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on board medical charges


hmer23

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Another thought is are you on your roll call? We had friends traveling with us and she needed dressing done and I did it each day for her. ( I am home health RN) Just a thought. Pay my trip and I will come with you!:p

 

You did it for a friend. Would you really take the liability of doing it for someone who you chatted with on a roll call?

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It is my understanding that the doctors on a cruise ship are contractors. They don't work directly for the cruise lines. This reduces the cruise lines liability. Do I am sure those doctors aren't working for a loss and probably paying rent for the space

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On our first cruise, my hubby broke out with hives. Don't know why, but were severe enough to go to ships infirmary.

Doctor put him on IV drip for 1 hour along with blood test. Gave him 5 prednisone pills and a bill for $680.

Cruise insurance paid bill since he is on medicare and they do not pay out of US.

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Would you submit an on board medical bill to your personal insurance first or cruise insurance?

We had to get denial from Medicare before cruise insurance would pay.

Medicare was rather slow in sending their denial, but once we sent that to cruise insurance we had our reimbursment check within a week.

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We had to get denial from Medicare before cruise insurance would pay.

Medicare was rather slow in sending their denial, but once we sent that to cruise insurance we had our reimbursment check within a week.

 

With my stopped up ear, I had to submit it to Medicare, too, before the trip insurance would kick in. You are right, Medicare takes its good time. We were on a trans-Atlantic so we were waiting around for a denial. Had to finally inquire with Medicare to find out what the hold up was it was so long. Another form to fill out, they told us. We told them we were in the ocean. Closest land was the Canary Islands.

 

They paid $60 on it. I think we should have submitted the remainder to BC/BS, our supplementary. However, we were tired of messing with it so we sent it to the insurance company which paid up quickly.

 

It was so long in limbo, the insurance company e-mailed me on their own reminding me it was secondary insurance and wanted to make sure I had sent in the paperwork to my primary carrier because they weren't ignoring the claim. I thought that was nice that they didn't let it linger in an in-box gathering dust hoping I would go away.

 

As for the comparison with beer sales. Beer I can live without, that is a choice. Medical care is another matter, you have no choice.

 

Tucker in Texas (that never cruises without antibiotics and pain pills among other things in her sick sack)

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I had a stopped up ear. Ship charge: $179. Charge at home when I have had it: $75.

.....

I rest my case.

 

Tucker in Texas

 

At home your doctor has his entire day booked up, every working day. On board, the medical staff is on call, only used when needed. For that you paid a little more than twice the fee. Sounds awfully reasonable to me.

 

I don't know what case you are resting. Perhaps only Texans can see it.:)

 

Virginia Bill

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Would you submit an on board medical bill to your personal insurance first or cruise insurance?

Typically most travel and cruise insurance is "secondary". They pay only after everyone else does. When you review the policy it should indicate if it is primary or secondary coverage.

 

As for highway robbery, check your stateside bill. For me an office visit might be list price $150. The doctor has an agreement to settle with my insurance company for somewhat less say $75 plus my $25 co-pay.

 

The doctor on the ship is charging list price just as my stateside doctor would for someone without insurance and is paying the list price in cash.

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I would cancel this cruise and book another after you are better. Minimum charge is $75.00 then you add the nurse fee for changing bandage. You add any extras, type of bandage may not be aboard the ship if it is a special type.

 

There are many people, more than you know, who have chronic or non- healing wounds, or have medical access devices that require specialized dressings. You would nor know this by looking at the person, and yes, these people still enjoy life and don't permit their unique health needs to prevent them from traveling and generally enjoying life.

 

I am sure that your comment was well intentioned, but it's up to the individual and their doctor to determine what's best.

 

Teddie

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my daughter got an ear infection on the cruise. First one ever and she is 15 years old. Could not sleep so had to take her to the ship doctor. She got examined and ear drops and motrin(which I had brought anyway) and the cost was $248, this was a few weeks ago.

 

 

I would wait too just as everyone is saying here...I went to take my husband to the physician on board for an eye infection from the 3 d glasses and the dr never came so i just wouldnt trust it unless you want to spend at least three hours a day waiting for medical...i agree totally with everyone here...there are alot of things to think about before you go.

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I got a really bad infection on a cruise and had to have an IV antibiotics 2 days in a row. It cost just under $1,000. My medical insurance reimbursed me for all but my ER co-pay which my travel insurance paid.

 

 

what kind? ears? eye? etc...just wondering

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My retina detached on the Radiance. I knew they couldn't do anything about it but went down anyway. To dilate my eye and take a look was $150 after the customary 30 min wait in the waiting room:rolleyes:.

 

My insurance paid minus my co-pay after filing with them at home. My travel insurance had a $50 deductible and was secondary insurance. So I was out of pocket $50 in the end.

 

I did notice there was bowl of seasickness meds in the waiting room. So it appears one could pop in and take some gratis.

 

 

OMG thats horrible

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I would wait too just as everyone is saying here...I went to take my husband to the physician on board for an eye infection from the 3 d glasses and the dr never came so i just wouldnt trust it unless you want to spend at least three hours a day waiting for medical...i agree totally with everyone here...there are alot of things to think about before you go.

You have no way of knowing where your husband got the infection. He could have been infected prior to your cruise, on Amtrack on the way to the cruise or on the ship itself.

 

As far as the doctor not showing, weren't there posted hours? Or had you put an emergency call in and were asked to meet him? Was the nurse there?

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As for the comparison with beer sales. Beer I can live without, that is a choice. Medical care is another matter, you have no choice.

Tucker in Texas (that never cruises without antibiotics and pain pills among other things in her sick sack)

 

There is nothing lethal or dangerous about a plugged up ear. You had the choice of waiting until you returned home to get it taken care of. You chose not to wait. Maybe you need to make some additions to your "sick sack."

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There is nothing lethal or dangerous about a plugged up ear. You had the choice of waiting until you returned home to get it taken care of. You chose not to wait. Maybe you need to make some additions to your "sick sack."

 

I agree with you. I had travel insurance and was not enjoying the cruise deaf as a post so I opted to go to sick bay. I had drops in my sick sack but they didn't work nor did the bulb thingee. If I hadn't had insurance, I may have thought twice about it but doubt it.

 

I "rested my case" in that you are going to pay twice (or more) what you would pay on land which is the way life is when you don't have access to choices. Go to a "Doc in the Box" on land and you will not be covered by Medicare and, insurance companies a lot of time and their prices are significantly higher than a doctor's visit, too. But if it is Saturday night, you are in serious pain with a kidney stone, the emergency room has people lined up out the door with an estimated four hour wait, you make your choice. Emergency room fees where the bill will be covered by Medicare/insurance with a long wait, perhaps longer if a life or death emergencies comes in, or pain pills to hold you until you can get to a doctor during regular business hours.

 

The OP is right about looking at EOB's and seeing that the doctor charges X amount of money but accepts significantly less than that with an agreement with the insurance company. I feel sorry for those without insurance that have to pay the full freight.

 

Tucker in Texas

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I agree with you. I had travel insurance and was not enjoying the cruise deaf as a post so I opted to go to sick bay. I had drops in my sick sack but they didn't work nor did the bulb thingee. If I hadn't had insurance, I may have thought twice about it but doubt it.

 

Tucker in Texas

 

That made me laugh. You really do plan!:D:D

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You have no way of knowing where your husband got the infection. He could have been infected prior to your cruise, on Amtrack on the way to the cruise or on the ship itself.

 

As far as the doctor not showing, weren't there posted hours? Or had you put an emergency call in and were asked to meet him? Was the nurse there?

 

 

Nope, no one was there until the iceskater fell....two guys broke there noses and were sitting there for two hours without ice...they had big fat broken noses until one of the passengers came down for medical assistance and ran up to the dining room to get them ice, but that was after two hours, they told us....they told us medical was called two hours ago , im not sure what the problem was , all i know is that it took a long time to get to them. Also i heard that two people were struck by lightning in nassau on my cruise but dont know what happened and how they were treated....they were on an excusion...Princess cruises has the medical open all day and night with someone working in there which makes me feel safe with them in that way. And yes, we dont know for sure where the eye infection was picked up but it was from an endo or andeo not sure how to spell it... virus infection which is very common on cruiseships and happens about 4 days after exposure which is what happened to him.

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Don't flame me please but speaking as a medically trained professional, I would highly recommend postponing your cruise until your incision/wound is healed. Cruise ships are full of viruses and bacteria and are breeding grounds for infection in the healthy population not to mention someone who has an open source for infection. You could get life threatening cellulitis or bacteremia that would require better care then you could get on a ship. Just my 2 cents and to me, the risk would definitely outweigh the benefit.

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That made me laugh. You really do plan!:D:D

 

Husband used to mildly complain about the room my sick sack took up UNTIL he got a urinary tract infection and I produced antibiotics for it.

 

As soon as we got home he told me to call my "source" and get another prescription to have on hand for the next cruise (lol)

 

I did make him grovel a little, though.

 

Tucker in Texas

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The first time we sailed from New York was in January 1979, not my first cruise. I had never been sea sick before, but it was a very rough sailing on a 16 night "Gala" cruise on the wonderful Oceanic of Home Lines. I went to the ship's doctor, and stood in line with many others wanting an injection. A nurse administered the shot, and we each paid $5.00. It was the best $5.00 I have ever spent.

How times have changed.

Ginnie

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The first time we sailed from New York was in January 1979, not my first cruise. I had never been sea sick before, but it was a very rough sailing on a 16 night "Gala" cruise on the wonderful Oceanic of Home Lines. I went to the ship's doctor, and stood in line with many others wanting an injection. A nurse administered the shot, and we each paid $5.00. It was the best $5.00 I have ever spent.

How times have changed.

Ginnie

 

In 1982, the price was $25.

 

Tucker in Texas

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Don't flame me please but speaking as a medically trained professional' date=' I would highly recommend postponing your cruise until your incision/wound is healed. Cruise ships are full of viruses and bacteria and are breeding grounds for infection in the healthy population not to mention someone who has an open source for infection. You could get life threatening cellulitis or bacteremia that would require better care then you could get on a ship. Just my 2 cents and to me, the risk would definitely outweigh the benefit.

 

You could say the same thing about a hospital.;)

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I agree with you, Ocean Boy. As a person traveling for the past 17 months with surgical dressings which have to be changed every day, I do not believe any competent medical authority would encourage me to stay home for the past year and a half. One may as well tell handicapped individuals in general to stay safely in their homes or apartments.

 

Bill

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