I know some people who have heard horror stories on the news about poor patients dying in the ER at American hospitals because they got put at the back of the queue for want of verifiable insurance (don't ask me if this really happens -- it is what they have heard), and they worry about what would happen if they were to become injured while on a trip to the US. They would have trip insurance, but that would pay them back after they returned to Japan, and would not be directly billable by the US hospital. So, they would have to pay the hospital out of their pocket.
How would the hospital treat them in that case? Would they be treated as insured patients, or shuffled around like indigents? Would the insurance booklet (which cannot be used for direct billing, but would show that they do have deep pockets to get reimbursed from, eventually) suffice as evidence that they are good for the bill?
In the case of a business trip, where the employer would likewise reimburse then for any work-related medical expenses (but only after they return to Japan), would some kind of letter of guarantee make any difference in their treatment at the ER?
Or should I just tell them that the US isn't for the weak of heart?
How would the hospital treat them in that case? Would they be treated as insured patients, or shuffled around like indigents? Would the insurance booklet (which cannot be used for direct billing, but would show that they do have deep pockets to get reimbursed from, eventually) suffice as evidence that they are good for the bill?
In the case of a business trip, where the employer would likewise reimburse then for any work-related medical expenses (but only after they return to Japan), would some kind of letter of guarantee make any difference in their treatment at the ER?
Or should I just tell them that the US isn't for the weak of heart?