What To Do If You Get Sick in Italy
Jul 7, 2019, 3:28 pm
#106
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SFO, VCE
Programs: AA EXP >4 MM, Lifetime Plat
Posts: 2,881
I don't know the costs of meds in Italy obviously, but I was referring to the full cost (not based on insurance). The bp med you mentioned that would have cost 750 in the US would cost how much in Italy?
In the US without insurance costs vary wildly between different pharmacies and being smart is important. I notified an MD than the med he had rx'd cost $3000 (yes thousand) - which had been increased from $300 a few years ago for ONE PILL THAT COMBINED 2 OTC MEDS THAT WOULD COST ABOUT $30 for both. So taking 1 pill that required an rx rather than 2 pills cost you thousands of dollars BUT since most people have insurance they may not be aware of or care - of course with "managed care" (which I am usually not in favor of) the insurance may catch this.
There are lots of weird things - eg the cost of a Nonsteroidal cream that I used costs $80 in the US and requires a prescription, the SAME med in France does not require rx and costs about $8, (the generic version costs $3 in Thailand),
In the US without insurance costs vary wildly between different pharmacies and being smart is important. I notified an MD than the med he had rx'd cost $3000 (yes thousand) - which had been increased from $300 a few years ago for ONE PILL THAT COMBINED 2 OTC MEDS THAT WOULD COST ABOUT $30 for both. So taking 1 pill that required an rx rather than 2 pills cost you thousands of dollars BUT since most people have insurance they may not be aware of or care - of course with "managed care" (which I am usually not in favor of) the insurance may catch this.
There are lots of weird things - eg the cost of a Nonsteroidal cream that I used costs $80 in the US and requires a prescription, the SAME med in France does not require rx and costs about $8, (the generic version costs $3 in Thailand),
Most drugs in the USA are inexpensive if you have insurance or medicare. However, medications in the USA cost twice as much as in any other country to insurers, Medicare, and Medicaid. It is a scandal, it is a scandal, because without insurance, you can't buy most medications. I've lost close friends to this because they couldn't afford Obamacare, couldn't afford their cancer meds, and died. I've personally stopped taking a blood pressure medication because it is too expensive even with insurance, but it is no available in Italy.
I believe a month's worth of insulin can cost about $250 in the USA until you reach your deductible, which can be $5,000. In Mexico you can buy a year's supply for $500. I know people here in Northern California who fly to Tijuana, Mexico, because they can't afford their insulin. And insulin has been around for about 100 years. Many people in Southern California drive to Mexico for their meds, and many people who live close to Canada drive up there to get them.
I do take one medication regularly, and sometimes need others, and with insurance the co-pay can be $10-20. Since I no longer have a permanent residence in Italy I'm not covered by Italian national insurance, so those meds can cost more there. I should have said, "bring enough medication with you, because they will be more expensive in Italy." On the other hand, if you go to a hospital for an emergency, medication is free. In the USA an ER in often charges $30 per aspirin, $18,000 for a headache, and up to $24,000 for a sprained ankle. And health care outcomes in Italy are far, far better in Italy.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/features...ges-what-to-do
People are saying that Big Pharm needs a, "Tobacco Moment," as when Congress brought the CEO's of the six main tobacco companies before them, and all denied a link between smoking and lung cancer, heart disease, and said they weren't addictive. That led to action that reduced smoking to its lowest rate in history in the USA.
Meds cost twice as much in the USA as in the UK. Their outcomes are not as good as in Italy, but are far superior to medical care in the USA. I know a doctor, one of the most pre-eminent in the USA. I believe former head of the American College of Cardiology. He just published an article, "Why it's Still 1989 for Primary Care," in the USA.
https://www.medpagetoday.com/blogs/revolutionandrevelation/80822?xid=nl_mpt_blog2019-07-03&eun=g1169526d0r&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium= email&utm_campaign=Packer_070319&utm_term=NL_Gen_I nt_Milton_Packer
Last edited by Perche; Jul 7, 2019 at 3:33 pm
Jul 7, 2019, 11:00 pm
#108
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: bay area, ca
Programs: UA plat, , aa plat, marriott LT titanium
Posts: 4,833
Perhaps, a bit, but the basic info - that emergency care is free in Italy is quite valuable. Years ago I was on the verge of heat stroke and would have asked for help if I had known this - but thinking in US terms I decided to "tough it out" and fortunately for me it turned out okay - but had I known then what I know now.........
Jul 9, 2019, 3:14 pm
#109
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: PHL / NYC / PSA-BLQ
Programs: AA PPRO, Marriott/Hilton Gold, AMX-Plat, Global Entry
Posts: 3,110
As a datapoint, my bp med is valsarten hctz (Diovan HCT) 325/25. In the US, with insurance it runs about $20 per month. In Italy, I just paid €9 for 28 day supply at the pharmacy - no script required.
Jul 9, 2019, 6:04 pm
#110
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Pasadena, California
Programs: UA 1K, 1MM
Posts: 10,412
Jul 11, 2019, 3:39 pm
#111
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
This thread is one of the most practically useful threads that I have ever encountered on FT. Having a perspective about differences in medical costs and care standards and access/affordability to such care during travel and becoming informed about how to use travel as a way to arbitrage necessary medical care costs is no less useful than anything else I have ever encountered on FT.
Jul 11, 2019, 6:25 pm
#112
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,142
This thread is one of the most practically useful threads that I have ever encountered on FT. Having a perspective about differences in medical costs and care standards and access/affordability to such care during travel and becoming informed about how to use travel as a way to arbitrage necessary medical care costs is no less useful than anything else I have ever encountered on FT.
Jul 12, 2019, 8:40 pm
#113
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SFO, VCE
Programs: AA EXP >4 MM, Lifetime Plat
Posts: 2,881
As I said in an earlier post, this is--or should I say--was, a great thread. However, rather than continue to provide useful information about how to navigate the Italian medical system, unfortunately the OP has drifted off into bashing of American healthcare. That is clearly OMNI/PR material and has no place in this useful thread.
The purpose of this thread was not to bash the broken USA health care system, but to give people confidence that when they are in Italy if health care problems arise, they will be in good hands.
Upthread someone mentioned that when they got sick in Italy and were taken to a hospital, they were concerned about what type of health care they would get in, "a third world country." As someone with 40 years of experience working in health care and health care policy in both countries, the purpose of this thread is to inform travelers that is not the case at all, by objective standards.
You don't need to hire a jet to get back to the USA for health care if you are in Italy. That's not bashing, it is the message. I saw surgeons in Italy doing operations that are unimaginable today in the USA, and I am the former Chief at Harvard. So, the message is, don't worry if you get sick in Italy. In the USA 60% of bankruptcies are due to our extraordinary medical bills. In Italy it is free, and no one goes bankrupt because of medical bills, even non-citizens on vacation.
So just hang loose when you are there.
Jul 14, 2019, 6:00 pm
#114
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
As I said in an earlier post, this is--or should I say--was, a great thread. However, rather than continue to provide useful information about how to navigate the Italian medical system, unfortunately the OP has drifted off into bashing of American healthcare. That is clearly OMNI/PR material and has no place in this useful thread.
Dec 5, 2019, 2:06 pm
#115
Moderator: Delta SkyMiles, Luxury Hotels, TravelBuzz! and Italy
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 26,543
On our recent trip to Venice, my husband became quite ill. After a 5 day stay in the hospital, he is now recovering at home.
A couple of observations I wish to share: There is virtually no English spoken in the hospital. 1 paramedic had a slight understanding so that I was able to communicate some history. If one does get sick in Venice, it is very helpful to have a friend who can translate. The specialist who oversaw my husband's treatment spoke some English, the nurses spoke none or very little.
The "Information Desk" closes at 8:PM and closed on Sundays so it is impossible to get directions. This was an issue when he was discharged on Sunday and there were no signs for taxis or phone numbers. A member of the medical staff had to call the taxi for us. There is no outdoor waiting area except for vaporetto.
There is no mobile phone connection for non-local phone numbers. My Italian friend was able to call for me. My husband was unable to call me on his phone. There are no land lines.
Make sure you bring a list of your prescriptions with the generic name.
Make sure you pack something to eat, before you visit, as there are no restaurants within the hospital.
Do not expect American hospital inpatient treatment. The doctors at the hospital rarely visit the patients. No such thing as "rounds." . Instead, they are totally reliant on monitors and consult the monitors or computers to see the charts but not the patients. This lack of human connection can take an emotional toll.
Having said all of that, I am happy to report that my husband is now doing well and when he was discharged from hospital, went immediately to a restaurant for a good meal.
A couple of observations I wish to share: There is virtually no English spoken in the hospital. 1 paramedic had a slight understanding so that I was able to communicate some history. If one does get sick in Venice, it is very helpful to have a friend who can translate. The specialist who oversaw my husband's treatment spoke some English, the nurses spoke none or very little.
The "Information Desk" closes at 8:PM and closed on Sundays so it is impossible to get directions. This was an issue when he was discharged on Sunday and there were no signs for taxis or phone numbers. A member of the medical staff had to call the taxi for us. There is no outdoor waiting area except for vaporetto.
There is no mobile phone connection for non-local phone numbers. My Italian friend was able to call for me. My husband was unable to call me on his phone. There are no land lines.
Make sure you bring a list of your prescriptions with the generic name.
Make sure you pack something to eat, before you visit, as there are no restaurants within the hospital.
Do not expect American hospital inpatient treatment. The doctors at the hospital rarely visit the patients. No such thing as "rounds." . Instead, they are totally reliant on monitors and consult the monitors or computers to see the charts but not the patients. This lack of human connection can take an emotional toll.
Having said all of that, I am happy to report that my husband is now doing well and when he was discharged from hospital, went immediately to a restaurant for a good meal.
Dec 5, 2019, 6:23 pm
#116
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Heraklion, Greece
Posts: 7,566
I've been lucky to never have been sick in Italy, so I can't comment on the "service" one gets in an Italian hospital. But what I always find amazing is the fact that so few people speak any foreign language. Actually, this is not a Venitian problem, it's an Italian one. This is even more amazing in a city which, nowadays, still exists because of the millions of tourists visiting it, but it's the same in Rome, Napoli, etc. I'm so glad I learned Italian years ago...
PS I wish your husband's trouble is gone for good!
PS I wish your husband's trouble is gone for good!
Dec 5, 2019, 6:33 pm
#117
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,142
On our recent trip to Venice, my husband became quite ill. After a 5 day stay in the hospital, he is now recovering at home.
A couple of observations I wish to share: There is virtually no English spoken in the hospital. 1 paramedic had a slight understanding so that I was able to communicate some history. If one does get sick in Venice, it is very helpful to have a friend who can translate. The specialist who oversaw my husband's treatment spoke some English, the nurses spoke none or very little.
The "Information Desk" closes at 8:PM and closed on Sundays so it is impossible to get directions. This was an issue when he was discharged on Sunday and there were no signs for taxis or phone numbers. A member of the medical staff had to call the taxi for us. There is no outdoor waiting area except for vaporetto.
There is no mobile phone connection for non-local phone numbers. My Italian friend was able to call for me. My husband was unable to call me on his phone. There are no land lines.
Make sure you bring a list of your prescriptions with the generic name.
Make sure you pack something to eat, before you visit, as there are no restaurants within the hospital.
Do not expect American hospital inpatient treatment. The doctors at the hospital rarely visit the patients. No such thing as "rounds." . Instead, they are totally reliant on monitors and consult the monitors or computers to see the charts but not the patients. This lack of human connection can take an emotional toll.
Having said all of that, I am happy to report that my husband is now doing well and when he was discharged from hospital, went immediately to a restaurant for a good meal.
A couple of observations I wish to share: There is virtually no English spoken in the hospital. 1 paramedic had a slight understanding so that I was able to communicate some history. If one does get sick in Venice, it is very helpful to have a friend who can translate. The specialist who oversaw my husband's treatment spoke some English, the nurses spoke none or very little.
The "Information Desk" closes at 8:PM and closed on Sundays so it is impossible to get directions. This was an issue when he was discharged on Sunday and there were no signs for taxis or phone numbers. A member of the medical staff had to call the taxi for us. There is no outdoor waiting area except for vaporetto.
There is no mobile phone connection for non-local phone numbers. My Italian friend was able to call for me. My husband was unable to call me on his phone. There are no land lines.
Make sure you bring a list of your prescriptions with the generic name.
Make sure you pack something to eat, before you visit, as there are no restaurants within the hospital.
Do not expect American hospital inpatient treatment. The doctors at the hospital rarely visit the patients. No such thing as "rounds." . Instead, they are totally reliant on monitors and consult the monitors or computers to see the charts but not the patients. This lack of human connection can take an emotional toll.
Having said all of that, I am happy to report that my husband is now doing well and when he was discharged from hospital, went immediately to a restaurant for a good meal.
Dec 5, 2019, 11:07 pm
#118
Moderator: Delta SkyMiles, Luxury Hotels, TravelBuzz! and Italy
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 26,543
Thanks for your concern and question. Moving him to another hospital did not seem to be a reasonable option. My husband had a serious cardiac arrhythmia. The cardiologist was competent and did appear to use the proper protocol for this condition. (my husband is a PhysIcian). I learned that the treatment protocol would have been the same anywhere in Italy.Although, the proper meds and tests were administered, the point of my post is about expectations in a hospital outside of the U.S. Only thought about trip insurance, financial issues after the fact.
Dec 5, 2019, 11:37 pm
#119
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: bay area, ca
Programs: UA plat, , aa plat, marriott LT titanium
Posts: 4,833
Altho unable to make calls could u use data (? with a local sim). I've found google translate helpful (but not without various problems) and don't know how well it would do with medical terms.
Also web is useful for looking up medicines - eg to find out the generic equivalent of a name brand in another country (eg I'm in Thailand and found some tabs with a brand name I didn't recognize and no other information but was able to find out what it was with data)
Also web is useful for looking up medicines - eg to find out the generic equivalent of a name brand in another country (eg I'm in Thailand and found some tabs with a brand name I didn't recognize and no other information but was able to find out what it was with data)
Dec 6, 2019, 10:19 am
#120
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: PHL / NYC / PSA-BLQ
Programs: AA PPRO, Marriott/Hilton Gold, AMX-Plat, Global Entry
Posts: 3,110
Altho unable to make calls could u use data (? with a local sim). I've found google translate helpful (but not without various problems) and don't know how well it would do with medical terms.
Also web is useful for looking up medicines - eg to find out the generic equivalent of a name brand in another country (eg I'm in Thailand and found some tabs with a brand name I didn't recognize and no other information but was able to find out what it was with data)
Also web is useful for looking up medicines - eg to find out the generic equivalent of a name brand in another country (eg I'm in Thailand and found some tabs with a brand name I didn't recognize and no other information but was able to find out what it was with data)