Flight delays and costs due to weather.
Dec 3rd, 2012, 05:12 PM
#21
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Travel insurance health benefits just covers you in any event. Is it worth paying the small fee for it for peace of mind, not to mention it covers airline hiccups, lost luggage, if you have to change plans go home early, family emergencies, even work emergencies. I've bought it for years and finally had to file a claim this year, got caught up in the Lufthansa strike in early Oct, while not claim on the flight portion because Luftansa did get us where we needed to go, with delays was an entirely different city they had no problem rebooked but we lost ferry tickets and other costs, that the travel insurance paid. So before you totally ream me out for misadvising on US health insurance international coverage. Think twice. Again best advice, check your policies but regardless of your health insurance policies do get it for the other hiccups, some can be very costly and the double health for some well why not?
Dec 3rd, 2012, 05:28 PM
#23
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I should probably also clarify they weren't cheap ferry tickets, it was an overnight Baltic ferry in luxury cabin, $800 plus lost hotels in Stockholm, at $300/night. The plan was fly to Stockholm then ferry to Helsinki but Lufthansa ended up flying us to Helsinki at my request given we had missed already the Stockholm portion, of course no extra fee, their problem started the chain of events. So that is why no air recovery, there wasn't any but other elements of the trip as I mention were affected. Buy travel insurance! The policy cost me $50!
Dec 3rd, 2012, 06:27 PM
#24
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To sum it up, yes I was inaccurate but NOT misleading. Most US health insurance policies don't cover int'l and if they do there's clauses, you're not fully covered with most. Though please tell if you are and please cite the company for verification. I would love if someone could post their fully covered totally open policy to include medevac from Zimbabwe. Please share!
Dec 3rd, 2012, 06:59 PM
#25
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We have used our Blue Shield benefits in Thailand. No pre-approval was required, just the bill and a treatment note in English from the physician. The insurance paid 100%. This year, my insurance notified me that I can fill out claim forms for any services rendered outside the US online and have the check electronically deposited in my US account or in an account in another country and I can choose whether it should be paid in dollars or another currency.
By the way, what you quoted from your policy is not a requirement to notify them if you are traveling, but a recommendation to call them to see exactly what your coverage is - always a good idea. My policy allows urgent care in other countries and treats it as "in network" for coverage purposes.
Sorry to be picky, but "You should always consult your health care provider for exact details regarding your individual policy and coverage." NO! Please don't. Your healthcare provider is not the expert on your insurance. Call your insurance company if you have questions.
By the way, what you quoted from your policy is not a requirement to notify them if you are traveling, but a recommendation to call them to see exactly what your coverage is - always a good idea. My policy allows urgent care in other countries and treats it as "in network" for coverage purposes.
Sorry to be picky, but "You should always consult your health care provider for exact details regarding your individual policy and coverage." NO! Please don't. Your healthcare provider is not the expert on your insurance. Call your insurance company if you have questions.
Dec 3rd, 2012, 07:10 PM
#26
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Kathie, I misspoke or rather mistyped on "health care provider", meant "insurance company". I would like to hear more, this is interesting, obviously to me because I travel and will eventually live outside the US. What is your coverage for hospitalization, surgery, medevac?
Dec 4th, 2012, 07:58 AM
#28
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BSBC doesn't cover me "completely" outside the US, only for urgent care. I get my routine medical care in the US.
If I were moving to another country, I'd take a look at GeoBlue Expat. If I were living, say, 6 months of the year in another ocuntry, I might want the ability to get routine medical care outside the US. I don't know if GeoBlue Traveler or Geo Blue Expat would be the right option, but I would look at the options.
I get my med evac insurance through a membership (note: not an insurance policy) from DAN, Divers Alert Network. Via membership, the two of us get med evac for an annual fee of around $50 total. There are a couple of other options for inexpensive med evac insurance purchased annually rather than via a travel insurance policy. Travel insurance policies are, in my experience, the most expensive way to get coverage.
If I were moving to another country, I'd take a look at GeoBlue Expat. If I were living, say, 6 months of the year in another ocuntry, I might want the ability to get routine medical care outside the US. I don't know if GeoBlue Traveler or Geo Blue Expat would be the right option, but I would look at the options.
I get my med evac insurance through a membership (note: not an insurance policy) from DAN, Divers Alert Network. Via membership, the two of us get med evac for an annual fee of around $50 total. There are a couple of other options for inexpensive med evac insurance purchased annually rather than via a travel insurance policy. Travel insurance policies are, in my experience, the most expensive way to get coverage.
Dec 4th, 2012, 08:26 AM
#29
A US-issued health insurance policy., or Medicare supplemental policy, may or may not cover emergency care abroad. You have to check your individual policy, and blanket statements are misleading. It is very unlikely that such a policy will cover non-emergency care, but if you have a Cadillac policy I suppose it is possible.
I do not buy generic travel insurance, as I take lengthy trips, solo. If you have booked expensive tours or cruises it may beworthwhile, provided you buy it early enough to cover pre-existing conditions, and read the exclusions carefully. I have read a number of sad stories from people who turned out not to be covered for their particular problem.
I do buy evacution/repatriation insurance, and used it when I broke my wrist in Switzerland. I do not use DAN, although a number of posters here do. I asked them specifically whether they would have flown me home from Switzerland after I broke my wrist, and after hospital treatment, and they said no. At that time, and currently, I used tenweb.com, but they only cover trips up to 60 days. For longer trips I check Seven Corners for their current offering.
I do not buy generic travel insurance, as I take lengthy trips, solo. If you have booked expensive tours or cruises it may beworthwhile, provided you buy it early enough to cover pre-existing conditions, and read the exclusions carefully. I have read a number of sad stories from people who turned out not to be covered for their particular problem.
I do buy evacution/repatriation insurance, and used it when I broke my wrist in Switzerland. I do not use DAN, although a number of posters here do. I asked them specifically whether they would have flown me home from Switzerland after I broke my wrist, and after hospital treatment, and they said no. At that time, and currently, I used tenweb.com, but they only cover trips up to 60 days. For longer trips I check Seven Corners for their current offering.
Feb 15th, 2013, 03:50 AM
#31
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Sorry to listen to about your regrettable conditions. However, most airways do have the same plan in regards to setbacks due to "acts of God" although some are more flexible than others.
Air journey is a amazing factor but working with setbacks especially associated with climate is all a aspect of the encounter.
Air journey is a amazing factor but working with setbacks especially associated with climate is all a aspect of the encounter.
Feb 28th, 2013, 10:12 AM
#33
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I spent a lot of time researching travel and medical insurance, and my conclusion is that every policy is different, and they make it hard for you to see the actual policy before buying it, and hard to read it if you do find it. Medevac coverage, for example, often will not repatriate you, but is limited to transporting you to the nearest facility that can treat you.
My wife has medicare and a supplemental policy; the supplemental policy covers her worldwide, but they generally pay only a percentage of the cost. This works fine domestically, because each program pays for the copays that the other won't. So the overseas coverage is not as complete as one would hope.
As an amusing note, my wife had an infection while we were visiting Amsterdam. She went to a doctor and he prescribed medication. I paid him (an astonishingly low fee, by the way), we walked across the canal and bought the medication (I paid them also), and she recovered. When we got home, I had to file two claims, one for the doctor and one for the medication. I sent them in the same envelope to save postage. It took some time and phone calls, but they finally paid them, but they used a different exchange rate on each claim! I wanted to ask them why, but I had already had enough of dealing with them. I don't know how they handle a situation where you need expensive treatment. I don't make a habit of carrying huge sums of local currency, and I think in some countries the treaters don't have the facilities to deal with an insurance company.
I looked into buying medivac insurance from a diving association a few years ago, and some language in their policy appeared to limit coverage to injury or disease related to diving. A common clause in all contracts is to disclaim any representations from agents or ads, and to limit the liability to that expressly listed in the contract. And the contracts are drawn up by a team of lawyers whose interest is in protecting the company.
My wife has medicare and a supplemental policy; the supplemental policy covers her worldwide, but they generally pay only a percentage of the cost. This works fine domestically, because each program pays for the copays that the other won't. So the overseas coverage is not as complete as one would hope.
As an amusing note, my wife had an infection while we were visiting Amsterdam. She went to a doctor and he prescribed medication. I paid him (an astonishingly low fee, by the way), we walked across the canal and bought the medication (I paid them also), and she recovered. When we got home, I had to file two claims, one for the doctor and one for the medication. I sent them in the same envelope to save postage. It took some time and phone calls, but they finally paid them, but they used a different exchange rate on each claim! I wanted to ask them why, but I had already had enough of dealing with them. I don't know how they handle a situation where you need expensive treatment. I don't make a habit of carrying huge sums of local currency, and I think in some countries the treaters don't have the facilities to deal with an insurance company.
I looked into buying medivac insurance from a diving association a few years ago, and some language in their policy appeared to limit coverage to injury or disease related to diving. A common clause in all contracts is to disclaim any representations from agents or ads, and to limit the liability to that expressly listed in the contract. And the contracts are drawn up by a team of lawyers whose interest is in protecting the company.
Apr 28th, 2013, 07:47 PM
#35
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Taveler1542, don't worry about over-advising. People do need to check for themselves. Our policy does not cover most things outside the US, and not at all in some places. We do buy travel insurance, especially if we are going to out of the way places where an accident might require medivac, or have pre-paid a lots of costs that would be lost if we had to cancel.
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