Why get health insurance prior to taking that trip to your dream in the DR!

PICHARDO said:

Man back home after Dominican nightmare


March 22 2012 at 12:28pm
By Barbara Maragele

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CAPE TIMES

Simon Mottershead was seriously injured in
a motorbike accident in the Dominican Republic.


Simon Mottershead lived through every traveller?s nightmare when he was stuck overseas and saddled with a huge medical bill.

He returned home to Plettenberg Bay last week after he was injured and forced to remain in the Dominican Republic for five months until arrangements for the payment of his steep medical bill could be made.

Mottershead, 34, was involved in a motorbike accident, which killed his colleague who was also on the bike. His hospital bill amounted to R180 000 and he was given six months to pay this through an agreement with the hospital.


?It?s only starting to sink in now that I?m back home. After the five months of hell, I realised waiting for the insurance company to pay out could never happen and then I would be left over there barely surviving,? he said.

Mottershead left SA to travel to South America in April 2011 with a promise of a job, but this never materialised.


?I went to the Dominican Republic, where I took up a diving instructor course. I got my diving qualification, but three weeks later I was involved in a motorbike accident.

?I was returning from the dive centre on a colleague?s motorbike when we were hit by a car on the wrong side of the road. My colleague was killed and I was sent to hospital with a fractured hip, a broken femur and fractured tibia on my left leg,? he said.


Last week, an excited Mottershead was able to fly back to his parents home in Plettenberg Bay: ?The money I received was just enough to cover my return. I still have the big hospital bill hanging over my head, but I?m hoping the insurance company pays out by then because I am grateful to the hospital staff who were able to save my life,? he said.


He signed a contract with the hospital in the Dominican Republic which stated that he would have to pay the full amount of the medical bill within the next two months.

Mottershead said he was requested to provide the hospital with an affidavit from a police station in SA to prove that he was unemployed.


Mottershead?s father, Malcolm Mottershead describes his son?s journey to the Dominican Republic as a chain of disastrous events from the time he left the country.


?We were lucky to have been able to give what we could so far. We decided as a family to fund him from month to month.?

When Mottershead approached the SA embassy in Puerto Rico he was told that because he had no travel insurance they couldn?t help him. - Cape Times

barbara.maregele@inl.co.za

Man back home after Dominican nightmare - Western Cape | IOL News | IOL.co.za








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International health insurance is a MUST when traveling to other countries. More so if you want good and adequate health care in case of catastrophic accidents...

Even credit cards offer some type of traveler's insurance of sorts, but you must make sure to buy good coverage and that it covers where to you'll be traveling 100%!

This man was very lucky he was taken to a private hospital for life saving care, else the money trouble would pale in comparison to the big loss his family would had have to face otherwise...

Travel health insurance is not optional, but a life saving must have!

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but really? all this over 180K pesos? how does one buy flights to travel across continents and not have access to $5K to pay a hospital bill??

Randall Bell said:

but really? all this over 180K pesos? how does one buy flights to travel across continents and not have access to $5K to pay a hospital bill??

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Try to think back when you were young. He went to South America for a job offer that he didn't get then took a diving course in the DR and three weeks later got hit by a car. If the kid had 5k saved it went fast in the weeks before the accident. He wasn't just on vacation.

Anna, You Are Showing Your Age

AnnaC said:

Try to think back when you were young. He went to South America for a job offer that he didn't get then took a diving course in the DR and three weeks later got hit by a car. If the kid had 5k saved it went fast in the weeks before the accident. He wasn't just on vacation.

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Keeping in mind that the man injured was 34 years old:

"Try to think back when you were young"

"If the kid had 5k saved..."

I understand what Anna is saying, and I certainly remember being young with few personal resources. BUT... by and large, young people "globe trotting" for the promise of a job are all invariably backed by a family with means. Jetting off to South America with a "promise" of a job that doesn't materialize? Sketchy at best. OK... maybe you might travel internationally to interview for a VERY high level job, (usually paid for by the hiring company), but certainly with a return ticket in hand. Would one MOVE to another country for a "promised" job without a firm commitment? Unlikely. Then faced with not getting the job, instead of retreating home, wandering off to yet another foreign country to start a new career as a dive instructor? This 34 y.o. "kid" was out adventuring and ran into trouble. Simple as that. The $5k U.S. isn't pocket change... but it's not a very great sum of money relative to the situation, and I think the "family pockets" certainly wouldn't be emptied by paying their very reasonable bill for the care received.

I hope the guy recovers completely, but whining to the media about this "Dominican Nightmare" just smacks of insincerity and revenge. He's trying to garner some kind of support, (moral, financial, or both) by getting his story wide play. I'm sure that 99% of similar "nightmares" never see the light of day in the media.

He's from South Africa. How much money do they make there? " his father said “We were lucky to have been able to give what we could so far. We decided as a family to fund him from month to month.”

CaptnGlenn said:

I hope the guy recovers completely, but whining to the media about this "Dominican Nightmare" just smacks of insincerity and revenge. He's trying to garner some kind of support, (moral, financial, or both) by getting his story wide play. I'm sure that 99% of similar "nightmares" never see the light of day in the media.

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Maybe I am missing something but I don't read the article as saying he was "whining to the media about this 'Dominican Nightmare" or that he is after revenge.

What he seems to be after is to have the insurance company pay the bill in a timely manner. I know what that is. I've had a lot of experience paying bills here then hoping to be reimbursed in full by my insurance company in the US.

I don't read him saying anything bad about the DR, in fact he was quite positive about the medical care he received. And no family member is quoted as using that word, either.

If you want to kick anyone around it seems to me it should be those newspaper people who sensationalized the story and the headline.

I sent this to the author:
Dear Barbara:

You article on the incidents surrounding the experiences of Mr Mottershead do not sound like a nightmare to anyone not prejudiced.

While I have no knowledge of what a R (Rand?) is worth in Euros or dollars, I would imagine that R180,000 is a fair amount.

The question then becomes, given his massive injuries, lack of insurance and all around innocence, what would it have cost him in a hospital in South Africa,which is to say a private clinic used by your nation's elite? We are not talking about a charity clinic run in Soweto, but rather a pretty fair place where tourists and locals with insurance go for their ails.

Do you think they would allow a complete stranger, a foreigner, to even leave the country if that sum was owed? Have the treatments and the charges been examined by any competent medical authorities?

You have been most unfair, in my opinion, in calling this series of events, "a Dominican nightmare"....His life was saved, wasn't it?? The outstanding hospitality, charity and forbearance of the administrators at the medical facility speak volumes about the Dominican Republic and it's wonderful people.


Cordially,

HB


I think that some of you should do so, too...Why not, we know that this is BS...

Just like Ken I didn't take it as the article was saying that the DR was hell or that he was complaining about the medical treatment he received while there. Hell was having no money to survive on while he waited for the insurance money. Not sure who's insurance. His, the guy that hit him or from his home country. That part isn't clear.

“It’s only starting to sink in now that I’m back home. After the five months of hell, I realised waiting for the insurance company to pay out could never happen and then I would be left over there barely surviving,” he said.

Hi Pichardo,

Well I'm pretty sure in Cuba we gringo's need to carry insurance now before arriving. Not sure if I agree that mandated health insurance route is in the spirit of the 'libertarian' country called the DR that we love. If you're smart enough to buy insurance, or if you choose to self insure and not buy insurance, it's your own business... and you have to deal with the consequences yourself - and stop whinging to some reporter on the other side of the world. I mean honestly! What's wrong with people in the West these days? Does nobody want to take responsibility for their own actions!? what's next? suing fast food companies for making us fat?....wait what? what do you mean they're already doing it!? lol

Age has nothing to do with it.I know several 50 year old Europeans in the DR who live off mumand dads hand out,in mumn dads house and have sponged their way through life, borrowing 1000pesos here and there, yet driving around in a car mum and dad leave behind. You would be shocked by the true financial state of some who look to be doing well. There has been many occasions I have bought neighbours a few beers or put gas in a neighbours car until they can sponge more money from family. People who most assume own 2 or 3 houses, but in reality have less than nothing until the oldies pop their clogs, and then the whole divorce process starts for them when their beloved Dom wife gets the green light to slip away out of the situation and take one of the homes and half of the inheritance.
I have been shocked a few times over the recent years, life is very rarely what it seems, but some truths are quite simply impossible to get your head around, lucky or lazy, there are a lot of people in DR who live right on the edge, and I mean cliffhanger nothing at all in the bank until they get dads allowance each week or month. Embarrassing!

Ken said:

Maybe I am missing something but I don't read the article as saying he was "whining to the media about this 'Dominican Nightmare" or that he is after revenge.

What he seems to be after is to have the insurance company pay the bill in a timely manner. I know what that is. I've had a lot of experience paying bills here then hoping to be reimbursed in full by my insurance company in the US.

I don't read him saying anything bad about the DR, in fact he was quite positive about the medical care he received. And no family member is quoted as using that word, either.

If you want to kick anyone around it seems to me it should be those newspaper people who sensationalized the story and the headline.

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Ken.. you are absolutely right in all regards except for the fact that they went to the media in the first place, (which when chosen as an action in response to a personal situation, I still call whining). And of course, in true form, the media sensationalized the story and termed it a "Dominican nightmare"... "Let's sell newspapers... who cares about journalistic integrity!!!". So, maybe they, (victim and family), weren't whining about the EVENT, instead they were whining about their insurance reimbursement, which I can also identify with, but I have never gone to the media to exact a solution to a problem.

PICHARDO said:

This has been a major contention I have with the tourism industry and the gov in the DR. We should require health insurance from visitors 100% for their stay. That coupled with legal representation being an optional buy-in.


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Not a bad idea a long as the government reduces the excessive taxes on air travel to offset the costs of the medical insurance instead of pricing the country out of the tourist market.

windeguy said:

Not a bad idea a long as the government reduces the excessive taxes on air travel to offset the costs of the medical insurance instead of pricing the country out of the tourist market.

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Maybe this might be an idea: Panama offers free medical insurance for tourists | Travel tip | Traveldudes.org

windeguy said:

Not a bad idea a long as the government reduces the excessive taxes on air travel to offset the costs of the medical insurance instead of pricing the country out of the tourist market.

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Windeguy - this would take too much forethought and planning. Don't hold your breath!

Well no matter what the intention for going to the media was it has made many here and over there talk about the dangers of traveling without insurance.

I agree with buying travel insurance however many do not bother to read the fine print or the contract. Most travel insurances will not cover anything pre existing. Many have a " cap " on how much they pay out. A good example is lets say while traveling you develop chest pain etc....The travel insurance company more than likely have a third party administrator handle the claim. They will go over the clinical information and will look for anything that shows you may have a history of heart problems and bingo they may decide they will not pay. On the other hand lets say you have a accident, some of the insurances will go to great lengths to determine if there is a third party liability before they decide to cover it. Also some will want you to pay upfront and then you can file your claim once you return. Many times with that option some may never be reimbursed. I have done medical billing for a number of years (the family business in the US) and have had my share of experiences with travel insurance companies. Always, always read the contract and make sure you know what is and is not covered. Even though you may have insurance the patient is always responsible for the bill until it is paid.

keepcoming said:

I agree with buying travel insurance however many do not bother to read the fine print or the contract. Most travel insurances will not cover anything pre existing. Many have a " cap " on how much they pay out. A good example is lets say while traveling you develop chest pain etc....The travel insurance company more than likely have a third party administrator handle the claim. They will go over the clinical information and will look for anything that shows you may have a history of heart problems and bingo they may decide they will not pay. On the other hand lets say you have a accident, some of the insurances will go to great lengths to determine if there is a third party liability before they decide to cover it. Also some will want you to pay upfront and then you can file your claim once you return. Many times with that option some may never be reimbursed. I have done medical billing for a number of years (the family business in the US) and have had my share of experiences with travel insurance companies. Always, always read the contract and make sure you know what is and is not covered. Even though you may have insurance the patient is always responsible for the bill until it is paid.

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it's not just travel insurance either... seems like all forms of insurance, with greatest emphasis on medical insurance. With apologies to any who work in the insurance industry, it has become one big scam. all of my health care providers say the same thing, the insurance companies do everything possible to delay delay delay... deny deny deny.