Getting medical treatment in the US

I feel John F. Galea of Florida (Medical Treatment In The US, December 3) ought to be aware that Maltese persons cannot get medical attention if they have no insurance policy or anything to pay with if they happen to be visiting any US state even if they happen to be grievously in need of medical attention. The first thing the welcoming nurse at the desk would ask is either to present a valid insurance policy or else pay beforehand.

It must be pointed out that if one forgets his insurance policy and credit card in his hotel or his wallet is lost or stolen and something like a heart attack happens, the patient is bluntly refused medical attention unless he pays as this happened to me on two occasions, once in Washington and another time in Nevada.

In Washington, I was rushed to the Pentagon Hospital and I had to pay before I could be given medical assistance.

I must point out that it makes no sense for anyone who falls ill to call the embassy for assistance. One either goes to hospital or calls a doctor if one happens to be near. Who in the world would take all the trouble of asking for the phone contact of an embassy if one is in the danger of losing his life?

Another point which Mr Galea should know is that most persons who had a serious medical operation such as a heart by-pass are not accepted by any insurance company and I happen to be one of them. Senior citizens who need to have a private insurance are usually charged extremely high prices and at a certain advanced age, insurance agents refuse to cover them.

It is true that the Maltese Embassy in Washington is not difficult to find and contact but if anyone is in Dallas or in another state and needs to contact embassies in these states, how would one know how to go about it?

Canadians are issued with a booklet pointing out these difficulties before travelling to the US.