Cruise Radio News Story Posted This Morning

[RocketMan275]

19 hours ago, www3traveler said:

I am not positive but I believe RocketMan275 is a retired military officer.  In which case, I paid for it with military service" would be accurate.  

 

RocketMan275:  THANK YOU

 

22  years active Army and Alabama national guard.

[www3traveler]

20 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

22  years active Army and Alabama national guard.

I guessed as much.  Thank you for your service  

 

My late husband served 20 years in the Air Force most of it as a Flight Engineer on 124's and 141's retiring as a Master Sergeant. 

Edited September 20, 2023 by www3traveler

[ready2cruzagain]

20 hours ago, Always Cruising said:

You might check - I don't think it does.  I know my plan doesn't, and friends with varying types of Advantage plan have no coverage abroad also

Yes, some medicare advantage does cover out of the country, ours does. It is in our handbook and I have called several times to make sure. But, we also buy insurance when traveling just as a backup measure and for peace of mind.

[schmoopie17]

1 hour ago, Babr said:

Please consider that emergency services alone will not be enough. That does not cover hospitalization beyond what is required to stabilize you nor does it pay for any transportation to get home. It will not pay for your companion’s expenses while waiting for you to recover enough to travel.

Our Medicare Advantage plan DOES cover medical services worldwide. It's one of the reasons we signed up for that plan, We also buy travel insurance in case of evacuation, etc.

 

Here it is from the plan documents:

 

$90 copay ($0 copay for emergency care outside the United States) per visit. If you are admitted to the hospital within 24 hours, you pay the inpatient hospital copay instead of the Emergency Care copay. 

 

$40 copay ($0 copay for urgently needed services outside the United States) per visit.

 

Edited September 20, 2023 by schmoopie17

[schmoopie17]

21 hours ago, Always Cruising said:

You might check - I don't think it does.  I know my plan doesn't, and friends with varying types of Advantage plan have no coverage abroad also

See my answer, in #57 right above ^^^

 

Edited September 20, 2023 by schmoopie17

[Babr]

41 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

Our Medicare Advantage plan DOES cover medical services worldwide. It's one of the reasons we signed up for that plan, We also buy travel insurance in case of evacuation, etc.

 

Here it is from the plan documents:

 

$90 copay ($0 copay for emergency care outside the United States) per visit. If you are admitted to the hospital within 24 hours, you pay the inpatient hospital copay instead of the Emergency Care copay. 

 

$40 copay ($0 copay for urgently needed services outside the United States) per visit.

 

Thanks. You mentioned emergency only. I understood that to be something different.

 

Since you buy travel insurance as well, you’re completely covered.

[schmoopie17]

1 minute ago, Babr said:

Thanks. You mentioned emergency only. I understood that to be something different

 

I never said anything about emergency only. Must have been someone else.

[Coffeeluvr05]

So are you all saying that if you have travel medical it just pays the hospital bill over the phone with a cc for you?  I haven't used travel insurance for an actual medical bill but I have used it for a trip interruption claim and it took over 3 months to pay and that was after much prodding since they were so backlogged with claims.  Also, don't they require your medical insurance to be billed first and deny it since they are your primary before they will pay?

[Babr]

3 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

I never said anything about emergency only. Must have been someone else.

You’re right. I thought I was responding to the same person.

 

Anyway, the information has been presented so anyone can avoid being caught unaware.

[hallux]

2 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

At the very least, this story should act as a warning to anyone who sees/hears about it.

The problem is...  those who need to see/hear about it (future 20-somethings) won't see or hear about it...

[cruiseny4life]

2 minutes ago, hallux said:

The problem is...  those who need to see/hear about it (future 20-somethings) won't see or hear about it...

Are you telling me teenagers and early 20's aren't checking Cruise Critic daily?!?! Crazy talk there!

[hallux]

17 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

Are you telling me teenagers and early 20's aren't checking Cruise Critic daily?!?! Crazy talk there!

Not just here - also news in general.

[RocketMan275]

2 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Are you telling me teenagers and early 20's aren't checking Cruise Critic daily?!?! Crazy talk there!

If they do check CC, once they see someone say that passports are not required that will convince them they can save some money to spend on other more important things like drink packages, shore excursions, etc.

[ontheweb]

4 hours ago, hallux said:

The problem is...  those who need to see/hear about it (future 20-somethings) won't see or hear about it...

Or if they do see or hear it, they will still ignore it.

[Etta1213]

On 9/19/2023 at 1:10 PM, RocketMan275 said:

I have medicare and tricare for life.   Tricare for life covers you when abroad.  Just one of the benefits of a military retirement.  It essentially pays everything that medicare doen't.  Haven't paid a copay ever.

A family member has struggled with Tricare for years -- told me it's really hard in NJ to find a doctor that will even accept it.

[gizfish]

12 hours ago, Coffeeluvr05 said:

So are you all saying that if you have travel medical it just pays the hospital bill over the phone with a cc for you?  I haven't used travel insurance for an actual medical bill but I have used it for a trip interruption claim and it took over 3 months to pay and that was after much prodding since they were so backlogged with claims.  Also, don't they require your medical insurance to be billed first and deny it since they are your primary before they will pay?

I think most travel insurance requires you to go through their claims process, meaning you have to lay out the money.  If you use a cruise ships medical services that is the case.  If you use medical services in a foreign country (off the ship) they may accept your insurance plan as payment but there is no guarantee of that.  If your regular health insurance covers care out of the country, I would hope they would help figure out the payment issue.  Obviously if you needed care out of the country you would need to call your insurance company, and trip insurance company.  If the trip insurance requires you to submit to your med insurance before filing the trip insurance claim depends on your trip insurance policy.  We always buy a trip insurance policy that is primary.

[Mizzoupoodle123]

Several years ago after a Panama Canal cruise I was badly injured while in a taxi in Acapulco, Mexico.  We were young but had bought insurance in case we needed to cancel because of work.  
The travel insurance company vetted the doctor before I went in for my second surgery.  They paid for my now deceased spouse’s additional nights of lodging at Las Brisas and his food.

They also flew a doctor from Mexico City to fly back on the plane with me and get me to the hospital here in Kansas City without any problems.

We were very happy with the coverage!  I never travel on a cruise or out of the country without it now.

 

Sylvia

[david_sobe]

These kinds of threads drive me nuts.  Any adventure for enjoyment in life involves risks.  So many comments about never renting scooters, etc.  Anything can happen to you at anytime in life. You can be on your way to a safe beach excursion and the bus get hit or roll off a cliff. Many years ago a volcano erupted on an excursion and killed people. You could drown swimming with dolphins.  We cant just prevent risks from living our lives and having fun.  I am not talking about reckless actions so please dont start posting reckless behavior.  Just 2 months ago a child fell off a zipline on a cruise excursion.

Then these threads all pivot to travel insurance.  Yes its a good thing to have. You wont get an argument from me.  However medical treatment in other countries without insurance is not like the United States with cost.  Its incredible the amount of medical care you can get at a fraction of cost compared to the states.  Another myth is the medical rescues from the Coast Guard. They do not charge anyone for their rescues yet its another scare tactic to talk about travel insurance.  As they say, accidents happen.  It may not have even been their fault.   We all cant live in a bubble.  I once traveled with family and someone needed urgent medical treatment (it was not life threatening).  When we got to St Maarten we took a cab to a doctor, got treated and back on the ship.  Paid with a credit card that was a complete fair and reasonable cost.

Edited September 21, 2023 by david_sobe

[Georgia_Peaches]

On 9/19/2023 at 2:18 PM, DCGuy64 said:

No, but I and other US taxpayers did. You're welcome. 😉

You are correct...a tax debt I'm more than happy to pay!

 

On 9/19/2023 at 2:21 PM, RocketMan275 said:

And I paid for it with my military service.  Thank you.

Thank you for your service and God bless!

[Georgia_Peaches]

11 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

These kinds of threads drive me nuts.  Any adventure for enjoyment in life involves risks.  So many comments about never renting scooters, etc.  Anything can happen to you at anytime in life. You can be on your way to a safe beach excursion and the bus get hit or roll off a cliff. Many years ago a volcano erupted on an excursion and killed people. You could drown swimming with dolphins.  We cant just prevent risks from living our lives and having fun.  I am not talking about reckless actions so please dont start posting reckless behavior.  Just 2 months ago a child fell off a zipline on a cruise excursion.

Then these threads all pivot to travel insurance.  Yes its a good thing to have. You wont get an argument from me.  However medical treatment in other countries without insurance is not like the United States with cost.  Its incredible the amount of medical care you can get at a fraction of cost compared to the states.  Another myth is the medical rescues from the Coast Guard. They do not charge anyone for their rescues yet its another scare tactic to talk about travel insurance.  As they say, accidents happen.  It may not have even been their fault.   We all cant live in a bubble.  I once traveled with family and someone needed urgent medical treatment (it was not life threatening).  When we got to St Maarten we took a cab to a doctor, got treated and back on the ship.  Paid with a credit card that was a complete fair and reasonable cost.

Drop the mic, my friend.  Well said.

Edited September 21, 2023 by Georgia_Peaches

[RocketMan275]

10 hours ago, Etta1213 said:

A family member has struggled with Tricare for years -- told me it's really hard in NJ to find a doctor that will even accept it.

There are different kinds of Tricare.  

Tricare Prime is the one most have which is like an HMO.  I've heard many bad things about how providers have problems with it.

Tricare for Life is the kind most retirees have and every provider I've asked likes TFL.  It' pays quickly and well.

[cruiseny4life]

2 hours ago, david_sobe said:

These kinds of threads drive me nuts.  Any adventure for enjoyment in life involves risks.  So many comments about never renting scooters, etc.  Anything can happen to you at anytime in life. You can be on your way to a safe beach excursion and the bus get hit or roll off a cliff. Many years ago a volcano erupted on an excursion and killed people. You could drown swimming with dolphins.  We cant just prevent risks from living our lives and having fun.  I am not talking about reckless actions so please dont start posting reckless behavior.  Just 2 months ago a child fell off a zipline on a cruise excursion.

Your comment reminds me of a t-shirt that became my mantra in my late 20's and early 30's. I still think about it, especially as I line up my Grand Canyon rim-to-rim backpack adventure starting next week!

 

I was skiing in Lake Tahoe and saw a kid wearing a shirt that said, "you can fall off the couch at home, hit your head, and die, or you can adventure and die." I am always in the "adventure and die" camp. But, you can limit your risk. One of those risks I choose to limit is renting a scooter or jumping on a motorcycle. To each their own in terms of risk tolerance, but that's mine. And yes, I've experienced my own near death experiences, like falling down a cliff, almost drowning, almost falling out of a climbing harness, the list kind of goes on. Poor choices some. Flukes other. But, I do agree with most (and said it earlier) that scooters are a special kind of dangerous. 

 

I never did find that shirt. I still want it!