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American hospital bills

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  • 25-10-2017 12:00am
    #1
    murphr62
    Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭


    Visited a&e in America while on holidays. I stayed there for 2 hours,.sleeping all the time. I've since received 3 medical bills with 3 and 4 digit numbers. Any advice regarding this? Do I have to pay? What Will happen if i dont pay? Could I travel to America again? Feeling very anxious about this situation.
    (Not sure if this is the correct category for my question but all advice appreciated)


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    #2
    Atlantic Dawn
    Registered Users Posts: 82,819 ✭✭✭✭Atlantic Dawn
    M


    Get your travel insurance to pay it.


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    #3
    ED E
    Registered Users Posts: 36,167 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    Thats the wonder of the American Dream for ya. Assuming you availed of the service you should pay, even if its stupidly expensive.


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    #4
    Pelvis
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,758 ✭✭✭Pelvis


    This is what travel insurance is for.


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    #5
    L1011
    Registered Users Posts: 69,023 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    If you don't have travel insurance you are likely to be able to negotiate a reduced rate with the hospital as their insurance "prices" vs cash prices are often hugely different, and higher for insurers.

    As goes what would happen if you don't pay it - that depends even on which state you were in.


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    #6
    murphr62
    Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭murphr62


    I had travel insurance and they are refusing to pay it as the reason I was hospitalised is one of their exclusions from their policy.


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    #7
    davo10
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,926 ✭✭✭davo10


    I worked in the health service in the US and if memory serves me right, they make sure they have all of your contact details and swipe your credit card before you are seen, was this done?

    I'm not sure what they can do if you don't pay and try to enter the US again, I suppose that depends on whether they get a judgement against you, that in turn may depend on how much you owe.

    If your insurance would not cover it as it is excluded, you travelled to the US with a preexisting condition that you would have been aware could be an issue. I suppose you could say, you took the risk so you owe the money.


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    #8
    garhjw
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,424 ✭✭✭garhjw


    Engage with them and try to agree a lower price and/or a payment plan so you could pay it over a period of time. You should pay your bills.


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    #9
    ThisRegard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,833 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    murphr62 wrote: »
    I had travel insurance and they are refusing to pay it as the reason I was hospitalised is one of their exclusions from their policy.

    Was your travel paid for by credit card? You might be covered but as it would be underwritten by a regular insurer you may still fall foul of the exclusion clause.


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    #10
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,457 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    ThisRegard wrote: »
    Was your travel paid for by credit card? You might be covered but as it would be underwritten by a regular insurer you may still fall foul of the exclusion clause.

    You only get travel insurance these days with a premium credit card, one that has an annual charge over and above the Govt. levy. BoI platinum card (€76 annual charge + Govt levy) is an example.

    And like you say, the exclusion that applied to the OP's travel policy would in all probability apply in the case of insurance provided via a credit card.


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    #11
    whomitconcerns
    Registered Users Posts: 4,367 ✭✭✭whomitconcerns


    If you plan on going back to the US ever, it might be worth getting on the phone to them asap and see what you can do.


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    #12
    neilthefunkeone
    Registered Users Posts: 1,522 ✭✭✭neilthefunkeone


    whomitconcerns wrote: »
    If you plan on going back to the US ever, it might be worth getting on the phone to them asap and see what you can do.

    May or may not be true..

    On J1 years ago i ended up in hospital in Illinois, Days after bills for thousands were sent to the address i was staying in. Being young and naive i left them :rolleyes:

    I Have been to the USA numerous times since but not to a hospital so may get a surprise if i ever end up in one again!

    Not advising you skip your bills though!!!


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    #13
    Caliden
    Registered Users Posts: 5,982 ✭✭✭Caliden


    whomitconcerns wrote: »
    If you plan on going back to the US ever, it might be worth getting on the phone to them asap and see what you can do.

    Getting a judgement against someone takes time (and money). They would also need to ensure the summons was delivered to you for any judgement to hold water.


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    #14
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,457 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    whomitconcerns wrote: »
    If you plan on going back to the US ever, it might be worth getting on the phone to them asap and see what you can do.

    Why? The US immigration service isn't a debt collection agency, why would they care? It's a civil matter, nothing to do with the US government.


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    #15
    Former Former
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,728 ✭✭✭Former Former


    davo10 wrote: »
    If your insurance would not cover it as it is excluded, you travelled to the US with a preexisting condition

    Pretty sure it wasn't a pre-existing condition...


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    #16
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,457 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    Former Former wrote: »
    Pretty sure it wasn't a pre-existing condition...

    +1 that's my reading of it as well. I suspect there was an 'incident' that lead to the OP's hospitalisation i.e. it wasn't a sudden illness.


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    #17
    joebloggs32
    Registered Users Posts: 1,621 ✭✭✭joebloggs32


    coylemj wrote: »
    +1 that's my reading of it as well. I suspect there was an 'incident' that lead to the OP's hospitalisation i.e. it wasn't a sudden illness.

    Yes, which induced sleep for a few hours !


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    #18
    Tow
    Registered Users Posts: 7,579 ✭✭✭Tow


    As per L1011

    Medical costs in the USA are like having your Car repaired here. Hospitals like garages have two costs for everything. The 'Insurance' will pay or the 'I' will pay price. The 'I' will pay price is lower and for locals they are happy to arrange staged payments on a case by case basis.

    When is the money (including lost growth) Michael Noonan took in the Pension Levy going to be paid back?



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    #19
    Fred Swanson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21,730 ✭✭✭✭Fred Swanson


    This post has been deleted.


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    #20
    Fred Swanson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21,730 ✭✭✭✭Fred Swanson


    This post has been deleted.


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    #21
    NinetyTwoTeam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 619 ✭✭✭NinetyTwoTeam


    Don't be silly that won't affect you being able to go back, and unless you have any US assets they've no recourse.

    I grew up over there and have unpaid hospital bills, cc bills, student loans. In fact the debts were a main reason I left. Have been back for visits no issue.

    The final straw was I got bit by a stray dog, drove myself to the hospital, was there less than an hour, got a 4 figure bill for the tetanus shot. I was in college and already poor AF. Ironically I had been working for the SPCA for 2 years at the time and never been even close to being bitten despite 90% of the dogs we housed being put bulls. And if I had been bitten at work they would have covered it but I wasn't on duty, the job was minimum wage with no health insurance provided.


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    #22
    SmartinMartin
    Registered Users Posts: 2,937 ✭✭✭SmartinMartin


    L1011 wrote: »
    that depends even on which state you were in.

    I'd say he was in an awful state.


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    #23
    Arbie
    Registered Users Posts: 880 ✭✭✭Arbie


    I ended up in A&E in USA years ago with an asthma attack. Was there for 2.5 hours, got a bill for $5,000 a few weeks later. Luckily I had travel insurance. I called the US hospital to get some details for VHI and mentioned that I was a poor student living in Ireland - straight away they offered me a discount. VHI paid only $1,500 in the end. So definitely worth trying to bargain.


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    #24
    CeilingFly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,378 ✭✭✭CeilingFly


    They'll send a few letters, it will then get reviewed at the end of a period. If they donlt think they can collect it, it will go dormant. Most hospitals are private compnaies in the US, so no connection in any way with border control.

    Only thing you have to be careful of is not getting injured and ending up in the same hospital. :)

    Other than that, there is very very little they can do.

    Absolute worst case scenario is they sell it to a debt collection agency here and they hassle you for a bit (probably better chance of winning the lotto)

    I'm just surprised they didn't get payment details from you before doing any treatment


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    #25
    Fred Swanson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21,730 ✭✭✭✭Fred Swanson


    This post has been deleted.


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    #26
    Varik
    Registered Users Posts: 12,541 ✭✭✭✭Varik


    Fred Swanson wrote: »
    This post has been deleted.

    That and unpaid bill tend to follow you in the US compared to here


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    #27
    davo10
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,926 ✭✭✭davo10


    Fred Swanson wrote: »
    Hospitals are obliged to provide treatment before getting payment/insurance details. It's the law.

    Sorry Fred but I can assure you the reality is very different, I know this from having worked in a US hospital. If you do not have insurance or credit card to swipe for authorisation (it's called the "wallet check" and it is done even if you are unconscious) you will be given the bare minimum tests and treatments, and then bounced to the street.

    This is why health insurance and the politics involved is so important to Americans.


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    #28
    Former Former
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,728 ✭✭✭Former Former


    davo10 wrote: »
    Sorry Fred but I can assure you the reality is very different, I know this from having worked in a US hospital. If you do not have insurance or credit card to swipe for authorisation (it's called the "wallet check" and it is done even if you are unconscious) you will be given the bare minimum tests and treatments, and then bounced to the street.

    This is why health insurance and the politics involved is so important to Americans.

    They are obliged to provide acute and emergency care. So a guy brought in unconscious from drugs or his head swelling from allergic shock has to be assessed and stabilized. The hospital cannot refuse such treatment, but can still pursue payment.

    On going care is different and they very much will dump you.


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    #29
    Fred Swanson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21,730 ✭✭✭✭Fred Swanson


    This post has been deleted.


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    #30
    CeilingFly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,378 ✭✭✭CeilingFly


    Fred Swanson wrote: »
    This post has been deleted.

    Where there's a threat to life a hospital must treat and
    stableise a patient.

    For non life threatening issues, there is no obligation to treat.


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    #31
    Corruptedmorals
    Registered Users Posts: 4,194 ✭✭✭Corruptedmorals


    Sometimes it works differently when it's not you asking the insurer to cover it.

    The bill from my A&E visit there a few years ago went to my health insurer. They refused to pay it because I hadn't rang them at the time of hospitalisation. The travel insurance covered the parts of the holiday I missed by returning early but understandably wouldn't touch the health bill since I had health insurance. It sat as a stalemate for several months until it went to a debt collector. They rang me, I told them the story, they sat on Aviva and Aviva paid the entire bill.


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