Heart attack victim sent medical bill for $U535,383

Press, 29 June 1988, Page 9 (Supplement)

Heart attack victim sent medical bill for $U535,383

How much insurance does a traveller need? Les Bloxham, travel editor of “The Press,” has his own busi-ness-travel cover with Thomas Cook which, for $6 a day, provides a medical cover of $1 million, personal liability of $1 million, and includes additional cover on loss of deposits, travel delays, baggage loss and personal accident. Travel agents have a selection of policies that can be tailored for a traveller’s needs.

A friend who manages a Christchurch travel agency received a shock in the mail the other day —• a bill from a Los Angeles hospital for $U535,383.85 - $NZ55,285.

It took him several minutes to realise it was a publicity gimmick to promote travel insurance. But the original bill from St Mary’s Medical Centre was, in fact, very real — an exact copy of medical charges incurred by a New Zealander who had a heart attack while visiting California. The account detailed charges for services, that, in New Zealand, cost patients nothing in our public hospitals. But in Los Angeles, the unfortunate Kiwi mounted up massive costs for treatment during his 21 days in hospital. Intensive care, $6200 (SNZ96B7); drugs, $4400 (SNZ6B7S); diagnostic radiology, $3090 (SNZ4B2B); respiratory services, $3856 (SNZS9OO); emergency services, $3510 (SNZS3OO); open heart surgery, $1716 (SNZ23OO); and so on to a total of $35,383.85 which, on current exchange rates converts to a hefty $NZ55,285. The insurance company also sent my agency friend a copy of a bill for 11,439,620 yen — $NZ142,000 accrued by an Auckland traveller who died after 27 days in a Tokyo hospital. Charges included 5,204,840 yen ($63,500) for injections and drips; 207,460 yen ($2530) for 59 X-rays; 1,693,000 yen ($21,000) for examinations; 821,340 yen ($10,000) for five operations; and 47,040 yen ($600) for drugs. Never under-estimate the cost of medical services overseas, and remember —- New Zealand’s accident compensation scheme is unique and unavailable elsewhere. Travel agents have at their fingertips a range of worthwhile insurance packages offering world-wide medical and other

protection for modest premiums that very according to time away. Sometimes insurance can help ease the pain of tragedy in a foreign land. A widow whose husband died accidentally in Central America was able to rely on their policy to meet the $BOOO for medical expenses and the cost of flying his body back home.

Several insurance policies provide an allowance to meet unexpected travel and accommodation expenses caused when a holiday is curtailed by strikes, riots or a hijacking. There are a number of basic rules. For instance, the traveller must have started his journey. An Aucklander setting out for Sydney who gets to the airport to learn his flight has been cancelled would probably have a hard job making a claim for expenses stick. But someone else flying, say, from Christchurch to Auckland to join an international flight which was later cancelled, could claim reasonable costs arising from the delay. My advice to anyone venturing overseas whether for business or pleasure is don’t leave home without adequate insurance cover. It’s just not worth the risk!