Health Insurance while traveling?

[albireo13]

My understanding is that Medicare only covers costs within the US.
For retirees on Medicare ... what do you do about health insurance if you travel abroad?
This is something I just started thinking about as approach age 65.

Thx.

 

[Pellice]

For international travel, I buy travel insurance that includes some health care and evacuation costs. It's not cheap, particularly when one is over 60, but it's important to figure it into the overall costs.

I used it once, when a close relative back in the States died. The company paid up fairly promptly, within about 3 weeks of my return.

 

[Nemo2]

Same in Canada - we buy health insurance when we travel - and the older you get, (even with no health issues), the cost increases exponentially.

 

[Amethyst]

We take short trips and hope for the best!

 

[braumeister]

I have Medicare supplemental coverage that becomes primary when overseas.

I also have evacuation coverage that I buy separately.

Haven't had to use either one yet, but saw a fellow traveler use his a few years ago. Had to be helicoptered out of Denali to a hospital in Anchorage due to a back problem. I shudder to think what that would have cost if he didn't have evacuation insurance.

 

[bearkeley]

We purchase GeoBlue - about $1k for 5 months for both of us if you have a US based insurance plan. Full coverage including prescriptions! We are in our 50s so probably just a little more for someone in their 60s.

 

[omni550]

I'm on Medicare with Medicare Plan G. I live 30 miles from Canada and may pop over for a nice dinner, drive over to Toronto to visit a friend, or go there for a vacation. I also travel to Europe for a month each year to visit relatives. In addition, I often take a 2-week international cruise or something similar.

Rather than hoping for the best or getting a travel insurance policy each time (which gets pricey), I have been buying an annual travel insurance policy. My major concerns are having coverage for medical and evacuation.

I currently have an annual policy for up to trips up to 30-days in length through Seven Corners. I've not had to make any claims yet.

omni

 

[Luvdogs]

We use Insure My Trip for medical evacuation. This is only med-evac which could end up being six figures from Europe to the US. It also states that we can pick the hospital to be transported to in the US.

Also bought supplemental medical insurance through Insure My Trip for DH who is on Medicare. His Medicare supplemental Plan F pays up to $50K lifetime out of the country and this would pay anything after that (hopefully).

One thing I found out-important--if you have pre-existing conditions you need to buy this insurance right away when you make your first plane/ship/hotel reservation or pre-existing won't be covered. I think some were within 24 hours and others maybe up to two weeks.

So research the insurance part of it before you reserve anything for the overseas trip if you have pre-existing conditions.

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

I bought us an annual plan through Allianz. Covers medical while traveling and evacuation. Ive used the medical portion, knock on wood have yet to use evacuation. I recommend anyone that is shopping, price the annual policy vice one for just a single trip. My annual policy cost just a little more and covers us for ALL trips during the year with very few restrictions. Theres a thread somewhere on travel insurance.

 

[explanade]

We use Insure My Trip for medical evacuation. This is only med-evac which could end up being six figures from Europe to the US. It also states that we can pick the hospital to be transported to in the US.

Also bought supplemental medical insurance through Insure My Trip for DH who is on Medicare. His Medicare supplemental Plan F pays up to $50K lifetime out of the country and this would pay anything after that (hopefully).

One thing I found out-important--if you have pre-existing conditions you need to buy this insurance right away when you make your first plane/ship/hotel reservation or pre-existing won't be covered. I think some were within 24 hours and others maybe up to two weeks.

So research the insurance part of it before you reserve anything for the overseas trip if you have pre-existing conditions.

Have you ever had to file a claim on a policy purchased on insuremytrip.com?

I've done it a couple of times, because it's pretty cheap -- $40 -- for about two weeks, which provides something like a $50k secondary policy.

My ACA is suppose to cover emergencies up to a certain amount so I would assume the secondary policy would kick in.

I also have a credit card with emergency evacuation policies but it has a high annual fee. Yet when I read the terms, I get the sense that they'd only approve evacuation to some place that they deem to meet standards for care.

So within Europe, they might not pay for repatriation to the US. But maybe if in a developing country (which I rarely travel to), they might evacuate to a nearby hospital which supposedly met the standards, rather than all the way back to US.

I did read an article once about how someone got evacuated back on a private jet with a doctor and it was Amex Platinum which paid for the costs, which ran up into 6-figures.

 

[athena53]

Also bought supplemental medical insurance through Insure My Trip for DH who is on Medicare. His Medicare supplemental Plan F pays up to $50K lifetime out of the country and this would pay anything after that (hopefully).

That $50K lifetime limit was a concern for me, too, as someone with a Supplement. I also use InsureMyTrip.com. "Travel insurance" can have so many moving parts (I know, I just peer-reviewed an American Academy of Actuaries White Paper on the subject). To me, trip cancellation and lost or delayed baggage are minimal risks (I fly Business Class on the long hauls and most are fully refundable). The things I look for:

1. Large PRIMARY health insurance coverage. That means Medicare and the Supplement aren't likely to pay at all because this coverage pays first- so you don't need to worry about the $50K limit. It also means you don't have to go through the trouble of running the claims through your regular carrier first. Really convenient if you're in a foreign country where they want assurance you can pay immediately.

2. Med-evac coverage, preferably to the BEST hospital, not just the nearest.

3. Some sort of referral network so you have an in-country number to call for assistance. (I've seen this sold separately at a very low cost- it's because they don't pay anything, they just help you get medical attention.)

4. Additional costs of you and a traveling companion having to stay longer, rebook flights, etc.

5. Additional costs of going home if you're, say, in a cast, need to be accompanied by a nurse, need 2 Business Class seats, etc.

6. Worst case- repatriation of remains. Keep in mind that some countries prohibit cremation, so now you're talking about the cost of embalming and shipping a body.

I'm fortunate- healthy and active, no pre-existing conditions. Last week, though, I climbed Arthurs Seat in Edinburgh (elevation about 1/2 mile) 3 days out of the 4 I was there because I loved it so much. I've gone snorkeling in 42-degree water, walked on glaciers, descended into a dormant volcano- I really want to be protected in case Stuff Happens.

 

[explanade]

So which policy do you choose on insuremytrip.com?

I've used Travel Guard MedEvac Plan from AIG and Classic plan from Allianz.

 

[athena53]

So which policy do you choose on insuremytrip.com?

I've used Travel Guard MedEvac Plan from AIG and Classic plan from Allianz.

It varies- I think the last was from Allianz. Every time I review them all and pick the one that seems to address what I consider my major risks.

 

[explanade]

I didn't know about the lifetime cap though.

So if I actually file a claim, the next time I buy that same insurance there would be less money?

I also don't know about preexisting conditions. It's suppose to exclude anything you might have within the past 6 or 9 months but they don't make you identify what those are when you enroll.

 

[candrew]

World Nomads is worth a look. They processed our claim promptly.

 

[athena53]

I didn't know about the lifetime cap though.

So if I actually file a claim, the next time I buy that same insurance there would be less money?

I also don't know about preexisting conditions. It's suppose to exclude anything you might have within the past 6 or 9 months but they don't make you identify what those are when you enroll.

No, the cap is on Medicare Supplements. Regular Medicare A/B pays zero outside of the US. If you have a Medicare Supplement (the coverage that pays the 20% Medicare doesn't pay, such as the policy AARP markets), it will cover up to $50K in your lifetime outside the US. The separate travel coverages you buy don't have that lifetime cap (although they usually have limits for what they'll pay on the trip).

While you don't need to ID your pre-existing conditions, I'm sure that's done if you file a claim- they'll check back in your medical records to see if it was a condition not covered because it was pre-existing. There are policies which DO cover pre-existing but you need to check the wording. Typically they require that you buy them within a short time after booking your trip, to avoid people deciding to buy the coverage AFTER they're diagnosed with something that might generate a claim.

 

[Octogirl]

+1. Saving all this good info for our next overseas trip

 

[bingybear]

No, the cap is on Medicare Supplements. Regular Medicare A/B pays zero outside of the US. If you have a Medicare Supplement (the coverage that pays the 20% Medicare doesn't pay, such as the policy AARP markets), it will cover up to $50K in your lifetime outside the US. The separate travel coverages you buy don't have that lifetime cap (although they usually have limits for what they'll pay on the trip).

While you don't need to ID your pre-existing conditions, I'm sure that's done if you file a claim- they'll check back in your medical records to see if it was a condition not covered because it was pre-existing. There are policies which DO cover pre-existing but you need to check the wording. Typically they require that you buy them within a short time after booking your trip, to avoid people deciding to buy the coverage AFTER they're diagnosed with something that might generate a claim.

My last trip we had the requirement noted above. One of the conditions was that it had to be in the doctor's notes that on the date of purchase the doctor needed to validate that I was clear for travel. Note that we bought the insurance 6 months before the trip. I had seen him very recently and so he added the note that I was clear to travel based on the recent visit.

PE condition - pacemaker and all that comes with it. The trip was 90 miles of mountain hiking with full packs. We did stay below the elevation and rock scaling that would have invalidated the insurance. Read the policy! and don't void it.
And have good trips before you can't.

 

[explanade]

Ok but health insurers consider some common chronic conditions like pre diabetes or hypertension as preexisting conditions.

So would a travel insurer consider some emergency arising from such chronic conditions as a preexisting condition and not covered?

 

[Luvdogs]

Ok but health insurers consider some common chronic conditions like pre diabetes or hypertension as preexisting conditions.

So would a travel insurer consider some emergency arising from such chronic conditions as a preexisting condition and not covered?

Sorry to be pessimistic but I would expect them to try to find any way to deny. I have heard with life insurance, if a doctor mentions a condition that life insurance can be denied.

 

[NYEXPAT]

Whenever we travel to the USA, I buy a one million Dollar health policy with a $1,000 deductible. I do not buy trip insurance as I can easily absorb those costs.

 

[explanade]

I think that's what people are talking about, health insurance while traveling, including medical evacuation.

Not trip cancellation or trip delay coverage.

 

[MichaelB]

One of the questions I've always had about emergency medical evacuation insurance is about the policy language. The plans I've read always state the insurer must pre-approve, or medical transportation is not covered. What happens in an emergency when you can't call first? It seems to me that most cases of medical evacuation are real emergencies.

 

[bingybear]

One of the questions I've always had about emergency medical evacuation insurance is about the policy language. The plans I've read always state the insurer must pre-approve, or medical transportation is not covered. What happens in an emergency when you can't call first? It seems to me that most cases of medical evacuation are real emergencies.

What are you considering "medical evacuation"?
Getting you from point of injury to local medical facility? or getting you from local medical facility to different country where appropriate care can be administered?

The second may be more likely to have time and ability to coordinate.

 

[6miths]

Traveling to U.S. is the only time I really worry about health coverage. Have it through my credit card and an additional policy. Organization I volunteer for provides coverage when I go to Africa for them.