Hospital care in Florida

[Hopefuldad]

Hi all.
Hopefully we are travelling next year and will be our first time. I have a number of existing conditions and while hopefully I shouldnt need any care while there, does anybody have any experience of what hospitals are like if I did?
We're insured, so that hopefully shouldn't be an issue (I never fully trust insurance) but my wife listens to a number of american podcasts and has said a few have commented Florida healthcare is poor at best and now shes worrying.
Should I worry or is she being over cautious?

[15isto2]

Health care is very financially driven in the US and they tend to use a lot of expensive tests rather than clinical assessment. Based on experiences I had with a friend who lived in the US some of their specialists dont have nearly the same level of competence and experience of their UK counterparts but that was for "routine" rather than urgent or emergency care. Americans also regard healthcare as being a "consumer" of it so often go in with their list of demands and money talks. I have only used US health care once myself for a nasty bacterial throat infection with high temperature and while I was treated safely its odd that they were trying to "upsell" to get me to have vaccinations done during the appointment (which would be contraindicated in the UK due to my raging pyrexia) and when the first question was "how are you paying".

[mick]

Originally Posted by Hopefuldad

Hi all.
Hopefully we are travelling next year and will be our first time. I have a number of existing conditions and while hopefully I shouldnt need any care while there, does anybody have any experience of what hospitals are like if I did?
We're insured, so that hopefully shouldn't be an issue (I never fully trust insurance) but my wife listens to a number of american podcasts and has said a few have commented Florida healthcare is poor at best and now shes worrying.
Should I worry or is she being over cautious?

See more...

Welcome to the DIBB.

You are extremely correct in being cautious about medical costs in the USA. First of all please make sure that you have declared ALL your PEMCs in your policy and get cover for at least £5m for medical costs.

There's around 3 or 4 very regular, reliable, friendly and helpful Dibbers who live in the Kissimmee area. Hopefully they will spot this thread and give you some advice. They may not be on line yet as it's only 7.30 am

Mick

[bella9]

Florida is massive, and like anywhere the quality of care is bound to vary. Which part are you thinking of? Obviously, covid has caused issues across the globe, and it must be impossible to compare now.

However, in the past I've read, on here, of positive experiences, especially at Celebration Hospital.

[AndyGB]

My other half ended up in hospital for a few days a couple of years ago and it was OK. The facilities and care were really good although they wouldn't let her use her own medication brought from the UK, she has about 15 prescriptions a day for various tablets etc, so there was trouble with the bill as the insurance wouldn't pay for the replacement tablets the hospital gave her saying she should have taken her own, but luckily we were in a non-profit based hospital and they agreed to waive the cost of the medicines on a charitable basis in the end.

Until the insurance was sorted every day or so someone would come and ask how we were paying and did we have a credit card but that got sorted in the end (but be aware that we were asked for payment to cover the ambulance about 20 minutes after arriving) in their emergency dept.

[DonnaD]

Hospital care is only "poor" if you aren't insured AND it isn't an emergency. You will probably be shocked at how well you are looked after if you do need emergency care. You definitely shouldn't worry if you have good travel insurance.

If you are staying near Disney, Celebration Hospital will be one of the closest and has a good reputation. I was there last night to have a completely routine MRI at 8PM. It was only booked 2 weeks ago when the doctor ordered it. No special rush for me, they just have a second shift for routine testing and no long waiting lists.

For non life threatening emergencies there are numerous urgent care facilities as well.

My daughter has numerous medical issues and has had at least 5 ER visits since we moved here 4 years ago. She has free Medicaid cover due to her disabilities. She has never had to wait more than an hour to be seen by a doctor in her own private room. She had a very different experience in the UK after a head injury, 4 hours in a crowded waiting room despite being sent by a GP in an ambulance.

[mick]

Originally Posted by DonnaD

Hospital care is only "poor" if you aren't insured AND it isn't an emergency. You will probably be shocked at how well you are looked after if you do need emergency care. You definitely shouldn't worry if you have good travel insurance.

If you are staying near Disney, Celebration Hospital will be one of the closest and has a good reputation. I was there last night to have a completely routine MRI at 8PM. It was only booked 2 weeks ago when the doctor ordered it. No special rush for me, they just have a second shift for routine testing and no long waiting lists.

For non life threatening emergencies there are numerous urgent care facilities as well.

My daughter has numerous medical issues and has had at least 5 ER visits since we moved here 4 years ago. She has free Medicaid cover due to her disabilities. She has never had to wait more than an hour to be seen by a doctor in her own private room. She had a very different experience in the UK after a head injury, 4 hours in a crowded waiting room despite being sent by a GP in an ambulance.

See more...

Thank you Donna - I knew you'd be along.

Mick

[JulieB01]

The only experience I have of US healthcare was withmy son who was 14 at the time.

He had had his appendix out prior to us going and had been cleared to travel but I was still changing dressings daily. Anyway long story short his wound became infected and we ended up at the childrens hospital in Orlando after ER in Celebration, his care was fabulous. He had a brief stay in ER (A&E) getting IV antibiotics, 2 x CT scans to see if the infection went deep into his body and the wound needed reopening (it didnt thankfully) and an overnight stay in a private room. All in all they were great. All covered by insurance I am thankful to say as the bill was over $13000 ! (I got a copy in the post after we returned home)

With hindsight we shouldnt have gone on holiday but hindsight is a wonderful thing and he was desperate to go

[DonnaD]

I know the whole "asking about payment" thing is a shock to International visitors. The staff who are getting your details are admin staff not clinical staff simply doing their job. If you were an American with insurance you would simply show your card and sign a form that you are responsible for any copays etc. They can then easily check that your insurance is valid . With foreign travel insurance this can't be done automatically and explains why they want a credit card guarantee.

Andy, the medication thing is because of liability. The hospital pharmacist is responsible for ALL drugs administered in the hospital. My daughter is on one that the hospital pharmacies don't stock. For an inpatient stay, it had to be sent to them to be checked and entered onto the hospital system which is all controlled by bar code system. Not very helpful in your wife's situation but much safer for the majority of patients.

[Hopefuldad]

Brilliant this is all very reassuring We're staying on I-drive so assuming Celebration will be our closest hospital.
We're with Staysure and have the highest level of medical cover, off the top of my head was unlimited so hopefully covered there.
Thank you all so much. My wife is a nervous traveler anyway but with Covid her worry levels have gone through the roof. I can see a lot of cocktails for her if we manage to get there