Perhaps with the economy in recession, and many homes in foreclosure..

bad credit is here to stay for awhile..

They get your SSN on the initial paperwork, that's all they need to ding your credit report.

I work in an ER in a city hospital and I can tell you that the majority of my patients are immigrants who come here to have their children who are then insured by the city/state under medicaid (your tax dollars hard at work). And since it is a city hospital, you will be treated regardless of your ability to pay (and no upfront payment is requested) or even if you have no insurance. ER's are required to treat anyone under the EMTALA act. They don't even have a way to check if the local address you are giving is correct, so if they can't find you, that bill is never going to be paid.

Many of the patients we see regularly fly back and forth between NY & DR, NY & Bangladesh, NY & Pakistan, etc. I know this because they make a point of telling me they are leaving in so many hours or days for _ (fill in country) and they need to have medicine for their child before they leave. This is truly an everyday occurrence where I work. They are usually going for 2-3 months at a time, minimum.

But I don't necessarily think the OP was addressing medical care in the US. I have been fortunate to never become truly ill while overseas, but I do take out travel insurance 'in case', especially as my husband likes to do adventurous things (but he does them without me!) I know my personal insurance is supposed to cover most things, but I don't want to find out ten thousand dollars later and after the fact. We also cruise a lot and I would never board a ship without travel insurance, just one minor thing that requires being airlifted would bankrupt most people.

That's for sure. Medical providers are among the most aggressive creditors when it comes to reporting debts to credit agencies. In my area, they make little or no effort to collect the debt. They just slap it on the person's credit report with the confidence (usually justified) that they will get paid when the individual purchases a house or car.

As the OP, I can confirm that I was not addressing medical care in the US. My post really was designed to find out about options when one becomes terminally ill in a foreign country. I guess I am a little concerned about cost (even with good insurance) but also the entire culture that emerges in the US when such a serious illness strikes.

I have had immediate family members become ill in several foreign countries and their treatment has been excellent, with one or two exceptions.

Here is an example of what I had in mind. Suppose a person gets a serious, probably terminal illness in Bangkok. I have observed the Thai system up close. The technical level of care at the large hospitals is terrific, but it is the rest of the experience that is so much nicer than what we experience in the US. There are no unpleasant and difficult office staff in the average doctor's office or in hospitals. The doctors spend more time with each patient. Nursing is especially wonderful as they do not seem rushed, there are plenty of them, and they treat patients with respect and a caring approach.

I guess my point is that, if told I was terminal or in for a long, difficult journey with a serious disease, I would much prefer to turn myself over to the Thai system if at all possible. So, it's not just a financial issue or trying to get another country to pay for my care- my insurance would probably be more than enough. My OP was an effort to determine the policies of countries about letting the person stay or kicking him out at some point. We can ignore visa issues as those can usually be handled, one way or another.

Sounds like a loophole for those who can't afford care.. to receive it..

It sounds like little to no recourse for hospitals.. and higher bills for those who actually pay..

I'm an Aussie living in Chicago... I had to go to the ER 6 months ago and was just shocked the second person I saw (after Triage nurse) was the girl who asked for my credit card to collect the co pay...

In Australia I had a sever (concussion) mountain bike accident, came into the hospital with a head wound, nurse took one look at me and chewed me out for not calling an ambulance (mate drove me there) and ordered me onto a waiting bed and I received TOP NOTCH care (in a public hospital, St Vinnies in Melbourne for those that might know)

So, at the risk of sending this to Omni/PR (nearly have access to it again...) I would say: look at the political system, if it is left of center, it is a better place to get sick... (yes this is a general rule of thumb... but there is a correlation...)

Was that $14K itemized?

It was submitted directly to the insurance company, I'm sure they got an itemized bill, but we never saw one.

it is not necessarily illegal for people from other countries to come to the US for health care. Many (usually wealthy) people seek care that is not available in their home country.

At Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota the airport has Customs and Immigration service available 24/7, the hotel across the street from the clinic had 5 Arabic-language cable TV stations, and the room service menu had an American section and a Middle Eastern section. The clinic registration area had translators for at least 15 different languages.

When I worked in a walk-in clinic in Bellingham, Washington, we often saw Canadian patients vacationing in the US. Even though we were just 25 miles from the border, those vacationers bought travel insurance for care in the US. They didn't want to get stuck with a $10,000 bill for a broken arm or leg that could be treated at home "for free." They had heard the horror stories about the high cost of US health care.

Convenient.. that the hospital sent the bill directly to your insurance plan..

This is how health insurance works in the US. The bills are handled between the faciality and the insurance company. And chances are that insurance did not pay that amount. Insurance companies have negotiated rates with providers. That is the rate that is paid. This is one reason that you cannot find the "true cost" of medical care in the US. Prices are inflated and do not bear any resemblance to the actual cost of providing care. US health insurance companies are the ones that decide what they will pay and the facility is free to accept the negotiated rate or not. That is why most plans have "in-network coverage" clauses.

Assuming you were foolish enough to give your social security number. :) Admitting clerks ask lots of questions. The answers to all of them are not necessarily required.

I believe you but it seems like a very high amount.

Thanks for the insight..

I suppose though, what ever the negotiated rates between insurance and facilities, would be exposed to higher cost pressures because of rising consumer retail prices for care..

So everyone sort of loses in the long run as a result of inflationary and higher costs overall..

[QUOTE=cyclogenesis;17315622]I'm an Aussie living in Chicago... I had to go to the ER 6 months ago and was just shocked the second person I saw (after Triage nurse) was the girl who asked for my credit card to collect the co pay...

/QUOTE]

Last month, while visiting Canada, I had a knee problem (acute, virtually unable to walk). As a NZ citizen, there is no reciprocity of health care with Canada.

I had to pay CAN $671.00 up front with my credit card before I was even allowed to join the line of people waiting to be seen.

After waiting 9+ hours in "Urgence" (Emergency - it was in Quebec City, where they speak French) I finally saw a house surgeon, who had my knee X-Rayed and asked me to return the next day for an orthopaedic consultation.

The ortho consult cost me another CAN $280, as well as an additional $45 for crutches.

Moral of my story? Take out travel insurance - I did, and at least I will get most of my costs reimbursed.