...The Fair Melissa watches a show called The Resident - seen worse, seen better - that had a plot point recently that got us both to wondering.
The storyline was about a couple from the UK that goes to the ER when the wife is having severe pain. Turns out it's a kidney stone, and the docs recommend ultrasound to break up the stones. The couple is of course very concerned about the cost, and it's ultimately kind of handwaved away later in the episode.
Our question is this: is there any more-or-less standard procedure for NHS paying for medical care for UK citizens overseas who may need emergency medical care?
Mike
Health Care Question for Our Cousins....
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MikeKozlowski
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Re: Health Care Question for Our Cousins....
If travelling to the US, you're responsible for taking out your own travel insurance to cover it - and travel insurance for the US is noticeably expensive compared to anywhere not an active war zone.MikeKozlowski wrote: ↑Sun Jul 21, 2024 11:44 amOur question is this: is there any more-or-less standard procedure for NHS paying for medical care for UK citizens overseas who may need emergency medical care?
If visiting the EU or Australia, there is a reciprocal agreement in place which means you pay the same as a local - still likely to be expensive, but certainly cheaper.
War is less costly than servitude. The choice is always between Verdun and Dachau. - Jean Dutourd
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warshipadmin
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Re: Health Care Question for Our Cousins....
Yup, my (English) dad did a Biden down the steps off a plane in Washington, the bills were astronomical (for basically an ambulance to hospital to check for concussion), but since he was a NATO delegate the gummint paid.
Having said that in Straya my recent ride in an ambulance was $4000, fora half hour ride. So that $100 a year for ambulance cover is well worth it.
Having said that in Straya my recent ride in an ambulance was $4000, fora half hour ride. So that $100 a year for ambulance cover is well worth it.
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warshipadmin
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Re: Health Care Question for Our Cousins....
For a Pom in Australia you can use the free public system, wait times in emergency can be atrocious in the big hospitals (my local you ring them up in advance and they meet you at the door! ) - when I was regularly in trouble with chemo in the big city I had a get out of jail card so I could get straight into a ward
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Craiglxviii
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Re: Health Care Question for Our Cousins....
Having been the highly unwilling recipient of 5 (count ‘em, 3 starboard, 2 port) kidney stones all averaging 5mm across back in 2021, I can tell you the following:
1. The first pains hit me at a most inopportune moment. I was sat down (ahem) and the shock of the pain threw me onto the floor 6’ away. This was on Thursday morning.
2. Pain subsided slightly, didn’t know what to make of it. Called 111 (NHS care line) and was advised it was stomach cramps, plenty of fluid and rest.
3. I couldn’t sleep with the pain and spent most of the night in the bath, hot water only, which helped very slightly. The next morning I called the 111 number again, asked for a doctors appointment and ran into problems as they were stacked full- this was just post Covid. I was told that a doctor would call me back.
4. They did call me back, same result as the day before. Bed rest, fluids, paracetamol. Then something odd happened, the same doctor then called me back again, something didn’t rest easy with him and he booked me in for an urgent care appointment at the local hospital for 0900 the next day.
5. The FPO dropped me off at the hospital, where I was seen, given very heavy painkillers, x-rayed and told the good news. Overnight stay and lots of pharmaceuticals for you, Craig old son, you don’t warrant an ultrasound procedure or the machines that go “bing”. So that was it, I was on something to dilate all my tubes and told to drink a litre of water an hour (!). Oh- and for the grebs amongst you- please pee into these cardboard bottles so we can filter the stones out.
6. A frankly unreasonable number of trips to the toilet and 24 hours later, having got through Kelly’s Heroes, A Bridge Too Far, Where Eagles Dare, Zulu and Shooter, I had the all-clear, the fifth stone had been located and I could be discharged.
Total cost to me: zero.
A few months ago I had a follow-up X-ray, total cost: £3.20 for the car park.
Now, my single business travel insurance for a week in the US (specifically to cover kidney stones as a previous condition) is around £95, right now. That includes £50k of medical treatment and repatriation.
1. The first pains hit me at a most inopportune moment. I was sat down (ahem) and the shock of the pain threw me onto the floor 6’ away. This was on Thursday morning.
2. Pain subsided slightly, didn’t know what to make of it. Called 111 (NHS care line) and was advised it was stomach cramps, plenty of fluid and rest.
3. I couldn’t sleep with the pain and spent most of the night in the bath, hot water only, which helped very slightly. The next morning I called the 111 number again, asked for a doctors appointment and ran into problems as they were stacked full- this was just post Covid. I was told that a doctor would call me back.
4. They did call me back, same result as the day before. Bed rest, fluids, paracetamol. Then something odd happened, the same doctor then called me back again, something didn’t rest easy with him and he booked me in for an urgent care appointment at the local hospital for 0900 the next day.
5. The FPO dropped me off at the hospital, where I was seen, given very heavy painkillers, x-rayed and told the good news. Overnight stay and lots of pharmaceuticals for you, Craig old son, you don’t warrant an ultrasound procedure or the machines that go “bing”. So that was it, I was on something to dilate all my tubes and told to drink a litre of water an hour (!). Oh- and for the grebs amongst you- please pee into these cardboard bottles so we can filter the stones out.
6. A frankly unreasonable number of trips to the toilet and 24 hours later, having got through Kelly’s Heroes, A Bridge Too Far, Where Eagles Dare, Zulu and Shooter, I had the all-clear, the fifth stone had been located and I could be discharged.
Total cost to me: zero.
A few months ago I had a follow-up X-ray, total cost: £3.20 for the car park.
Now, my single business travel insurance for a week in the US (specifically to cover kidney stones as a previous condition) is around £95, right now. That includes £50k of medical treatment and repatriation.