I have great sympathy for this grandmother and family/friends, especially navigating serious medical issues while abroad.

However, this is another example of the importance of taking out travel insurance. It may be costly, but medical care is expensive, especially in the USA of all places. In this case, she was quoted around £3000 for her insurance, but ultimately decided to go without it.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14239595/Devastating-update-British-grandma-76-stuck-Florida-hospital-catching-Covid-flu-trip-lifetime-Disney-without-health-insurance.html?ito=native_share_article-nativemenubutton

Posted by cccccjdvidn

13 comments

  1. Pretty much as OP said, people need to get travel insurance and make sure you are actually covered because if you’re not, it could turn really bad quickly.

    That said, it isn’t always possible, for myself most insurers won’t cover me because I have cancer and they straight up refuse to give me insurance or the quote is in the thousands of pounds, and this is traveling to Europe, don’t even want to imagine what the US would charge me.

    Also, to clarify, the insurers I have contacted “specialise” in insuring cancer patients, it can really be a fucking nightmare, can’t imagine what it’s like for elderly who might not know too much about the internet and how these companies operate, these type of stories don’t surprise me unfortunately.

  2. We really do take the NHS for granted but this kind of situation is normal where basic medical treatment is based on the ability to pay. There are those, some in high profile positions, in this country who would like us to adopt the US healthcare system where people get into serious debt for basic treatment.

  3. Interesting comment there aside from the usual beacons of compassion you expect to find in the DM comment section.

    ‘Ex-pat in TX here. I contacted her daughter via GFM and gave her loads of info where to get help. Including a massive group of Britons in the Houston area, who often assist. The hospital she’s in is a ‘county’ hospital – meaning free to those who have no income. I also gave her info on that and offered her free air-miles and book flights for family. She wasn’t interested and replied that I should mind my own business.’

    Very interesting if that’s true.

  4. Fed up of these constant stories. People never learn.

    Get insurance or don’t go on holiday. She must have spent many thousands on the 3 week US Disney holiday.

    Don’t ask others to subsidise your holiday via a go fund me, just because you didn’t want to pay for insurance.

  5. Fed up of these constant stories. People never learn.

    Get insurance or don’t go on holiday. She must have spent many thousands on the 3 week US Disney holiday.

    Don’t ask others to subsidise your holiday via a go fund me, just because you didn’t want to pay for insurance.

  6. No sympathy, sadly.

    Either you take out insurance or pay medical expenses out of your own pocket. And if it happens to be that your insurance is £3k+ then it’s pretty much the sad reality that you are very likely (relative to most other people) to get into some medical trouble whilst on holiday. I wouldn’t go as far to say she should have stayed at home but meh; insurance or from your own pocket.

    Obviously there’s a gofundme lol. Wonder if the family also want people to wipe their arses for them.

  7. Without reading the article I assume the poor woman has been presented with the bill

  8. I mean, jeez, I have sympathy but if you were quoted 3k for insurance it might be worth reconsidering the trip.

  9. My partner and myself both have health issues and havent been back to the US since as premiums were sky high

  11. Her gofundme is at like 40k, its infuriating that stupid people support other stupid in some sort of covenant against personal responsibility. Makes me feel a right chump doing things properly

  12. [Travel insurance is no guarantee ](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3vl40pvydyo)

    Without the daughter of this woman going public with this and numerous media outlets picking it up, her insurance wasn’t going to cover the costs of her care in America and in fact were actively trying to put her in serious danger against the medical advice of numerous doctors who were treating her.

    Further evidence of how costly and fucked the American health are system is and just how hard insurance companies will try to get out of paying for treatment which they are obliged to.

  13. I worked in hospital billing in the States, and she won’t be able to qualify for financial assistance as she’s not a resident. BUT they won’t be able to go after her if she doesn’t pay either. Collection agencies work by threatening the debtor that their credit will be ruined. They have no recourse out of the US.

    But if she needs follow-up up care as soon as she’s released and is still in the US, being uninsu, ed she will find it very hard to find a doctor who will treat her.

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