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Original poster

to think you don't go on holiday whilst having a high risk pregnancy and without adequate insurance

707 replies

Defenderwife · 04/10/2015 10:57

Woman gives birth after food poisoning whilst on holiday in the Dominic Republic.

She had a cervical cerclage so knew she had a high risk pregnancy.

Her insurance didn't cover her entire pregnancy.

They are now stranded with a premature baby in a foreign country with no financial help and are relying on donations and GoFundMe.

I have made a donation but inside I feel almost angry. Why on earth have they let themselves be in this situation? That poor poor child.

OP posts:
sleepyelectricsheep · 06/10/2015 23:11

I'll ask again seeing as no one answered that past time - why are people not angry at the insurance for their part in this - if they had paid out on time, then the baby would still be in the good hospital and be in a much less risky situation.

The family would be going through less trauma.

And no one would have set the fund up.

Why on earth are you not having a go at them?

sleepyelectricsheep · 06/10/2015 23:12

ConstanceMarkYaBitch no, it's called compassion, look it up.

Only1scoop · 06/10/2015 23:15

I don't believe for a second that they were doing anything other than desperately trying to raise money knowing their insurance was inadequate.

Now it's been confirmed that they will be paying out ....I personally believe they should close the GFM page.

The page was updated by the mother stating that her main concern was obviously her baby but she would be donating some of the money to the hospital. She could have stopped the donations there IMO.

Only1scoop · 06/10/2015 23:18

That's not how travel insurance works .... the 'paid out on time' bit etc doesn't make sense to me.

It's a technicality that's enabling them to claim. Their insurance was inadequate.

What are the insurers doing wrong?

RomComPhooey · 06/10/2015 23:36

I don't believe for a second that they were doing anything other than desperately trying to raise money knowing their insurance was inadequate.

That's my reading of the situation too. I know they don't feel it at the mo, but I think they've been very, very lucky. It's clear they were uninsured towards the end of their trip. They could have been stranded for months whilst their baby gains sufficient strength to travel totally uninsured and building ruinous debts. I suppose he may be looking to offset lost earnings whilst they are in the DR. Either way, its time for them to take that page down. The purpose for which it was started no longer stands.

Maryz · 06/10/2015 23:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Want2bSupermum · 07/10/2015 02:53

sleepy the insurance company have done nothing wrong. In fact they have acted in an admirable way.

When you take out insurance that covers health it's really important to ask detailed questions and make sure you are happy with the coverage you have. It's extremely important when going to a country like DR that you verify which hospitals are covered and which aren't. It's also extremely important to make sure you are covered for the duration of your trip.

When you go to these islands everything is imported and everything is much more expensive than you would think. I've been to PR, Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados and Virgin Islands. Paying $10 for a small box of Cheerios is normal. Private hospitals in these islands are normally staffed by American and Canadian trained medical staff who are paid $$$ to relocate their families. Then you have the high cost of imported medical supplies. I don't blame the insurance company for moving them to the public hospital. If you fell ill in Paris you wouldn't expect an insurance company to pay for treatment at a private facility. It's the same here.

sleepyelectricsheep · 07/10/2015 06:58

"I don't blame the insurance company for moving them to the public hospital."

The insurance company did NOT move then to the public hospital. They were very specific about that in their statement.

No I would not expect a private hospital in Paris but using that as an example shows you haven't got a clue what you are talking about.

A state hospital in Paris wpuld ve pretty decent. A public hospital in DR is not a ace you would reasonably expect to be sent if insured. You're comparing apples and pears.

The level of ignorance and twisted thinking on this thread continues to amaze me.

sleepyelectricsheep · 07/10/2015 06:59

That should say "not a place"

AbbeyRoadCrossing · 07/10/2015 07:02

It says she had the baby on September 28th, so the insurance paid out in about a week, which if you've ever claimed is pretty fast. The company would've had to get proof of why she went into early labour (as discussed above it was luckily for something she was covered for, there were many things she wasn't) and likely duration of stay, where they were, liase with the hospital, etc. You don't just phone up and say "give me £180k", they have to check what's happened and receive documents to proove it.
I don't think the insurance company have done anything wrong here, it seems to have acted quickly - within a week depending on when they were contacted, and they've paid for extras like taxis.

cleaty · 07/10/2015 07:47

It is usual for travel insurance to pay for private hospitals, if the public hospitals are not of a reasonable standard. So if you want to be in a private hospital so you can get a room to yourself and nicer food, then that will not be agreed. But if you need to be in a private hospital to get hygienic medical care, then that would normally be agreed.

CallaLilli · 07/10/2015 10:07

The level of ignorance and twisted thinking on this thread continues to amaze me.

Yet you don't seem to know how insurance companies and insurance policies work?

Puzzledandpissedoff · 07/10/2015 11:04

Among all the confusion, does anyone actually know which hospital they're currently in - it's name, I mean? It's just that I'd like to have a look at it online, together with reviews (if any), any issues which have reached the media and so on

Don't get me wrong, I've been to the Caribbean and although I'm no medical expert I realise a public facility won't have the bells and whistles of an American-run hospital ... but I can't help wondering if it's quite the hellhole it's being painted as

AbbeyRoadCrossing · 07/10/2015 11:10

I'm wondering the same puzzled as at that gestation she'd need NICU, incubator, tube feeding etc which not all UK hospitals have (often mum and baby are at separate hospitals) so it must be well equipt at least.

multivac · 07/10/2015 11:11

"Please understand that what happens to the fund should the insurance pay is not our primary concern at the moment as we know this question has been asked. Please be assured we did not make the plea to gain any financial gain, it was our desperate attempt to help our daughter.
It will be re donated and I would like some to go towards the Dr. Robert Reid Cabral Childrens Hospital who are currently caring for Little Evie."

That took me about 10 seconds to find. Among all the confusion. I'm a research genius, me. Tell you what, I'll save you another 3 seconds, too:

www.hirrc.org/

HTH

Only1scoop · 07/10/2015 11:11

I'm not sure
In Santa Domingo I thought.
Have been there many times but thankfully never the hospital.

Only1scoop · 07/10/2015 11:15

Such a shame GFM is making such a huge 'financial gain'.

specialsubject · 07/10/2015 11:58

not a shame at all, it is their business. Every appeal will be charity or a good cause so this applies every time.

which is why I never use these sites when I donate!!

Only1scoop · 07/10/2015 12:31

It was in response to the parents of Evie wishing to make 'no financial gain' which I believe.

As a business model it's certainly making a dime or two....

Just hope people donating some of these huge sums realise that's the case.

Want2bSupermum · 07/10/2015 12:49

The hospital they are at is considered a good hospital. It's the small regional hospitals that are of poor quality. Quite frankly they purchased the wrong insurance if they thought they could go to a top notch private facility.

I think many people in the UK are naive regarding healthcare because in the UK it is taken care of. They don't fully understand the cost or the differing levels of service that are provided so often end up under insured.

If this couple wanted to be able to use the nice private facility they would need an entirely different insurance which would cost much much more.

sleepyelectricsheep · 07/10/2015 13:00

"If this couple wanted to be able to use the nice private facility they would need an entirely different insurance which would cost much much more."

Wow this is the thread thst keeps on giving. I am imagining it with a bullshit-ometer that just keeps on rising.

Where are you getting this shit from? Go on admit it, you are just making it up and then believing it.

The insurance company very clearly stated that they were nothing to do with the transfer to the sub-standard hospital.

All reports have pointed to - once the insurance money is available it will cover the private hospital. That's not even an issue. Why are you making it one?

ThisIsntFunnyDean · 07/10/2015 13:23

All reports have pointed to - once the insurance money is available it will cover the private hospital. That's not even an issue.

Posts ive seen on the FB page read as if the insurance company won't pay for a transfer to the private hospital at all. The fund is there to raise enough to transfer Evie back to it, but to make sure there is enough money to keep her there until she can go home, so as to avoid a third move since birth.

Or am I reading it all wrong?

Want2bSupermum · 07/10/2015 13:40

sleepy the couple have said they want to be able to transfer back to a private hospital. I think they are in lala land.

Tneconni · 07/10/2015 13:40

No Dean that sounds like exactly it.

Tneconni · 07/10/2015 13:46

multivac I was wondering where you found that update - just been to the GFM page and it's there. I'm sure it wasn't there when I quoted from it y'day, and the name of the hospital was definitely NOT on there.

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