Snowbirds’ COVID nightmare ends but pain lingers

Debbie and Wayne Mailman were facing ruination. But, Debbie says, God and Donald Trump saved them.

You may remember the story of the Aylesford, N.S. couple who were hospitalized with COVID-19 after travelling to Florida last December, then faced hundreds of thousands of dollars of U.S. medical bills that their travel insurer refused to pay.

To quickly recap, the Mailmans bought travel insurance set to begin Jan.1, then flew down in early December to take advantage of a seat sale. On Dec. 21, they called to extend their coverage.

The next day, Wayne’s health went downhill and he was hospitalized. Debbie also tested positive for the coronavirus.

The Canadian Snowbird Association’s endorsed travel insurer, Medipac, questioning the timing, told them it wouldn’t cover their medical bills

Coverage of their plight triggered a storm of online abuse. Many called the couple stupid for flying south during a pandemic, saying they got what they deserved.

The criticism was so over the top nasty, I did a column in late January to explore what happened — and why — in more depth.

Back to the present day. Earlier this week, I checked in with Debbie to get an update. This is her story.

Once the Mailmans were back in Canada, the Largo Medical Center in Florida sent them a bill for $414,000, “give or take some change,” she says.

Most of that was due to Wayne being in hospital there for seven weeks before being airlifted back to Nova Scotia. Debbie spent just a week at the center.

She credits hydroxychloroquine — “the Donald J. Trump treatment” she insisted on as treatment in Florida (which the hospital tried to talk her out of) — for her shorter hospitalization (she says Wayne couldn’t talk at that point so didn’t receive it).

Now, I need to interject here that multiple credible scientific studies have concluded hydroxychloroquine provides no benefit to hospitalized COVID patients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cautioned against its use for COVID19 in June 2020. The World Health Organization also does not recommend its use for COVID-19.

But hydroxychloroquine has been used by millions worldwide during the pandemic to treat COVID.

Back to the monster hospital bill.

Despite threatened legal action, Medipac refused to pay the bill, she says, but offered to refund their premiums — worth a couple of thousand dollars — if they dropped their legal efforts.

“So, I did. I took the premiums back and cashed them in and bought groceries and gas, all those kinds of things that you need.”

Meanwhile, a friend told Debbie about U.S. legislation that might help. After the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act) was signed into law in March 2020, then president Trump directed some of its funding be used to pay COVID-related medical care costs of the uninsured.

Debbie says she did some research, contacted the Florida hospital and was told they needed a letter from her insurer indicating they would not pay her bill.

“So, I did. I got the rejection letter from my insurance company and my bill got paid by Donald J. Trump and the CARES Act.”

This happened two or three weeks ago.

“I had an address in the States, so they paid it. Paid completely.”

“I tell you, God is good, that’s all I got to say. He supplied all of our needs. He took care of it.”

What about their health? After being flown home, her husband spent two weeks in hospital here before being released.

At the time, Wayne couldn’t even walk on his own, Debbie says. It took a month before he could do 10 minutes on a treadmill.

“He didn’t think he’d ever get better. He was emotionally drained. He couldn’t do any of the stuff that a normal person could do,” she says. “Even now, his memory is shot. Because of his lung collapsing in the hospital (in Florida) and his heart stopping — he was pronounced dead for five minutes — even now, just to take a shower, he loses his breath, starts breathing real heavy.”

She didn’t know about his heart stopping until her kids told her after she got home.

She’s also feeling the aftereffects of COVID.

“Sometimes, I get so drained. He gets so upset. All we can just do is sit there, hold hands and cry.” Debbie pauses. “But, we’re getting stronger.”

They’ve been buoyed by their family (especially Wayne’s large family), friends and their church, the Aylesford Baptist Church.

“We had tons of support. Our pastor supported us, all our friends supported us, emotionally. They were there when we needed them, to take us to do things. We never wanted for anything.

“Even people I didn’t even know called me up and wished us well, and said they were praying for us.”

As for going back to Florida, that’s on hold, even though winters here are painful due to their chronic health conditions.

“My husband is still too traumatized by what happened there. He can’t even talk about going back to our place in Florida.”

They sold their place in Largo in April, to the first person who made an offer.

“I closed my eyes, didn’t even think about the memories, possessions, anything.”

Debbie says she’d love to head south again, but until Wayne’s ready, “I’m not going to push it.”

And all the online hate that was directed at them?

It’s stopped, she says. But she just deletes anything like that on her Facebook page without reading it.