Traveling and needing emergency appendectomy! Help!!!

Stephanie, I can certainly appreciate what a stressful situation this must be for your sister. I agree with Terry kathryn and others that it would be a good idea for her to contact the appropriate authorities where she's being treated, as they will be able to clarify all the details about charges. Appendicitis can be unpredictable (in my experience), so it's likely better to have it dealt with promptly. You may find some information on this website: http://gouk.about.com/od/tripplanning/p/emergencydoctor.htm The most relevant paragraph seems to be: "Once you are admitted to a hospital - even for emergency surgery or further emergency treatment - you have to pay for your treatment and medicines." This is one reason I always buy travel medical insurance every year. Good luck!

Why not ask the hospital where she will have the surgery?

Is she more concerned about cost than about dying?

I am here in the US and did not travel with her. I haven't spoke with her bc she is in so much pain. I have only been in contact with her fiancé who lives in England. As stated, she is getting great care in the hospital currently. I only ask because I have not found any resources yet that can tell me how Americans are billed for medical expenses in the England.

And of course, she is not more concerned about cost over dying. A concern is a concern.

Sorry to hear this, but does she not even have travel insurance? This is the only thing I have found on the NHS site about tourists, but it really does not help. I think the NHS system is patch you up first and then ask you to pay, so the comment in there about failing to pay, might be the worst outcome if she really can't pay - deportation and barred from returning....

If she were at home, without insurance, the hospital would treat her because they have to treat emergent cases regardless of insurance. She would then be billed by the hospital, the surgeon, the anesthesiologist, the labs, etc. She'd have to pay what she could, and then all those individual bills will go into collections. Eventually, they may get written off to indigent care, but the collection calls will dog her for quite a while. Years. She would consider bankruptcy, although that's usually a bad idea for medical bills. Could England be worse than that? Just sign me, Glad I Now Have Insurance.

For those who smugly say that they are in good health so don't need travel insurance, this is a great example of things that can and do happen to healthy people. Appendicitis can happen to anyone at any age. And you can't put off treatment until you get home. I've had it, and I know the pain and have experienced the emergency appendectomy. Luckily I was at home and have insurance. I'm sure your sister will receive good treatment and soon be on the mend. I know you must be very worried about her. I guess she will just have to see what happens with the expense of treatment, but I'm sure it will be far less than in the U.S. Please report back when you find out how this will financially affect her, as I'm sure it will be of interest to many here.

Has any American had experiences with medical costs overseas, particularly in England? At this point, she really shouldn't worry about the cost because there really is nothing that she can do about it. I've never had surgery in the UK, but I have gotten medical treatment there and paid for it (with reimbursement from my U.S. insurance provider). The appendectomy will probably cost her less than it would have cost without insurance in the U.S. If you want to see what a fair price is in the U.S. you can check the Health Care Blue Book

This problem could arise even if the traveler had US medical insurance or Medicare. I've done most of my traveling without a travel medical policy. Now I use a limited Emergency Evacuation policy. This story makes me think it might be a good idea for me (I'm 76) to buy a more comprehensive policy for traveling. Of course, I think your sister should (must) have the appendectomy. If she has to raise money later there are ways to do that. Notify your community and see if family and others can help with the expense.

Terry Kathryn had the right answer at the top. Have the Fiancé contact the PALS office at the hospital. It is likely that there will be little or no charge.

It must be hard to know your sister is going through this in a place that you are not able to help her. Posting a question here is a small way of trying to establish some control over an uncontrollable situation. Fortunately she has her fiance there to help her through a tough time. Costs will be sorted out after the fact and ultimately she may be better off this happened out of the country considering health care costs and her lack of insurance. The real question becomes where do they plan to live once married?

My daughter is an American who just married a Brit and they live in London. She feels that if it is an emergency there will be no charge at a NHS A&E. A couple of years ago she had a head laceration at her then boyfriend's flat (not his fault!) and the ambulance came to take her to the A&E. She was not charged for any services. I'm sure she is frightened and in pain. They will definitely give her the treatment she needs whether she has insurance/money or not.
Good luck to her!

Treatment in Accident and Emergency is free to all, but emergency surgery (or any admission to hospital as an in-patient) will be chargeable in general to non EEA/Swiss nationals or countries with reciprocal arrangements, which of course the USA doesn't have. The Overseas Visitors Manager in the appropriate Trust should be consulted at an appropriate time. There may be for example the possibility in some cases of agreeing an instalment plan. Note that immediately necessary treatment is provided on clinical need, in advance of any determination of payment. Details of unpaid NHS bills in excess of £1,000 are now passed to the Border Agency and most likely would result in any future admission to the UK being refused until they are paid. The situation will be different if she already has a route to settlement with a spouse/civil partner/fiance visa - you mention a fiance, but not the stage of the relationship.

The costs for your sister are likely to be in the hundreds, maybe thousands, rather than the tens of thousands she would be facing here without insurance. The hospital will most likely put her on a payment plan. My experience was in Austria, not the UK, but still, I paid much lower fees than I expected for a broken leg.

I just hope she has already had the surgery and is on her way to recovery. It sounds like the charge will be much less than if she had the emergency in the US, and she can work out a payment plan.

I hope she's had the surgery and all went well. She's lucky she's in Europe and not the States without insurance. As almost everyone agrees, the cost will be much more reasonable and won't force her into bankruptcy.

I'm married to a Brit and we used to live in the UK. I believe that your sister will not be charged for her emergency surgery, or if she is, it will be a minimal amount. As someone else said - she is lucky she had this operation in a "civilized" country where people don't have to worry about going bankrupt from a healthcare emergency.

The price in the US has nothing to do with the price in the UK.

The price of medical attention in the States has nothing to do with reality.. its like the Twilight Zone of Terror..

A typical price in the UK in a private hospital is around £4k, involving a three-night stay. Not sure that typical costs are that useful however as specifics can vary so much.

Stephanie, please come back and tell us how your sister is. Many people would like to know the outcome of her situation.

I think the point of mentioning relative costs is that she is better off getting appendicitis in the UK than the US if she doesn't have insurance. And do they really keep healthy adults in hospital for three days after an uncomplicated appendectomy? That would not happen in the US. Maybe another way in which she is better off there.

I had an uncomplicated appendectomy and was in the hospital for three days, so it can happen.

Recently? My brother needed one a couple of years ago and they sent hom the next day. That said that was standard, but I guess it varies with the hospital (or maybe with the insurer?)

No, it's not likely there will be no charges. Sorry Nigel, but having had to admit someone to a British hospital the "free" care is for those of you who pay taxes there not the Americans. She was charged. The charges were dramatically lower then the US but she did get a bill. She also had travel insurance who reimbursed her. I expect that if you are the legal spouse of a citizen there might be different rules but I would certainly check and not just "assume" (We all know what "assume" means)