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Spokane woman says Mexican hospital held her hostage, extorted her family

T-Dot-Traveller

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ALWAYS HAVE OUT OF COUNTRY MEDICAL COVERAGE WHEN TRAVELLING .



The reason the hospital administrator said " they did not have problems with Canadians" is that
(generally) Canadians know that their provincially run health plans **do not cover out of country
services . MANY have heard of the cost of American hospitals and health care .

She is lucky she can recover in Mexico and then fly home on a commercial airline .
The cost to air ambulance fly someone individually from Florida to Toronto is likely close to $ 30,000.

The few times we have had walk-in medical care in the states - a credit card was required . ( In Ontario it would not cost me any payment -just show & scan your provincial OHIP card )
My son paid $ 400 to have a finger cut looked at in San Antonio . The care was excellent , and the staff
member was nice enough to tell him that if it ever happened again - crazy glue would work
(basically - said they used medical crazy glue on his finger)

- if she had gone from Spokane to Vancouver BC and ended up in a hospital -$$$ payment would be required . I am not sure how much - but not cheap for the injury she had .Hospitals in Canadian Provinces require payment from non residents .

.******

FYI - ** : hospitals in Canada have boards of directors etc . and operate as non profits . Each province has a health plan and it operates as a single payer system . Provinces get some federal funds in the form of transfer payments .
The Canadian federal government has rules in order for provinces to get these payments . One of the rules : no extra billing by doctors or hospitals . A province could choose to allow extra billing ; BUT it would lose something like (40+)% of the current yearly provincial health care budget .
< Items deemed " cosmetic " such as Lasik eye surgery are not covered & you pay out of pocket .
Routine Dental care ,chiropractic care etc is generally not covered by provincial health care / hospital plans.>.

There are reciprocal agreements between provinces for coverage while travelling within Canada . If you move to another province , you have to get a new drivers licence and a new health card .


The reason it operates this way is that in 1867 when the British North American Act passed , the Canadian federal government was given responsability for " important " things like armies and issuing currency . Less important items like health care and roads and schools were provincial or local.

An American comparison would be the drinking age and highway speed limits . In theory states could lower the drinking age to 18 or raise the speed limit to 90 . They would then lose the revenue from the federal government that comes via the Interstate Highway Trust Fund.( not likely to happen as the revenue is significant )
 
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MuranoJo

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It's definitely a disturbing story:

What the heck was she doing up on that small platform (mantel?) getting photos? Did she have approval from the shop owner before she did this? (Unlikely, IMO.)
And she had no travel insurance.

Let's see, who else can she blame?
 

easyrider

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I have been adding medical tourist safety in the sticky which includes trip insurance, medical facilities and other issues. Hard to believe, the number one tourist injury in Mexico is broken or damaged toe. Most resorts have tile or stone surfaces, which is very common through out Mexico, and most tourists wear sandals and flip flops, resulting in many broken and hurt toes. Beverages may be partially to blame.

A broken toe doctor visit can cost $20 for a local Doctor to tape it, $250 + for the resort Doctor to tape it or up to $2000+ for a tourist medical facility to tape it. The tourist medical facility will do xrays and other procedures but the end result for many is toes taped together.

It can be expensive to get help in Mexico. Get the trip insurance when purchase air fare. With Alaska Airlines there is an option to purchase trip insurance with your air fare.

Bill
 

davidvel

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It's definitely a disturbing story:

What the heck was she doing up on that small platform (mantel?) getting photos? Did she have approval from the shop owner before she did this? (Unlikely, IMO.)
And she had no travel insurance.

Let's see, who else can she blame?
She didn't blame anyone for her injuries.
 

pittle

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We have always been aware that you must pay up-front if you go to a hospital in another country. We contact our CC company that we will be traveling to ____ on certain dates so that if we need to use the card it will be available for immediate use. This is a card that we have one automatic charge on it each month to keep it valid and has a really high limit to use in emergencies. Our medical insurance provider will reimburse us for 80% of medical/hospitalization costs out of the country, so we know that we are responsible to pay.

A couple of years ago in Puerto Vallarta, a friend collapsed at a restaurant in the Marina area and had to be taken to the hospital. The restaurant staff told him that he would need a CC to be admitted and told him which hospital was the best one. His wife went with him in the ambulance while another person in our group went to the hotel to get the credit cards and passport. Our waiter took him in his personal car and then back to the hospital so that our friends had their cards and documents. This cost them about $1000. He originally thought it was from fishing in the hot sun all day because he thought he was just seasick and maybe had too much sun. It turned out that he had food poisoning. (Beware of buffets)
 

jlp879

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I am wondering if we could have a sticky in the Mexican forum that lists recommended doctors or medical providers? I would be interested to know the name of the hospital restaurant staff recommended in Puerto Vallarta.

From reading other news articles, it seems like some Mexican hospitals have decided to go after tourist dollars, and we should be aware of which ones to avoid if at all possible.
 

T-Dot-Traveller

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I am wondering if we could have a sticky in the Mexican forum that lists recommended doctors or medical providers? I would be interested to know the name of the hospital restaurant staff recommended in Puerto Vallarta.

From reading other news articles, it seems like some Mexican hospitals have decided to go after tourist dollars, and we should be aware of which ones to avoid if at all possible.

IMO - it may be more of a tourists ,tourist resorts & expats wanting services in English and equivalent to their "at home" expectations - and providers stepping up to the plate to meet the demand .The providers doing so are often from the "for profit" medical network .

I think Easyrider / Bill said it well above .

I would be happy just paying $20 cash to tape my (broken ) toe - BUT - if I was having a heart attack .....**

-- Make sure you have travel medical insurance

******

** added < this is NOT a comment on the quality of medical care at any hospital
in Mexico - just a comment on my very limited ability in Spanish . If I was having a possible life threatening emergency I would be more comfortable if the hospital,staff could ask me questions in English .
 
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pittle

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I am wondering if we could have a sticky in the Mexican forum that lists recommended doctors or medical providers? I would be interested to know the name of the hospital restaurant staff recommended in Puerto Vallarta.

From reading other news articles, it seems like some Mexican hospitals have decided to go after tourist dollars, and we should be aware of which ones to avoid if at all possible.

The one our friend went to was next door to the Holiday Inn Express - near the airport. The waiter called it the American Hospital. We will be in PV soon and I will try to write down the official name. Our friends thought it was awesome and everyone spoke English.

About 15 years ago, our grandson nearly drowned :eek: and the Mayan Palace Marina doctor was on site and treated him. It was a scare for all of us, but the doctor was awesome and followed up every few hours that day.
 
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jlp879

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Thanks, Phyllis. I believe that hospital is called General Hospital. It's across the street from a Scotiabank that's in that shopping plaza.

Gosh, that must have been a scary incident with your grandson! Glad it worked out for the best and that you were happy with the care provided by the resort doctor.
 

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The RM house doctor treated my wife for food poisoning back a few years ago. He was excellent but wanted US dollars which we had.
 

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Once owned these: FirstFairway@Walden X 2; Lawai Beach; ManhattanClub; PuebloBonitoRose; 4 South Africa--now timeshare-free
I am wondering if we could have a sticky in the Mexican forum that lists recommended doctors or medical providers? I would be interested to know the name of the hospital restaurant staff recommended in Puerto Vallarta.

From reading other news articles, it seems like some Mexican hospitals have decided to go after tourist dollars, and we should be aware of which ones to avoid if at all possible.
There actually is already a sticky that contains some medical provider information as well as other safety issues and you can find it here. That would be the place to add any other lists of medical providers that people may come across. Thanks to Bill (easyrider) for all the great information he has provided.
 

easyrider

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Please add info to the Mexico safety sticky regarding medical advice. The real problem for older tourists isn't violent crime but is medical help regarding Mexico vacations. While the odds are low that a major health problem will disrupt a trip , it does frequently happen.

For me it was a heart attack last January that made me question if Mexico would be a suitable vacation destination. It is. We were in Loreto a few weeks ago and everything was fine but Loreto isn't anywhere a person should go if they have real health concerns as there isn't any large medical facilities. You end up going to La Paz which is a 5 hour ambulance drive or med jet to San Diego if your stable. What doesn't make sense to me is that you can be stable enough for an ambulance but not stable enough for med jet because it depends on the Doctors orders and Med Jet rules. Med Jet only takes stable condition patients from what they said on the phone.

Bill
 

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ALWAYS HAVE OUT OF COUNTRY MEDICAL COVERAGE WHEN TRAVELLING .



The reason the hospital administrator said " they did not have problems with Canadians" is that
(generally) Canadians know that their provincially run health plans **do not cover out of country
services . MANY have heard of the cost of American hospitals and health care .

She is lucky she can recover in Mexico and then fly home on a commercial airline .
The cost to air ambulance fly someone individually from Florida to Toronto is likely close to $ 30,000.

The few times we have had walk-in medical care in the states - a credit card was required . ( In Ontario it would not cost me any payment -just show & scan your provincial OHIP card )
My son paid $ 400 to have a finger cut looked at in San Antonio . The care was excellent , and the staff
member was nice enough to tell him that if it ever happened again - crazy glue would work
(basically - said they used medical crazy glue on his finger)

- if she had gone from Spokane to Vancouver BC and ended up in a hospital -$$$ payment would be required . I am not sure how much - but not cheap for the injury she had .Hospitals in Canadian Provinces require payment from non residents .

.******

FYI - ** : hospitals in Canada have boards of directors etc . and operate as non profits . Each province has a health plan and it operates as a single payer system . Provinces get some federal funds in the form of transfer payments .
The Canadian federal government has rules in order for provinces to get these payments . One of the rules : no extra billing by doctors or hospitals . A province could choose to allow extra billing ; BUT it would lose something like (40+)% of the current yearly provincial health care budget .
< Items deemed " cosmetic " such as Lasik eye surgery are not covered & you pay out of pocket .
Routine Dental care ,chiropractic care etc is generally not covered by provincial health care / hospital plans.>.

There are reciprocal agreements between provinces for coverage while travelling within Canada . If you move to another province , you have to get a new drivers licence and a new health card .


The reason it operates this way is that in 1867 when the British North American Act passed , the Canadian federal government was given responsability for " important " things like armies and issuing currency . Less important items like health care and roads and schools were provincial or local.

An American comparison would be the drinking age and highway speed limits . In theory states could lower the drinking age to 18 or raise the speed limit to 90 . They would then lose the revenue from the federal government that comes via the Interstate Highway Trust Fund.( not likely to happen as the revenue is significant )
 

dmurray007

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Love our OHIP, and yes I would think just about all Canadians who travel outside Canada have out of country insurance. Just check if there is an age restriction, as I found out the plan we had didn't cover me after I turned 70 and there might be a time limit for out of country coverage (over 90 days). Switched plans and now with wife's retired teacher's plan. 20 yrs. ago in PA., had a bad spill off a horse that I was trying out as a possible buy. Ended up with a broken leg (left) and shattered right shoulder. Basically 1st. the thing the hospital did was ask for insurance and credit card had both so no problem. It was cheaper for my insurance company to transport me back to Ontario where OHIP would cover the costs. They arranged for an ambulance to transport me back to Canada, ( had it stop at the duty-free store to get my booze and cigs., Heh I was hurt not sick). The bill from the US hospital that I saw was for over $10,000 US for 4 days and that did not include any operations.
 

ilene13

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My Blue Cross/Blue Shield policy covers me out of the country. In addition to carrying my insurance card, I carry a letter from them.
 

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My Blue Cross/Blue Shield policy covers me out of the country. In addition to carrying my insurance card, I carry a letter from them.

Although I'd suggest double-checking to make sure it's not a "you pay first, and we reimburse you".
You may be "covered" but you may also have to fork out the cash/credit cards first and then submit the forms for reimbursement later. A lot of hospitals in Mexico don't tie into the insurance systems here in the US to be able to bill directly.
 

Passepartout

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Seems to me I've posted this before. I don't have BCBS, but my Medicare Supplement provider says they cover up to what Medicare covers BY REIMBURSEMENT on any billing presented, itemized, and IN ENGLISH.

When traveling internationally, it pays- or at least gives you peace of mind- to call your insurance carrier before you leave home. Even travel insurance health plans reimburse for expenses you pay the provider upfront.

Jim
 

VacationForever

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Seems to me I've posted this before. I don't have BCBS, but my Medicare Supplement provider says they cover up to what Medicare covers BY REIMBURSEMENT on any billing presented, itemized, and IN ENGLISH.

When traveling internationally, it pays- or at least gives you peace of mind- to call your insurance carrier before you leave home. Even travel insurance health plans reimburse for expenses you pay the provider upfront.

Jim
I think with GeoBlue Trekker insurance, the participating doctors bill GeoBlue directly. I think you said you have GeoBlue Trekker or maybe I am mixing TUGger up, and we are planning to buy next month with a start date of 1/1/2018 so that it covers the entire year and with an easy to remember renewal date.
 

ilene13

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Although I'd suggest double-checking to make sure it's not a "you pay first, and we reimburse you".
You may be "covered" but you may also have to fork out the cash/credit cards first and then submit the forms for reimbursement later. A lot of hospitals in Mexico don't tie into the insurance systems here in the US to be able to bill directly.
We have used our insurance in Mexico, as we used to live in Guadalajara. It depends on the hospital if they take the insurance. If they don’t my insurance will reimburse me.
 

easyrider

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I think with GeoBlue Trekker insurance, the participating doctors bill GeoBlue directly. I think you said you have GeoBlue Trekker or maybe I am mixing TUGger up, and we are planning to buy next month with a start date of 1/1/2018 so that it covers the entire year and with an easy to remember renewal date.

I didn't know that this could be bought annually. I'm going to check it out. I have been purchasing individual trip policies from Geo Blue because it is the only policy that covers sudden onset of pre-existing condition.

Bill
 

VacationForever

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I didn't know that this could be bought annually. I'm going to check it out. I have been purchasing individual trip policies from Geo Blue because it is the only policy that covers sudden onset of pre-existing condition.

Bill
We do like Geo Blue (Trekker) because it does cover pre-existing condtions.
 

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I will not step my feet out of the country without buying travel insurance.

hospitals in Canada have boards of directors etc . and operate as non profits
Many hospitals in Pennsylvania are non-profit. They play games for tax filing purposes. The hospital CEOs are still making millions dollars just like for-profit Silicon Valley tech companies. The cost of xray and MRI at non-profit hospitals are far more expensive than small for-profit imaging companies. I stop now because this thread isn't about hospitals.
 
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