Diving for cheap with Wife & Kid

"Lee Bell" <leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:wd8Zc.7377$JT3.3296@newsread3.news.atl.earthl ink.net...
> "Rosalie B." wrote
>
> > Yes but it would be different for a tourist. For one thing, they
> > probably would not be on a dive vacation with an abscess or whatever.
>
> True, but you were the one that mentioned dentist. The real issue was
> hospitals. All of the major islands, the ones with a substantial affluent
> population have good medical facilities for those that can pay for them.
>
> > >If you're a US citizen, the Coast Guard will evacuate you in a medical
> > >emergency.

I had never heard of that. What kind of territory do they cover, and how
easy is it to arrange? I've bought trip insurance primarily for medical
evac, and heard it cost a lot more than $3800; that would seem to be a
bargain. I think it would be tough bouncing around in a puddle jumper if I
were in bad shape....I don't even like it when I'm well. The $250 for trip
insurance for a family of four seemed well worth it for the medical evac
alone.





I'm not sure what assistance is available for citizens of
> other
> > >countries. The big problem with flying out on a commercial airline is
> the
> > >limited capacity, particularly during holiday periods.
>
> > We didn't use the CG although I guess we could have. We paid for the
> > evacuation and it was about $3800.00. It wasn't on a commercial
> > airline - it was a little prop plane and there was the pilot, nurse,
> > me and Bob (on a stretcher), and they also could have taken a doctor
> > if one had been needed. Plus a small amount (2 carry-on bags) of
> > luggage. Our citizenship didn't matter.
>
> It doesn't when you're paying your own bill. My wife used to work for a
> company that serviced the aircraft for a Bahamas air ambulance service. I
> don't know if health insurance would cover that or not. She probably
knows.
>
> Lee
>
>

"George Price" <gprice3@cfl.rr.com> wrote:
>
>"Lee Bell" <leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> wrote in message
>news:wd8Zc.7377$JT3.3296@newsread3.news.atl.earth link.net...
>> "Rosalie B." wrote
>>
>> > Yes but it would be different for a tourist. For one thing, they
>> > probably would not be on a dive vacation with an abscess or whatever.
>>
>> True, but you were the one that mentioned dentist. The real issue was

Yes. The dental thing was just an extra data point. It was quite
affordable even for a poor US person. And the walk-in clinic
(medical) in Nassau was also free.

>> hospitals. All of the major islands, the ones with a substantial affluent
>> population have good medical facilities for those that can pay for them.
>>
>> > >If you're a US citizen, the Coast Guard will evacuate you in a medical
>> > >emergency.
>
>I had never heard of that. What kind of territory do they cover, and how

We were speaking of the Bahamas where the CG maintains a kind of
oversight. And specifically we were traveling on our own boat.

>easy is it to arrange? I've bought trip insurance primarily for medical

They will do it if they can IF it is an emergency and IF they don't
have something else they need to be doing, and IF no commercial
service is available.

>evac, and heard it cost a lot more than $3800; that would seem to be a

This was just from Nassau to Miami - a relatively short distance.
Although it included the ambulance from the hospital in Nassau to the
plane, and the ambulance from the plane to the hospital in Miami.

>bargain. I think it would be tough bouncing around in a puddle jumper if I
>were in bad shape....I don't even like it when I'm well. The $250 for trip

I was in an automobile accident in the states where I broke 4 ribs.
The ambulance ride was the worst thing I've ever experience. The
plane was very smooth as glass and quite comfortable.

>insurance for a family of four seemed well worth it for the medical evac
>alone.

I would just check to see if you have to be admitted to a hospital
first (in order to be evacuated) and if the insurance pays for that
also. Some insurances require that you go to a hospital to be
diagnosed. Bob had his heart attack in the Exumas, so under that
insurance he'd have to get to some major center with inpatient
facilities before the medical evacuation would be covered.

>I'm not sure what assistance is available for citizens of
>> other
>> > >countries. The big problem with flying out on a commercial airline is
>> the
>> > >limited capacity, particularly during holiday periods.
>>
>> > We didn't use the CG although I guess we could have. We paid for the
>> > evacuation and it was about $3800.00. It wasn't on a commercial
>> > airline - it was a little prop plane and there was the pilot, nurse,
>> > me and Bob (on a stretcher), and they also could have taken a doctor
>> > if one had been needed. Plus a small amount (2 carry-on bags) of
>> > luggage. Our citizenship didn't matter.
>>
>> It doesn't when you're paying your own bill. My wife used to work for a
>> company that serviced the aircraft for a Bahamas air ambulance service. I
>> don't know if health insurance would cover that or not. She probably
>knows.
>>

grandma Rosalie

"Rosalie B." <gmbeasley@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:co3kj09rp7tqial37qkq565flin739t00g@4ax.com...
> "George Price" <gprice3@cfl.rr.com> wrote:
> >
> >"Lee Bell" <leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> wrote in message
> >news:wd8Zc.7377$JT3.3296@newsread3.news.atl.earth link.net...
> >> "Rosalie B." wrote
> >>
> >> > Yes but it would be different for a tourist. For one thing, they
> >> > probably would not be on a dive vacation with an abscess or whatever.
> >>
> >> True, but you were the one that mentioned dentist. The real issue was
>
> Yes. The dental thing was just an extra data point. It was quite
> affordable even for a poor US person. And the walk-in clinic
> (medical) in Nassau was also free.
>
> >> hospitals. All of the major islands, the ones with a substantial
affluent
> >> population have good medical facilities for those that can pay for
them.
> >>
> >> > >If you're a US citizen, the Coast Guard will evacuate you in a
medical
> >> > >emergency.
> >
> >I had never heard of that. What kind of territory do they cover, and how
>
> We were speaking of the Bahamas where the CG maintains a kind of
> oversight. And specifically we were traveling on our own boat.

I've seen some large CG ships in Hogsty bay at Georgetown, GC, but don't
know if they actually cover that area. There were training excersices going
on at the times we were there.

> >easy is it to arrange? I've bought trip insurance primarily for medical
>
> They will do it if they can IF it is an emergency and IF they don't
> have something else they need to be doing, and IF no commercial
> service is available.

Sounds like the insureance would be the best way to go then.


> >evac, and heard it cost a lot more than $3800; that would seem to be a
>
> This was just from Nassau to Miami - a relatively short distance.
> Although it included the ambulance from the hospital in Nassau to the
> plane, and the ambulance from the plane to the hospital in Miami.

I had heard about 20K from Georgetown to Miami, and it's not that much
further; must be the CI exchange !


> >bargain. I think it would be tough bouncing around in a puddle jumper if
I
> >were in bad shape....I don't even like it when I'm well. The $250 for
trip
>
> I was in an automobile accident in the states where I broke 4 ribs.
> The ambulance ride was the worst thing I've ever experience. The
> plane was very smooth as glass and quite comfortable.

You were lucky. The last turboprop I rode in from Oralndo to Miami was a
VFR day, and we bounced around on the thermals all the way there. I hate it
when the front of the plane visually flexes to the right or left when I'm
sitting in the back.

>
> >insurance for a family of four seemed well worth it for the medical evac
> >alone.
>
> I would just check to see if you have to be admitted to a hospital
> first (in order to be evacuated) and if the insurance pays for that
> also. Some insurances require that you go to a hospital to be
> diagnosed. Bob had his heart attack in the Exumas, so under that
> insurance he'd have to get to some major center with inpatient
> facilities before the medical evacuation would be covered.
>
> >I'm not sure what assistance is available for citizens of
> >> other
> >> > >countries. The big problem with flying out on a commercial airline
is
> >> the
> >> > >limited capacity, particularly during holiday periods.
> >>
> >> > We didn't use the CG although I guess we could have. We paid for the
> >> > evacuation and it was about $3800.00. It wasn't on a commercial
> >> > airline - it was a little prop plane and there was the pilot, nurse,
> >> > me and Bob (on a stretcher), and they also could have taken a doctor
> >> > if one had been needed. Plus a small amount (2 carry-on bags) of
> >> > luggage. Our citizenship didn't matter.
> >>
> >> It doesn't when you're paying your own bill. My wife used to work for
a
> >> company that serviced the aircraft for a Bahamas air ambulance service.
I
> >> don't know if health insurance would cover that or not. She probably
> >knows.
> >>
>
> grandma Rosalie

"George Price" <gprice3@cfl.rr.com> wrote:
>
>"Rosalie B." <gmbeasley@mindspring.com> wrote in message
>news:co3kj09rp7tqial37qkq565flin739t00g@4ax.com.. .

>> >bargain. I think it would be tough bouncing around in a puddle jumper if
>I
>> >were in bad shape....I don't even like it when I'm well. The $250 for
>trip
>>
>> I was in an automobile accident in the states where I broke 4 ribs.
>> The ambulance ride was the worst thing I've ever experience. The
>> plane was very smooth as glass and quite comfortable.
>
>You were lucky. The last turboprop I rode in from Oralndo to Miami was a
>VFR day, and we bounced around on the thermals all the way there. I hate it
>when the front of the plane visually flexes to the right or left when I'm
>sitting in the back.

I'm not particularly bothered by turbulence. I went up in a 1929 Waco
once for a spin around the Castroville airfield. Found out after I
landed that the pilot had just bought the plane and was test driving
it. Plus, I've been in big jets where there was severe turbulence and
I think that's scarier.




grandma Rosalie