clear. 

[voljeep]

3 minutes ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

Correct and they know if your card will clear. 

as of the exact minute they run the card?   does that create a temporary charge on the card in question - or a posted charge?

[MsSoCalCruiser]

@voljeep my guess is that they do their regular daily hold and that they would not let you go over that amount. I would ask on my cruise in 11 days but that has been canceled. 😞 

[Pickels]

Always, always contract a company and get Travel Insurance.  Never leave home without it. 

[startedwithamouse]

58 minutes ago, Pickels said:

Always, always contract a company and get Travel Insurance.  Never leave home without it. 

But you still have to settle the medical center bill in full before leaving the ship.

[voljeep]

1 hour ago, startedwithamouse said:

But you still have to settle the medical center bill in full before leaving the ship.

'have to' - nah ... facts and circumstances - back your folio with a low balance credit card...what are they gonna do - put you in the brig?

 

just deal with it timely when clearer thoughts are 

[startedwithamouse]

48 minutes ago, voljeep said:

'have to' - nah ... facts and circumstances - back your folio with a low balance credit card...what are they gonna do - put you in the brig?

 

just deal with it timely when clearer thoughts are 

I'd like to know who's disembarked without paying their folio?

 

Where can you leave urgent care without paying? Nowhere I know.

Edited August 1 by startedwithamouse

[PescadoAmarillo]

On 7/30/2024 at 4:58 PM, startedwithamouse said:

Well put.

 

Same on land. You agree to pay at time of service for urgent care. 

 

Additionally, what hospitals if you get ill in another country will say, no problem,  just pay us later or not at all?

 

Princess insurance is supplemental for medical. You pay up front. Not sure why that's such a surprise to people.

It’s the very first thing they tell you when you walk into the Medical Center on board. Of course, if you’re unconscious or having a major medical emergency, your other options for care are extremely limited. But I do wonder what percentage of onboard medical expenses get reimbursed before they ever get sent to a travel insurance company. I know that Medicare doesn’t pay out of country, but many/most other medical insurances do. 

[MsSoCalCruiser]

8 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

I'd like to know who's disembarked without paying their folio?

 

Where can you leave urgent care without paying? Nowhere I know.

I just left a hospital after several days. They didn’t even take my ER co-pay. I asked if they wanted my co-pay and they told me no and that they would bill me later.