Well, the check came! Finally. We are still waiting for my medical bill ($11,500ish) to be paid. The insurance carrier told us that they 'usually' have the patient just pay the provider directly then reimburse from insurance. In my case, sure, I COULD pay it, but since all my 'ready cash' from which to make this large a payout would come from IRA funds, it would create a fairly major tax consequence (we won't be itemizing this year due to the rejiggering of the tax tables) So at last report, the adjuster was going to her supervisor to get authorization to pay the hospital directly. Stay tuned.
So we have received what we are getting for the whole adventure. We submitted a claim for 7- of the 9 days of the river cruise we were unable to use, and the unused return flights. The total was $8300ish, and they paid us $7300ish. We got dinged $500 each because 'medical' is not an allowable reason for trip interruption.
In the end, for our $720 of insurance premiums, I got a new pacemaker, 9 days hospitalization, Angiography, CT scans of heart & lungs, Echocardiogram, upgraded room, Business class, flat bed and first class flights home accompanied by a rescue nurse Upgraded economy flights for my wife, Limo transfers in Germany and at home. We don't know what they paid for the flights and nurse, but estimated it at $20,000, unless something changes drastically, $11,500 to the hospital (in case you need heart surgery, I can recommend a great deal here) and $7300 reimbursement of prepaid travel expenses. So, a tad over $50,000.
That's about it. I figure I got a great checkup and the treatment probably bought me a few more years of time to annoy people on TUG.
Jim
We'll see how it works out.
