$1700 Medical Bill for 20 mins treatment on P&O Cruise

Warning for Local Cruisers travelling between Australian Ports.

In today's Sun Herald, there is an article on a $1700 medical bill for 20 mins treatment for heat exhaustion on a P&O cruise from Sydney to Melbourne last year.

It stated that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade travel website, which warns all cruise passengers to take out travel insurance, says Medicare benefits are payable for people travelling between two Australian ports.

The problem seems to be that the doctor was not registered as a Medicare provider, which would not be unusual on an overseas ship.

The matter was raised in Federal Parliament on Monday.

My shock is at the excessive amount charged - $1700 for 20 mins treatment for heat exhaustion! If this is true, can doctors on cruise ships charge what they like? Who receives this money - the actual doctor?

Firstly I have to say who would travel without travel insurance no matter where you are going. Fact:)

Secondly yes it seems expensive but from personal experience they charge a lot!! I had a bill of $3500 without even being put into the hospital. Having to have an injection they charged for the nurse to attend my cabin, for the needle, the capsule part of the needle and for the fluid in the needle:o absolutely exorbitant.

My thinking is that it's the cruise line who profiteers not the Dr. They would be on a salary.

I had to pay $135 for mum toget an injection from the nurse for nausea on the dawn princess. I didn't thinkit was too bad. She had insurance but it was less than the excess.

I always take insurance no matter where I travel.

Warning for Local Cruisers travelling between Australian Ports.

 

In today's Sun Herald, there is an article on a $1700 medical bill for 20 mins treatment for heat exhaustion on a P&O cruise from Sydney to Melbourne last year.

 

It stated that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade travel website, which warns all cruise passengers to take out travel insurance, says Medicare benefits are payable for people travelling between two Australian ports.

 

The problem seems to be that the doctor was not registered as a Medicare provider, which would not be unusual on an overseas ship.

 

The matter was raised in Federal Parliament on Monday.

 

My shock is at the excessive amount charged - $1700 for 20 mins treatment for heat exhaustion! If this is true, can doctors on cruise ships charge what they like? Who receives this money - the actual doctor?

It stated that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade travel website, which warns all cruise passengers to take out travel insurance, says Medicare benefits are payable for people travelling between two Australian ports.

it goes to say how much they know about cruising....zilch

Firstly I have to say who would travel without travel insurance no matter where you are going. Fact:)

Secondly yes it seems expensive but from personal experience they charge a lot!! I had a bill of $3500 without even being put into the hospital. Having to have an injection they charged for the nurse to attend my cabin, for the needle, the capsule part of the needle and for the fluid in the needle:o absolutely exorbitant.

My thinking is that it's the cruise line who profiteers not the Dr. They would be on a salary.

WOW - $3,500! I had no idea how exorbitant the ship charges could be.

I agree that you need to take out travel insurance, when you travel overseas. However, I don't take out travel insurance, when I travel frequently within Australia, so I can understand why the lady didn't think insurance was necessary cruising from Sydney to Melbourne.

Firstly I have to say who would travel without travel insurance no matter where you are going. Fact:)

Secondly yes it seems expensive but from personal experience they charge a lot!! I had a bill of $3500 without even being put into the hospital. Having to have an injection they charged for the nurse to attend my cabin, for the needle, the capsule part of the needle and for the fluid in the needle:o absolutely exorbitant.

My thinking is that it's the cruise line who profiteers not the Dr. They would be on a salary.

If you are travelling within Australia and are an Australian Citizen/resident travel insurance does not cover medical treatment because that is covered by Medicare and or private health insurance.

If you injure yourself overseas your medical costs with travel insurance are only covered until the time you arrive back in Australia because you are already covered at home by Medicare.

I was shocked to learn this some years ago I am also sure there are plenty that will say it is obvious but many people do not know that this is how travel insurance works!

It stated that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade travel website, which warns all cruise passengers to take out travel insurance, says Medicare benefits are payable for people travelling between two Australian ports.

 

it goes to say how much they know about cruising....zilch

So they should also have a rule that doctors practising within Australia on Australian Citizens/Residents including cruise ships should be Medicare registered and thus unable to charge such high prices!

WOW - $3,500! I had no idea how exorbitant the ship charges could be.

 

I agree that you need to take out travel insurance, when you travel overseas. However, I don't take out travel insurance, when I travel frequently within Australia, so I can understand why the lady didn't think insurance was necessary cruising from Sydney to Melbourne.

You are not covered for medical treatment with travel insurance when travelling within Australia anyway so thats why most people dont bother with it!

So they should also have a rule that doctors practising within Australia on Australian Citizens/Residents including cruise ships should be Medicare registered and thus unable to charge such high prices!

That would be a much fairer system for P&O ships, which operate in Australian waters.

So they should also have a rule that doctors practising within Australia on Australian Citizens/Residents including cruise ships should be Medicare registered and thus unable to charge such high prices!

I don't think that would be a reasonable expectation. It isn't the doctor who sets the fees but the cruiseship. Passengers would have to pay, not only for the doctor/nurse's time, but also a small amount for using the medical centre. This is how it is on land where you are paying for the doctor/dentist's time, plus a proportion of the cost of running the practice.

From what I have heard, Medicare Provider Numbers are not easy to get. Doctors I have encountered on cruiseships have invariably been overseas doctors (usually South African or British). If they could get an Australian Medicare Provider Number they would probably get more pay if they worked on land in Australia rather than on a cruise ship. :) On this last point I am just guessing because I don't know what doctors on cruise ships are paid.:)

So they should also have a rule that doctors practising within Australia on Australian Citizens/Residents including cruise ships should be Medicare registered and thus unable to charge such high prices!

It will make very little difference to your out of pocket expenses even if the doctor is Medicare registered as they can charge what they want. Medicare has no control over what doctors can charge , unless they bulk bill.

The prices will not change and the medicare refund will be very minimal to what they actually charge.

I agree these fees are outrageous and some older folk can't get travel insurance if they have pre-existing conditions.

My father in law fell ill on a Princess cruise 3 years ago. He and his wife boarded in Sydney and were doing an around Australia 28 day cruise. He fell ill the first morning and the ship was docking in Brisbane so was taken off the ship then put in an ambulance to hospital and died later that day. His death was no fault of the cruise line. However, because he couldn't get travel insurance due to a heart condition he didn't have any. The annoying thing was the TA who said he couldn't get insurance didn't think to at least get insurance for his wife - so NO insurance for either of them.

The cruise was $20,000 as they were staying in a suite, they spent 1 night on the ship and lost all of their money and received a $5800 medical bill.... not only that the ship gave my MIL another persons receipt!!!!! Very expensive ($26,000) for 1 night on a Princess cruise ship.

I have since learnt that he in fact could have got insurance but would have a paid a lot for it and may not have covered certain medical conditions. But our family will never cruise with Princess or one of the brands owned by the parent company which I think is Carnival. Whilst Anne Sherry, the CEO of the Australian arm of the cruise line sent flowers and a letter, they DID NOT even offer my MIL a credit. This is really poor customer service by both the TA and the cruise line, but it is fact.

So make sure you always travel with insurance even if its between australian ports. As other posters have said, the Drs on ships aren't medicare registered and therefore charge the fees set by the cruise line.

That really is a sad sad tragedy and so infuriating about the travel agents negligence with regards to insurance.

I do think it was a very nice gesture of the cruise line to send flowers though I'm not entirely clear why they should have been expected to have offered a credit. They weren't able to resell the suite after the cruise starts and they make a lot of money from gratuities, spa services, drinks, speciality restaurant and other on board purchases so they were already out of pocket from losing two of their guests right at the start of the journey.

I know a lot of people don't take out travel insurance when travelling domestically but you should. It would cover you for things like theft, loss of luggage, travel delays. I know with Covermore (who I use), if you do a domestic cruise, it's covered under an international policy so you get cover for medical and dental expenses (which aren't covered on a domestic policy). I just take out a multi-annual worldwide policy and I am covered anytime I travel, internationally or domestically.

It will make very little difference to your out of pocket expenses even if the doctor is Medicare registered as they can charge what they want. Medicare has no control over what doctors can charge , unless they bulk bill.

Exactly. Go to a specialist on land and see what the charges are.

My father in law fell ill on a Princess cruise 3 years ago. The annoying thing was the TA who said he couldn't get insurance didn't think to at least get insurance for his wife - so NO insurance for either of them.

Sorry that that happened but I don't understand your position re the cruiseline and the TA. You FIL knowingly elected to cruise without insurance & your MIL did likewise. An expensive lesson under sad circumstances.

It stated that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade travel website, which warns all cruise passengers to take out travel insurance, says Medicare benefits are payable for people travelling between two Australian ports.

 

it goes to say how much they know about cruising....zilch

What they wrote is accurate. They don't have to know about "cruising" but about whether it can be covered.

It's up to the cruise line to have policies to support that though. If they don't want to comply with Medicare requirements they don't have to - which they don't.

It's like people saying visiting a doctor is free here. Well it is, if they bulk bill. But if they don't, then they can charge directly. Similar difference with the cruise line.

Exactly. Go to a specialist on land and see what the charges are.

Yes but if you have private health insurance you should be covered for a ships charge within Australian waters because travel insurance does not cover you within Australian waters!

There must be some regulation or price cap on land in Australia and if so it should be applied to ships medical in Australia on Australian ships.

What they wrote is accurate. They don't have to know about "cruising" but about whether it can be covered.

 

It's up to the cruise line to have policies to support that though. If they don't want to comply with Medicare requirements they don't have to - which they don't.

 

It's like people saying visiting a doctor is free here. Well it is, if they bulk bill. But if they don't, then they can charge directly. Similar difference with the cruise line.

But an Australian registered doctor cannot charge whatever he/she likes!

A 20 min consultation could not incur a $1700 fee in Australia they have to abide by Medicare guidelines and so should ships medical facilities when cruising Australian ports because in essence they are Australian medical facilities whilst in Australia.

Yes but if you have private health insurance you should be covered for a ships charge within Australian waters because travel insurance does not cover you within Australian waters!

 

There must be some regulation or price cap on land in Australia and if so it should be applied to ships medical in Australia on Australian ships.

Private health insurance doesn't cover doctors' visits.

Passengers on ships travelling between Australian ports have to take out 'international' travel insurance. I cannot believe that such a passenger would not be able to claim under that policy if the ship was in Australian territorial waters when he/she visited the doctor.

I think it is likely that a passenger officially leaves Australian when they pass through Australian Immigration and remain 'out of the country' until they pass through Immigration at the end of the cruise.

Has anyone had a claim refused because the ship was in Australian waters when they visited the Medical Centre?

But an Australian registered doctor cannot charge whatever he/she likes!

 

A 20 min consultation could not incur a $1700 fee in Australia they have to abide by Medicare guidelines and so should ships medical facilities when cruising Australian ports because in essence they are Australian medical facilities whilst in Australia.

A lot of Aussie doctors charge whatever the market will bear. Have you been to a medical specialist in the last few years?

I agree that a 20 minute consultation in Australia wouldn't incur a fee of $1,700 and I doubt that one on a ship would either. I feel there must have been some treatment involved as well, even though the doctor might have been personally with the patient for only 20 minutes.

Private health insurance doesn't cover doctors' visits.

 

Passengers on ships travelling between Australian ports have to take out 'international' travel insurance. I cannot believe that such a passenger would not be able to claim under that policy if the ship was in Australian territorial waters when he/she visited the doctor.

 

I think it is likely that a passenger officially leaves Australian when they pass through Australian Immigration and remain 'out of the country' until they pass through Immigration at the end of the cruise.

 

Has anyone had a claim refused because the ship was in Australian waters when they visited the Medical Centre?

you may be correct on this point?

But it has been stated that travel insurance for medical is covered by Medicare whilst in Australia and if P&O and Princess do Australian to Australian port cruises then its not covered.

Do you go through immigration for a Sydney to Melbourne cruise?

you may be correct on this point?

 

But it has been stated that travel insurance for medical is covered by Medicare whilst in Australia and if P&O and Princess do Australian to Australian port cruises then its not covered.

 

Do you go through immigration for a Sydney to Melbourne cruise?

I know that people cruising from Sydney to Tasmania and back (all within Aussie waters) have to buy 'international' travel insurance.

That really is a sad sad tragedy and so infuriating about the travel agents negligence with regards to insurance.

 

I do think it was a very nice gesture of the cruise line to send flowers though I'm not entirely clear why they should have been expected to have offered a credit. They weren't able to resell the suite after the cruise starts and they make a lot of money from gratuities, spa services, drinks, speciality restaurant and other on board purchases so they were already out of pocket from losing two of their guests right at the start of the journey.

$26,000 costs for one night of a 28 day around Australia cruise! I think your empathy for the cruiseline being out of pocket is misguided.

Are you sure that the cruiseline couldn't resell this cabin from one of the ports of call?

My empathy is with the widow and family members.

This is an excellent reminder of the necessity to take out Insurance whilst cruising in Australian waters. It is not worth the risk to self insure. Maybe people, in these circumstances, who cannot get travel insurance, should reconsider their desire to cruise.

But an Australian registered doctor cannot charge whatever he/she likes!

 

A 20 min consultation could not incur a $1700 fee in Australia they have to abide by Medicare guidelines and so should ships medical facilities when cruising Australian ports because in essence they are Australian medical facilities whilst in Australia.

There aren't any limits on

their pricing as far as I’m aware. Certainly, they have varying consultation and treatment fees.

There are of course the Medicare schedule fee – but doctors can charge above that, and AMA recommended fees (which are above the Medicare schedule), but again the doctors don’t have to follow the “recommendations” either.

As for the $1700, I don’t believe that was just a consultation fee. It’s not been stated what it was made up of.