What if I Die on My Trip?
Oct 15th, 2004, 01:17 PM
#81
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With all due sympathy to those of you who have experienced medical misfortunes or worse, this is one morose thread. Marv and hightide, you both crack me up! Yes, the death humor may be a bit tasteless to some, but it does lighten up an otherwise gloomy thread.
Yes, now I'm seriously thinking of getting travel insurance.
Yes, now I'm seriously thinking of getting travel insurance.
Oct 15th, 2004, 01:26 PM
#82
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Well, since dclover/blacktie has decided to hit and run, Scarlett and her entertainment committee would love to take care of any plans that you might like to make ... you know...Just in case~
But I do warn you, My parties have been known to Wake The Dead, so be sure you want this before I start inviting everyone.
I think a Fodor GTG is an excellent way to kick it off...Budman and Kal will be in charge of wines and drinks~
Just let me know here, who wants to volunteer with the food and hotels.
Peeky, you will live a long life and have many travel memories and I hope we get to hear about them all, right here on Fodors~
Scarlett & her entertainment committee
But I do warn you, My parties have been known to Wake The Dead, so be sure you want this before I start inviting everyone.
I think a Fodor GTG is an excellent way to kick it off...Budman and Kal will be in charge of wines and drinks~
Just let me know here, who wants to volunteer with the food and hotels.
Peeky, you will live a long life and have many travel memories and I hope we get to hear about them all, right here on Fodors~
Scarlett & her entertainment committee
Oct 15th, 2004, 06:27 PM
#86
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Thre is a considerable consensus (I won't go so far as to say that it is a majority) of participants on this forum who feel that travel insurance and medical evacuation/repatriation is not only NOT a "must" - - but indeed, a great waste of money.
Oct 15th, 2004, 07:01 PM
#87
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I always thought travel insurance was a waste of money, too. Then I became a scuba diver and realized that I was mortal. We have Divers Alert Network (DAN) insurance to cover us, and now my non-diving parents have it too. It's very reasonable.
Diving also taught us to carry identification, insurance info, emergency numbers etc on us at all times, preferably on a bright, laminated card (NOT pinned to your shirt, though. That is just taking it too far!)
Peeky- why not rent a cell phone while you are over there so you can get in touch with help quickly if you need it?
Now, my friend broke her leg while in Europe, and she got upgraded to first class on the way back!
As someone said, what would really be sad is dying at work, or while cleaning, or in line at the supermarket. OR- dying the day before you are scheduled to leave for Paris. Now that would really be evil.
Go and enjoy!
Diving also taught us to carry identification, insurance info, emergency numbers etc on us at all times, preferably on a bright, laminated card (NOT pinned to your shirt, though. That is just taking it too far!)
Peeky- why not rent a cell phone while you are over there so you can get in touch with help quickly if you need it?
Now, my friend broke her leg while in Europe, and she got upgraded to first class on the way back!
As someone said, what would really be sad is dying at work, or while cleaning, or in line at the supermarket. OR- dying the day before you are scheduled to leave for Paris. Now that would really be evil.
Go and enjoy!
Oct 15th, 2004, 07:13 PM
#88
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travel insurance:
my son got sick in Nepal and his insurance paid for the hospital that he was taken to, half delirious, the doctor from NJ!! who took care of him and if he had needed to be flown to a Big hospital somewhere else, the flight would have been paid for too.
Our friend from London who got appendicitis the day she was supposed to go home, ending up in a hospital in NYC for a week then at our home for another week...her travel insurance paid for everything, surgery, surgeons, new airfare...
A neighbor fell on uneven cobblestones in a resort in Santa Domingo, broke her hip. Her travel insurance took care of everything.
We have travel insurance built in with our insurance and AMEX but if we did not, I would never travel without it!
my son got sick in Nepal and his insurance paid for the hospital that he was taken to, half delirious, the doctor from NJ!! who took care of him and if he had needed to be flown to a Big hospital somewhere else, the flight would have been paid for too.
Our friend from London who got appendicitis the day she was supposed to go home, ending up in a hospital in NYC for a week then at our home for another week...her travel insurance paid for everything, surgery, surgeons, new airfare...
A neighbor fell on uneven cobblestones in a resort in Santa Domingo, broke her hip. Her travel insurance took care of everything.
We have travel insurance built in with our insurance and AMEX but if we did not, I would never travel without it!
Oct 15th, 2004, 09:24 PM
#90
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In reply to Gnrbernstein, once we arrived back in Atlanta, my father went to Emory for several weeks in their rehab hospital, where he finally woke up. He was transferred from there to Meadowbrook, a small, private rehab in Atlanta where he stayed nine (yes, 9) months before he was able to come home and resume "activities of daily living" with the help of a male nurse. Dad never walked or talked again, but he could sing Happy Birthday, say "yes," "no," and "Jesus Christ!" and he continued to try to backseat drive with insistent angry hand gestures when he disagreed with one's route in the car! He recovered enough to play Uno, a simple card game, but he could never read again--although sometimes he held the paper in front of him and put his reading glasses on, pretending. Sometimes the paper was upside down. It was really very sad.
But the point: travel insurance, and lots of it. Every doctor Dad saw would look through his records and shake his or her head and say what a damn shame it was that he hadn't received this drug or that treatment during the first week after his stroke. If we'd had the travel insurance we would have gone ahead with the learjet back to the states---regardless of what his regular insurance suggested or required.
I'd travel without a toothbrush before I would leave without insurance.
But the point: travel insurance, and lots of it. Every doctor Dad saw would look through his records and shake his or her head and say what a damn shame it was that he hadn't received this drug or that treatment during the first week after his stroke. If we'd had the travel insurance we would have gone ahead with the learjet back to the states---regardless of what his regular insurance suggested or required.
I'd travel without a toothbrush before I would leave without insurance.
Oct 16th, 2004, 07:56 AM
#92
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I went to the DAN website, but I'm always suspicious about insurance because I know they are very careful to restrict their liability. It seemed their basic coverage only applies to accidents, which would exclude something like a stroke or a heart attack.
Has anyone carefully read their terms of coverage to see whether illnesses would be covered?
Has anyone carefully read their terms of coverage to see whether illnesses would be covered?
Oct 16th, 2004, 01:14 PM
#93
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I looked at the DAN website, and it says "medical emergency and medical necessity" which seems to me that would include heart attack or stroke or other illness. There is a phone number that you can call to get more information. Look at the handbook on the DAN website.
Evidently a local physician and the DAN physician make the decision as to whether it is medically necessary to evacuate the patient.
Evidently a local physician and the DAN physician make the decision as to whether it is medically necessary to evacuate the patient.
Oct 16th, 2004, 01:23 PM
#94
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kswl, do you have any idea WHY your father received such poor medical care in Germany? It was 14 years ago, but to my knowledge, medical care in Germany nowadays is quite equal to that in the US.
I don't usually travel in third-world countries, for which I'd be apt to buy the sort of insurance that's being discussed here (that would transport you back to the US). I tend to travel in countries like France, Spain, Italy, and the UK, which all have excellent medical care, in which case such a policy seems like overkill.
- Larry
I don't usually travel in third-world countries, for which I'd be apt to buy the sort of insurance that's being discussed here (that would transport you back to the US). I tend to travel in countries like France, Spain, Italy, and the UK, which all have excellent medical care, in which case such a policy seems like overkill.
- Larry
Oct 16th, 2004, 03:31 PM
#95
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Sally,
The basic insurance that was mentioned, that comes with the $44 family membership, covers "# As a DAN Member, you automatically receive DAN TravelAssist and up to $100,000 of evacuation assistance coverage. Effective for both diving and non-diving injuries, this benefit is provided by MedAire, a world leader in emergency evacuation services. Your evacuation coverage begins when you are traveling at least 50 miles/80 km from home and call DAN TravelAssist to arrange your evacuation."
Years of dealing with insurance companies has conditioned me to think that this is meant to limit their coverage under this policy to accidental injury. I know they offer a supplemental policy that appears to extend to illness, but that is with payment of an additional premium.
If I misread them, then membership might be a good deal, but I would want to see the actual policy before relying on their advertising.
The basic insurance that was mentioned, that comes with the $44 family membership, covers "# As a DAN Member, you automatically receive DAN TravelAssist and up to $100,000 of evacuation assistance coverage. Effective for both diving and non-diving injuries, this benefit is provided by MedAire, a world leader in emergency evacuation services. Your evacuation coverage begins when you are traveling at least 50 miles/80 km from home and call DAN TravelAssist to arrange your evacuation."
Years of dealing with insurance companies has conditioned me to think that this is meant to limit their coverage under this policy to accidental injury. I know they offer a supplemental policy that appears to extend to illness, but that is with payment of an additional premium.
If I misread them, then membership might be a good deal, but I would want to see the actual policy before relying on their advertising.
Oct 16th, 2004, 04:34 PM
#96
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Travel insurance is good. I've gotten it our last couple of trips (most recent was to Africa). But I've told both my kids that if I die at any time now, (and I expect to be around for at least another 30 years) I have been so proud that they are the wonderful people they have become and that their Dad and I have had so much happiness, there should be NO REGRETS about anything if I "went" in an untimely accident.
Oct 16th, 2004, 07:13 PM
#97
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I have told my family when I die, I want to be used for organ donation if suitable, be cremated and scattered over salzburg from outside the nonnberg abbey. My brother added that while the casket is being taken from the church they will be singing "i"m glad to go I cannot tell a lie" from my favourite movie, the sound of music. My hubby will not travel with me, so my terrified of flyng friend has made the promise that she will take my ashes over if needed - a huge gift on her part to me. but in the meantime i will continue enjoying my travels to salzburg alive.
Oct 16th, 2004, 08:02 PM
#98
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WAIT A MINUTE!
I have this round-trip airline ticket which states "THIS DOCUMENT IS A CONTRACT" which states that the Carrier agrees to transport the Passenger (that's me) from my point of origin to a destination and BACK again. No stipulation is expressed or implied as to whether said Passenger is breathing, mobile, vital, or not.
So if I choose to die in Paris (and who wouldn't), all that my heirs and assigns have to do is have my mortal remains conveyed to Aéroport Charles de Gaulle and loaded into the baggage compartment. No part of my contract with Carrier specifies how said Passenger shall be dressed, contained, or chemically treated, so whatever expense those considerations entail is entirely their responsibility.
Your Honor, plaintiff rests.
I have this round-trip airline ticket which states "THIS DOCUMENT IS A CONTRACT" which states that the Carrier agrees to transport the Passenger (that's me) from my point of origin to a destination and BACK again. No stipulation is expressed or implied as to whether said Passenger is breathing, mobile, vital, or not.
So if I choose to die in Paris (and who wouldn't), all that my heirs and assigns have to do is have my mortal remains conveyed to Aéroport Charles de Gaulle and loaded into the baggage compartment. No part of my contract with Carrier specifies how said Passenger shall be dressed, contained, or chemically treated, so whatever expense those considerations entail is entirely their responsibility.
Your Honor, plaintiff rests.
Oct 16th, 2004, 09:06 PM
#99
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Robiespierre, you are an attorney, correct? I have a family full of attorneys so I sort of know one when I hear (or in this case read) one.
The scary part is, you make sense. And what is scary about that is I had had only one glass of wine when I read your post.
Than Fodor's got all hiccuppy - I tried to respond a couple of times without success.
So sipped on the wine, thought about your comments, and they seemed to make more and more sense.
Now I am wondering if any attorneys for the airlines have read your post. If so I can only imagine them scurrying back to their offices this Saturday night to reread their document contracts and having a heart attack. Than when they have recovered attempting to "gently" rewrite the document contract wording stating that any "living, breathing passenger" etc.
Well you know what I mean.
You may have opened up a whole can of worms. Oh gads, never mind. Bringing back nonbreathing passengers etc. which you think is under the airlines contracts etc., well what can I say. That was not a cool comment.
Soooo - any attorneys out their want to comment?
The scary part is, you make sense. And what is scary about that is I had had only one glass of wine when I read your post.
Than Fodor's got all hiccuppy - I tried to respond a couple of times without success.
So sipped on the wine, thought about your comments, and they seemed to make more and more sense.
Now I am wondering if any attorneys for the airlines have read your post. If so I can only imagine them scurrying back to their offices this Saturday night to reread their document contracts and having a heart attack. Than when they have recovered attempting to "gently" rewrite the document contract wording stating that any "living, breathing passenger" etc.
Well you know what I mean.
You may have opened up a whole can of worms. Oh gads, never mind. Bringing back nonbreathing passengers etc. which you think is under the airlines contracts etc., well what can I say. That was not a cool comment.
Soooo - any attorneys out their want to comment?
Oct 16th, 2004, 09:54 PM
#100
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..lets be reasonable! the commercial carrier (contract or no) would be irresponsible to repatriate an unstable pt. Why? 1. commercial planes usually have a cabin pressure of 5-7000 ft. totally unsuitable for a pt with a head injury for example. A lear is the same at 42,000 but if they fly at 24,000 they can have a sea level cabib pressure 2. the safety of other passengers. As a passenger, i would not want a patient on a ventilator, with a recent trach or a recent discharge from an ICU. They are certainly colonized with nasty bugs and i really dont want to share the confined plane with them. (immagine if s sars pt had been sent home from china before more was known about the disease.) Lastly, if there is a medical emergency, the plane will be diverted to the nearest airport with the appropriate medical facilities. This costs the airline a fortune and inconveniences all others on the flight. These things happen but it would be quite irresponsible to allow a pt to fly who would have a significant risk of an event..SO bottom line- get the travel insurance and read all the small print when selecting your policy. The price of repatriation is prohibitive otherwise..and you will have also had to pay any hospital bills.
