Emergency medical travel claim:repayment of non sterling transaction fee?

kezzygirl

Hi everyone. My husband, 2 children and sister and brother in law are currently in thailand. Unfortunately, on Tuesday my husband suffered a heart attack, requiring angioplasty and stent in a local hospital. I had to pay a 200,000bhat deposit before they would even treat him, and a further 75000bhat on discharge. Insurance  (axa).we're taking forever to make a decision on whether to pay, and so luckily I had my credit card Nd just paid. Unfortunately this has incurred just shy of £200 non-sterling transaction fee. Am I able to claim this back from insurance? The person I spoke to did not seem sure.

Brie

Don't know for sure as that will be somewhere in their T&Cs but i'd be making a list of every single little expense that results from this right down to parking at the hospital and getting a coffee from a machine in the caff.

And I hope he makes a full recovery - these things are so scary but modern medicine is great.

Ganga

Why did his travel insurance not pay the hospital direct ,i thought that what travel insurance was for and how it worked.

marcia_

Ganga said:

Why did his travel insurance not pay the hospital direct ,i thought that what travel insurance was for and how it worked.

 Not always, we contacted our insurance one year and were told to pay and claim back when we returned. 

kezzygirl

Ganga said:

Why did his travel insurance not pay the hospital direct ,i thought that what travel insurance was for and how it worked.

The hospital literally refused to touch him until I had paid 200,000bhat deposit, then they did angioplasty and stent. He was in icu overnight, and then was ready for discharge next day. Insurance were slow liaising with hospital regarding paying remaining balance and I didn't want him in hospital again overnight needlessly, so I paid the remainder. I have submitted our receipts for treatment costs so hopefully they will be quick to reimburse us, though have said the priority os repatriating us now. 

kezzygirl

Thank god I took the insurance out and also brought my credit card. They wouldn't have treated him without the deposit, which was very scary as if I didn't have the credit card I would've been stuffed.

kezzygirl

Brie said:

Don't know for sure as that will be somewhere in their T&Cs but i'd be making a list of every single little expense that results from this right down to parking at the hospital and getting a coffee from a machine in the caff.

And I hope he makes a full recovery - these things are so scary but modern medicine is great.

I even had to go buy him dinner as their restaurant had closed believe it or not. Quick stop at the 7/11 for a hot cheese toasty and some dried fruit and drinks! 

LightFlare

kezzygirl said:

Brie said:

Don't know for sure as that will be somewhere in their T&Cs but i'd be making a list of every single little expense that results from this right down to parking at the hospital and getting a coffee from a machine in the caff.

And I hope he makes a full recovery - these things are so scary but modern medicine is great.

I even had to go buy him dinner as their restaurant had closed believe it or not. Quick stop at the 7/11 for a hot cheese toasty and some dried fruit and drinks! 

I appreciate there may have not been much choice, but I would definitely research dietary advice following a heart attack

Hope he gets well soon 

badger09

@kezzygirl
What a horrible experience. Sorry I can’t answer re additional fees but hope your husband makes a speedy recovery. 

@Ganga
I can confirm that Thai hospital won’t examine/treat/admit until you pay a deposit. I had to be admitted in 2018 with Dengue fever. Husband paid substantial deposit by credit card before they would examine me & for medication on discharge a week later. IIRC the treatment & accommodation costs were paid direct by insurance co & we claimed all ancillary costs when we got back. Husband also became ill with Dengue but treated as outpatient. Fortunately both managed to get Fit to Fly certs about 36 hours before scheduled return so no repatriation costs.
Awful experience. Sending +ve vibes to kezzygirl. 

strawb_shortcake

LightFlare said:

kezzygirl said:

Brie said:

Don't know for sure as that will be somewhere in their T&Cs but i'd be making a list of every single little expense that results from this right down to parking at the hospital and getting a coffee from a machine in the caff.

And I hope he makes a full recovery - these things are so scary but modern medicine is great.

I even had to go buy him dinner as their restaurant had closed believe it or not. Quick stop at the 7/11 for a hot cheese toasty and some dried fruit and drinks! 

I appreciate there may have not been much choice, but I would definitely research dietary advice following a heart attack

Hope he gets well soon 

When my Husband had a heart attack, the specialist heart hospital he was in was serving up Steak and Kidney pie, fish and chips and cheese sandwiches... I used to bring him in a salad 

Voyager2002

What a dreadful experience!

This sounds like a good reason not to use AXA for travel insurance: the most basic thing one would expect from them is to authorise necessary treatment in an emergency.

I do hope that you will make a complaint about the delay in liaising with the hospital and preferably involve the Ombudsman. I mean, the next person might find their credit card was blocked and that could prove fatal!