2008 Woodie Awards
Insurance snafu leaves students without net
By: The Journal Staff
Issue date: 5/3/07 Section: News
Wilborn said despite students not having insurance cards, they were covered by HTH and had access to their cards online at HTH's Web site.
"We can't fix something we don't know about," Wilborn said.
Francisco said she didn't know she could access her insurance card through the Web site and neither did So-Young Macollaum, the study abroad and site transfer coordinator at WUT.
"So-Young was wondering if she could access the insurance online, but didn't know," Francisco said.
Francisco's Fiasco
Francisco became sick to her stomach on the flight from St. Louis to Bangkok, Thailand, and was unable to keep food down. After passing out on her first day in Thailand, Webster took her to San Paulo Hospital in Cha-am, which is about a five-minute bus ride from campus. Francisco said the care she received at San Paulo was good, and the doctors spoke English.
"I was there for one night,"Francisco said. "They basically got me balanced and my electrolytes up. It cost 7,000 baht, which is about $250. That was my first hospital bill."
Francisco was able to pay for her medical bills with student loan money. She was advised by Macollaum to contact Health Services when she returned to St. Louis to get reimbursed for her medical bills. Francisco said she was not told she could access her card online.
The day the insurance cards arrived, she went back into the hospital with a case of bronchitis and had communication issues with HTH.
While hanging out with friends, Francisco started wheezing and coughing up mucus, so a friend took her to San Paulo.
Francisco said Macollaum told her not to give the hospital any money because the insurance cards had arrived.
"I was in there for two to three days on oxygen and that visit ended up costing me over 13,000 baht or $500," Francisco said. "I didn't have the money. I was broke at that point so I called So-Young and she was like, 'Insurance is supposed to cover this so don't give them a dime.'"
"We can't fix something we don't know about," Wilborn said.
Francisco said she didn't know she could access her insurance card through the Web site and neither did So-Young Macollaum, the study abroad and site transfer coordinator at WUT.
"So-Young was wondering if she could access the insurance online, but didn't know," Francisco said.
Francisco's Fiasco
Francisco became sick to her stomach on the flight from St. Louis to Bangkok, Thailand, and was unable to keep food down. After passing out on her first day in Thailand, Webster took her to San Paulo Hospital in Cha-am, which is about a five-minute bus ride from campus. Francisco said the care she received at San Paulo was good, and the doctors spoke English.
"I was there for one night,"Francisco said. "They basically got me balanced and my electrolytes up. It cost 7,000 baht, which is about $250. That was my first hospital bill."
Francisco was able to pay for her medical bills with student loan money. She was advised by Macollaum to contact Health Services when she returned to St. Louis to get reimbursed for her medical bills. Francisco said she was not told she could access her card online.
The day the insurance cards arrived, she went back into the hospital with a case of bronchitis and had communication issues with HTH.
While hanging out with friends, Francisco started wheezing and coughing up mucus, so a friend took her to San Paulo.
Francisco said Macollaum told her not to give the hospital any money because the insurance cards had arrived.
"I was in there for two to three days on oxygen and that visit ended up costing me over 13,000 baht or $500," Francisco said. "I didn't have the money. I was broke at that point so I called So-Young and she was like, 'Insurance is supposed to cover this so don't give them a dime.'"
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