Overnight stay in US hospital?

moco

Does anyone have a rough idea how much a bill would be for an ambulance and an overnight stay in a US hospital? My sister is on hols and had to be taken to hospital, don't know if the insurance will cover it so I'm trying to find out roughly how much it will cost if anyone has experience of this.

Thanks!

schemingbohemia

First, I hope she's ok.

Secondly, all hospitals will have different prices so your best bet is just to ring the hospital.

Thirdly, check her insurance, I would think unless it was self-inflicted that her policy should cover her. My understanding is that usually the hospital will look for evidence of insurance before even admitting her so that has probably been taken care of already.

moco

It says on the insurance she isn't covered if she was being tested for anything before she left. She was..so that's what we're worried about if the insurance company checks with her doctor.

It wasn't self inflicted, she collapsed and had some sort of fit which has never happened before.

She had no insurance docs on her, but was unconcious when she was admitted..so maybe they weren't able to turn her away.

Thanks.

schemingbohemia

moco wrote: »

It says on the insurance she isn't covered if she was being tested for anything before she left. She was..so that's what we're worried about if the insurance company checks with her doctor.

It wasn't self inflicted, she collapsed and had some sort of fit which has never happened before.

She had no insurance docs on her, but was unconcious when she was admitted..so maybe they weren't able to turn her away.

Thanks.

Being tested for "anything"? I would have thought she would have to have been tested for the thing that she suffered from that caused her hospitalisation?

I would think that's to stop people getting tested for something here and then going abroad with that knowledge and having an "elective" operation abroad and charging it to travel insurance.

I would wait and see what happens and not worry too much. Just be grateful she's ok.

Doirtybirdy

Btw,often even the most basic vhi/quinn/aviva policy will also cover you in the states-if you have that check it too.
I concur,don't worry as per the last post.
I hope she's ok

Rented Mule

My wife was having pains in her abdomen in New Year's Eve, so we headed over to the local hospital. We got in @6:00pm and were out @11:30pm.

She received some pain meds and a CAT scan. Total bill was @ $7000.

moco

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Being tested for "anything"? I would have thought she would have to have been tested for the thing that she suffered from that caused her hospitalisation?

I would think that's to stop people getting tested for something here and then going abroad with that knowledge and having an "elective" operation abroad and charging it to travel insurance.

I would wait and see what happens and not worry too much. Just be grateful she's ok.

She was supposed to ring and check with the insurance company before they would cover her if she was undergoing any tests. She didn't do that, so I'm worried the insurance company may get out of paying that way.

moco

Doirtybirdy wrote: »

Btw,often even the most basic vhi/quinn/aviva policy will also cover you in the states-if you have that check it too.
I concur,don't worry as per the last post.
I hope she's ok

Hiya, she has no helath insurance as we're from the north - NHS.

moco

Rented Mule wrote: »

My wife was having pains in her abdomen in New Year's Eve, so we headed over to the local hospital. We got in @6:00pm and were out @11:30pm.

She received some pain meds and a CAT scan. Total bill was @ $7000.

Oh my god I hope she's covered then! She had to get an ambulance + an overnight stay + god knows what tests they were doing when she was unconscious. :eek:

moco

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Being tested for "anything"? I would have thought she would have to have been tested for the thing that she suffered from that caused her hospitalisation?

I would think that's to stop people getting tested for something here and then going abroad with that knowledge and having an "elective" operation abroad and charging it to travel insurance.

I would wait and see what happens and not worry too much. Just be grateful she's ok.

This is what the policy says...

This insurance operates on the basis that:
You must be healthy, fit to travel and to undertake your planned trip;
You are not travelling against the advice of a medical practitioner or would be had you sought his/her advice);
You are not travelling with the intention of obtaining medical treatment or consultation abroad;
You have any undiagnosed symptoms that require attention or investigation in the future (i.e. symptoms for which you are awaiting investigations/consultations, or awaiting results of investigations, where the underlying cause has not been established)

moco

Following on from this, in light of new information from my sister’s friend,:eek: does anyone know if an insurance company would ever cover alcohol-related hospitalisation?:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

If for example she was to try and claim her drink was spiked with alcohol?

By the way, I know this is a ridiculous situation and she deserves a huge bill, but it’s my parents who will end up scraping together the money to pay it.
:mad:

P. Breathnach

moco wrote: »

Following on from this, in light of new information from my sister’s friend,:eek: does anyone know if an insurance company would ever cover alcohol-related hospitalisation?:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

If for example she was to try and claim her drink was spiked with alcohol?

By the way, I know this is a ridiculous situation and she deserves a huge bill, but it’s my parents who will end up scraping together the money to pay it.
:mad:

Don't mess with insurance claims.

moco

I rang the insurance company with a hypothetical question and it's a no go anyway.

ANXIOUS

moco wrote: »

I rang the insurance company with a hypothetical question and it's a no go anyway.

Well this is my experience of American hospitals. Give your real name then when it comes to the address we put down something like 101 shamrock drive leprechan hill co pot of gold.

Just fill the forms in wrong and you'll never hear from them again. A lot of illegal Irish had to do this.

Tiocfaidh Armani

It's very expensive. $7,000 would not surprise me. Just leave the US but don't try and enter again if you don't pay the bill.

moco

ANXIOUS wrote: »

Well this is my experience of American hospitals. Give your real name then when it comes to the address we put down something like 101 shamrock drive leprechan hill co pot of gold.

Just fill the forms in wrong and you'll never hear from them again. A lot of illegal Irish had to do this.

The main problem is she can't remember if she gave them her address in the US, which is a friend's house, not a hotel. Even if she didn't, she had her passport in her bag and they took her passport number, which will link her to the address anyway through ESTA.

ANXIOUS

moco wrote: »

The main problem is she can't remember if she gave them her address in the US, which is a friend's house, not a hotel. Even if she didn't, she had her passport in her bag and they took her passport number, which will link her to the address anyway through ESTA.

Hang on is she out of the hospital? If so i wouldn't be stressing in the slightest. I doubt hospitals have access to that data base.

mikedragon32

Any further advice to give incorrect details will merit an infraction or possibly a ban. Encouraging such action is contrary to the charter.

Travel Charter wrote:

Finding out how to bypass customs, defraud travel insurance companies, enter countries illegally - basically, anything that isn't above board and legal. Requesting or offering advice on illegal activity will result in bans.

moco

Yea, she was just in the hospital for one night so she's out since Sunday.

ncmc

First of all, I hope your sister is ok.

Second, try not to panic too much. My husband was admitted to hospital (via ambulance to the ER) in 2008. He was admitted overnight and received an X Ray while in the ER. We gave our insurance details, but when we returned, it wasn't covered by our travel insurance as it was a pre existing illness and I stupidly hadn't read the insurance small print.

We recieved two bills, one for the ambulance which was $912 (it was 3 seperate ambulance rides due to jurisdiction and was quite a long trip) and one for the emergency treatment in the ER which was roughly $500.

As previously stated, the hospitals differ though and different states have different policies.

Even if she does receive a large bill, don't panic. You could always ring the hospital and explain that she is unable to pay and see if they will reduce it or at least allow it to be paid in installments. The reality is that if she is living in Ireland, the hospital will not want to go to the expense and hassle of trying to get the payment, so i'm sure they would be happy to work with her. Non payment of bills should not be enough to get her refused from the US in the future as a previous poster said.

Main thing is not to worry, it might not be nearly as bad as you think!