Travel insurance/pre existing condition.

dacouch

Out of interest FH how would you secure payment from a UK resident who has returned to the UK and not paid you. Do you go down the route of of county courts etc?

When they people sign the agreement to pay the medical fees are they secured eg on their house or is the hospital an unsecured debtor?

lisyloo

So, that's your opinion and you are entitled to it

Hi FH,

Don't take it personally.
Some posters come here to help.
Others come here to demonstrate their superiority (perhaps to themselves).
I hope it doesn't put you off helping others.

Quentin

FH_Brit wrote: »

So, that's your opinion and you are entitled to it - Others obviously do not agree .....

Please note I have been thanked here 113 times in 56 posts...

The number of thank yous to your posts is totally irrelevant to your contribution being discussed in this thread!

FH_Brit wrote:

I always say they can be the worse thing going

They aren't! No matter which policy you have you need to read the details, and no matter how much you pay, if you don't tell the insurer about a pre existing condition, they aren't going to pay a claim as a result.

What was important was to use the thread to make sure others don't make the mistake of the OP. You instead decided to pompously tell us your opinion of the policies, then got upset when this was challenged!

FH_Brit

DA - It all depends (on bill amount - as said its not worth chasing for accounts up to say $5,000.00). WE (our company) for these will report the "Debtor" to Equifax, Experian, & Trans Union as a bad debt (it will stay on their credit report for 7 years! even if they pay - it then is just marked as paid/settled). This is our policy, there are other "tools" or action we can take legally but our office choses not to - that does not mean that other debt collectors will not, do not use other means to "make you pay"!

For larger accounts I am not 100% sure as all I do is "forward" the account to our company lawyers for legal review. What action they actually take I could not be certain of. Deffinately under FDCPA (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act) & FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) we are not allowed to threaten anything that a) We do not intend to do, AND b) Is our normal course of business to do it. So on that point if our lawyers state in a letter to a debtor, a lien will be placed on your property, or we will commence court proceedings etc it WILL and MUST be done when they say it will. We cannot use idle threats.

Also where a minor child is concerned - Florida stautes state that any medical bill for a minor (under 18 yrs) is the joint responsibility of the biological parents. This is contrary to criminal law and is an arrestable offence (there are always exceptions such as a 16 year old mother or 2 17 year olds that marry are no longer the responsibility of her parents) I stress that is here in Florida not all over US) Also bear in mind I have never actually heard of anyone being arrested over this - I think the law is in place so that medical facilities have the option should they wish to decide to use the law to protect themselves from bad debt.

Security is done at the hospital, and it again depends on the amount of the bill, I think the hospital I work for at the moment says expected bill in excess of $10,000.00.

FH_Brit

Quentin - see above - I am going to end this connversation with you.

Quentin

So you keep saying, but then always want the last word. You don't answer the questions raised anyway, so it's hardly a conversation.

dacouch

Thanks FH, so it appears the debts are just like a normal unsecured debt over here that the majority of decent people would settle.

When you say you get security when expected bills are over £10000 what do you mean by this eg take credit card details?

I've heard people ask that they owe a hosital money in the U.S and are worried that when they return to the U.S that immigration will detain them etc. Is this true?

It would also be interesting to know what the average bill for a broken leg would be and a heart attack in Florida. I've heard the bills are very expensive

FH_Brit

DA - sure you're totally right most decent people will pay or provide travel insurance details so I can bill - although some need an explaination as to how things work over here.

If we take credit card details, (and that always first choice for payment in full) then we take a deposit (or payment in full on estimated charges) upon discharge you can ask for a discount and they will offer 40 - 50% for payment in full at time of discharge (again estimated charges you could get another bill later).

Security usually means that the patients credit card does not have enough to cover charges, and no other means to pay, i.e. cash/travelers chques and/or do not have insurance info with them or insurance company contact was not made. Then "promisary" pappers are obtained that allow us to pursue the debtor by whatever means needed to secure payment of their bills.

Being credit reported CAN affect entry into the USA. My official response is that I am not an immigration or custms officer so I to refer the person asking to the Dept. of Homeland Security (in charge of border control now) and not really detained but they are refused entry, but yes if there is no flight out that day they would be detained until the next available aircraft (so I've heard).

I asked the INS (as it was then) when I had my own restrictions lifted from my visa, (3 years ago) and the impression I got was if you were to apply for immigration then it would deffinately affect you, but for 2 week vacation, he thought that it was up to the individual immigration officer to decide (a good reason to be nice to them), and a bit like going through Dover with a bottle of scotch too much, they would only check if the thought you looked suspitious and then ran checks on you. Pretty much unless you have bank account/social security number/property here in US you are not going to show up but that is not law/rule/policy. The bottom line I'm affraid is - I do not know!

I had case - UK man rented Harley Davidson and before he even started it he lost his balance (I must not laugh!) and fell over with the HD landing on his leg - Tib/Fib/Femur broken his bills including physicians $10,600.00.

Another case - Chest Pain ER visit (treat & Release not admited to hospital) = 7 hours in ER = $ 4,000.00 + radiology,cardiology & ambulance.

Another point - Air Ambulance - $ 9,300.00 just to lift off!

Heart attack - not really able to give example as depend how long in hospital and if in intensive care but.......

Hotel Fees (room & board - no medical treatment) $1,300.00 PER NIGHT!
Hosptialist (Ward Doctor) $600.00 per day
ER Doctor $598.00 - $1,800.00 (level 1 - 5 ER asses)
Accute care (ICU) $ 1,000.00 per day
Plus - Pathology/Radiology/Surgeon/Anethetist(sp)/Orthopedic etc etc - each doctor you use will bill you separately.

dacouch

Thanks to the NHS we forget in the UK how expensive medical treatment can be.

FH_Brit

edited - added afew points/clarified

Basically you walk into an ER (our hospital) as a minimum will gewnerate a bill for the hospital (level 1 ED assesment) $ 610.00

AND an ER Doctors bill (Level 1 ED assesment) $598.00

PLUS Radiologist if you need x-ray

Oh HERE - Gospel - I had a CT scan from my nose to my shoulders 2 years ago = over $4,000.00 ! ! !