Kurt Gowdy said:
Your situation has me very curious - how long of a trip did you have planned? Do you have any type of medical insurance that is covering her and your extraordinary expenses (hotels, flight changes, etc.)?
We spent nearly a week in Vienna before arriving in Budapest on the 23rd (it's now the night of the 29th). We were supposed to fly back back yesterday morning but she won't be able fly until the 5th at least based on what we're being told.
We didn't get travel insurance b/c we've never used it and I'm a dumbass. Luckily my wife's insurance will supposedly cover 90% of the hospital stay minus our deductible b/c it's emergency and life-threatening and out of country. Finding that out yesterday was a huge weight off my shoulders. There are still question marks on what else they may cover.
Everything costs about 1/3 to 1/2 of what it costs in the US luckily. Hotel is $62/night & the best free breakfast every day I've ever seen.
My insurance case mgr suggested today that certain credit card companies & banks sometimes offer free housing allowances for situations like this, but I haven't been able to confirm that yet.
Also, the US embassy has been a God-send. The level of customer service is like nothing you canimagine in that hospital. The customer service and facilities are likely better in our prisons than they are in that hospital, but the embassy calls every single day requesting an update on her condition, which lights a fire under their asses. I'll write a detailed post on this subject later.
Depending on my wife's condition when we fly, we might have to go 1st class. My parents and my wife's parents have offered to cover that cost. United Airlines may waive the change fee, but I don't have that confirmed yet either.