Crashing in the USA / OHIP question

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nobbie48

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While this could be a miscellaneous or insurance topic I'm starting off in general M/C because some naives or newbies might want to take in the USA twisties and not realize the difference in how things are handled down south and how OHIP handles the folks from down south or handle the bills from down south.

An online buddy in Arkansas admitted he let exuberance take control and he went off the road into a deep ditch. End result, a heli ride to a first class hospital and a stay in ICU while they programmed his surgery and rehab. (Broken back and neck, half his ribs cracked or broken, broken jaw and cheekbone + more) . His parents drove 900 miles to see him. Flying wasn't possible because his mother was carrying meds for her cancer and homeland security wouldn't let her on a plane with them.

By the time his parents arrived the hospital had discovered that he didn't have coverage and he was suddenly fit to be discharged to his parents care, in a hotel room. They begrudgingly gave him a walker.

He is now in New Mexico having driven back (Broken back remember) with his parents. All this happened in about ten days travel included.

OHIP is great here at home. Not M/C related but I had a visit to the ER here last month for a kidney stone issue. Admitting, CT scan, morphene, gravol, follow up visit to my GP, full annual check up, blood work, full poke and probe session. My cost was about $25 for parking. I have absolutely no idea of the real cost billed to OHIP. You might as well ask a penguin the price for re-spoking a wheel.

Two questions:

1) What if my redneck buddy came riding up here and crashed with the same injuries? How would he be treated? Would he be miraculously cured in a week and sent home in his parents care? Who picks up the tab if he's broke?

2) What if I was the one going unintentionally off road in the USA? OHIP as I understand pays out the Ontario rate and if you end up in a 5 star US hospital you pick up the difference. Interprovincial medicares have different reciprocal arrangements that are hopefully less of a problem.

For starters I haven't the slightest idea of how much my "Free" health care really costs so saying the USA is twice or half doesn't mean a thing.

Another redneck buddy was crapping blood and no insurance. The free hospital didn't have the equipment to diagnose him and the "For profit" wanted $600 to register him for $10,000 of tests with no guarantees of being able to successfully treat him. He was debating the loss of half the equity in his home just for the tests vs crossing his fingers and hoping for things to work out. I got the impression that if he came up here the costs wouldn't be all that different.

Any answers / comments?
 
You want health insurance when traveling abroad. Doesn't matter your country of residence. No exceptions!
 
Brian P said:
You want health insurance when traveling abroad. Doesn't matter your country of residence. No exceptions!
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+1 I never leave the county without it.
 
Brian P said:
You want health insurance when traveling abroad. Doesn't matter your country of residence. No exceptions!
Click to expand...

Are all health insurances created equal? Some insurance policies don't cover high risk activities such as flying in an aircraft other than scheduled commercial flights, and such obvious things as racing, jumping out of airplanes. Where is the line drawn with motorcycles?
 
Even though I have coverage from work, I always get extra....I could tell you some real sad stories about not having enough coverage while traveling. $300,000 gets eaten up very fast in a bad motorcycle accident in the U.S.
 
nobbie48 said:
Are all health insurances created equal? Some insurance policies don't cover high risk activities such as flying in an aircraft other than scheduled commercial flights, and such obvious things as racing, jumping out of airplanes. Where is the line drawn with motorcycles?
Click to expand...

Not all health insurance is equal. Generally, riding a motorcycle on the road is considered a "normal" activity and normal travel insurance (e.g. Blue Cross) will cover you. As soon as there is a competition in any way, shape, or form, or off-highway events, then you had better start asking questions about the exclusions in the policies.
 
Travel health insurance is a must...

also make sure that the plan you get pays the hospital directly, not your visa and they pay you back afterwards

took me over a year to get $5k back from the insurance company... on my 20% visa interest... so it cost me $6K in total...
they never reimbursed the interest...
 
nobbie48 said:
1) What if my redneck buddy came riding up here and crashed with the same injuries? How would he be treated? Would he be miraculously cured in a week and sent home in his parents care? Who picks up the tab if he's broke?
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If this had happened here in Ontario your friend would have been fully treated and taken care of to the same level you and I would be, regardless of his coverage. But he would be presented with a bill when he was discharged.

m.breen said:
Even though I have coverage from work, I always get extra....I could tell you some real sad stories about not having enough coverage while traveling. $300,000 gets eaten up very fast in a bad motorcycle accident in the U.S.
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1 million in coverage should be considered a minimum, and is standard with most policies. They also cost next to nothing, or are even free if you have the right credit card.
 
Any recommended insurance companies to go with when traveling to the US? Preferably ones with just an online form and CC payment to make it nice and easy.
 
if you have a decent credit card it should come with travel insurance.
 
OpenGambit said:
if you have a decent credit card it should come with travel insurance.
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Yes, check with your issuer. most due but not all. I get 2 million worth of coverage for free for up to 15 days as long as I buy at least a dollar worth of gas with the card in the county in question.
 
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jonpurdy said:
Any recommended insurance companies to go with when traveling to the US? Preferably ones with just an online form and CC payment to make it nice and easy.
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We were about to cross the border in cage and realized we didn't have any coverage. We called Blue Cross on the cell phone, put it on the card and got a confirmation number. All in a few minutes.
 
+1000 to medical insurance!! The cost of a premium zero deductible full coverage plan is so reasonable it is hard to pass up.

Years ago, my father was walking on the beach in Florida and something cut his foot wide open requiring a hospital visit and the standard care, examination, xrays, stitches, et al. The cost was in the thousands for something we take for granted. All the costs would have been covered for under $25.00 for medical insurance.
 
You can get extra insurance through CAA or even your bank. I think it was under $30 for me last summer for coverage for a 10 day trip or so.

We had a guy from Quebec auger in on the dragon a few years back. 2 compound fractures plus and assortment of other injuries. His "bill" by the time he got back home was over $270,000, thankfully he had coverage.

My first time down there in 04 or 05 another guy crashed breaking his arm. When we took him to the hospital it was closed. An ambulance to the closest open one was $400, a medivac flight was $3000, we drove him ourselves for free lol.

Spend the money before you go and save yourself a huge bill "just in case"
 
Brian P said:
You want health insurance when traveling abroad. Doesn't matter your country of residence. No exceptions!
Click to expand...

Could not agree much more all my adventure tour trips I get insurance and when I travel under work I am covered by their insurance. Don't leave the country without insurance
 
Dont just get insurance, put some effort into researching what you have bought bought. And be very careful filling out forms, do not skip over any questions you think may cost you more in premiums, if the company finds any evidence you withheld any info, pertinent or not you can be declined.
Also check your work policy covers you when your on "not work time" out of country.
If your going sky diving or scuba diving most carriers consider this an at risk activity, check your coverage.

you can get insurance for any activity, expect to pay insane premiums if your going desert racing ect. Different countries and the different states in the US treat the process in different fashion. This is where the quality of your insurance providers people come into play, being able to get a live body on a phone to sort out how to pay/collect is huge.

Also don't think your coverage for 14 days is enough if your gone for 14 days. If you check into ICU on your last couple days does the coverage extend? read the fine print and ask questions.

Insurance is awesome provided you never need to collect.
 
woobie said:
You can get extra insurance through CAA or even your bank. I think it was under $30 for me last summer for coverage for a 10 day trip or so.

We had a guy from Quebec auger in on the dragon a few years back. 2 compound fractures plus and assortment of other injuries. His "bill" by the time he got back home was over $270,000, thankfully he had coverage.

My first time down there in 04 or 05 another guy crashed breaking his arm. When we took him to the hospital it was closed. An ambulance to the closest open one was $400, a medivac flight was $3000, we drove him ourselves for free lol.

Spend the money before you go and save yourself a huge bill "just in case"
Click to expand...

A medivac flight in most cases is now running around the 10G mark ..
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