Medicare (Medigap) Foreign Travel Emergency - used it?

plsprius

Recycles dryer sheets
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During my travels across the US and the world, I have never bought trip insurance or travel medical insurance. Fortunately, I've never experienced a loss that would have been covered by insurance or by a credit card benefit, such as lost luggage. However, as I transition to Medicare with a Medigap G plan next year, I see that my AARP Medigap Plan G includes 'Foreign Travel Emergency' coverage. They say:

"Foreign Travel Medical Emergency Care – UnitedHealthcare will pay benefits, to the extent not covered by Medicare, for 80% of the billed charges for Medicare Eligible Expenses for hospital, physician and medical care received in a foreign country due to a Medical Emergency, if such care would have been covered by Medicare if provided in the United States."

and they define a medical emergency reasonably as:

"Medical Emergency – The sudden and unexpected onset of symptoms, Sickness, Injury or a condition that would be deemed, under appropriate United States medical standards, to carry substantial risk of serious medical complication or permanent damage to you if care or services are withheld."

One aspect that may not be addressed is emergency evacuation from a remote location. It's worth noting that I am open to receiving initial treatment from a foreign doctor or hospital in case of an emergency, such as a broken bone, until I can safely return home.

Additionally, it's worth noting that the benefit has a lifetime limit of $50,000. However, should I exhaust this limit, I could potentially restart the benefit with a different Medigap insurance provider by taking advantage of California's Birthday Rule, which allows for a switch without underwriting.

So, has this 'Foreign Travel Emergency' benefit worked for you?
 
I have read elsewhere (but don’t ask me where) that one should consider buying travel insurance while still eligible for such policies and keep the Plan G benefit in reserve for when travel insurance may not be available to you. Also, the extraordinary costs for an overseas medical emergency often come from transportation home, which I am not sure Plan G covers.

We’ve purchased travel insurance for cruises and have been reimbursed for medical care on our last two Princess Cruises for Covid and a small bowel obstruction. Luckily hospitalization was not required, but it was nice knowing we had financial and logistical support from the travel insurance companies if we needed it.
 
In looking into this, I see that it covers only the first 60 days of a trip. Obviously that would suffice in most cases.
 
Suggest you read the fine print on any travel insurance. Most of the cruise lines only provide secondary medical insurance so they expect you to make a claim on your Plan G. Easier to buy Primary Medical, then no issue. Also most Plan G internationals have same 20% deductible as Traditional Medicare
 
Travel in our younger years to Europe, I think we went overseas maybe 15 times as DH and me have relatives in Italy and Eastern Europe. We did not use travel health insurance policies. Although, I got very sick in Italy one time. Was taken by ambulance to the Bologna University Health System (huge campus). They checked for appendicitis attack, food related illness, and something else, I can't remember. A small procedure corrected the problem. It cost $50.

Now that we're older we are definitely buying the health insurance plans.
 
We buy year long travel health insurance from an insurance company, cost is only ~$600 for 2 people for unlimited trips up to ~70 days per trip.

I don't want to rely on my low Medicare Sup $50K coverage as I'm pretty sure that does not cover evacuation (off cruise ship I've seen nearly every cruise) which is well over $50K, and doesn't cover dental.

In later years, I think over the age of 80 a person cannot buy travel insurance, so then I'll have to rely on the Medicare Sup, so I'll save it for then.

As I type this, I realize my current travel coverage might be secondary, which is not good, and of course when 80 will I still travel at all ?
 
My sister and BIL used this on one of their cruises. They always get travel insurance but she told me that they filed a claim with their Medicare Supplement plan for part of this incident and that it was paid. I don't have details on which insurance paid for which part, but most of the incident was covered.

They were on a cruise of Denmark, Norway and Iceland. BIL got seriously ill between ports in Norway. At the next port he was taken by ambulance to a hospital emergency room. I don't remember if he stayed overnight but they did have a night in a hotel after he was treated. I think they missed one port and rejoined the ship at the one after that. They completed the cruise although he did not venture out much.

It turns out it was Influenza A.
 
During my travels across the US and the world, I have never bought trip insurance or travel medical insurance. Fortunately, I've never experienced a loss that would have been covered by insurance or by a credit card benefit, such as lost luggage. However, as I transition to Medicare with a Medigap G plan next year, I see that my AARP Medigap Plan G includes 'Foreign Travel Emergency' coverage. They say:

"Foreign Travel Medical Emergency Care – UnitedHealthcare will pay benefits, to the extent not covered by Medicare, for 80% of the billed charges for Medicare Eligible Expenses for hospital, physician and medical care received in a foreign country due to a Medical Emergency, if such care would have been covered by Medicare if provided in the United States."

and they define a medical emergency reasonably as:

"Medical Emergency – The sudden and unexpected onset of symptoms, Sickness, Injury or a condition that would be deemed, under appropriate United States medical standards, to carry substantial risk of serious medical complication or permanent damage to you if care or services are withheld."

One aspect that may not be addressed is emergency evacuation from a remote location. It's worth noting that I am open to receiving initial treatment from a foreign doctor or hospital in case of an emergency, such as a broken bone, until I can safely return home.

Additionally, it's worth noting that the benefit has a lifetime limit of $50,000. However, should I exhaust this limit, I could potentially restart the benefit with a different Medigap insurance provider by taking advantage of California's Birthday Rule, which allows for a switch without underwriting.

So, has this 'Foreign Travel Emergency' benefit worked for you?
1) Lifetime limit is standard, and I don't think you can make it larger by switching to another medigap or Advantage plan. I don't know how they know the previous claims, but I was told that it would not work!

2) We did use the doctor on the cruise and the MA (UHC) reimbursed us.

3) A friend had to be flown on a charter flight ($140K). I don't know how, but Medicare paid for that! One nurse in a hospital told us that her mom had to be flown from FL on a charter plane, and she was reimbursed - but that is for flight only and I don't know how they did it.

4) we now use Chase Sapphire Reserve card ($550/yr), It has $120K limit for medical evacuation, but you have to be first in a hospital to be able to use it and not directly from the ship! But that peace of mind is worth $550. Though we get $300 back in travel credit, plus great concierge service and airport lounge access plush door dash membership fees etc, And it is year around with requirement of coming back in 70 or 90 days. So, for $250 we get year around evacuation travel service vs. every 70 or 90 days plus all other benefit.
 
We always get travel insurance. We have plan G and just came back from an expensive trip to Sicily and Southern Italy. We also sprung for a “Cancel For Any Reason” policy.

Thankfully didn’t need to use it.
 
Most travel insurance has evacuation coverage to the nearest hospital. However, if you need surgery ( not urgently) and want to go back to your hospital at home, you should consider a Hospital of Choice option. In theory, they will pay for transportation to get you back to the states. Travelguard/AIG offers this option for a small premium. Never had to use it but hope it works if I ever need it
 
We have been getting travel insurance for our overseas trips. It is fairly inexpensive.
 
I buy yearly medical travel insurance, cheap and covers multiple trips. We want the medical evacuation coverage if required back to the US and we sometimes take trips that require at least a 100k of evacuation coverage.
 
>>from jayanu: 1) Lifetime limit is standard, and I don't think you can make it larger by switching to another medigap or Advantage plan. I don't know how they know the previous claims, but I was told that it would not work!>>

I would assume that the insurers are running all applications through the MIB. People lying on insurance applications is unfortunately common - or they legitimately just forget! I worked in insurance operations at three different companies, and running applicant names through the MIB was standard procedure.

From Google/AI:
MIB refers to the Medical Information Bureau, which is a database of confidential information used by insurance companies to evaluate risk and prevent fraud:
  • What it is
    The MIB is a non-profit organization that collects and maintains a database of medical and non-medical information. The MIB's purpose is to help insurance companies set accurate premiums and combat fraud.
  • What it does
    The MIB's members exchange underwriting information, which includes coded resumes of conditions and findings that may be relevant to the proposed insured's health. The MIB also alerts members if a client has applied for life insurance with other carriers.
    • How it works
      The MIB stores information in a coded and encrypted format. It keeps records for seven years, and you can request one free copy of your MIB file per year.
    • Who established it
      Physicians and insurance companies established the MIB over 95 years ago
 
Generally "emergency" is defined very narrowly. Go to an ER for a broken wrist? Covered. Leave the ER and go to an orthopedic the next day to get the wrist set and later for PT? Often not covered. We use travel insurance ourselves.
 
DW and I never bought travel insurance when younger and never needed anything.
DD does the same, of course she's younger. But she travels a lot and buys medical evacuation insurance on a yearly plan.

The only time we needed medical coverage outside the US was when we both got Covid on a river cruise in France, two years ago. The crew all spoke English- about food/drink/tours. But they could not understand basic medical discussions, fortunately one of the officers got on the phone in port to find us a clinic and cab.
We went there and the doctor was very thoughtful but had never heard of Paxlovid or nirmatrelivir/ritonavr! It was fun to see her face light up as she researched the drug on her computer. The Paxlovid was hard to fund in Rouen, a medium big city but we got it later that day.
The bill for our clinic visit was about $30 total for the two of us, the Paxlovid was also about that for the two of us. Daughter recommends skipping medical insurance on trips but get the evac ins.
 
We always buy travel insurance. Don’t care about cancellation too much but definitely want evacuation and primary medical.
Will be eligible for Medicare in January 25 and will continue to buy travel insurance.
 
We buy year long travel health insurance from an insurance company, cost is only ~$600 for 2 people for unlimited trips up to ~70 days per trip.

I don't want to rely on my low Medicare Sup $50K coverage as I'm pretty sure that does not cover evacuation (off cruise ship I've seen nearly every cruise) which is well over $50K, and doesn't cover dental.

In later years, I think over the age of 80 a person cannot buy travel insurance, so then I'll have to rely on the Medicare Sup, so I'll save it for then.

As I type this, I realize my current travel coverage might be secondary, which is not good, and of course when 80 will I still travel at all ?
Can you share the name of the company you use and why you decided to buy from them? Also, ever had a claim and were you satisfied with how they handled it?
 
DW and I never bought travel insurance when younger and never needed anything.
DD does the same, of course she's younger. But she travels a lot and buys medical evacuation insurance on a yearly plan.

The only time we needed medical coverage outside the US was when we both got Covid on a river cruise in France, two years ago. The crew all spoke English- about food/drink/tours. But they could not understand basic medical discussions, fortunately one of the officers got on the phone in port to find us a clinic and cab.
We went there and the doctor was very thoughtful but had never heard of Paxlovid or nirmatrelivir/ritonavr! It was fun to see her face light up as she researched the drug on her computer. The Paxlovid was hard to fund in Rouen, a medium big city but we got it later that day.
The bill for our clinic visit was about $30 total for the two of us, the Paxlovid was also about that for the two of us. Daughter recommends skipping medical insurance on trips but get the evac ins.
Doesn't it depend on the country you are traveling to? Some countries have dirt cheap medical but others don't. Also, primary care in countries with universal coverage tends to be inexpensive but what about a hospitalization or surgery?
 
OP here. Thanks everyone for discussing your experiences regarding foreign emergency medical issues.

As it happens, one trip I have scheduled next year is with Road Scholar (RS) in Europe. I was gratified to read that these trips come with RS's medical emergency insurance bundled with the price of the program (I'm sure it's not perfect, doesn't include evacuation back to the US, etc., but...). RS says:

The Road Scholar Assurance Plan is purchased on behalf of every participant and paid for by Road Scholar. The plan provides 24-hour assistance in the event of an emergency during your International program and insurance for Emergency Medical Evacuation, Baggage Delay, Baggage and Personal Effects and Trip Interruption.

This plan includes insurance benefits underwritten by Arch Insurance Company and emergency assistance services provided by Live Travel Assist.


Thus, since I don't have any foreseeable medical issues on the horizon, I think I'm comfortable relying on my new Medicare Supplement, plus RS's own bundled insurance.
 
I think it's important to distinguish between serious emergency, serious but not emergency, and minor medical care. The fine print (and it may be very fine indeed) should let you know exactly what kind of coverage you're buying. Evacuation coverage is still another category.

I've only needed overseas medical care once in all my years of travel, but it was minor (cost less than $100) so I didn't even bother with a claim.
OTOH, I saw a friend have to be helicoptered over 100 miles from deep in Denali NP to Anchorage, which would probably be the other end of that spectrum. Details matter.
 
Can you share the name of the company you use and why you decided to buy from them? Also, ever had a claim and were you satisfied with how they handled it?
We bought Allianz travel insurance.
Fortunately, we haven't had to use it, but I seem to recall I read a few people who used it and were happy with the medical cost reimbursement.

It is provided by an actual insurance company, supposedly that means it's more regulated than just some company.
 
OP here. Thanks everyone for discussing your experiences regarding foreign emergency medical issues.

As it happens, one trip I have scheduled next year is with Road Scholar (RS) in Europe. I was gratified to read that these trips come with RS's medical emergency insurance bundled with the price of the program (I'm sure it's not perfect, doesn't include evacuation back to the US, etc., but...). RS says:

The Road Scholar Assurance Plan is purchased on behalf of every participant and paid for by Road Scholar. The plan provides 24-hour assistance in the event of an emergency during your International program and insurance for Emergency Medical Evacuation, Baggage Delay, Baggage and Personal Effects and Trip Interruption.

This plan includes insurance benefits underwritten by Arch Insurance Company and emergency assistance services provided by Live Travel Assist.


Thus, since I don't have any foreseeable medical issues on the horizon, I think I'm comfortable relying on my new Medicare Supplement, plus RS's own bundled insurance.
It would be totally appropriate and prudent to ask them for the written description of the coverage and conditions of coverage. It may cover a lot less than you hope.

Sometimes various agencies, like CC say they provide emergency assistance, but the mean they connect you with the service but don't pay for it. More of a referral service.
 
I would assume that the insurers are running all applications through the MIB.
I just went to mib.com and it said "no record found". I've had 50 years of medical insurance in my name, prescriptions, etc, so I kind of expected to have something there.
 
I get both supplementary medical and emergency evacuation insurance (the latter through MedJet Assist). The evacuation coverage applies only if you're admitted to a hospital (no not if they put a cast on your arm and release you) but they take you anywhere, including home. A friends brother was airlifted to a hospital in St. Kitts after suffering transient ischemic attacks on a cruise and spent 4 days in a hospital where he got a bed and 3 meals and not much else. No TV or W-fi, no physical therapy. Friend had to fly there and bring him home. Brother needed a wheel chair and had lost his ability to read. Stuff happens.
 
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