A big 'BOO' to NRMA Insurance and kick in the backside to myself!

[Paddy55]

Well, it pays to read the PDS but it's hard to know all the circumstances you will face!

Mrs Paddy and I went (using AA points ) to Europe last July & August and after 6 weeks were lined up at the BA counter in Vienna to return... looking forward to returning by then as well I must say.

In the checkin line I bent down to get something out of my hand luggage and over balanced and fell backwards onto the floor. Of course I put my hand out to break my fall and broke my wrist instead!

I knew it was broken - just about blacked out with the pain but instead of going to the local hospital (missing flights, etc, etc) I chose to checkin and fly back via LHR to SYD. Went straight to hospital in SYD - turns out to be a bad break and I'm still being treated 8 months later for the ligament damage. A goodly amount of out of pocket expenses too.

Mrs Paddy went straight to the local NRMA office where they pointed to the PDS and said if I'd stayed in Vienna they would have paid for EVERYTHING (though I doubt it given we were on F Awards, etc) but because I cam home before treatment they would pay NOTHING

So, I only had a couple of minutes to make a decision, and I made a bad one... my fault... but gee when you don't have all suddenly relevant information to hand (would they have rebooked us in F, would they have covered Mrs Paddy's accomodation, would they have covered all initial treatment in Vienna and all treatment in Sydney, at what stage would they have sent me back to Sydney, etc, etc, etc), well you can't make a well informed decision.

A heads up to anyone who might encounter a similar situation in the future!

 

[Princess Fiona]

Well, it pays to read the PDS but it's hard to know all the circumstances you will face!

Mrs Paddy and I went (using AA points ) to Europe last July & August and after 6 weeks were lined up at the BA counter in Vienna to return... looking forward to returning by then as well I must say.

In the checkin line I bent down to get something out of my hand luggage and over balanced and fell backwards onto the floor. Of course I put my hand out to break my fall and broke my wrist instead!

I knew it was broken - just about blacked out with the pain but instead of going to the local hospital (missing flights, etc, etc) I chose to checkin and fly back via LHR to SYD. Went straight to hospital in SYD - turns out to be a bad break and I'm still being treated 8 months later for the ligament damage. A goodly amount of out of pocket expenses too.

Mrs Paddy went straight to the local NRMA office where they pointed to the PDS and said if I'd stayed in Vienna they would have paid for EVERYTHING (though I doubt it given we were on F Awards, etc) but because I cam home before treatment they would pay NOTHING

So, I only had a couple of minutes to make a decision, and I made a bad one... my fault... but gee when you don't have all suddenly relevant information to hand (would they have rebooked us in F, would they have covered Mrs Paddy's accomodation, would they have covered all initial treatment in Vienna and all treatment in Sydney, at what stage would they have sent me back to Sydney, etc, etc, etc), well you can't make a well informed decision.

A heads up to anyone who might encounter a similar situation in the future!

TI aside I still think your decision was ok.
I don't think any of your out of pocket stuff in Australia would have been covered anyway.

 

[kpc]

I suspect I would have made the same decision you made Paddy55 if it makes you feel any better. ..and I have a bit of medical knowledge

 

[Hvr]

Actually I doubt any TI would cover you for treatment once you return to your home Australia.

Their raison d'être is to get you home alive and into an Australian hospital if required.

Probably the only thing you could've done was to advise them of the injury prior to departing for home, i.e. before boarding the plane. Maybe then they could've arranged treatment at your departure point.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Well, it pays to read the PDS but it's hard to know all the circumstances you will face!

Mrs Paddy and I went (using AA points ) to Europe last July & August and after 6 weeks were lined up at the BA counter in Vienna to return... looking forward to returning by then as well I must say.

In the checkin line I bent down to get something out of my hand luggage and over balanced and fell backwards onto the floor. Of course I put my hand out to break my fall and broke my wrist instead!

I knew it was broken - just about blacked out with the pain but instead of going to the local hospital (missing flights, etc, etc) I chose to checkin and fly back via LHR to SYD. Went straight to hospital in SYD - turns out to be a bad break and I'm still being treated 8 months later for the ligament damage. A goodly amount of out of pocket expenses too.

Mrs Paddy went straight to the local NRMA office where they pointed to the PDS and said if I'd stayed in Vienna they would have paid for EVERYTHING (though I doubt it given we were on F Awards, etc) but because I cam home before treatment they would pay NOTHING

So, I only had a couple of minutes to make a decision, and I made a bad one... my fault... but gee when you don't have all suddenly relevant information to hand (would they have rebooked us in F, would they have covered Mrs Paddy's accomodation, would they have covered all initial treatment in Vienna and all treatment in Sydney, at what stage would they have sent me back to Sydney, etc, etc, etc), well you can't make a well informed decision.

A heads up to anyone who might encounter a similar situation in the future!

A very apt warning indeed!

As someone who tore a quadriceps tendon on xmas night and end up in AKA hospital in Vienna with repair op on Boxing Day and 5 nights on my back, I can sympathise. But it's important to note that flying after a trauma such as that is quite dangerous for blood clots etc and definitely not recommended.

I understand why you made the decision you did but in hindsight maybe not the wisest and best for your health or pocket. My insurance covered everything including F return tickets, (very expensive suite which we were in in the Hyatt) hotel for wife, Hyatt hotel for us for 5 days after hospital for recovery, food, transport, rebooking, and totalled $32K, all covered on Westpac Earth card.

I don't see any fault with NRMA here, unfortunately.

Once you return home all travel insurance stops and you fall back on Medicare or your own private health cover (which doesn't cover specialists ) My subsequent specialist and GP visits were all at my own expense.

ps: note unlike UK,France, Italy and others, Austria does not have reciprocal public health agreements for Australian residents.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I suspect I would have made the same decision you made Paddy55 if it makes you feel any better. ..and I have a bit of medical knowledge

As someone who frequently sedates patients and manipulates closed fractures I completely agree

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I had an emergency in Spain in 2014.
I made the decision to stay and seek treatment there.
Best decision I have ever made.
Travel insurance paid for everything.
Medical treatment in Spain, accomodation, meals and all the extra costs of flying home in J on QF two weeks later.
When I arrived home I still had expenses but I was on my own.
I would never rush to fly home in a similar situation.

 

[Dr Ralph]

Not sure what your concern is. In Australia you'd have been covered under Medicare.

I thought it was common knowledge that an international travel insurance policy only applied to medical events which occurred overseas and the insurance company would always try to get you back to Australia as quickly as possible so that further medical matters could be dealt with under Medicare.

 

[Anna]

Isn't Medicare and your Aust private health cover helping you out?

I'd be disturbed if they were telling you you're not covered because you were injured overseas. I think I would have done exactly what you did, on the basis that I'd rather be in familiar surroundings and injured instead of having to deal with pain + foreign health system + foreign language + travel insurance. But if your local cover isn't kicking in, that's something important to know about.

 

[Pushka]

I would have done exactly the same as you did - AND in the full knowledge that my subsequent medical expenses would not be covered by the Travel Insurance policy in Australia.

 

[Paddy55]

Actually I doubt any TI would cover you for treatment once you return to your home Australia.

Their raison d'être is to get you home alive and into an Australian hospital if required.

Probably the only thing you could've done was to advise them of the injury prior to departing for home, i.e. before boarding the plane. Maybe then they could've arranged treatment at your departure point.

Yes, I should have done that... just didn't have the presence of mind...

 

[Paddy55]

Isn't Medicare and your Aust private health cover helping you out?

Yes... but there have been 'gaps' by the truckload :evil:

 

[Pushka]

Yes... but there have been 'gaps' by the truckload :evil:

Welcome to the health care system.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Yes... but there have been 'gaps' by the truckload :evil:

Obviously the solution is to just travel all the time!

 

[JohnK]

Sorry to hear of your experience.

I would have done the same thing.