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Cruise medical crisis on Reflection (our experience)

qualtek

By qualtek,
in Celebrity Cruises

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miched

miched

Posted
Posted
Obviously that is not the case if you visit Canada via cruise ship though.

 

I should have clarified that it is for automotive insurance. I was referring to people from USA driving into Canada for a short time to visit a casino. When you live close to the boarder other than going thru customs you don't realize or consider that Canada is another country and need to become aquainted with their laws. Many teens from our area go to Windsor because of the lower drinking age, and there is also those that like to patronize the clubs that feature the Windsor Ballet as we refer to it.

 

Happy crusing 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

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ghstudio "Live from...." Rare

ghstudio

Posted
Posted
This thread is a real eye opener. Thank you and best wishes for your dad and family.

Has anyone used Medical Air Services Association ( MASA )?

 

I don't think MASA provides insurance themselves...they are an air ambulance operator. Generally speaking your insurance company will select the air ambulance company based on cost, availability, etc.

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qualtek

qualtek

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks again everyone, reading your posts has made some tough moments easier.

 

First an update... It's day 13 and the last couple of days have been tough. After he had the set back on Thursday and the had to put the vent back in, its been tough to stay positive. Also not much seems to happen over the weekend when a lot of the regular doctors are off.

 

Today we have some good news. In a couple of hours they will be giving him a tracheostomy and he won't have to have the vent. While this is more invasive they have explained that ultimately this will be more comfortable for him and more beneficial. It will also mean that they should be able to get him and my Mom back to Toronto on a medical flight by the end of the week. They have also said that while his lung improvement is minimal it is going in the right direction and he can recover from his current condition. Most importantly he will be home with family. This has been really tough on my brother who has had to stay behind and take care of our business and youngest family member.

 

We've also made progress on getting back their luggage from St. Maarten. The post agent that was supposed to have it shipped back to Toronto tried to send it back by DHL, but DHL refused it because of my Dad's fold down mobility scooter. After it was refused he did nothing. He didn't contact us or tell the cruise line, so on Friday when we started wondering why it wasn't back in Toronto, we asked Celebrity for help. They will be putting it on the Independence of the Seas which docks in St. Maarten today. I will have to go to Port Everglades and pick it up on Saturday. I'm really hoping that my Mom & Dad will be evacuated on Friday or Saturday, and then I will be able to go home by Air Canada on Saturday or Sunday.

 

Cruisin K D: I tried to write my post objectively, and let others draw their own conclusions, but my problem with the financial dealings at the SXM hospital, have nothing to do with their acceptance of medical insurance but are as follows...

- the cruise ship, told us that we didn't have to worry because the hospital accepted credit cards. She also left a $2000 deposit off her credit card before treatment commenced.

- why did a doctor that my Mom was never consulted or told about feel it was necessary to take my Mom into a utility closet in order to tell her about his additional fee that had to be paid in cash before she left.

 

I Love NC: see post #51 for the answer to your question about the name of the insurance company

 

JFontaine: Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

Iamthesea: Thank you. I didn't want to post until I had something positive to share.

 

Cooso: Thank you. Mom was born in Liverpool, and Dad was born in Belfast, and they still spend time in the UK regularly. It's another reason they like the transatlantic cruises from Southampton as my Mom can get her Marks & Spenser's fix.

 

Ecslady, Junetraveler2014, miched, LSEA, bcnvcanada, karensc, monicajay, Airbalancer, blindrid, tiger the teacher, UsTwo, roysue, suzzek, Nebr.cruiser, daisy-mae, bandp407, singlegrandma2, ghstudio, hcat, Kiran, Caribbean Chris, MrsGroover, Artemis, midwestchick, Sloop-JohnB, PathfinderESS, Host Jazzbeau, 4cats4me, attilamom1217, Grandmaanne7, mvtshops, AmazedbyCruising, NLH Arizona, woldridge, phoenix_dream, DebbieMacG, EagleRocker, Mummble, kitty9, C-Dragon, roddonn, vtcruising, SeaWatch12, and Buffalo Man:

Thank you for your comments, and best wishes.

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Nancyquilts

Nancyquilts

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the update. You are doing a remarkable job, and I'm so glad for your parents that you can be with them. Many of us will be sending prayers for a safe trip home and full recovery for your Dad when he can be with the rest of his family and his friends when they can visit.

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Iamthesea

Iamthesea

Posted
Posted
Thanks for the update. You are doing a remarkable job, and I'm so glad for your parents that you can be with them. Many of us will be sending prayers for a safe trip home and full recovery for your Dad when he can be with the rest of his family and his friends when they can visit.

 

 

Ditto! :) We are relieved to hear from you. ;)

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dblane

dblane

Posted
Posted (edited)

Long term endotracheal use may cause damage to your dad's airway, thus the trach is a better option at this time and should make transport easier. Continued prayers for his recovery and a safe journey home for all.

Edited by dblane
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miched

miched

Posted
Posted
So it really has nothing to do with the topic at hand, which is travel and HEALTH insurance. ;)

 

Actually in some ways it does, becasue many consider themselves covered. If you are on Medicare and out of the country you are not covered. Some health plans do not cover expenses out of the country. Medical insurance does not cover injuries due to automotive accidents, you need that extra coverage on your automotive policy.

 

Point that I am making is that you have to inquired and read your policies to understand what is covered and even then you may not know what is or isn't. Even on a cruise if you do certain activiities your travel insurance may not cover it. EG if you have insurance thru X you are only covered for the portion that is thru X. If you made your own flight arrrangements you are not covered. You may not be covered on excursions or tours not booked thru X. You have to read the contract that many don't and just take it for granted that you are.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

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blindrid

blindrid

Posted
Posted
Actually in some ways it does, becasue many consider themselves covered. If you are on Medicare and out of the country you are not covered. Some health plans do not cover expenses out of the country. Medical insurance does not cover injuries due to automotive accidents, you need that extra coverage on your automotive policy.

 

Point that I am making is that you have to inquired and read your policies to understand what is covered and even then you may not know what is or isn't. Even on a cruise if you do certain activiities your travel insurance may not cover it. EG if you have insurance thru X you are only covered for the portion that is thru X. If you made your own flight arrrangements you are not covered. You may not be covered on excursions or tours not booked thru X. You have to read the contract that many don't and just take it for granted that you are.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

 

A couple inaccuracies here. Medical does car accidents, it's just they go after car benefits first. The majority of medical covers vacations for up to 30 days. You're right on medicare.

 

We buy third party that covers the entire trip but you're right on cruise lines insurance.

 

Anyway, best wishes to the OP and sounds like things are headed in the right direction.

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tomko2

tomko2

Posted
Posted

You are doing a remarkable job of sharing your experience which is very valuable. Emergency Medical insurance is something we would never leave home (Canada) without buying.

 

My DH had to be hospitalized in Florida about a decade ago (9 hour stay in hospital + all the tests = $12K), everything was handled by the insurance company without us putting out a penny.

 

Prayers and best wishes for your Father's recovery. The love your parents share is reflected in your love for them.

 

Kathy

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letscruiseasap

letscruiseasap

Posted
Posted

Best wishes for a good recovery for your dad. We are accompanying my parents on their 1st trip ever next July(Alaskan cruise for their 50th) I will be digging deeper into the insurance we booked. Mom has health issues so I wanna double check all of that now...

 

Thanks for sharing your experience with us under these stressful times...

 

Prayers to all 🙏🙏🙏

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app on my iPhone 5s

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blindrid

blindrid

Posted
Posted
Best wishes for a good recovery for your dad. We are accompanying my parents on their 1st trip ever next July(Alaskan cruise for their 50th) I will be digging deeper into the insurance we booked. Mom has health issues so I wanna double check all of that now...

 

Thanks for sharing your experience with us under these stressful times...

 

Prayers to all 🙏🙏🙏

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app on my iPhone 5s

 

You bring up another good point as when we go to tripinsrance's website, I always book within the waiver of pre-existing conditions period. I want zero hassles.

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jaspersmommy

jaspersmommy

Posted
Posted

Qualtek – I am so sorry about your father’s ordeal, and for everything your family’s been through. I hope this nightmare ends soon.

I’ve worked for many years in the insurance industry in Canada. Travel insurance can differ from country to country. When people are reading advice in this thread, they shouldn’t assume that policies or practices in the U.S. are the same in other countries, and they shouldn’t assume coverage is the same for all companies in the same country. The bottom line is… look at what you’re buying and don’t assume anything.

A high number of Canadian employers include out-of-country emergency medical insurance in the benefits they provide to employees. Unlike in the U.S., the average person in Canada knows little about what medical coverage is included in their group benefits. That’s likely because we’ve had universal health care for so long that we don’t pay much attention to what our employer provides. For Canadians reading this thread, here are some things to consider:

· Check your employee benefits material to find out if you have emergency medical coverage. If you do have it, it shouldn’t be necessary to purchase individual coverage before travelling. If you have elected “family” coverage, your dependents should also be covered. If you’re retired and have a retiree plan through your former employer, you may also have coverage.

· Most employee plans will only cover expenses relating to a sudden, unexpected medical emergency. This means that if you have a pre-existing condition that is not completely stable prior to leaving, you won’t be covered for an emergency relating to that condition if incurred while out-of-country.

· Most plans exclude emergency medical coverage in the latter stages of pregnancy.

· Make sure you know the length of time your plan will cover you while out-of-country (it should be stated in your benefits material). Employee plans usually are for the first 30, 60 or 90 days of each trip only (although that period is usually extended if the emergency occurs within that time frame if the patient’s condition is unstable and he/she cannot be moved).

· People often assume that their employee plan includes trip cancellation insurance, but it normally doesn’t. If you want trip cancellation insurance, you will usually have to purchase it separately.

· If you are unsure what your coverage entails, call the insurer and ask for clarification before you go. They will help you!

· Make sure you have contact information for your emergency medical assistance provider before leaving the country. It is amazing how many people don’t take this information with them, and are completely lost an emergency strikes. One phonecall to that contact number, and your provider will step in and take over many details for you. They will pre-authorize medical expenses and provide much needed peace of mind.

I hope that some of these simple suggestions can help even one person. Once again Qualtek, best wishes for your Dad’s speedy recovery.

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RDC1

RDC1

Posted
Posted (edited)
Thanks again everyone, reading your posts has made some tough moments easier.

 

First an update... It's day 13 and the last couple of days have been tough. After he had the set back on Thursday and the had to put the vent back in, its been tough to stay positive. Also not much seems to happen over the weekend when a lot of the regular doctors are off.

 

Today we have some good news. In a couple of hours they will be giving him a tracheostomy and he won't have to have the vent. While this is more invasive they have explained that ultimately this will be more comfortable for him and more beneficial. It will also mean that they should be able to get him and my Mom back to Toronto on a medical flight by the end of the week. They have also said that while his lung improvement is minimal it is going in the right direction and he can recover from his current condition. Most importantly he will be home with family. This has been really tough on my brother who has had to stay behind and take care of our business and youngest family member.

 

We've also made progress on getting back their luggage from St. Maarten. The post agent that was supposed to have it shipped back to Toronto tried to send it back by DHL, but DHL refused it because of my Dad's fold down mobility scooter. After it was refused he did nothing. He didn't contact us or tell the cruise line, so on Friday when we started wondering why it wasn't back in Toronto, we asked Celebrity for help. They will be putting it on the Independence of the Seas which docks in St. Maarten today. I will have to go to Port Everglades and pick it up on Saturday. I'm really hoping that my Mom & Dad will be evacuated on Friday or Saturday, and then I will be able to go home by Air Canada on Saturday or Sunday.

 

Cruisin K D: I tried to write my post objectively, and let others draw their own conclusions, but my problem with the financial dealings at the SXM hospital, have nothing to do with their acceptance of medical insurance but are as follows...

- the cruise ship, told us that we didn't have to worry because the hospital accepted credit cards. She also left a $2000 deposit off her credit card before treatment commenced.

- why did a doctor that my Mom was never consulted or told about feel it was necessary to take my Mom into a utility closet in order to tell her about his additional fee that had to be paid in cash before she left.

 

I Love NC: see post #51 for the answer to your question about the name of the insurance company

 

JFontaine: Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

Iamthesea: Thank you. I didn't want to post until I had something positive to share.

 

Cooso: Thank you. Mom was born in Liverpool, and Dad was born in Belfast, and they still spend time in the UK regularly. It's another reason they like the transatlantic cruises from Southampton as my Mom can get her Marks & Spenser's fix.

 

Ecslady, Junetraveler2014, miched, LSEA, bcnvcanada, karensc, monicajay, Airbalancer, blindrid, tiger the teacher, UsTwo, roysue, suzzek, Nebr.cruiser, daisy-mae, bandp407, singlegrandma2, ghstudio, hcat, Kiran, Caribbean Chris, MrsGroover, Artemis, midwestchick, Sloop-JohnB, PathfinderESS, Host Jazzbeau, 4cats4me, attilamom1217, Grandmaanne7, mvtshops, AmazedbyCruising, NLH Arizona, woldridge, phoenix_dream, DebbieMacG, EagleRocker, Mummble, kitty9, C-Dragon, roddonn, vtcruising, SeaWatch12, and Buffalo Man:

Thank you for your comments, and best wishes.

 

If you have US hospital costs that exceed your insurance coverage, keep in mind that you can usually negotiate the end payment down considerably. Depending upon any agreements that your insurance has with US hospitals you may be getting billed full listed price (if not pre-negotiated price agreements exist between your insurance and the hospital). That can give room to negotiate down payment to something more in line with the discounted rates that they have agreed to with US insurance companies. This is especially true because you are not US citizens and do not reside in the US. US Hospitals are well aware that often bills from non-US residents go unpaid. That gives you some room for negotiation final payment amounts above insurance coverage levels.

Edited by RDC1
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GeezerCouple Holiday Sharing Rare

GeezerCouple

Posted
Posted (edited)
Thank-you for taking the time to post your informative (and extremely well-written) account of your current ordeal. Your parents are lucky to have such a caring daughter.

 

Your situation is a perfect example of the need for good medical insurance. So many people think that because they are in good health, they need not be concerned about the extra cost. I have had "discussions" with friends who are convinced that their coverage through their credit cards or their employer's insurance is sufficient, and neglect to read the fine print.

 

There is a huge advantage in having an insurance company acting as an advocate on your behalf. The fact that the doctor in St. Maarten was angry that your Dad was being evacuated confirmed one of my fears -- that third world hospitals will most likely try to hold onto a patient as long as possible because their care generates much-needed income. The insurance company has the clout to take charge where an individual may well be powerless to act.

 

Hang in there. You have a lot of people praying for your Dad's speedy recovery.

 

This is one advantage of MedJetAssist - NOT needing to rely upon any local medical providers declaring themselves unable to provide the necessary care.

 

If one is an admitted inpatient (not merely in the ER). then YOU (the patient) get to decide if you want to be moved to the hospital of YOUR choice, anywhere.

The only exception is if you are not stable enough to be moved.

But they'll send you on a commercial flight with a medical attendant (and spouse/etc.) all the way to the full medically-equipped jet with physician & nursing staff described above. YOUR decision, not any local medical providers and not any medical insurance bean-counters.

 

It also provides coverage should something happen on "routine" travel, such as a business trip or visit to friends/relatives, as long as one is at least 150 miles from home.

 

We keep the yearly subscription, with the AARP discount.

 

We also get the "regular" travel insurance from TravelInsured, through TripInsuranceStore.com

Less than two weeks before departure for our first major celebratory trip (cruise, luxury hotels, business-class flat bed tickets, etc.). DH suddenly became ill, and *everything* was cancelled.

Within a bit more than a week of submitting all the necessary documentation, we received a check for 100% of our non-refundable costs.

Nothing else will give us the same peace of mind while planning, or while traveling.

 

GeezerCouple

Edited by GeezerCouple
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FRMPEI

FRMPEI

Posted
Posted
...A high number of Canadian employers include out-of-country emergency medical insurance in the benefits they provide to employees. Unlike in the U.S., the average person in Canada knows little about what medical coverage is included in their group benefits. That’s likely because we’ve had universal health care for so long that we don’t pay much attention to what our employer provides. For Canadians reading this thread, here are some things to consider:...

 

Firstly, Qualtek our prayers are with you and your family from PEI.

 

As Canadians we take medical care for granted. You are right on with your comments/advice for Out of Country emergency care. With our up coming cruise this March 2015 I made my grown sons either prove to me that they had emergency out of country coverage from their employer's Group Plan or they would have been purchasing separately.

 

Regards,

Kevin Reid

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