Help, relative on European Tour is hospitalized in Germany.

Question

Except for contacting Embassy what information can you give? Is hospitalization more or less expensive there? Isn't the tour company required to have someone stay with them instead of going on?

They are 18 yrs. old and the hospital is talking surgery. Can they refuse to discharge if you don't have money to make it home?

The tour is paid for but don't know how long hospital stay may be.

Please supply any information that may be of help....

Answer 1

Well I assume you have travel insurance RIGHT !! If the doctors talk surgery than it is obviously important and necessary. You better get in touch with your tour operator and talk about these things. Your Embassy I am sure has to deal with more important issues than patriots with no travel insurance. But of course give them a ring for more info.

Answer 2

Hi from a native German.

I'm sure the hospital can provide details to the hospitalized person's family; but what's most important at all:

Every German hospital and doctor are required by German law to assist any person in need of help and provide necessary treatment, INCLUDING operations and hospital stays; and our health system is really good in that way. Don't worry about the cost for the moment. Your relative will be treated as any German with a health insurance would.

If there'll be a financial problem, they'll contact you; but in Germany, they won't release a person from hospital until he/she's clear for transportation, and a financial solution can ALWAYS be found. Nobody here is thrown out of hospital without proper treatment or the staff at the hospital taking care of some sort of accomodation.

There are also some US miltary bases to which an American tourist could turn to in case of medical emergency. The Foreign Office knows their addresses.

Just don't worry. Your relative will be taken care of by skillful doctors.

If you're not able to pay the bill at all, you won't have to. But that's something you're negotiating about afterwards.