The Wayfinder
Navigate Travel Like an Expert
When we think of getting sick or hurt on vacation, we often think of accidents. We took a tumble while skiing or we ate something that upset our stomach. All too often, we forget that sometimes bad things happen just because. We can get sick on vacation the same way we get sick at home. That’s exactly what happened to Merah.
This is her story.
Merah was a newlywed. She and her husband had just wrapped up their first week of honeymooning in Cambodia and Bangkok, Thailand. A short flight and a three-hour boat ride delivered them safely on Koh Lanta, a remote Thai island, to enjoy a bit of paradise.
After the first two days, Merah noticed an ache in her lower back. She told herself it was from lying on the beach in an odd position, and she and her husband continued on their vacation.
The couple’s bungalow neighbor helped carry Merah to a shuttle that took her to the island doctor. Unfortunately, Merah’s condition was severe enough that the doctor decided she needed more advanced care. She was sent by ambulance to another hospital three hours away, this one in the southern Thai city of Trang.
The decision turned out to be the right one. Merah was diagnosed with kidney stones and received wonderful care.
We’re sure her recovery was helped by the fact that her husband took his “in sickness and health” vows seriously, remaining by Merah's side throughout her four days in the hospital.
Seven Corners Assist is available 24/7 for emergency situations. In a case like Merah’s, that can include help finding medical care, providing translation services if you speak a different language than your medical team, and, in the most extreme circumstances, arranging for emergency medical evacuation and repatriation to get you the care you need quickly.
With her travel medical insurance, support from Seven Corners also came in the form of payment. Before Merah could be released, the Thai hospital first required payment for her treatment. The couple chose to charge the expense to their credit card and seek reimbursement from Seven Corners after their trip. They were later reimbursed by Seven Corners for the full amount minus their deductible.
Foreign medical facilities can require payment in different ways. Some will expect payment before treatment is provided, while others, like in Merah’s case, require payment before you can be released. Still others will accept a Guarantee of Payment (GOP).
A GOP is a pre-authorization of services, including an agreed-upon price, that an insurance company such as Seven Corners provides to the medical facility. That facility then bills the insurance provider directly so you don’t have to come up with the full payment out of pocket.
This is one of the reasons why travel medical insurance is so valuable. Depending on where you are and what you need medical treatment for, the bill could be quite substantial. You may not have enough money readily available to pay for treatment out of pocket. Fortunately, with travel insurance, you can still get the care you need without having to worry about your finances. And with travel assistance services, you also get the support you need so you can focus on getting well while we handle the logistics.
Merah was a seasoned traveler, even before her honeymoon trip. She hadn’t done anything risky or dangerous to land her in the hospital. It was just poor luck. What did work in her favor, though, was her last-minute decision to buy travel insurance just hours before the couple’s flight to Bangkok. She’d previously traveled internationally to Mexico and Jamaica without insurance, but not this time! And it’s not an oversight she’s likely to make again.
"This is why traveler’s insurance is so crucial,” she said of her health scare. “Sure, it’s a gamble to buy it, but only a $50 gamble, which I am willing to make. But that’s how insurance works, right? You never need it until you do.”
Travel insurance can help protect your own trip and health. Visit SevenCorners.com to get a quick and easy quote with our interactive guide. You can also talk to one of our licensed agents for more assistance.
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