Minnesota man’s free cruise ends with $47,000 medical bill

By Kirsten Mitchell

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    MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A free cruise turned into a financial nightmare for Mike Cameron, a Minnesota truck driver of 25 years, and his girlfriend, Tamra.

The couple won a free cruise with Norwegian Cruise Line and were excited to celebrate Tamra’s recent lung cancer recovery. The pair set sail for the week-long trip in early January, but shortly into the week, Cameron got sick. He said he went to the ship’s medical center and was diagnosed with the flu.

“When I first went in, there was no doubt that I definitely needed some help,” Cameron said.

After receiving oxygen, Mike said he felt better and asked to return to his room to recover. However, he says he was kept in the medical ward for 62 hours.

“I was reassured by their medical secretary that I had nothing to worry about because I had Travelers Insurance,” Cameron said. “She said, ‘I already looked into it. You’ve got $20,000 worth of coverage. You’ll be fine.'”

But when it came time to pay the bill, Cameron was shocked to learn that the total cost of his care was more than $47,000.

“I couldn’t believe it, to be honest. I still can’t believe it,” he said.

Though Mike and Tamra had purchased Travelers Insurance, their struggles were just beginning. When they went to settle the bill, Mike says the cruise line directed him to first go through his primary health insurance. However, his health insurance didn’t cover medical expenses abroad.

“As of right now, we have no idea if anything’s going to cover it. We don’t know,” Cameron said.

In a statement, Norwegian Cruise Line told WCCO that Mike “received appropriate treatment for his condition” and that “resulting expenses have been reviewed by our internal team.”

After sharing their experience, Cameron and Tamra have heard from others who have been shocked by expensive medical bills after receiving care on international waters. Cameron now encourages others to double-check their coverage before traveling abroad.

“If you’re going to another country, you might want to check all this stuff out, your Travelers Insurance, your primary insurance. You just never know,” he said.

Cameron’s daughter has set up a GoFundMe campaign in an attempt to raise funds to cover the medical bill.

Cameron and Tamra hope their story serves as a warning to others, and a reminder to always confirm medical coverage and veterinary insurance companies before setting sail.

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