Aa the year-end holidays approach, many people have arranged to go abroad for vacation, but unexpected surprises always happen when going out, which catches people off guard.
Just recently, a Canadian person was traveling abroad Suffered a heart attack, spent $100,000 and still waiting for a bed.
On November 1, Michael Smil, a man who lives in Calgary, took his wife on a romantic and leisure cruise, with the destination being the Panama Canal, lasting 20 days. The trip started smoothly. The two of them had a lot of fun on the cruise, eating, drinking, and looking at the sea view every day.
On the fifth day, November 5, Smil suddenly had a serious heart attack, and his wife immediately came to the boat of medical staff. The next day, the cruise ship made an emergency stop in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and Smil was rushed to Surgery was performed at a local hospital.
Unfortunately, Smil suffered two more heart attacks during the surgery. With the doctors’ desperate efforts, the operation was finally successful; on November 8, Smil was discharged from the intensive care unit. If this doesn’t work, Smil’s wife plans to take him home and end the journey early.
On November 16, Smil finally applied for a special medical flight to fly back to Canada. It is not a trivial matter for an elderly person to have a heart attack, especially if they have just undergone surgery and they still need to be hospitalized for examination and rest even after they return. Smil is insured with World Travel Protection.
They were notified but could not find any empty hospital beds in Alberta. Kim Cameron, Smeal’s daughter, said: “The insurance company works with a bed-finding company that’s in contact with all the hospitals, but they haven’t heard back.
We’re trying to go to Edmonton, even Red Deer, wherever there are beds. The problem is there aren’t.” To save his father, Cameron even flew to Mexico as soon as possible to stay with him. However, the Mexican hospital did not link up with the Canadian insurance company and required full payment before discharge. “The hospital will never deal with the insurance company. They only deal with the patient and only accept payment from the patient on the spot.” Smil is expected to fly back to Calgary.
The question now is whether he will be forced to go home even if he arrives, there may not be a bed available for him to stay. “He must be accompanied by a medical nurse, have his blood oxygen saturation checked and have oxygen facilities set up at home.”
As of today, the insurance company has not been able to find an available hospital bed. I went out for fun, and something like this happened. Not only did I not know if I could be hospitalized when I returned home, but I also had to pay for the medical expenses in Mexico out of my own pocket. It was really a hassle.
Even with travel insurance, Smil’s family still had to pay more than $100,000 in medical and travel expenses.
In this regard, Canadian travel expert Onata Forbes reminds everyone that home government and provincial or territorial insurance generally do not cover medical expenses incurred abroad. Before booking a vacation, it’s always a good idea to fully understand the specific terms and conditions of your travel insurance.