| lizaj1 |
Dec 29th, 2007 09:55 AM |
Unfortunately, I became very ill on the Celebrity Millennium two years ago. We were at sea, but were scheduled to be in Antigua the next day. The doctors on board found a surgeon on the island and arranged a tranfers for me by port agent. Be warned, once you are off the ship and in the hands of a port agent the cruise line doesn't know where you are or how to help you. The doctor I saw had been educated at Columbia in NY, but was a native to the island. I received his personal attention for the better part of three hours, had every test known to man, even an endoscopy in his office. Once my condition was proved not to be non- surgical he made sure I got back on the ship. He did not want me to go to St. John's hospital nor did I. Once back on the ship the ship's doctors wanted me to stay in the infirmary for observation. I was still sick, but was feeling better after IV fluids and meds. The crew on the Millennium made my "captivity" as pleasant as possible. They brought movies for me, my duvet and special pillows from my stateroom and I had white glove service of tea and toast from my cabin steward. After a few hours I was allowed to return to my cabin and although weak, I resumed my cruise experience without further incident. That having been said be aware that your travel insurance will pay, bbut unless you request emergency cash you will have to pay the fees up front and be reimbursed. The doctor on the island took Visa and my total bill was about $1500 US. If you don't have a lot of cash or a large credit line you will need to request emergency cash from your travel insurance.
also, be aware that your travel insurance is secondary to your regular health and hospitalization. The latter must pay or deny coverage before your travel insurance will kick in. Travel insurance will cover your deductible and your co-pay. Also, be aware that your regular insurance will probably pay the regular and customary charge for medical services in teh US regardless of your actual expenses out of the country. When I received a check from them, I thought they had made a mistake. Health care costs in the Caribbean are much less than in the US. The health care, although adequate, is frightening because the standard of care is far less than what we are accustomed to i the US. The only time I saw a pair of latex gloves during my experience was when the doctor tied off my arm to run an IV. He used the glove to tie off the arm, not on his hands! The doctors and nurses on the ship were all educated outside the US. The doctors in Columbia (the country) and the nurses in Romania. Needless to say I was quite concerned. These crew members are independant contractors so if anything goes wrong the cruise line will most probably deny any liability. The charges for your onboard care will be added to your cruise account and they can be several hundred if not thousands of dollars. Again, you must pay up front. The good news is that the insurance companies pay quickly and well, at least mine did.
Warning, my doctors at home who checked me out after the trip, told me that if I were ever faced with this situation again NOT to go to an island hospital. Contact your consulate, embassy, the Marines or whoever you have to so that you can be medivaced back to the US. It is comforting to know that the US Navy will save the day if you are at sea just as they did for that little girl a couple of weeks ago in the Pacific when she needed surgery on Princess ship.
Most ships are equppied with crash carts etc . . . for heart attack, but I don't think that they have clot buster drugs which can be the difference between life and death in a blockage situation. My husband's doctor has warned us about this as he has had a heart attack. Our health concerns have made a big difference in where we will now travel.
My advice is to always buy the travel insurance. Check to see where your regular insurance will be taken in each port of call. If you have a specific medical need e.g. cardiologist, locate a physician in each port of call who is registered with your insurance company. The company will provide you this information usually on its website. Travel with the contact info for all consulates and embassies. Have a contact person at home that is familiar with your health history and who is capable of assisting you in the US in case you require emergency help.
Don't be afraid to travel, but travel prepared for an emergency. If you find yourself in an emergency always be aggressive in demanding answers to your questions about plan of care, diagnosis, evacuation plan, speaking to a US representative. If you are hesitant about traveling overseas, travel in this country.
There are plenty of wonderful places to go and things to do and US healthcare is always here!
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