Bali trip report, not what you'd expect ---
Dec 12th, 2008, 09:11 PM
#21
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Skittle - In response to your question, the answer depends on whether your primary insurer will acknowledge coverage and issue the health care provider (in our case the hospital in Bali and the hospital in Singapore) a letter of guarantee to cover costs. My problem surrounded the fact that my wife's primary insurer could not (or would not) determine coverage while we were in the Singapore hospital. Our secondary insurer would tentatively (although never with certainty) confirm coverage but wouldn't issue a letter of guarantee to the Singapore hospital because they were in second place. Thus, I had to pay cash (credit card) and submit claims to my wife's primary insurer upon our return to the USA. Upon receipt of the actual claims, however, my wife's primary insurer instantly got with the program and did promptly determine that this was a covered event (in its entirety) although, as stated in a prior post, I'll never figure out why they paid my expenses.
I'd imagine, but do not know with certainty as I've not yet looked into this, that with special emergency trip insurance, the insurer would issue a letter of guarantee to the local hospital/medical provider. Then, it becomes a question of whether the local hospital/medical provider will accept the letter of guarantee. But I am not entirely certain precisely how all this works, especially having never seen or read such a policy. It all initially depends on the terms of the policy, usually hidden in the fine print somewhere. Then, the focus shifts to the local hospital/medical provider and their willingness and ability to accept a letter of guarantee, if one is forthcoming from the insurer.
Hope this helps.
I'd imagine, but do not know with certainty as I've not yet looked into this, that with special emergency trip insurance, the insurer would issue a letter of guarantee to the local hospital/medical provider. Then, it becomes a question of whether the local hospital/medical provider will accept the letter of guarantee. But I am not entirely certain precisely how all this works, especially having never seen or read such a policy. It all initially depends on the terms of the policy, usually hidden in the fine print somewhere. Then, the focus shifts to the local hospital/medical provider and their willingness and ability to accept a letter of guarantee, if one is forthcoming from the insurer.
Hope this helps.
Dec 12th, 2008, 09:58 PM
#22
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Thanks David. It looks like a little bedtime reading of insurance policies. I can feel myself nodding off just thinking about it. I have read ours but it wasn't that section that I was focusing on.
Dec 13th, 2008, 02:27 AM
#23
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I'd like to emphasize that <b>not all insurance coverages, including medical evacuation, are the same</b>.
I have subscribed to MedJet Assist for several years, and I hope to continue never to use their services. Their coverage is relatively straightforward: if you're hospitalized, they'll arrange for you to be flown back to the hospital of your choice.
I have subscribed to MedJet Assist for several years, and I hope to continue never to use their services. Their coverage is relatively straightforward: if you're hospitalized, they'll arrange for you to be flown back to the hospital of your choice.
Dec 13th, 2008, 02:59 AM
#24
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What an incredible story. You just never know when an accident is about to happen.
I pulled out my travel insurance which is Amex, and they seem to cover everything that your insurance covered. What I didn't realise is that they only cover you for the first 45 days.
Fortunately my fall in Vietnam did not result in any serious injury, but if it had I would not have been covered.
I pulled out my travel insurance which is Amex, and they seem to cover everything that your insurance covered. What I didn't realise is that they only cover you for the first 45 days.
Fortunately my fall in Vietnam did not result in any serious injury, but if it had I would not have been covered.
Dec 13th, 2008, 06:15 AM
#25
I'm so sorry to hear of your wife's accident, and hope she's continuing to do well. Thanks for sharing the story - and congratulations on coping so well in such harrowing circumstances!
I broke my wrist in Switzerland a few years back, and had to cope with the insurance situation on my own. My medical insurance covered the doctors and hospital, and confirmed coverage to the hospital over the phone, although I believe there may have been some faxes involved as well.
My medivac insurance, with tenweb.com, got me home - car and driver for the two hours to Geneva airport, and economy class tickets via New York to RDU. I did have to spend some time on the phone sorting out which underlying outfit was responsible for me (I had renewed the coverage in the middle of the trip, and they had changed providers) but once that was sorted out I was very pleased with the service.
I was also impressed with Interlaken hospital (if you're going to break a bone, do it somewhere lots of people have skiing accidents!) and very grateful to the British couple who escorted me down to Lauterbrunnen to see a doctor.
I am a bit worried about how much medical insurance for overseas travel will cost me when I have to transfer to Medicare in a few years (I'm currently on retiree coverage).
I broke my wrist in Switzerland a few years back, and had to cope with the insurance situation on my own. My medical insurance covered the doctors and hospital, and confirmed coverage to the hospital over the phone, although I believe there may have been some faxes involved as well.
My medivac insurance, with tenweb.com, got me home - car and driver for the two hours to Geneva airport, and economy class tickets via New York to RDU. I did have to spend some time on the phone sorting out which underlying outfit was responsible for me (I had renewed the coverage in the middle of the trip, and they had changed providers) but once that was sorted out I was very pleased with the service.
I was also impressed with Interlaken hospital (if you're going to break a bone, do it somewhere lots of people have skiing accidents!) and very grateful to the British couple who escorted me down to Lauterbrunnen to see a doctor.
I am a bit worried about how much medical insurance for overseas travel will cost me when I have to transfer to Medicare in a few years (I'm currently on retiree coverage).
Dec 13th, 2008, 06:29 AM
#26
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Glad that your wife is recovering well. You both handled this serious emergency remarkably well. Every traveler's nightmare, I should think.
Thanks for sharing.
Personally, I have always felt that the US medical insurance system takes care of medical emergencies really well, even emergencies overseas. It's the other stuff that they bungle a lot, and makes it very expensive.
Thanks for sharing.
Personally, I have always felt that the US medical insurance system takes care of medical emergencies really well, even emergencies overseas. It's the other stuff that they bungle a lot, and makes it very expensive.
Dec 13th, 2008, 07:42 AM
#27
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I am glad that your wife is recovering well. You handeled the situation so well. Those of us on medicare are not covered overseas so I always wonder if the insurance I use will cover what I need if I had an accident or illness. Fortunately I have never had an occasion to use it, although I have traveled to places like Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, that the care might not be what I needed.
Do read the policies well as my son with a preexisting mental illness in Seattle was not covered by the travel insurance. When I reread the policy later it did exclude pre-existing conditions. Since Congress has passed a law saying a mental illness has to be covered like a physical condition I am wondering how that affects travel insurance now. Fortunately at that time he was working and had BlueCross Blue Shield which paid 80%.
I am so glad you had the insurance that you needed for your wife's accident.
Do read the policies well as my son with a preexisting mental illness in Seattle was not covered by the travel insurance. When I reread the policy later it did exclude pre-existing conditions. Since Congress has passed a law saying a mental illness has to be covered like a physical condition I am wondering how that affects travel insurance now. Fortunately at that time he was working and had BlueCross Blue Shield which paid 80%.
I am so glad you had the insurance that you needed for your wife's accident.
Dec 13th, 2008, 07:55 AM
#28
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magical, every insurance policy is different. Many US policies cover nothing outside of the US. Others provide coverage overseas that is even better than what they provide in the US!
thursdays, can you continue your retiree insurance once you must sign up for medicare? My retiree insurance will allow me to do that. I still pay the full amount for my retiree insurance, and they cover everything Medicare doesn't. They also cover me overseas. So I will certainly continue to carry my retiree insurance when I have Medicare.
thursdays, can you continue your retiree insurance once you must sign up for medicare? My retiree insurance will allow me to do that. I still pay the full amount for my retiree insurance, and they cover everything Medicare doesn't. They also cover me overseas. So I will certainly continue to carry my retiree insurance when I have Medicare.
Dec 13th, 2008, 12:41 PM
#29
Kathie - I've been putting off looking into how things will work when I have to sign up for Medicare, in the (faint) hope the US system may have improved some by then! (I spent the first part of my life in the UK, and have always found the US system bizarre at best!)
From this year's sign up info it looks like I would have a choice of "Original Medicare" plus assorted supplements or Aetna "Integration" options, or a "Medicare Advantage" plan also run by Aetna. It looks like the supplements just cover the 20% Medicare copay, after you reach an out-of-pocket max., and don't provide additional services.
Sounds like your situation is better. Maybe I should just move back to Europe - but the dollar has been doing so badly that hasn't been a good option!
From this year's sign up info it looks like I would have a choice of "Original Medicare" plus assorted supplements or Aetna "Integration" options, or a "Medicare Advantage" plan also run by Aetna. It looks like the supplements just cover the 20% Medicare copay, after you reach an out-of-pocket max., and don't provide additional services.
Sounds like your situation is better. Maybe I should just move back to Europe - but the dollar has been doing so badly that hasn't been a good option!
Dec 14th, 2008, 01:22 PM
#31
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My husband and I are both on Medicare and since we travel a lot and Medicare is no good outside the US, we took travel insurance thru Amex which covers us after 150 miles from home, whether in US or out of the country. Hope your wife is doing better and she still wants to travel!!
Dec 14th, 2008, 06:27 PM
#32
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I too hope your wife is recovering nicely. I was impressed by the kindness of your hotel staff. Bali is on my list of places to see in the future and I'll have to remember your hotel.
My cousin's husband had a heart episode while cruising. They had to leave the ship in Greece during their horrible fires. They did have trip insurance and I decided, being nearly the same age as they, that I would make sure I had insurance for my trip to Paris in May.
Your story brings home the need to make sure that we have this supplemental insurance. Mine cost $35 at AAA.
My cousin's husband had a heart episode while cruising. They had to leave the ship in Greece during their horrible fires. They did have trip insurance and I decided, being nearly the same age as they, that I would make sure I had insurance for my trip to Paris in May.
Your story brings home the need to make sure that we have this supplemental insurance. Mine cost $35 at AAA.
Dec 14th, 2008, 08:36 PM
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Kathie, do you know if the insurance policies that don't cover overseas emergencies , are they mostly HMO's?
This brings up an interesting question for all of us, I think.
What kind of insurance does one need to cover overseas travel after we are on Medicare? What if you don't have retiree insurance as an option? Are there any other options, like supplementary insurance plans? This might make an interesting topic , perhaps, a separate thread?
This brings up an interesting question for all of us, I think.
What kind of insurance does one need to cover overseas travel after we are on Medicare? What if you don't have retiree insurance as an option? Are there any other options, like supplementary insurance plans? This might make an interesting topic , perhaps, a separate thread?
Dec 15th, 2008, 05:28 AM
#34
"Your story brings home the need to make sure that we have this supplemental insurance. Mine cost $35 at AAA."
bluzmama - was that evacuation insurance, or full medical? When I ask for medical coverage for a theoretical trip on the AAA website it costs a whole lot more than that!
bluzmama - was that evacuation insurance, or full medical? When I ask for medical coverage for a theoretical trip on the AAA website it costs a whole lot more than that!
Dec 15th, 2008, 06:11 AM
#35
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magical, there isn't a consistent pattern to which policies cover overseas emergency medical expenses and which do not. I know of someone with a Kaiser policy (an HMO) that covers both emergency medical care outside the US and even covers med evac. My insurance is a preferred provider plan that covers nothing out of network locally. But it does cover emergency care elsewhere in the US and it covers emergency care in foreign countries. Read your policy carefully.
I know that there are many kinds of medicare supplemental insurance available. It may be that some do cover overseas medical expenses.
I know that there are many kinds of medicare supplemental insurance available. It may be that some do cover overseas medical expenses.
Dec 15th, 2008, 08:20 AM
#36
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David, we are so glad to hear that you had a good outcome with the ins! Its good to hear positive stories like yours. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your wife!
Bill, you and I had the exact same thought! I am a cc milage junkie! Have not paid out of pocket for travel in a loooooong time!
Bill, you and I had the exact same thought! I am a cc milage junkie! Have not paid out of pocket for travel in a loooooong time!
Dec 15th, 2008, 08:02 PM
#37
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David, Thanks for posting about your experience. You and your wife both seemed to handle everything amazingly well, and I'm glad your wife is recuperating well. Not that I would wish this on anyone, but ironically, it sounds like this emergency situation was probably life-changing in some positive as well as negative ways, including experiencing the incredible care and concern of people who were really total strangers.
Dec 16th, 2008, 03:07 PM
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Thank you for sharing your story.
First and foremost I wish your wife a speedy recovery.
Bali is the place I would swing by whenever I go to Asia.
Three years ago a local balinese told me she had to take her mom to travel to another city for a MRI screening because there is no mri machine in the entire Bali.
In Jakarta my friends (locals and expats) said they go to Singapore for checkups and doctors visits.
At the time I said to myself the lesson to all these is to take a travel poicy that covers evacuation. Also I must read the fine print in the PPO contract.
Thanks for reminding me.
First and foremost I wish your wife a speedy recovery.
Bali is the place I would swing by whenever I go to Asia.
Three years ago a local balinese told me she had to take her mom to travel to another city for a MRI screening because there is no mri machine in the entire Bali.
In Jakarta my friends (locals and expats) said they go to Singapore for checkups and doctors visits.
At the time I said to myself the lesson to all these is to take a travel poicy that covers evacuation. Also I must read the fine print in the PPO contract.
Thanks for reminding me.
