I Ended Up In The ER During A Vacation In Spain. Here’s What Shocked Me The Most.

My family arrived in a seaside village on the east coast of Spain. There I sat on a white sandy beach overlooking the incredibly blue water. The scene was straight from Mediterranean fantasies, but I was still in panic.

My head was throbbing and after slamming it into the bottom of a metal hotel a few days ago. The pain and pressure kept me at night, along with the anxiety that came from googling my symptoms. I have tried all sorts of medications I can find, but I have not been able to relieve the throbbing skull.

After returning to our Airbnb, my husband urged me to make telehealth appointments through our international health insurance. (As an American family living in France this year, we had to purchase this as part of our visa application.) A few minutes later, I explained my symptoms to a Spanish doctor via chat using Google Translate. Hearing how long the pain had lasted, he encouraged him to see a doctor to eliminate brain damage.

I desperately looked into the nearby doctor’s office, but remote locations had limited options so I didn’t even know how or where to secure an appointment. So instead, I decided to go to the nearest emergency room.

Leave our son with our grandparents, my husband drove us to a small city within about 35 minutes. When I pulled onto the hospital parking deck and then walked towards the front desk, I was impressed by how similar it was to my husband’s hospital, which we checked in, thanked my husband.

The receptionist sought evidence of our public health insurance coverage, but I explained that I have international travel health care coverage, or essentially expatriate insurance. She apologised and explained that I had to pay from my pocket for the ER visit and that I had not secured prior approval for the hospital visit and had to request a refund from the insurance company.

Looking back on my past experiences in American hospitals, I supported myself. ER visit for chest pain with a $2,500 surprise bill a few months later. Breast biopsy. I was forced to pay nearly $3,000 for the privilege of knowing whether a breast lump is cancerous or not. Of course, all of these charges were on top of the $12,000 premium my family paid each year.

Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait long to know what we would pay. The receptionist explained that the ER visit would cost a flat rate of 200 euros and pointed to a poster next to the desk that clearly lists the costs of the hospital. She said the total could increase if additional testing or steps were required. I held the breath I had and handed over my passport as insurance to pay at the end of my visit.

The process proceeded as expected in the hospital. We sat in a barren room with unpleasant plastic chairs, with dozens of other unpleasant people. I spoke briefly with a hospital worker. I waited nearly two hours before my name was called, and a young doctor led me into a room that looked like every American hospital room I had ever been in – in addition to the fact that the wall poster was in Catalan.

He took my vitals, asked about my symptoms (in English, there’s a bit of a translation from my husband to clarify) and said he was going to order a CT scan for safety. We waited an additional hour for a scan performed by two efficient female technicians using ultra-modern machines.

Shortly afterwards, the doctor returned to share my results: no brain damage. He suspected that my headache was exacerbated by the anxiety and tension I developed as a result of the injury, and he gave me a prescription for a common Spanish painkiller. He instructed me to go back if my symptoms worsened or not cleared.

I was delightedly surprised when I checked out at the front desk and learned that a CT scan could cost thousands of dollars in the US and told me the final tally of my ER visit was 729 euros. After I paid, she handed me a disc with a copy of my CT scan for my record. She also provided us with the documents needed to provide to the insurance company for a refund.

Back in our car, I was relieved and overwhelmed. Neither of them had brain damage and I didn’t have to pay thousands of dollars to make sure I was OK. An unexpected 729 euro bill is certainly difficult for most people (including myself!), but I was comforted to learn that it was refunded and not as good as it returned to America.

I also felt sad and frustrated about the extreme shortcomings of the US healthcare system. Even basic doctor visits come with concerns about not knowing how much you have to pay to get the care you need. In many cases, Americans need to choose whether to prioritize their health or financial stability.

The cost of an emergency room visit varies greatly from location to location. Average bill It’s easy to do Over $2,000 No insurance. Even insurance can make numbers astronomical for the average American family. If critical care is required or surgery is performed, these costs can skyrocket to over $20,000.

So, that’s not surprising Recent polls It turns out that 40% of Americans have medical debt, despite over 90% of the US population having health insurance.

If you are an American, like me, with hospital bill-related concerns, I recommend doing some research at your destination before traveling abroad. If travel insurance is recommended, please see the types of facilities available at your destination and how to contact emergency services if necessary.

moreover, Johns Hopkins Medicine advises Before you go abroad, be sure to know your blood type, carry your existing conditions and medication documents, and fill in the details such as your address and phone number on your passport information card.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention We recommend that you contact your nearest US embassy or consulate to help you find a location for your healthcare services. Smart Traveler Registration Program (Step) Before you go abroad. The consul will also help transfer funds from a loved one if they need to pay for medical services.

You can also check out the International Association for Health Support for Travelers. Directory of Medical Professionals all over the world.

Accidents and emergency situations can happen anytime, anywhere, and you need to always prepare a game plan. And no matter what you do, don’t delay your attention if you suspect that the problem is serious. The outcome can be devastating.