Unplanned German Hospital Stay?

Traveling can be an incredible adventure, but unexpected health issues can quickly dampen the excitement. Here are our travel stories during our 2023 European journey.

Bamberg & My Eyes: Follow the unexpected turn of events that led to eye surgery while traveling at Bamberg, Germany. The appointment: (https://conta.cc/3ESA4A5). The Surgery: (https://conta.cc/3LH6KRf)

Life turns on a dime and a five-day hospital stay in Wertingen, Germany. Read our story here. (https://conta.cc/3OvTWP0)


Learn How We Got Reimbursed for Multiple Medical Emergencies While Traveling Through Europe

In this post, we want to share a practical guide based on our experiences navigating healthcare coverage. Our primary insurance company is Medicare. If you're not on Medicare, please check with your primary insurance company. We also have Physician's Mutual as our Medicare supplemental plan and AIG as our travel insurance policy. With the right knowledge, you can travel with peace of mind!

Step 1: Know Before You Go
Before you embark on your adventure, it's essential to know that Medicare does not cover healthcare outside the U.S. If you have a Medicare Supplemental insurance plan, be sure to check whether it includes coverage for medical expenses abroad. If it doesn't, you'll be responsible for any healthcare costs incurred in foreign countries.

Purchasing travel insurance is your best bet for protection while traveling abroad. To ensure you're fully prepared, take some time to review the official Medicare guidelines, consult your Supplemental Insurance policy, and explore your travel insurance options. Your future self will thank you!

Step 2: Pay Upfront & Keep Receipts
When faced with a medical issue outside the U.S., be prepared to pay all medical bills upfront and out of pocket. If your Medicare Supplemental insurance covers foreign medical expenses or if you have travel insurance, make sure to keep copies of all bills and payment receipts for future claims. Staying organized will make the reimbursement process much smoother.


Step 3: Within 60 Days of Departure, Submit Paid Invoice to Supplemental Insurance
Our Medicare Supplemental insurance policy is with Physician's Mutual. They cover 80% of billed medical charges incurred outside the USA, but only within the first 60 days of a trip. In our case, Dave's first medical emergency occurs in the first month. After paying the bill, we submitted the paid invoice to Physician's Mutual for reimbursement. Learn more about Physician's Mutual coverage here. (https://www.physiciansmutual.com/web/medsupp)

Step 4: After 60 Days of Departure, File a Medicare Claim and a supplemental insurance claim
We experienced another medical emergency after the 60-day period covered by Physician's Mutual. To get reimbursed by AIG, our travel insurance company, we needed to submit the medical invoice for the post-60-day treatment to Medicare, our primary insurance provider, and obtain an official reimbursement denial. Learn more about Medicare coverage here. (https://www.medicare.gov). We then had to send Medicare's denial and the bills to Physician's Mutual to obtain their official denial.

This step was necessary to obtain official denials of reimbursement, which we could then use to file our claim with the travel insurance company.


Step 5: Complete the Claims Process
After receiving Medicare's denial of reimbursement, we forwarded their denial of reimbursement (also called Explanation of Benefits) to the AIG Travel Insurance Claims Department and all the requested documents. We sent this information packet via USPS with signature confirmation to ensure it arrived safely. Learn more about AIG Travel Insurance coverage here. (https://www.travelguard.com)

A quick tip: don't bother calling for updates—Medicare takes a sweet 150 days to confirm receipt! In our case, we had to resend our package due to a missing signature. Once that was sorted, we finally received a check.


FINAL NOTE:

The total cost for the five-day hospital stay in Germany, including treatments and lab tests, was just under $3000 as a non resident. German citizens and residents pay a minimal of $10.

A few months later, in Wisconsin, Wanda's tick bite became serious, necessitating an urgent walk-in appointment. The cost for an afternoon of lab tests and treatments amounted to $9000, which Medicare and Physician's Mutual covered.

Moral of the Story: Always be prepared for unexpected health issues while traveling. Investing in comprehensive travel insurance can save you from significant out-of-pocket expenses and ensure you receive the care you need, wherever your adventures take you. Safe travels and happy exploring!