I have always bought emergency medical insurance coverage when I visit the US. Now that my husband is over age 80, it's getting pretty impossible to find a policy. Does anyone have a suggestion?

We both have Medicare Part A, which I think only covers hospital costs. Would it cover an emergency room visit? Would it be adequate coverage for a short visit to the US?

I don't know if it's relevant, but we are both Italian residents, and I am a dual citizen, while my husband has only Italian citizenship.

Don't even think about coming to the US without good medical insurance. Seven Corners will sell insurance for visits to the US, but I'm not sure whether there is an age cutoff.

I believe that Medicare Part A will only pay for an emergency room visit if you are admitted to the hospital within three days. See also: https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/in...-hospital-care - it's not clear to me whether it is Part A or Part B that pays the doctors. Part A is not adequate insurance on its own.

I guess you contributed to US social security a while to get Part A.

No, Part A only covers inpatient facilities. It isn't an issue of it being a hospital or not but inpatient versus outpatient services. Part A definitely does NOT pay doctors. And it doesn't pay any ER services, the issues about being admitted wihtin 3 days is just because in that situation, the ER services are included in the inpatient hospital payment, that's all, under Medicare payment rules. They did this because hospitals were trying to game the system by having patients come in the day before a scheduled inpatient surgery for a bunch of preop tests and then the hospital wanted to get paid extra for them, in addition to the hospital stay.

I don't think we know about insurance policies for Italian residents. I don't think US websites provide insurance for Italian residents, so who knows. The fact that you are a US citizen I don't think is relevant in that regard. I'd look at whatever source you used before. But all I know is you can put criteria into those travel insurance websites with your criteria and see. I know nothing of this website but it seems to offer what you want.

https://www.americanvisitorinsurance...e-80-years.asp

Thank you Thursday for your advice, and Christina for the link. It looks as though we might be able to find something on that site. Several times I've thought I had a solution, but realized it wouldn't work when I began to fill out the questionnaire.

A number of agencies won't insure US citizens, no matter where their residence is. I don't know why this is. After all, my Medicare coverage would reduce their risk. I'm a US citizen, but my husband isn't.

Many agencies require people over 80 to apply separately, which would mean that my husband and I would need separate policies; this would raise the (already high) cost significantly.

I've also found a European agency, Europ Assistance, which might be able to cover us. The cost is pretty high, and one of the agencies on the site Christina mentioned might be more affordable. I'll have to do some research on the reliability of these agencies.

Thanks again, and if anyone else has suggestions, I'll be happy to hear them.

You are right , it is going to be expensive for an 80 yo. Seven Corners at least will insure you for medical. Insurance is based on where you live. Try quoting Inbound Visitor Insurance or give them a call.

Although the CBC covers specifically Canadians and their travel woes, I think the same caveats will apply to other nationalities.

One should also note that many, many older Canadians travel to the warmer regions of the US during the winter months, and in consequence the CBC consumer program "Marketplace" has covered several instances of older Canadians who bought travel medical insurance, endured a serious medical episode while on holiday in the US, and received, several months after returning home, a bill from the respective hospital for, literally, hundreds of thousands of dollars. They had thought they were covered, obviously they were not.

My take from watching these episodes is this.

1. Beware the 'preexisting conditions' clause.

2. Doctors are not lawyers. This was the point made by a lawyer interviewed by the CBC. One's own doctor may in good faith deem one healthy enough to travel, but the insurance contract is a legal document, not a medical one. A doctor may not deem a prior surgery or illness to have any bearing on the heart attack (for example) one subsequently suffers on holiday, but the lawyers for the insurance company may not see it that way.

If you are in a category deemed 'high risk' - and all people in older age categories will be deemed to be thus - either hire a lawyer to review the insurance contract; assume you have pre-existing conditions and try to find a policy that covers same (they exist, and they are of course much more expensive); be prepared to self insure (!!!) or some combination of all three.

Even should you purchase a policy, be prepared that what you may have purchased is only an option to take an insurance company to court, no joke.

Because what I learned from those news stories is that the unfortunate reality is that we are all only as old as the insurance company feels.

This is one episode that covered the topic.

This is why a Canadian friend flew back to Canada from US where they spend the winter. He was is a very serious condition, really too sick to fly, but had to get back to Canada for surgery.

We knew a Canadian snowbird who took a part time winter job at Trader Joe's just to get medical coverage. He had a stint in emergency one winter with a bad case of the 'flu, apparently that was an ouchie bill.