surgery,” Katie says, “and the bill at
discharge was over $400,000, not
including the pre-op consultations
and biopsy, bringing my final tally
nearer to $500,000. Thankfully, I
was covered by my husband’s medical
insurance from his employer, but
I’d say that this is not something to
be blithely dismissed as an optional
extra in your relocation package
negotiations.”
With many insurance policies
specifically excluding common
medical conditions such as pregnancy,
dental care, IVF, vaccinations,
physiotherapy and even Pap smears,
it is crucial to take your time to
understand your medical coverage
and all of its limitations.
Katie adds, “Once in hospital,
don’t expect to be automatically
covered for a private room, which
can cost as much as a five-star hotel.
If you’re in a private room, any drugs
administered can be charged at up to
100 per cent more than on a general
ward, so make sure you’re fully
covered before you hit the hospital
bed.”
Bumpy road ahead
Even with all the planning in the
world, relocation is stressful and time-
consuming, but short-notice moves
can be the most difficult of all. Having
already relocated once from Sydney
to Shanghai, Jane and her family were
familiar with the process; however,
the family’s short-notice move to
Hong Kong proved logistically, and
emotionally, tough.
“While we had some idea that a
move might be on the horizon, when
we were given a mere three weeks to
arrange it, it was a huge shock,” Jane
says. “While we were keen to move
to Hong Kong, leaving Shanghai
so quickly was hard. Obviously the
logistics were tricky, but harder than
that, saying goodbye to so many good
friends was very traumatic.”
May 2014
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