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Old 08-11-2021, 11:51 AM   #21
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I have a friend who had a stroke a few years ago. He gets medical care through VA hospital. I want him and his wife to come to visit me in Canada. Does the VA medical care extend to foreign countries if he travels abroad? If not, I guess he could get travel insurance that accepts pre-existing conditions?

I had a former co-worker whose father from India was visiting relatives either in the US or Canada and had a heart attack. I don't think he had travel insurance, for whatever reason. The cost of medical care in the hospital was costing the family $100K plus and they started a GoFundMe to try to air-lift him back home (I can't remember the exact amount but I think it was around $200K as it had to be a special medical care team flight). He eventually passed in the hospital but the medical care for him might have bankrupted a couple of family members...
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Old 08-13-2021, 12:54 AM   #22
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Mexico would be a challenge as there are different hospitals that accept (or not) US insurance. We had friends who were from Washington who lived permanently there for over a decade. She developed some type of cancer that was aggressive.

Long story short, we were helping them to find low altitude flights back (she was on oxygen) to either Houston or Florida to get treatment not available in Mexico. She passed away in Tulum in less than 3 months. They stayed as they were past the viability of the meds working even in the states.

FYI, the flights ranged from $5k to 15k.
It's been several years but a school mate was in Mexico with her husband. They were on a scooter and were hit. She had a concussion and they would not treat her without a cash payment up front. By the time the husband could get funds, it was too late and she died. Then, even claiming her body was difficult (cash was the only language spoken, apparently.) Flight home was problematic and distressing and expensive. I hope things are different now but this was my only experience - second hand. YMMV
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Old 08-13-2021, 04:35 AM   #23
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What if you book more than a year in advance? Here's a far-fetched but real-life example. In November, 2019 I made a deposit on a future cruise at the end of one in Hawaii. Good for 2 years, didn't have to decide where or when, and it gave you a discount in addition to a credit for the deposit. Sometime in early 2021 I applied the deposit to a trip off Belize and Guatemala in October, 2021. From what I've seen, you cannot buy travel insurance more than a year ahead of time. I was planning to buy it closer to the trip date (no pre-existing conditions at the time) but hadn't when they sent me a note in May of this year. The COVID situation in Belize was dicey. Did I want to book another cruise instead? So, I switched to Alaska. I leave tomorrow.

I do have a pre-existing condition now but of course Medicare will cover. How and when would they have expected me to buy insurance if I'd stuck with Belize and Guatemala? First payment made almost 2 years in advance and the actual itinerary chosen more than a year in advance.
All insurance policy coverages hinge on the Terms of the policy. Keeping in mind that disclaimer, from what I understand the clock starts ticking once you've applied the deposit to a specific trip.
P.S. Of course, that pre-existing issue only comes into play if the cause of the trip cancellation is that pre-existing condition.
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Old 08-13-2021, 06:08 AM   #24
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I have a friend who had a stroke a few years ago. He gets medical care through VA hospital. I want him and his wife to come to visit me in Canada. Does the VA medical care extend to foreign countries if he travels abroad? If not, I guess he could get travel insurance that accepts pre-existing conditions?
VA will cover medical costs for his specific service-connected conditions/disabilities, but for most other issues he will have to pay out of pocket or get travel insurance.
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Old 08-13-2021, 08:15 PM   #25
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About 20 years ago I was in Vietnam and got sick (extremely bad sore throat and just feeling awful. I was in bed for 3 days and had laryngitis.) I did have travel insurance. When I did go to the doctor they said I had to pay them and claim insurance after I got home. The total charge was not that much (maybe $100) so I didn't bother.

A few years later, we had an au pair from Germany. Her father visited her (he was on a business trip to the US) and came down with appendicitis and had to go to the hospital and have surgery. They were beyond shocked when the hospital sent him a big bill later for the surgery. I doubt he paid it.
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Old 08-14-2021, 11:20 PM   #26
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We normally get year long secondary medical coverage insurance with evacuation coverage. It costs $200->$400 and covers both of us. It is limited to less than 70 day vacations.

We've seen too many folks choppered off a cruise ship to not travel with it.

After hearing some of these stories, I'm glad DW and I both carry a couple of our own separate CC's for traveling. Paying up front could be expensive.
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Old 08-15-2021, 05:49 AM   #27
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We normally get year long secondary medical coverage insurance with evacuation coverage. It costs $200->$400 and covers both of us. It is limited to less than 70 day vacations.
Sunset, would you share the name of the insurance company? I'm making a list of companies to get quotes from, once we're able to travel internationally.
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Old 08-15-2021, 06:10 AM   #28
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In most countries there are big differences in how an ER/A&E trip is treated vs. an illness or less acute problem.

I was crossing the street and got hit by a cyclist in the UK back in 2002. Gash in my head, quite messy... Got taken to the hospital, had a bed for a few hours. Exams, Stitches, Tetanus shot. Then told I could go, no charge. No ID, no asking for name and address, no paperwork, nada.
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Old 08-15-2021, 06:24 AM   #29
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My AARP United Healthcare covers 80% of hospitals out of the country with a $50K maximum.

We also are purchasing travel insurance on our next trip 10/2021.
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Old 08-15-2021, 06:43 AM   #30
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It's been several years but a school mate was in Mexico with her husband. They were on a scooter and were hit. She had a concussion and they would not treat her without a cash payment up front. By the time the husband could get funds, it was too late and she died. Then, even claiming her body was difficult (cash was the only language spoken, apparently.) Flight home was problematic and distressing and expensive. I hope things are different now but this was my only experience - second hand. YMMV
Yeah, everyone remembers the really bad stories. On the other hand, there are plenty of positives we experienced while living there. Great dentists for pennies / dollar and I had a great experience with the ER room while passing my first stone. 3 hrs, meds & fluids was a whopping <$200. Not to mention I was ushered in immediately...

We are helping a friend arrange for a trip for 2 crowns. She'll get a 10 day vacation with the dental for the same price as staying at home in Dallas and 2 here...
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Old 08-15-2021, 09:08 AM   #31
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In most countries there are big differences in how an ER/A&E trip is treated vs. an illness or less acute problem.

I was crossing the street and got hit by a cyclist in the UK back in 2002. Gash in my head, quite messy... Got taken to the hospital, had a bed for a few hours. Exams, Stitches, Tetanus shot. Then told I could go, no charge. No ID, no asking for name and address, no paperwork, nada.
Wow, that's strange, fascinating and scary all at the same time!
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Old 08-15-2021, 10:11 AM   #32
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My AARP United Healthcare covers 80% of hospitals out of the country with a $50K maximum.

We also are purchasing travel insurance on our next trip 10/2021.
That $50K is a lifetime maximum just so people know. Typical of plans F and G. Maybe others - such as N? As good as it gets with overseas Medigap coverage.
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Old 08-15-2021, 02:45 PM   #33
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..........

Even without insurance ER treatment and visits to a GP are free to visitors in the UK and many/most EU countries, plus any resulting prescriptions are very low cost compared to the USA. At a minimum I would get travel insurance that covers hospitalizations.
When I was in Scotland two years ago I suffered a retinal tear. They fixed it for me right away, but sent me a $2800 bill. Fortunately, I had travel insurance that reimbursed me.
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Old 08-15-2021, 09:54 PM   #34
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If you have a PPO from BCBS, they have many in-network hospitals all over western Europe.
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Old 08-15-2021, 10:15 PM   #35
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Sunset, would you share the name of the insurance company? I'm making a list of companies to get quotes from, once we're able to travel internationally.
It was GeoBlue, ( I think someone mentioned it earlier).

If you go to https://www.insuremytrip.com/ , you get a choice of various insurance companies.
The site does have a weird thing, as it's hard to find the year long multi-trip health insurance plans.

If you are interested in multi-year, either search on their site or use this link https://www.insuremytrip.com/travel-...vel-insurance/ for an overview and links.
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Old 08-16-2021, 09:22 AM   #36
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Our typical out of country medical/evac policies in Canada range from $1M-5M, plus $200K or so for evac. They usually include some provision for bringing the traveling partner home.

Our friends father had a heart attack in the Florida. After a several days in hospital they flew him home in an air ambulance. The insurance covered the cost of transporting his motorhome back to Canada.

The hospital bill was significant however he was told that this is not what the insurance company pays. They negotiate, In his case the insurance company negotiated the hospital bill down to 50 percent on condition that the insurer wire payment within 48 hours. He was told that this was standard practice.
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Old 08-16-2021, 10:00 AM   #37
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..........

Even without insurance ER treatment and visits to a GP are free to visitors in the UK and many/most EU countries, plus any resulting prescriptions are very low cost compared to the USA. At a minimum I would get travel insurance that covers hospitalizations.
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When I was in Scotland two years ago I suffered a retinal tear. They fixed it for me right away, but sent me a $2800 bill. Fortunately, I had travel insurance that reimbursed me.
The GP or ER fixed your retinal tear or were you transferred to the eye unit within the hospital?
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Old 08-16-2021, 10:23 AM   #38
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DW got a prescription in Portugal a few years ago. She was surprised at how inexpensive it was compared to what she paid in Canada. About 35-40 percent less

Same experience in Malaysia except less than half what she would pay in Canada. When she left the hospital she was given a CD of her MRI, her Xrays, a full report on her treatment for insurance purposes, AND a bag that contained several prescribed medications. Plus directions to a pharmacy for refills prior to cover off her upcoming visit to Australia.
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Old 08-16-2021, 11:06 AM   #39
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It was GeoBlue, ( I think someone mentioned it earlier).
Sunset, thank you for the links and info!
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Old 08-16-2021, 11:26 AM   #40
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Our typical out of country medical/evac policies in Canada range from $1M-5M, plus $200K or so for evac. They usually include some provision for bringing the traveling partner home.

Our friends father had a heart attack in the Florida. After a several days in hospital they flew him home in an air ambulance. The insurance covered the cost of transporting his motorhome back to Canada.

The hospital bill was significant however he was told that this is not what the insurance company pays. They negotiate, In his case the insurance company negotiated the hospital bill down to 50 percent on condition that the insurer wire payment within 48 hours. He was told that this was standard practice.
That sounds great. I assume your friend's father's policy covers pre-existing conditions? Do you happen to know which travel insurance he had?
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