Health Insurance while traveling
Oct 27th, 2004, 10:05 AM
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Health Insurance while traveling
Hi everyone! I am leaving my current job in December and spending January in Italy. Since I'll be between jobs and in another country, I have a health insurance dilemma. I have the option to continue to get Blue Cross, Blue Shield health insurance from my current employer and pay huge premiums. If I do that and should require medical attention in Italy, am I even covered?
Oct 27th, 2004, 10:09 AM
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You need to call BC/BS and ask them this. It will depend on your particular policy. I have BC and I am covered overseas just as I am at home. But our group policy is VERY good as my husband is in the medical field.
Oct 27th, 2004, 10:47 AM
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dmadore,
You need to carefully check what specific coverage's you have with BC/BS. I think you'll find that their coverage, if any, is very limited in scope for travel outside of the country and does not include such things as hospitalization reimbursement or emergency evacuation, which by itself can run as high as $50,000 depending on where you are if you do need to be medivaced out.
Purchasing a medical/risk/travel policy from one of the companies that specialize in coverage outside of the country will not cost you very much and can give you a little peace of mind. There are a number of companies that offer such coverage for those traveling abroad on business or pleasure, but the one that we are most familiar with is called SRI, Specialty Risk International (http://www.specialtyrisk.com/). It's the one we recommend our clients contact. The least you can do is to check with them and find out what coverage's they offer.
It's always been wise to have some type of travel insurance/protection while traveling abroad, but in today's world, I think it's necessary to take a few more precautions and make sure you're covered in case something does happen. It can get expensive when you have to pay medical costs out of your own pocket.
You need to carefully check what specific coverage's you have with BC/BS. I think you'll find that their coverage, if any, is very limited in scope for travel outside of the country and does not include such things as hospitalization reimbursement or emergency evacuation, which by itself can run as high as $50,000 depending on where you are if you do need to be medivaced out.
Purchasing a medical/risk/travel policy from one of the companies that specialize in coverage outside of the country will not cost you very much and can give you a little peace of mind. There are a number of companies that offer such coverage for those traveling abroad on business or pleasure, but the one that we are most familiar with is called SRI, Specialty Risk International (http://www.specialtyrisk.com/). It's the one we recommend our clients contact. The least you can do is to check with them and find out what coverage's they offer.
It's always been wise to have some type of travel insurance/protection while traveling abroad, but in today's world, I think it's necessary to take a few more precautions and make sure you're covered in case something does happen. It can get expensive when you have to pay medical costs out of your own pocket.
Oct 27th, 2004, 11:12 AM
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dmadore, I always would recommend getting insurance for the trip.
My HMO told me I am covered out of the country BUT I would no doubt have to pay up front. Than get an itemized list of the cost breakdown from the hospital/doctor/emergency room etc.
That could be a problem to get.
And no guarantee of complete reimbursement even if I could get an itemized statement.
Have never purchased medical insurance for trips in the past but will in the future.
Other posters can correct me if I am wrong but from what I understand if you buy travel medical insurance you only have a few days after buying your trip (airline tickets etc.) to avoid having an exclusion for medical conditions you already have.
Hopefully some other Fodorites can give even more helpful information. The ones that have already posted sure have given some good info.
My HMO told me I am covered out of the country BUT I would no doubt have to pay up front. Than get an itemized list of the cost breakdown from the hospital/doctor/emergency room etc.
That could be a problem to get.
And no guarantee of complete reimbursement even if I could get an itemized statement.
Have never purchased medical insurance for trips in the past but will in the future.
Other posters can correct me if I am wrong but from what I understand if you buy travel medical insurance you only have a few days after buying your trip (airline tickets etc.) to avoid having an exclusion for medical conditions you already have.
Hopefully some other Fodorites can give even more helpful information. The ones that have already posted sure have given some good info.
Oct 27th, 2004, 11:58 AM
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LoveItaly, depending on insurance you may or may not be required to pay upfront.
My son in Germany paid out-of-pocket when we had Cigna HMO, his bill was not itemized, I mailed the paperwork, and it got lost in mail. I faxed a copy, and got reimbursed 100% + interest for the time between my mailing and fax.
Now we have Blue cross HMO at work, and were told at the annual health meeting we should only show the card without paying anything. I hope we won't have to use it
My son in Germany paid out-of-pocket when we had Cigna HMO, his bill was not itemized, I mailed the paperwork, and it got lost in mail. I faxed a copy, and got reimbursed 100% + interest for the time between my mailing and fax.
Now we have Blue cross HMO at work, and were told at the annual health meeting we should only show the card without paying anything. I hope we won't have to use it
Oct 27th, 2004, 12:13 PM
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I work in health insurance consulting,although travel insurance isn't my particular area of expertise, and I think a lot of people don't understand that BCBS assn is an organization with indiv. independent BCBS state plan members,and each state is essentially a different company with its own rules and plans. All of these individual independent companies together comprise the overall organization. No one can answer this question for you and your specific policy, you have to ask your insurer.
I really disagree with Robert (who may be selling insurance) that BCBS plans generally do not cover hospitalization abroad. Many BCBS plans even have hospital and physician networks abroad in some countries that would be like a PPO provider network and they do participate. I haven't tallied all of the many BCBS plans in the US on these points of coverage, but most of the std and PPO BCBS plans that I've read the coverage policies do cover hospitalization abroad.
Since you have one specific country destination, it would be easy to get info on them regarding services in Italy, and a list of providers and phone numbers, if they have them. The general BCBS assn's web page has a locator for providers outside the US if you put in your plan number. Their worldwide service information number is 1-800-810-BLUE and they can probably give you info on what providers are in their plan in Italy. If you do need hospitalization, you will have to follow the rules about calling to notify them immediately (which is often true in the US, also, or prior to admission if you know about it).
I really disagree with Robert (who may be selling insurance) that BCBS plans generally do not cover hospitalization abroad. Many BCBS plans even have hospital and physician networks abroad in some countries that would be like a PPO provider network and they do participate. I haven't tallied all of the many BCBS plans in the US on these points of coverage, but most of the std and PPO BCBS plans that I've read the coverage policies do cover hospitalization abroad.
Since you have one specific country destination, it would be easy to get info on them regarding services in Italy, and a list of providers and phone numbers, if they have them. The general BCBS assn's web page has a locator for providers outside the US if you put in your plan number. Their worldwide service information number is 1-800-810-BLUE and they can probably give you info on what providers are in their plan in Italy. If you do need hospitalization, you will have to follow the rules about calling to notify them immediately (which is often true in the US, also, or prior to admission if you know about it).
Oct 27th, 2004, 06:27 PM
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Our BC/BS plan pays the same overseas as in the USA--there are different levels of coverage for preferred and non-preferred providers. But, as pointed out above, insurance companies have many different plans with different coverages.
Oct 27th, 2004, 07:02 PM
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No Christina, I do not sell travel insurance, only recommend it to our clients when they travel abroad. BCBS may, in some cases, cover hospitalization when you're traveling abroad, but I wouldn't count on being able to collect payments or reimbursements in a reasonable time, and I doubt seriously that BCBS will cover the day to day expenses that some of the specialty insurers cover, otherwise the thousands of Americans traveling abroad for work would only need to obtain BCBS coverage and there wouldn't be such a large market in the specialty insurance business.
I used to work for a corporation that paid 100% of all my medical expenses, at home or abroad, but the coverage didn't come cheap, and that was several years ago. Such coverage is generally now only available to those in the upper corporate management level, not to the average traveler. This is why I highly recommend that anyone traveling abroad pickup a little extra coverage regardless of what you may have through an insurer like BCBS. For the price, what can you loose.
One other point to make, as Christina points out regarding "hospital and physician networks", what happens is you are not near any of the selected hospitals or physicians? Also, does BCBS include a provision in it's policies for emergency evacuation while in another country? It's something one of our clients encountered two years ago at a cost approaching $35,000.
I used to work for a corporation that paid 100% of all my medical expenses, at home or abroad, but the coverage didn't come cheap, and that was several years ago. Such coverage is generally now only available to those in the upper corporate management level, not to the average traveler. This is why I highly recommend that anyone traveling abroad pickup a little extra coverage regardless of what you may have through an insurer like BCBS. For the price, what can you loose.
One other point to make, as Christina points out regarding "hospital and physician networks", what happens is you are not near any of the selected hospitals or physicians? Also, does BCBS include a provision in it's policies for emergency evacuation while in another country? It's something one of our clients encountered two years ago at a cost approaching $35,000.
Oct 28th, 2004, 03:12 AM
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Our BC/BS plan does cover emergency evac. And they provide toll free numbers to contact their rep who coordinates all billing and payments with the medical provider. The plan is available to all employees from mail clerks to the Big Cheese.
Oct 28th, 2004, 07:37 AM
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Hi dm,
As noted, call your ins carrier.
My plan provides the same coverage abroad as in the US. It does not cover evacuation.
This might be helpful,
http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/me...p/benefits.asp
Basic membership gives you 100k worth of evacuation insurance (not medical coverage- but just to get you home) for diving or non-diving accidents or injuries from anywhere 50 miles from your home or farther. The family membership is $44.
As noted, call your ins carrier.
My plan provides the same coverage abroad as in the US. It does not cover evacuation.
This might be helpful,
http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/me...p/benefits.asp
Basic membership gives you 100k worth of evacuation insurance (not medical coverage- but just to get you home) for diving or non-diving accidents or injuries from anywhere 50 miles from your home or farther. The family membership is $44.
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