A cruise ship passenger has shared an urgent warning after learning that Medicare would not cover her medical costs after breaking her wrist on board.
Alice Springs woman Barbara Clifford planned the trip of a lifetime with her son Brandon, 20, in March.
The pair were on a cruise departing from Sydney bound for the Whitsundays in Queensland when they fell within minutes of a stop in Port Douglas.
“As I was walking up the slight incline on the sidewalk at the marina, I tripped over my own feet and the entire weight of my body hit my wrist,” said the life coach and motivational speaker.
‘I took a 45-minute taxi to the nearest hospital in Port Douglas to have an X-ray but I was worried I wouldn’t make it to the ship before it set sail again.’
She was able to see a doctor at Mossman Hospital in Port Douglas, where she was given x-rays and a wrist splint before returning to port.
‘Luckily everything came on time. But I was very worried in the waiting room leaving the ship,” she said.
She rejoined her cruise before it departed, but chose not to seek treatment at the onboard medical clinic after being told it was not covered by Medicare and would be a significant expense.
Barbara Clifford, 52, from Alice Springs didn’t realize she wouldn’t be covered by Medicare while on cruise to the Whitsundays
Once home, Barbara discovered that her wrist had not healed properly and that as a result she would require extensive surgical intervention.
She said that when she returned, she went to a fracture clinic and was told that the splint on her wrist had deteriorated severely and had healed crooked.
“It had to be broken again, operated on immediately and had a titanium plate put in,” Ms Clifford said.
‘I’m still in my ninth week of rehabilitation and recovery and have just started driving again.’
According to the government’s Smart Traveler website, many cruise ships do not have a doctor or medical facilities covered by Medicare, even if they are based in Australia.
“Once your ship leaves port, even if you are sailing through Australian waters, you are no longer covered for hospital or medical costs by Medicare or your private healthcare provider,” confirms Natalie Smith of 1Cover Travel Insurance.
‘This means that they do not reimburse costs incurred on board the ship.
“You are also not covered by Medicare and private health care when you are on land for cruise excursions.”
Mrs. Clifford fell and broke her wrist, but she did not want to pay the ship’s doctor’s bill. She went to the hospital when the cruise ended and was told that her wrist had to be broken again and a titanium plate had to be inserted
Ms Smith said Ms Clifford should have taken out ‘cruise cover’, which would have entitled her to ‘onboard treatment’.
“If she was unable to continue her cruise due to her accident, she would also have been covered if she returned home to receive proper medical care,” she said.
“Too many people assume they will be covered by Medicare, when in fact you are not covered by Medicare or your private health fund if you need medical treatment after your ship has sailed.”
In July, a woman on board P&O’s Pacific Adventure complained that she had been hit with an $8,000 medical bill after falling on a dance floor and breaking her ankle.