Covered: USD 18,763. Premium paid: USD 272.
Our member, a woman in her 70s, was traveling in Thailand when she slipped and fell. It was not a crash or a high-impact accident. She landed on her right hip, and right away she had strong pain and could not put any weight on that leg.
At Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin, a private hospital in Hua Hin, doctors confirmed a broken hip: a fracture of the femoral neck, the narrow part of the thigh bone just below the hip joint.
Because of where the break was and how serious it was, treatment without surgery would not have been enough. The orthopedic team performed a partial hip replacement, called a bipolar hemiarthroplasty, replacing the damaged top of the thigh bone with an artificial part.
"Femoral-neck fractures are an important risk in older adults, particularly women after menopause, as bone density commonly declines with age. A fall that might appear relatively minor can therefore result in a serious fracture requiring surgery, hospitalization and rehabilitation."
Dr Lwin, Medical Doctor at LUMA
The operation was only the start. Her recovery needed pain management, wound care, rehabilitation and help to walk again. During her stay, her oxygen levels dropped and she needed extra monitoring. By the time she left the hospital, after 8 nights, she could walk about 50 meters with a walker.
The hospital bill came to THB 631,002, around USD 18,763. It was covered in full under her LUMA Asia Pass policy on the Essential plan, which cost USD 272 for 90 days of travel. Her age did not change the price.
The claim at a glance
Amount covered | USD 18,763 |
|---|---|
Hospital bill | THB 631,002, covered in full |
Premium paid | USD 272, Essential plan, 90-day trip |
Return on premium | About 69 times the premium |
Condition | Broken hip (femoral neck fracture), partial hip replacement |
Where treated | Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin, Thailand |
Time in hospital | 8 nights |
Product | LUMA Asia Pass |
The bill was about 69 times what the policy cost. That is not typical, and most claims are far smaller. For a traveler in her 70s, one slip led to an operation, 8 nights in the hospital and the rehabilitation that followed.
LUMA Asia Pass covers emergency medical treatment abroad. Limits vary by plan tier, and current limits are on the LUMA Asia Pass page. Traveling to Thailand? See travel insurance for Thailand.
This is a real LUMA claim. Identifying details may have been changed to protect our member's privacy.
Every claim is assessed on its own facts, under the terms of the product and plan the member held at the time. This story describes one claim and is not a promise of cover for a similar event.
