ekscrunchy

Would someone (Travelhorizons?) please explain to me the meaning of a "zero-line" insurance policy? Does that mean that when asked for the total price of unreimbursable items, one writes 0? I do that, I will not be covered for loss of pre-paid air tickets, or hotels, but I would be covered for medical costs realted to the trip??


Also, I've bought Medjetassist policies in the past, but I am not familiar with Tenweb. Sounds as if Tenweb may be cheaper, so thanks, Thursday, for the recommendation..

thursdaysd

Hi eks, you're welcome.

Just to be clear, tenweb provides evacuation and repatriation but not medical, although Seven Corners, where I buy it these days, does have policies that cover all three.

I believe your understanding of zero line is correct, but I have never done it.

kayd

A change in your plans for returning home is not repatriation. Repatriation refers to the return to the US of your remains if you die while traveling.

thursdaysd

Both are repatriation. Evacuation does not get you home, it only gets you to the nearest medical facility.

kja

I readily admit that I was not familiar with the Medical Traveler program, and ALL I know about it is what I just learned in a 5-minute internet search, so I could very easily be wrong and hope that others chime in. My initial observations:

I didn't see anything that indicates that you can elect to be transferred to a HOSPITAL of your choosing (let alone the city or state) -- just to the COUNTRY of your choice, which to my mind is quite a different thing.

The site I just checked said you would have the right "to receive medical care and treatment of a standard of quality comparable to that received by any patient attended by the same physician in the same facility; receive this care and treatment for the same cost; and receive skilled emergency care if you need it." Does that cover your needs? What are the minimum standards of any specific facility against which this standard would be applied?

You might want to probe your Medical Traveler program about the limits of its coverage....

janisj

kja: Check reidshanerose's profile. I think she is just flogging that website . . .

kja

@ janisj -- you are probably right, and I should have checked first -- but I might have posted anyways, just because it is an important issue and so many people don't understand or think through their needs for medical insurance while traveling! From my brief peek, if I WERE a medical tourist (and I certainly have no plans for that), I sure would be purchasing very good medical trip insurance, including evacuation and repatriation!

bvlenci

I've had another recent experience with taking a non-EU person to the emergency room in Italy. An American child visiting us showed symptoms of appendicitis on a Saturday afternoon, so we took her to the nearest emergency room. We were there for four hours, during which time they did blood tests, an ultrasound, and a visit with a doctor. She was diagnosed with mild appendicitis and put on antibiotics (which is the usual approach here if the case is not urgent). There was no charge; we were told that this was because it was code green, and code green emergency services are free even to foreigners.

Italian regions have some latitude in setting fees for services, so that may not be true in all of Italy. I've now had four occasions to bring Americans to the emergency room here; one visit resulted in an admission. All four cases required extensive testing or surgical procedures. Twice there was no charge, and twice there was a charge, but the amount was much less than the deductible on the medical insurance.

I would suggest that if someone is visiting only Italy, and no other European countries, an inexpensive policy such as those offered by your airline (or Expedia) would be sufficient.