Potential refusal of medical treatment without substantial payment (despite having insurance)?

katejo

This morning I read of someone taken  seriously ill on a cruise in Panama  (Covid and pneumonia) and refused treatment because she couldn't pay it herself immediately. She had travel insurance but the hospital wasn't prepared to wait for her claim to go through. It refused treatment unless she paid by CC straight away. My CC limit is well below the amount she had to pay and I don't have multiple cards. . If this happened to me, I couldn't access the funds quickly enough. I am wondering how common this might be?

Flugelhorn

I suspect it depends whereabouts in the world you get ill - not all places are "treat now and worry about the payment later (or never)"

silvercar

Travel insurance generally provide a medical emergency number, staffed 24/7, for these sort of situations.

katejo

silvercar said:

Travel insurance generally provide a medical emergency number, staffed 24/7, for these sort of situations.

Yes I know that but this person was very ill and the hospital refused to wait for her to contact her insurer.

NoodleDoodleMan

Is it not standard practice for the hospital to contact the insurance company to confirm the patient is covered for medical treatment charges ?

DullGreyGuy

NoodleDoodleMan said:

Is it not standard practice for the hospital to contact the insurance company to confirm the patient is covered for medical treatment charges ?

Depends on the country, hospital, what the normal domestic situation is. It's also not helped that in many places a tourist will be directed to a private clinic than a public hospital which will both cost more and potentially be more commercially astute. 

Your insurers may attempt to convince them that the cover is in force and to bill them directly but unless they have a pre-agreement in place with that particular establishment its down to the hospital to decide if they are comfortable with the arrangement. 

badger09

In 2018 I was taken to hospital from our hotel in Thailand with suspected Appendicitis or Dengue Fever (it was Dengue). Hospital insisted on CC prepayment approx £2k before any scans, tests & admission. The main bill was later settled direct with insurance & we reclaimed the £2k and some misc costs when we got back. 

Could have been so much worse if I’d been alone as I was too ill to think about taking my CC. 

twopenny

This is a worry for me as I travel solo.

If I was knocked down, out cold or too ill to think.

Don't know if it would help but I always print out my insurance number, emergency telephone number for the company and carry it on me. Hopefully I could direct someone to it's location in bag or purse.

NOT on a phone, that could vanish and no clinic is going to start looking through that for information.

You should always take your original insurance certificate with you on holiday.

Also read the details of how it should be applied, what types hospitals you should be delivered to are usually in the T&cs or ring up and ask. Make sure you know the procedure.

Yes it's a pain but once you get used to the system of what to check it gets easier each year.

But there's only so much you can do if you are insensible.

I've also worked hard on my CC limits. Pay off the full amount every time, even small amounts. It's reliability they are after and apply annually to have it increased.

I've done this since the ash cloud that hit the northern hemisphere when lots of people were left stranded abroad and needed to work their way back home or account for accommodation.

katejo

twopenny said:

This is a worry for me as I travel solo.

If I was knocked down, out cold or too ill to think.

Don't know if it would help but I always print out my insurance number, emergency telephone number for the company and carry it on me. Hopefully I could direct someone to it's location in bag or purse.

NOT on a phone, that could vanish and no clinic is going to start looking through that for information.

You should always take your original insurance certificate with you on holiday.

Also read the details of how it should be applied, what types hospitals you should be delivered to are usually in the T&cs or ring up and ask. Make sure you know the procedure.

Yes it's a pain but once you get used to the system of what to check it gets easier each year.

But there's only so much you can do if you are insensible.

I've also worked hard on my CC limits. Pay off the full amount every time, even small amounts. It's reliability they are after and apply annually to have it increased.

I've done this since the ash cloud that hit the northern hemisphere when lots of people were left stranded abroad and needed to work their way back home or account for accommodation.

I always pay my cc in full and have done for years but I doubt my provider would raise my limit high enough to satisfy the amount demanded by the Panama hospital. It was huge.

katejo

NoodleDoodleMan said:

Is it not standard practice for the hospital to contact the insurance company to confirm the patient is covered for medical treatment charges ?

That's what the solo traveller expected but the hospital refused to do so. 

diveunderthebonnet

katejo said:

twopenny said:

This is a worry for me as I travel solo.

If I was knocked down, out cold or too ill to think.

Don't know if it would help but I always print out my insurance number, emergency telephone number for the company and carry it on me. Hopefully I could direct someone to it's location in bag or purse.

NOT on a phone, that could vanish and no clinic is going to start looking through that for information.

You should always take your original insurance certificate with you on holiday.

Also read the details of how it should be applied, what types hospitals you should be delivered to are usually in the T&cs or ring up and ask. Make sure you know the procedure.

Yes it's a pain but once you get used to the system of what to check it gets easier each year.

But there's only so much you can do if you are insensible.

I've also worked hard on my CC limits. Pay off the full amount every time, even small amounts. It's reliability they are after and apply annually to have it increased.

I've done this since the ash cloud that hit the northern hemisphere when lots of people were left stranded abroad and needed to work their way back home or account for accommodation.

I always pay my cc in full and have done for years but I doubt my provider would raise my limit high enough to satisfy the amount demanded by the Panama hospital. It was huge.

Do you know how much it was , sounds like they nearly had to sell the house or a kidney