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Old 01-20-2023, 03:29 PM   #1
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Medical Travel Insurance

DH and I are planning a trip to Ireland/Scotland and we would like to purchase medical insurance coverage only. We don't want to cover the cost of our trip because most of it will be refundable if we have to cancel.

Has anyone purchased just medical? Any recommendations on a company?
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Old 01-20-2023, 03:52 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by gailwinters View Post
DH and I are planning a trip to Ireland/Scotland and we would like to purchase medical insurance coverage only. We don't want to cover the cost of our trip because most of it will be refundable if we have to cancel.

Has anyone purchased just medical? Any recommendations on a company?
I use GeoBlue. It is a Blue Cross/Blue Shield product. You need domestic insurance to buy it, but it doesn’t need to be from BC/BS. You can buy a plan to cover just your one trip or an annual plan.
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Old 01-20-2023, 04:34 PM   #3
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I also use GeoBlue.
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Old 01-30-2023, 09:04 AM   #4
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Check prices on insuremytrip.com and World Nomads as well. We bought bare-bones medical coverage (mostly for COVID) from insure my trip recently and have used World Nomads many times.
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Old 01-30-2023, 02:40 PM   #5
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Check prices on insuremytrip.com and World Nomads as well. We bought bare-bones medical coverage (mostly for COVID) from insure my trip recently and have used World Nomads many times.
They would be my first choice, but we’re too old!
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Old 01-31-2023, 08:47 PM   #6
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Unfortunately, preexisting conditions is hard to get coverage for and with this being a retiree forum, most everyone has a medical history of some sort.
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Old 01-31-2023, 10:07 PM   #7
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We have GeoBlue also. It's the only one I can find that covers pre-existing conditions. One of the other companies says it does-- but it has a three year lookback period.

Also, I'm pretty sure you need to buy it very soon after you book your trip--whether it is the hotel, cruise, airline, etc.

Whenever I book a trip overseas, I get insurance within a few days. This is for medical insurance only.

I don't insure the trip itself since most things can be cancelled until shortly before the stay. But I recently booked a hotel that has a cancellation policy that it has to be cancelled 30 days prior but that's pretty unusual--and maybe they can get away with it due to revenge travel.
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Old 02-01-2023, 07:51 PM   #8
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For those that belong to Kaiser Permanente, Kaiser advertises as being one of the few Medical Insurance providers that offers emergency/urgent coverage anywhere in the world. At least here through the Northern California region and I assume the others all offer the same.

All it takes is to call Kaiser's special 800 number and notify them of the emergency and they take it from there. They also consult with the treating hospital/doctor in foreign countries to work out the needed medical care.

As for payment of services, I do believe Kaiser expects you to pay with a credit card and then submit all documentation once you return home for reimbursement. Of course the big question is what happens if you suffered a serious health emergency and the bill runs into the tens of thousands of dollars. Luckily for me I have several credit cards with high limits.

With most older adults having preexisting medical conditions, this coverage is almost a must. Unfortunately I think most American's that travel overseas have no coverage and basically just roll the dice.

Minor things like stitches or a broken wrist from a fall are easily paid for out of pocket, serious conditions of course are a totally different thing.
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Old 02-02-2023, 06:45 AM   #9
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If you are on traditional Medicare with a supplement, have a look at your evidence of coverage. There may be coverage for emergency medical treatment while outside of the U.S.

We had a plan G supplement that provided a lifetime 50K emergency medical travel benefit that was valid only for the first 60 days that we were outside of the U.S. At times we travel outside of the U.S. for up to 6 months at a time. For that reason (and another related to cost savings), we've enrolled in a Medicare Advantage PPO plan offered through DW's state retirement. No time limit on emergency medical travel outside of the U.S.

Additionally, we carry an emergency medical evacuation policy. Annual premium cost for both of us runs around $700/year.
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Old 02-02-2023, 07:01 AM   #10
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Avoid Allianze, tried to make a medical claim and was denied. It has taken months and I had to call many times. Still fighting and working with a lawyer to resolve. Very disappointed.
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Old 02-05-2023, 11:56 AM   #11
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I use GeoBlue. It is a Blue Cross/Blue Shield product. You need domestic insurance to buy it, but it doesn’t need to be from BC/BS. You can buy a plan to cover just your one trip or an annual plan.
When I went to GeoBlue.com and said I wanted travel insurance, I was redirected to Pacific Prime. Is this legit?
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Old 02-05-2023, 12:30 PM   #12
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When I went to GeoBlue.com and said I wanted travel insurance, I was redirected to Pacific Prime. Is this legit?
That's the wrong URL. Google Geo Blue and you will get www.geobluetravelinsurance.com
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Old 08-03-2023, 10:17 AM   #13
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Does anyone have experience using Sapphire Reserve emergency medical insurance?
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Old 08-03-2023, 10:24 AM   #14
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Does anyone have experience using Sapphire Reserve emergency medical insurance?
What are you looking for?
I don't think they offer actual medical insurance, just emergency evacuation.
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Old 08-03-2023, 11:02 AM   #15
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So it’s only evacuation in case of an emergency without any emergency treatment? Just trying to see what if anything additional we should purchase for 3 weeks in Italy. Difficult enough trying to sort through Medicare, Supplement plans, and Med Advantage plans in the US. International travel just adds another level of complexity (:
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Old 08-03-2023, 11:23 AM   #16
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That's the wrong URL. Google Geo Blue and you will get www.geobluetravelinsurance.com
GeoBlue is not available in all states. They have subsidiaries that do have policies available in the states where they are not approved by the insurance commissioner. They may not be the cheapest.

World Nomads is great if you are younger, but they do have an age limit where they will not write a policy.

Use an aggregator like InsureMyTrip or SquareMouth. These are licensed agents who have products from many carriers and serve all 50 states. I was able to get a policy from a company called Seven Corners through SquareMouth at less than GeoBlue's subsidiary.

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Old 08-03-2023, 11:29 AM   #17
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So it’s only evacuation in case of an emergency without any emergency treatment? Just trying to see what if anything additional we should purchase for 3 weeks in Italy. Difficult enough trying to sort through Medicare, Supplement plans, and Med Advantage plans in the US. International travel just adds another level of complexity (:
It's pretty standard -- just what would be needed to safely get you to proper treatment.
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Benefit Overview
If you or a member of your immediate family are injured or become sick during a trip far from home that results in an emergency evacuation, you can be covered for medical services and transportation up to $100,000.
Quote:
What is Covered
Transportation, medical services, and medical supplies that are necessary for your emergency evacuation
Transportation includes, but is not limited to, air ambulances, land ambulances, and private motor vehicles
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Old 08-03-2023, 12:55 PM   #18
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Read the policy carefully. Make certain that it includes evacuation insurance.

Buy directly from a carrier or a travel insurance specialist. Definitely not from a travel provider or from a travel agent/agency.

Ask questions. Ask more questions.

Do not gloss over your medical conditions, etc. on order to secure a lower premium. IF you need to make a claim your actual medical history vs what you input on the insurance application will be the first thing that the insurer reviews.

We travel internationally fairly often. At least three times per year, often more. Even though we have only had one minor claim in 25 plus years we view out of country medical/evac as our biggest risk when travelling. So we make certain that we address that risk.
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Old 08-03-2023, 01:09 PM   #19
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Just yesterday, I purchased an annual travel policy from GeoBlue (Trekker Choice) primarily for its medical evacuation coverage of $500k and $1 million in medical coverage. It also comes with a 24/7 Global Medical Assistance benefit. GeoBlue was the only company I could find that would insure longer duration trips (up to 70 days) in an annual policy.


We paid $390 for the policy, and it could be money well spent or money flushed down the toilet (I'm hoping for the toilet), but the policy offers great peace of mind while traveling.
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Old 08-03-2023, 01:49 PM   #20
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Just yesterday, I purchased an annual travel policy from GeoBlue (Trekker Choice) primarily for its medical evacuation coverage of $500k and $1 million in medical coverage. It also comes with a 24/7 Global Medical Assistance benefit. GeoBlue was the only company I could find that would insure longer duration trips (up to 70 days) in an annual policy.


We paid $390 for the policy, and it could be money well spent or money flushed down the toilet (I'm hoping for the toilet), but the policy offers great peace of mind while traveling.
SMART! IMHO it is money well spent. You should hope that you never have to make a claim.

We limit each of our several out of country trips to 60 days each. When we first retired we purchased a 180 day policy (in Canada) to cover a six month international trip.

Fast forward 12 years we have aged, crossed the age 70 benchmark, and one of us has had some complications. I used to take this pension provided travel insurance for granted. Now I am extremely grateful for if only because it is no questions asked insurance.
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