How to Handle Medical Emergency

We vespa’d through Rome. Sounds like you are on a cool tour. Btw: Italian Drivers are aware of Vespa and bicycles. I felt safer in Rome than I do in my burb town full of distracted drivers.

I use American Express platinum card that covers a lot during travel. If you don’t use AXP maybe your card has some privileges that cover medical. Your travel agent may have supplemental health just for the trip. This is not trip insurance, but an actual policy. I got one of those for a mere $35 for our Vespa adventure in Rome and that trip. It was a peace of mind tax.

I don’t know about Italy, but someone on a German tour I was on had a significant accident and his treatment was less than 200 euro. X-rays, broken arm, lacerations and ambulance.

Do you have trip insurance? Or are you relying on your own medical insurance?

In countries with public and private hospitals you will usually get free care at public hospital, but even my family in Portugal recommends transferring to a private hospital for specific care like orthopedic.

For private hospital you need insurance and our private US insurance usually requires you to pay upfront and be reimbursed. I usually travel with trip insurance that will advance payment for medical treatment. I also carry coverage for transportation to hospital of choice/ provides best care for issue and transportation for remains in case of death while abroad.

I never had to use these, but here is a list of English speaking doctors in Italy at the UK government site: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/italy-list-of-medical-facilitiespractitioners/list-of-english-speaking-doctors-in-italy

And there is this organization that caters to travellers: https://www.doctorsinitaly.com

Also, keep in mind that most travel medical insurers require that you contact them before seeking medical treatment, unless you are incapacitated.

I would also suggest getting medical evacuation insurance/travel insurance to cover the medical bills and medical evacuation to get you back to the US should something unfortunate happen. A friend of ours was hit by a bus in Buenos Aires a number of years ago and suffered a broken hip. The medical bills and cost of evacuation back to the US was about $150,000. The hospital in Buenos Aires demanded payment up front to get treatment.

A friend fractured her femur on the first day of a trip to Italy in 2019. She ended up having to have surgery in the hospital there and was stuck there for 3 weeks fighting her insurance company to authorize a medevac flight. By the time she got home she had an infection in her leg from her IV. The surgery done in Italy wasn't done right and later had to be redone.

This inspired us to purchase a policy with MedJet so that we can get home ASAP if something happens.

Great info, and so fast! Thank you!

Also, Mo R. Here’s the info on the tour we are doing. When we get back I’ll do a review.

https://thevespatrip.com/en/tvt22

. Btw: Italian Drivers are aware of Vespa and bicycles.

However the tourists driving unfamiliar rental cars in unfamiliar surroundings and focusing on the scenery, when not trying to figure out where their GPS is trying to send them....... them folks are not so 'aware'

Be sure you have a good med evac policy and travel insurance that does not exclude 'motorcycles'

As others have noted, the cost of medical evacuation is the bank breaker. We had an acquaintance whose daughter was hit by a car in Cairo and they had to mortgage their house to get her home -- she was badly hurt. A friend recently collapsed in Myanmar and the hospital didn't hve clean sheets or soap -- his insurance airlfted him to bangkok and then once he was stable to the US.

We had Medjet Assist until we aged out which only covers medical evactuation -- they are annual policies and it covers the most important thing. I spent 5 days in a hospital and had surgery to put my elbow together in France -- the cost was about 4K -- insurance paid for it, but if it hadn't it would not have been a financial disaster. But that medical evacuation can be.

I don't know people who have gotten Italian care recently but I have heard that things like personal care and food are expected to be provided by family -- hospitals don't necessarily provide what we expect. And medical standards are not among Europe's best - or so I have been told.

The photos all show shorts and singlets as appropriate clothing.
Forget that.
Skin meets bitumen even at low speed, say 30mph.
Ugly.
Go the denim.

No road rash for us! We are experienced riders; own our own Vespas, and ride a Harley. Our second date was on a motorcycle, over 45 years ago…we have ridden thousands of miles. Just to name two, a trip from Arkansas to Yellowstone and points west was 4000 miles; we moved from Arkansas to California on a Sportster when we were MUCH younger, which is over 2000 miles. No shorts! I appreciate your caution. 😊

"No road rash for us! We are experienced riders; own our own Vespas, and ride a Harley."

Unfortunately, being careful and experienced riders is no guarantee against the stupidity of other drivers. In my experience responding to motorcycle MVI's, these are often not the fault of the MC rider.

To answer your question, I have had experience with emergency medical services in Italy, after injuring my leg. Everything was handled well, although at the time the initial part in ER seemed a bit chaotic. My limited Italian skills were really pushed to the limit. The injury prevented me from flying so I had orthopaedic surgery and spent a week in hospital. The care in the surgical ward seemed to go fairly well.

In terms of billing and costs, I imagine that will vary to some extent depending on what type of travel medical insurance each person has..... coverage, exclusions, deductibles, etc. Although I had never used it, I found that my policy provided great coverage, including all medications required once I left hospital. Once I had notified them of the situation, they had their rep's in Italy handle everything and I didn't have to pay anything. They even arranged a chauffeur driven limo for transport from the hospital to the airport, and one night in a posh hotel before my flight home.

Since I was travelling alone, I found that my most valuable asset was my cell phone, along with a cellular roaming coverage plan. It was critical in notifying and keeping in touch with family, the travel insurance company and also my travel agent, as she had to cancel and then rebook my flights. The TA also dealt with the airline medical department, as without their clearance I wouldn't have been able to board a flight.

Some medical insurance plans exclude the risk of riding a motorcycle. Worth checking.

In Italy the emergency service is pretty good and the emergencies are usually covered by public health system, so often you have to pay a very little amount at the moment. I had (in one of my groups) a lady with a knee injured falling from the staircase. Ambulance, Examination, x-rays and so on losing several hour in the hospital and she paid like 15€ of standard fee plus like 20€ for medicines. Fortunately nothing broken.
In the hospital very often you can find a doctor or somebody talking in English too.
Even said so, my personal suggestion is to have a medical insurance. You have more choices and possibility if you have it than only rely on the public health system.
And of course remember the emergency number: 118 if you need to call the ambulance. The call is free, of course, and they can even say you what to do while you are waiting the ambulance.

Medjet insurance. I think they have a special motorcycle policy.

You def need travel insurance, but make sure it specifically covers you riding the Vespas ~ a lot of policies consider a moped a "motorcycle" and exclude it. You might need to add a "sports rider". Depending on what state you live in, best policy will probably differ. I use the Amex Platinum desk to refer me to the right coverage, and I take out an actual policy vs. relying on the card benefits. I only ever take out the medical+evac anyways, so it's usually really reasonable (around $35 for a top level Amex Assure or Allianz policy)! All hospital bills are yours to pay first and then file for reimbursement, which is a pain but the way it is. If you need an evac absolutely only go thru something arranged by the insurance carrier or make sure someone calls them first ~ I've heard nightmares about billing.

I also have Medjet because the medevac of most travel insurance, if you look at the fine print, is only airlift to the "nearest capable" hospital. That IS important for emergency treatment (esp for what you're doing) but you usually have to stay there until well enough to be rebooked home commercially. I have Medjet to get moved home even if the insurance co doesn't think it's "medically necessary" to move me...I think someone here said they "aged out" but I have it also for my 83 y/o mom (it just costs a little more :/) ?? And their "motorcycle" memberships are actually to get the bike moved home if you wreck it or get sick and can't drive it. Their regular memberships allow for "action sports" like motorcycle riding, skiing, parasailing, etc.

Also BTW ~ Last time I rented a car in Italy I learned that Amex and other US insurances actually don't cover Italian rentals. Triple check if you intend to rent a car ~ I bought the insurance thru Expedia when I booked the car only to be told at the counter that it, and my Amex coverage, didn't work in Italy. Rental co hustle or truth I don't know, but I ended up taking theirs out (and later learned it was true about Amex but Expedia never confirmed, denied, or refunded...).

Longwinded, I know, but hope some of this helps!!!!

I tripped on a cobblestone and broke my wrist on the first full day of our two week vacation in Rome three years ago. I was trated in the emergency room of a public hospital (Santo Spirito) and had surgery about a week later in a public orthopedic hospital. The ER doctor spoke excellent English, and told me there was no charge for the x-rays, CT, temporary cast done there. The doctor asked if I wanted to fly home right away with an open cast, or have surgery in Rome. I didn't want to go home early. It took a while for them to find a hospital with an opening for the surgery.
While the orthopedic hospital took my insurance information, I never received a bill. The surgeon spoke English, but very few of the nurses did.