Family of Massachusetts man who died in Fiji struggled to get medevac: "Everyone is just pointing fingers"

Despite the efforts of his family to bring him back to Boston for treatment, a Massachusetts man died in Fiji on Tuesday after getting critically ill. Scott Winslow, from Holbrook, was on the trip of a lifetime, sailing the waters of the South Pacific until he fell ill.

"He could have been home by now, but everyone is just pointing fingers," said Lisa Babbin, Winslow's daughter.

He was taken to a hospital in Fiji, after his family said he got an infection that led to an embolism in his lung.

"And then I go well how long are we talking, is he going to survive? and I was told one to two days," Babbin said.

Insurance company said care was adequate

His daughters had been fighting to get him a medical evacuation to Boston since June 25. They say his insurance provider, Aetna, told them his care was adequate, and that they wouldn't pay for the flight despite doctors' notes saying otherwise.

His daughters said he was sharing the only dialysis machine in the hospital with other patients, and that the antibiotics they had weren't working.

"The doctors wrote letters of medical necessity," Babbin said. "They're saying we cannot manage him, I don't know what more we can do."

In a statement on Tuesday, Aetna said in part that they continue to work with Winslow's family "and his providers in Fiji to identify the best way to get him back safely to the United States for continued treatment."

"It's not their family, it's not their father, they're not in this situation," Babbin said.  

The family says Aetna reps told them they could front the lofty medevac costs, but reimbursement wasn't assured. "They're willing to reimburse, but you have to pay out of pocket, which is something we're not able to do," Babbin said.

So, they turned to the U.S. Embassy for a loan, saying representatives were willing to help, but it may take time. "I'm running in circles for two weeks, I'm chasing my tail, trying to get someone to help us," Babbin said.

Before they could find an answer, Winslow died. "I don't understand how you write a denial letter after the letter of medical necessity from the doctors, and also his medical notes," Babbin said.

Medical evacuation costs

Medevac companies say the family's situation is not uncommon. "I wish that I could tell you that we did not run into those kinds of things, but we do," said Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue. His teams have done tens of thousands of medical evacuations.

"These medevac aircraft, the fixed wing aircraft, range from anywhere usually $8,000 an hour to north of $15,000 an hour," Richards said. "So, the numbers that I've seen north of $200,000 to bring him back to Boston, that's not a crazy number."

He says his team would have advised a closer option if possible. "It's a judgment call and hard to know whether or not somebody might survive the transport or not," Richards said.

WBZ-TV asked Aetna for statement following Winslow's death, but the company said they had nothing to add.