Florida Medical & Travel Insurance Info B4 You Go!

jaffa

Thanks for this FH Brit - very useful.

Yes it was a hospital in the Orlando area and I'm beginning to regret we made the hospital visit now!!!
It was not a pre-exisiting condition so I don't see why the insurers should not settle the claim.

When we received the invoices we called the claims assistance service who advised we should send on to them and not pay ourselves. In light of all the information you have given I am wondering if this was wise?

Will call them again and it sounds like I should call the medical providers in a week or so's time to see if the bills are still outstanding.

Thanks again

FH_Brit

Jaffa - Don't panic too much - it will go to bad debt and the Debt Collectors will write to you (we have to by law) and give you 30 days to dispute (the only dispute you would ligitimately have is that you were not at the hospital) so you really don't have to worry at all until it is turned over to bad debt.

If you want to send me a PM with your hospital (Name) account number (then you wont have to give me any personal info I'll look see (as long as you were at one of our hospitals). Then I can guide you much better.

julliff

FH Brit

Many thanks for all the good advice. I ended up taking a policy from direct Travel Insurance. However, I have since been told that they are essentially AXA, who looked bad on your tally table!! I can't see anything in the documentation to this effect, but it does say that they are underwritten by AIG UK. (I don't know if this is relevant to anything).

We are off to Texas next week, do you know if the advice you have posted is relevant to Texas as well? Or does it vary from state to state.


Once again, thanks for taking the time to post such useful information

FH_Brit

Here are a few other "watch out's".

DENTAL - Rarely coverd past £100.00 and then usually only for pain management. No dental work/repair will be covered.

LEFT MEDS AT HOME/LOST -

FH_Brit

Not covered usually - if you do forget your meds go to a doctors office that takes "walk-ins" or to an Urgent Care Facility (CentraCare, Solantic, Walgreens Clinic, CVS Clinics here in florida) - (and by the way, customs officers recommend you should carry in the pharmacy's original container with the prscription info on the label - putting your whole holidays meds in one big bottle looks to customs officers as smuggling!)

CREDIT CARDS "FREE TRAVEL INSURANCE" - Be carefull check that you have adequate insurance benefits - you may need to up grade or get further coverage. Remember Esther Ranzen "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" === Buyer Beware!!! === I have dealt with these and have both good and very bad experrience with so called free policies.

sweetp0707

Hi FH Brit

Thanks very much for all the info, its really useful. I'm off the Florida in 4 weeks time and is looking for insurance for me and my family. I have a question about Pre existing conditions. I unfortuntaly suffered a
miscarriage ealier this year, I was treated in hospital. Would you say that this is a pre existing condition?

And have you had any experince with Professional Travel insurance?

Thanks

Pia

FH_Brit

Pia

I have never heard of Professional Travel Insurance (sounds like a BROKER to me - I do not deal with brokers - US Privacy laws).

I obviously cannot speak on behalf of any insurers but I think they would have to be particularly cold and heartless to consider a misscarriage as pre-exist. In any case YOU MUST DISCLOSE THIS - that is why they call them pre-existing CONDITIONS, that's the magic word that does not mean hospitalisation, or surgery, or even seeing a doctor it is medical and it is a condition, therefore ask the insurance company before you buy the policy. (they may just not cover any further OBGYN problems or they may increase your excess to cover - it does not mean you will not be covered.

If you want my advice, stick with a decent insurer like Tesco, Norwich Union (I think they are changing their name?), Post Office, Barclays. All these are great and not that expensive.

I have found that with insurance you really do get what you've paid for === cheap is not always the best == false economy to spend a few grand on a family holiday a "skimp" on the coverage by £40.00 or so! ! !

LizardKing_2

Hi, this is an absolutely fantastic post; very informative. Thank you

I have a few quick questions, some are a little off topic, sorry.

- I will be emigrating to Florida soon. Do you have any tips in general but specifically, can I get insurance to cover me for an initial period even though I'm not coming back? Also, insurance to cover my luggage (I'll be taking a guitar I'm worried about)? And do you have any tips for shipping companies to use?

- Do you know of any US websites/websites that cover the US similar to moneysavingexpert.com with similar content?

Many thanks for your initial post and for any future help you can give me

Elvira

FH_Brit wrote: »

Insert By Martin:

Thanks so much to FH Brit, for the great insider post below, showing how travel insurance operates in one of the world's most expensive medical areas. Some great tips below.

Also check out the Cheap Travel Insurance guide for more info
_________________________________________________



Being an Ex-Pat Brit working here in Florida in a job that follows all you Brits that come here and need medical treatment and then leave unpaid bills behind.

If you are going to travel to Florida you need to know a few things just in case the need arrises for medical treatment. Before you buy ANY travel insurance make sure it covers your needs.

Pre existing conditions are the biggest single reason that I have claims rejected, this may be because some of you think that you will not be covered if you tell the insurers that you have a pre existing condition (previous heart problems is a biggie) where in actual fact most insurers will cover them and may only increase the premium or excess to take account of any pre exising conditions. Sometimes they may cover you for other events but exclude the pre exist condition.

You must also consider that if you need to visit an Urgent Care Facility (sort of between a GP surgery and an Emergency Room) or to a hospital Emergency Room the medical service provider will make YOU not your insurers legally responsible for any medical debts.

Although the hospital I work for will deal with your insurance company, it is done as a courtsey to you, their customer. US and Florida State laws protect the medical facility from bad debt and when you attend the facillities you, in fact, "Sign your life away" and no matter what, you are responsible NOT THE INSURANCE COMPANY.

WHERE TO BUY INSURANCE:

Avoid buying Insurance from your Travel Agent, Teletext, and the Internet (they can sell you the cheepest and often worst coverage poicy and you won't know until you make the claim.) UNLESS YOU KNOW THE UNDERWRITERS ARE A KNOWN AND REPUTABLE INSURANCE COMPANY. you can buy very good insurance from the Post Office, insure & Go, Moneysupermarket.com, Tesco, Barclays Bank etc and you do not need to be an account holder.

Check your policy details and ask questions.

One of the UK's largest insurers has a clause that states if you are over the drink driving alcohol limit (EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT DRIVING) any accident (trip/fall etc) is considered SELF INFLICTED INJURYand will not be covered (ask the lady in Middlsex who had 3 cocktails and tripped and hit her head and ended up paying us $19,000.00+ out of her own pocket).

If you are not sure ASK the insurance company NOT the seller of the policy. (many insurance companies will have their policy "wording" available on-line so you can see before you buy).

If you need medical treatment, first consider if it is REALLY an emergency - if so go to the hospital or call 911 for an ambulance. If it is a minor condition (Sore throat, ear pain, cuts & bruise) you are better off going to an Urgent Care facility - Florida Hospital CentraCare, Solantic, and some CVS & Walgreens Pharmacies now have "In-Store Clinics" - these are often much cheeper than hospital ER's and often a lot quicker!

If you forget your Prescription Medicine's.

Try to find a (Heart or Diabetic etc) Doctor's office that will see you and give you a precription, only use the ER only if you cannot find someone else (a local Doctor's office or Urgent care facility) the Hospital will put you through a full medical before they will even consider writing you a new prescription and some insurers will not cover this as it is your negligence and/or pre existing condition).

Attending the ER for blood presure meds could end up costing YOU around £500.00! - Also other tip - before flying keep 3-4 days meds in your carry-on bag, should your aircraft be delayed or diverted, your bags may not!

DEBT COLLECTORS.

Medical providers will use debt collectors after sometimes a very short time, this is not unusual and does not neccessarilly mean that you are having legal action taken against you. - If you are contacted by a Debt Collection Agency the best you can do is contact the debt collector - NOT THE MEDICAL PROVIDER, as debt collection laws mean that the debt collector is now in charge of your debt - the hospital should refer you to the debt collector and if you ignore them, then they have the law on their side and you could find out the hard way that you should have TELEPHONED them/

E-mail often is considered unsafe as the debt collector cannot be assured that you are the person entitled to receive the Protected Health Information in your medical bill (same with fax) by telephon the debt collector will ask you if you are the debtor if you say you are, and you are not then it is you who has commited an offence and the debt collector has complied with the law. Also if you are over 18 YOU must deal with your debt not your Dad, Mum or anyone else that may have paid for the holiday or insurance policy.

In any case, you sign a consent form at the medical providers office and the bottom line is that YOU owe the money NOT your insurers. Any legal action will be taken against you not your insurance company. I have had many stuborn customer that "knows better" then call back 6 months later because they have been refused a mortguage/credit card or Car HP.

SOLICITORS.

If your insurance company deny your claim and you dissagree with their decision (or do not pay fast enough) do NOT engage a Solicitor, there are other and better ways to complain against your insurers such as the Financial Services Authority's Ombudsman Service and this consumer protection service is free to a consumer - why waste £85 - £100 per hour on a Solicitor when you get a better service from the FSA for FREE?

But remember this or any other legal action you may take, does not releive you from your responsibility to the medical provider and you should pay them straight away and then "fight" your insurance company for reimbursement.

AFTER A CLAIM IS MADE.

It is your responsibility to make sure that the insurers have actually paid the bill - some insurers tell you this and then the debt collectors start calling - Insurers have the legal responsibility to prove they have paid, not the medical provider or their agents to prove that your bill has not been paid.

You must fill in your claim forms and comply with requests from your insurers for medical records from your own GP (this is the only way a pre existing condition can be ruled out) and your insurers cannot process the claim if you have not complied. Any cost for your GP may be your responsibility also, so if you don't pay your GP then you WILL have to pay the hospital! I don't need to tell you what is the cheeper bill!

RE-ENTRY TO USA.

Many ask - will this affect their return on their next visit to the USA - Officially you must make this enquiry to the Dept. of Homeland Security (at the US Embassy in London or any US Consualte).

I have heard that yes it can affect entry to the USA - If you have holiday property here or are planning to emigrate here the immigration officers WILL do a credit check (unpaid medical bills are reported to Experian, Trans-Union & Equifax the 3 major credit reporting agencies) although I beleive that it is rare for any "2 week tourist" to be refused entry on the grounds of bad debt (I think it may differ the bigger the debt).

Remember;

A medical bill in the US can ber huge! A personal friend of mine from Hertfordshire had a twisted bowl and was hospitalized twice in 4 weeks here having 2 surgeries and her medical bill for the hospital alone was $158,000.00+ [£80,000.00]

Doctor's here bill separately and that means you may have multiple bills, just being treated at the emergency room and released (without overnight stay in hospital may result in

A bill from the Ambulance/Paramedic serrvice.
A Hospital bill.
The Emergency Room Doctor's Bill.
The Radiologist's (if you need x-rays etc).
The Pathologist (if you have blood tests etc).
A Paediatrician (if it is your child that needs treatment).

Overnight stay in the hospital can cost upwards of £600.00 per night, just for the stay (called "hotel charges") WITHOUT ANY MEDICAL TREATMENT!

etc etc etc ......

Motor vehicle accident are another subject and is complicated (as if the above is not!!!).

One final tip - If you smoke, or like a tipple, DON'T BUY DUTY FREE ON THE AIRCRAFT on your way to Florida (other sates may differ) Duty Free does not mean Profit Free! The Airlines know how much you pay in the UK and make it cheeper but not as cheep as buying it in Florida (e.g. 200 Marlboro cigarettes bought in Walgreens drugstore on any street corner here costs $23.00 approx £12 - £13 while the airline will charge about £26 - £30).

Hope the info helps and you never know we may speak soon!

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Thank you very much as am about to renew our annual travel insurance and travelling to Florida in 5 weeks time. Your informative advice has come at just the right time! Best Wishes......

zolablue25

Hi FH Brit

I notice that you have made no mention of AA insurance (the car people!). Is this because you don't have any experience of them (which could be a good thing) ? We always get our travel insurance from them