Babr
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On 9/21/2023 at 11:23 AM, Eli_6 said:
You should join some of the travel or points forums on the book (also not allowed to say the name). That is where I have primarily learned about the best travel CCs. There are literally so many travel cards out there that have different benefits. Some of them are definitely better than others. I know for example on plat biz amex emergency medical transportation is provided at no cost if approved by them through their global assistance hotline at up to 100k. It also provides trip interruption, baggage loss, and cell phone insurance. Medical is now up to 250k per trip. (I looked it up in response to this thread. I thought it was 200k, but they upped it to 250k since I last looked it up.) I am sure amex black offers even better but I think you have to have 500k a year in spend to qualify. There is no min spend on amex plat but the fee is $799 after 09/26. Gold has benefits, too, and the fee is more reasonable. I think the plum and green cards are either free or have a lower fee...not sure as I don't have one.
There is also a capital one card that you get by invitation (not the Venture X but even a different card) if you have a banking relationship with capital one that I was told has medical up to like a million. However, that is not who I bank with and it is too much trouble to change my bank considering I have been with my bank for 20+ years.
As an aside, I am talking about the plat biz because I can look at my own account. The personal platinum may have different or even better benefits...not sure. There is also an amex black card, but the fee is the thousands and I think you have to have a spend of like 500k a year.
There are many more that I don't know anything about and poster above apparently has unlimited medical on one so clearly there are even better ones out there. I know a lot of people like the Chase Ink cars (business cards) and the Chase Sapphire, Chase Sapphire Preferred, Capital One Venture X, Citi Premier, etc. There are co-branded cards with airlines, too, like am Amex Platinum Delta, a SW card, an American Airlines card, an Aer Lingus, Iberia, BA, etc.
My favorite is actually a British Air card offered by Chase and it only has a $95 annual fee. However, the reason I like it is not because of the insurance, but because once I spend 30k on it in a year, I get a companion pass so that means when I fly to Europe (even if it is in first class or business), I can fly with a friend for free. (I can actually fly anywhere that British Airways flies, but the most bang for my buck is usually Europe.) Since those flights run 5k-10k in biz or first, that's a huge savings. Southwest has a similar deal with a credit card where you can get a companion pass and your companion can fly free all year long with you on domestic flights. However, I don't know the ins and outs of that card as I don't have that card.
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/features-benefits/policies/
Just not finding where it says Amex Business Platinum includes $250,000 in medical coverage. I see the usual rental car, baggage, trip cancellation /interruption, and delay; but not a word about medical.
I do see a link to travel insurance where you can buy medical coverage through Amex as separate build-your-own elements needed to complement coverage for those other travel risks already included or as a comprehensive package. Is that what you are talking about?
Chase Sapphire Reserve, on the other hand, includes $2,500 in Emergency Medical - not a substantial amount, but many people rely on other existing coverage or pair CSR with an annual medical policy.
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Maybe it should have some direct impact on the voters so they’d be motivated to get involved. Nothing like lots of angry constituents to get the attention of Congress.
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2 minutes ago, Travelling2Some said:
Everyone has different risk factors. Age, general health, a liking for risky activities, etc. We have ZERO health insurance outside of the United States and CFAR is not sold in NY. Technically, we could likely self-insure but I'd rather not risk a big chunk of my retirement savings that way. Depending on the trip we sometimes buy a medical only policy, which is amazingly cheap - less than half the price of comprehensive trip insurance! The peace of mind that comes with insurance is also of value to me, both during the trip and in the months leading up to it when we are past the point of getting our money back.
Although anything can happen, the sort of travel you do can also increase the odds that it will. Being retired we tend to take month-long trips to more offbeat locations. Being young and in good shape is no guarantee though. We once saw a kid of about 10 who slipped on the pool deck, cracked his head badly and had to be evacuated.
One "risk factor" that has not been mentioned is having a large immediate family. Having many children, grandchildren, elderly parents, etc., greatly multiplies the chances that "something will happen to somebody" impacting your travel plans, even if these relatives are not traveling with you. BTW, many people do not realize that those "pre-existing condition" clauses also apply to your nearest and dearest!
If there's one thing that the pandemic made clear it is that people's tolerance for risk varies widely. Personally, I actually have a high tolerance for medical risk but a low tolerance for financial risk.
Thank you for pointing out that the pre-existing conditions exclusion can extend to non-traveling family members as well. Many people don’t realize that is true even if they may be aware it applies to themselves and/ or their traveling companions.
That is the most significant shortcoming of credit card coverage. None of them cover pre-existing conditions, and there is no waiver. The look back period means you have to be very careful when booking to be sure everyone in your circle is clear. Sometimes that is not possible.
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I’m not involved at all, but it did my heart good to see so many gracious and forgiving replies.
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You can still buy third-party insurance, but if you are concerned about medical expenses because of a pre-existing condition, it is too late to get a waiver for that.
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22 minutes ago, LSuzQ said:
What is the effective date of a policy, if it is the case that the insurance is part of the original cruise package (such as with Aon) and thus is one line item on the invoice from booking until final payment? Trying to determine in this situation when a 60 day look-back period would begin. TIA
The effective date is usually 12:01 AM on the day after your premium is received. It is determined by the actual date the insurance company receives the payment. Did you pay for the insurance at the time of booking? -
2 hours ago, Eli_6 said:
You should join some of the travel or points forums on the book (also not allowed to say the name). That is where I have primarily learned about the best travel CCs. There are literally so many travel cards out there that have different benefits. Some of them are definitely better than others. I know for example on plat biz amex emergency medical transportation is provided at no cost if approved by them through their global assistance hotline at up to 100k. It also provides trip interruption, baggage loss, and cell phone insurance. Medical is now up to 250k per trip. (I looked it up in response to this thread. I thought it was 200k, but they upped it to 250k since I last looked it up.) I am sure amex black offers even better but I think you have to have 500k a year in spend to qualify. There is no min spend on amex plat but the fee is $799 after 09/26. Gold has benefits, too, and the fee is more reasonable. I think the plum and green cards are either free or have a lower fee...not sure as I don't have one.
There is also a capital one card that you get by invitation (not the Venture X but even a different card) if you have a banking relationship with capital one that I was told has medical up to like a million. However, that is not who I bank with and it is too much trouble to change my bank considering I have been with my bank for 20+ years.
As an aside, I am talking about the plat biz because I can look at my own account. The personal platinum may have different or even better benefits...not sure. There is also an amex black card, but the fee is the thousands and I think you have to have a spend of like 500k a year.
There are many more that I don't know anything about and poster above apparently has unlimited medical on one so clearly there are even better ones out there. I know a lot of people like the Chase Ink cars (business cards) and the Chase Sapphire, Chase Sapphire Preferred, Capital One Venture X, Citi Premier, etc. There are co-branded cards with airlines, too, like am Amex Platinum Delta, a SW card, an American Airlines card, an Aer Lingus, Iberia, BA, etc.
My favorite is actually a British Air card offered by Chase and it only has a $95 annual fee. However, the reason I like it is not because of the insurance, but because once I spend 30k on it in a year, I get a companion pass so that means when I fly to Europe (even if it is in first class or business), I can fly with a friend for free. (I can actually fly anywhere that British Airways flies, but the most bang for my buck is usually Europe.) Since those flights run 5k-10k in biz or first, that's a huge savings. Southwest has a similar deal with a credit card where you can get a companion pass and your companion can fly free all year long with you on domestic flights. However, I don't know the ins and outs of that card as I don't have that card.
Are you talking about Emergency Medical or Travel Accident? Not the same thing.
FYI: The PP with unlimited coverage is from Canada. That is not the same thing, either.
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Just now, Eli_6 said:
Yeah, pp is wrong. There are absolutely some credit cards that cover emergency medical when traveling. There are also some that cover car insurance so you don't have to buy it from the rental place simply if you use your card. There are others that cover plane cancellation and delay, trip interruption, lost luggage, hotel stays, etc., etc. My guess is the PP simply doesn't have those particular cards.
PP is aware of those cards but does not consider the $2,500 emergency care as adequate for foreign travel.
A premium card with a nearly $600 annual fee is more appropriate for someone who travels often, not a couple of young people on a lark to Mexico.
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3 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:
I never said anything about emergency only. Must have been someone else.
You’re right. I thought I was responding to the same person.Anyway, the information has been presented so anyone can avoid being caught unaware.
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41 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:
Our Medicare Advantage plan DOES cover medical services worldwide. It's one of the reasons we signed up for that plan, We also buy travel insurance in case of evacuation, etc.
Here it is from the plan documents:
$90 copay ($0 copay for emergency care outside the United States) per visit. If you are admitted to the hospital within 24 hours, you pay the inpatient hospital copay instead of the Emergency Care copay.
$40 copay ($0 copay for urgently needed services outside the United States) per visit.
Thanks. You mentioned emergency only. I understood that to be something different.Since you buy travel insurance as well, you’re completely covered.
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40 minutes ago, Eli_6 said:
And fwiw, I dealt with insurance companies for over a decade (often times resorting to suing them) and I also think insurance is primarily a scam. They write the policies in such a way that it is a flip of a coin whether they will pay. They have a team of attorneys figuring out ways to NOT pay you. (I also used to work with a fellow attorney who had been an insurance attorney and his stories were bad.)
When our house flooded with 7+ feet of Water in Harvey, I had to fight them for 9 months to get paid. Home insurance wouldn't pay (as they shouldn't) because it was flood damage. And flood insurance said my damage (from 7 feet of water mind you!!!) was undamaged. They even sent out an unlicensed "expert" structural engineer and took pics of the undamaged portions of my house and claimed that there was no damage. If I had not been a lawyer who literally practiced in this arena, I would have been screwed.
Similarly, my husband recently was owed over 50k by Aetna due to their screw up. He didn't get paid for a 5 months period for over a year because they lost a contract. It took me blasting out a demand letter to every board member and the CEO for him to finally get paid a year later. Probably 200+ hours were spend by him and his staff trying to collect this money.
And I have seen it worse in a business situation where companies owed millions in liability and had to be sued to be paid. Took it all the way up to the 5th circuit and won. So, 7 years after the claim, my client was finally paid. SEVEN years and 100k in attorney fees. But the company wins at this game because most people won't fight it for seven years and don't have 100k to spend in lawyer fees.
I have hundreds of other stories like this. Every insurance company out there makes money by NOT paying you. Some are worse than others. Yes, I still have home owners insurance, professional liability insurance, car insurance, and health insurance. But for anything that won't be "catastrophic" to my financial situation, I don't buy insurance for. And a lot of credit cards provide travel insurance if you pay with them anyway...including even car insurance.
Credit card travel benefits cover cancellation, interruption, and delay - not medical. Wouldn’t help these girls or anyone else in a similar situation.
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44 minutes ago, PegNRay said:
My Advantage plan does cover me for out of country emergency services and I have double checked this with the insurer.
Please consider that emergency services alone will not be enough. That does not cover hospitalization beyond what is required to stabilize you nor does it pay for any transportation to get home. It will not pay for your companion’s expenses while waiting for you to recover enough to travel. -
Just now, BirdTravels said:
I think that you are somewhat agreeing that "get me home to a better hospital" is not likely to be medically necessary and therefore excluded.
Booking a flight home is a trip disruption. Most travel insurance has very low coverage for trip disruption. Maybe you're mostly covered.... or not. The few times I have filed trip disruption claims, all of my expenses were not covered because I capped out.
In this case, it appears the first hospital is capable of handling the injuries - if it would. My initial remarks were addressed to people who rely solely on their US healthcare policies when they travel. There are additional expenses besides medical that will not be covered in case of illness or injury.Trip Interruption is a separate issue. Any policy I’ve ever seen covers at least 100% of trip cost - many cover 150% - to allow for reimbursement of the unused portion of your trip plus the cost to get home. I suppose it is possible to max out depending on the refund amount due and the cost of a return ticket.
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Just now, BirdTravels said:
Most travel insurance does not pay to "transfer you to a better hospital". It pays to get you to the closest hospital. If you want to get from Mexico back home, that is on your own nickel
Medical evacuation coverage in a comprehensive travel policy provides for hospital to hospital transfer if it is medically necessary. That, too, is the nearest one; it does not necessarily mean an air ambulance home. But it will pay to fly you home by commercial air when you have recovered enough to travel, even if it means first class with a medical escort.-
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43 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:
Our Medicate Advantage plan provides world-wide coverage.
For medical. At out of network rates.
Check to see what it does not cover like transfer to a better hospital or repatriation or any additional expenses for a traveling companion who is not hospitalized.
Or return of remains, if it comes to that.
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The look-back period is the number of days from the effective date of the policy that the insurance company will look back at your medical records to determine if your claim is based on a pre-existing condition. Sixty days is common, but it varies among policies all the way to 365 days. Shorter is better because it exposes less of your history to scrutiny, though in your case it may not make any difference since you are already undergoing treatment.
The examiner will look for any reported symptoms, test, diagnosis, treatment, or even a prescription change. A stable condition controlled by medication alone does not count. I can’t say how that would apply to you; however, if your claim is determined to be caused by a pre-existing condition, it will be denied. The exclusion applies to Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, and Medical Expenses. You’ll still have some level of emergency care, and all other coverage remains in place for unrelated medical problems or travel risks.
Whether you can qualify for an exemption is complicated by your current circumstances. Your doctor must release you for travel before you can buy a policy.
To get the right answer for your specific situation, call a professional. People on this forum are comfortable recommending The Trip Insurance Store as a reputable company with personal service.
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3 hours ago, gbsca2001 said:
Just curious, does anyone know when this policy went into effect? Right before the pandemic, my partner had to cancel a cruise at the last minute but based on having HAL’s insurance I was able to go and wasn’t charged a single supplement.
To my knowledge, the wording has always been in the policy. Perhaps it was a temporary exception in place during the pandemic that has since expired.-
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6 minutes ago, phillygirl2400 said:
Good point about GeoBlue not providing med/evac coverage in Hawaii. We always buy an annual GeoBlue policy for our cruises. Next year, we have a b2b2b including Hawaii. We'll probably need to look into additional evac coverage.
You probably know that evacuation coverage provides for hospital to hospital transfer if it is medically necessary. It is to the nearest hospital and does not necessarily mean repatriation by air ambulance. Most often the patient is treated locally and returned home by commercial air when he is able to travel. That may mean first class with a medical escort if necessary, but air ambulance isn’t as common as people would like to think. That is why many comprehensive policies offer $500,000 or $1,000,000 in coverage. They never have claims that high, but you would be fully covered.
The doctors and the insurance company make the decision as to when and how you are moved. As you can imagine, air ambulance is reserved for extreme cases - perhaps severe brain injury that will not be resolved in a reasonable amount of time. MedJet Assist gives you more control over the decision, but it too has some limitations.
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1 hour ago, Floridado2020 said:
Sadly the cruise lines probably don’t care because at the end they are making a profit off this . The actual customs fee is in the 700s and rcl is charging $941 so they’re making a profit of the tragedy to start with . And if they get the CBP charge waived they make a $941 profit.
Our large family who used to cruise a lot until now will no longer be cruising . We would rather fly and stay at a hotel and not have to worry about being charged this fee or treated like crap because you have to disembark and do what’s best for your health.
There have been class action lawsuits against cruise lines for overcharging port fees. This is not the same; nevertheless, I don’t think the practice of making profit from government fees would stand.Royal must explain this with an itemized statement.
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In the US, there are policies that offer trip interruption for any reason. It is an optional feature for an additional premium. It is a time sensitive purchase with a range of reimbursement available.
I found a good explanation with a list of providers at Squaremouth, if anyone is interested in more information.
As far as medical coverage, most policies today cover COVID as any other illness.
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Not likely. It is about 40 miles to the nearest airport. Intercontinental is about 70 miles.
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28 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:
I agree with @NavyVeteran. The issue is not that Grandpa cancels. If it was an ordinary situation. If Grandpa cancelled with insurance, he would get back the fare minus insurance AND passenger two would travel as a solo with insurance/Princess absorbing the supplement.
The problem is that the child (don't know the age) may not be able to sail solo.
If all has insurance, then something might be able to be worked out. It is a good thing you are planning ahead for a complicated situation. It is out of the passengers' hands. Your TA will have to work this out with Princess. Good luck. Not sure if your TA has enough experience to deal with something so complicated.
You should all be covered under the insurance and should all be able to cancel for any reason. Regular PVP will give you back 75% and Platinum PVP will give you back 100%. Don't know if you will get dollars or FCC.
It probably depends on what kind of insurance the OP has and whether the cancellation involves a pre-existing condition, with or without a waiver. If third-party insurance is involved and the claim is covered, all reimbursement would be in cash. Cancellation for a pre-existing condition without a waiver would result in denial for that person, but single supplement coverage would still apply.
Princess, on the other hand, does not cover pre-existing conditions and reimbursements would likely be a combination of FCC for a non qualifying cancellation and cash for single supplement.
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8 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:
My understanding from a composite of past posts is that is can be fairly easy to replace Guest #2 on a booking (at least before FP Date), but not Guest #1. I presume the child is Guest #2.
Definitely, @Esjung1 needs to work through the TA (when replying to a post that contains a TA name, we should be XXXing out the TA name). This is because anything to do with the fare, etc, has to be handled by the TA.
The advice to check the insurance benefits was wise. I am not sure off the top if Guest #2 can be covered for any single supplement charge levied at the last minute if Guest #1 is a no-show. Regardless, PCL will decide to charge or not charge.
My guess (okay, call it a SWAG if you like) is that PCL would figure out to charge a single supplement if advised today. Also, age of child was not mentioned, so you have another issue in terms of swapping a person from one booking to another. Is the mother Guest #1 or #2 on the other booking? More complications.
I would suggest a No-Show, or very late notice to Princess (like day before sailing). That may not be convenient in terms of working with the TA and availability to call Princess. I am sure there are medical No-Shows on most voyages.
I am thinking show up at the pier and check-in and let them know Grandpa is not coming due to a late health issue and was hoping it would be okay, but just not possible in the end to travel. Grandpa files for insurance recovery due to medical reasons. All good there.
At the check-in, the Mother can advise she is going to stay in the other cabin with the son (or perhaps the other sister moves to the son cabin and he moves to Mother cabin). Whatever. You did not state age of the child. Can he just stay in the cabin on his own? Lots of parents travel with kids and they sleep in cabin across the hall or next door. If he can stay on his own, it isn't a problem once you are on the ship - it is just a reservation issue. There won't be a problem figuring out a cabin arrangement on the ship.
The only variable is will they assess some sort of solo supplement to that second cabin. You can count on at least that happening doing it advance I am thinking and you have a chance of dodging it on board.
Similar situations have been discussed on here over the years and many recommend going the "No Show" route for simplicity and better outcome.
Not all good for grandpa to be a no-show and file after the fact. Reimbursement for cancellation requires actual cancellation prior to departure.
I can’t advise on how to handle this situation; but if all parties are insured, I’d certainly try to work through them with whatever Princess requires to rearrange the booking rather than leave money on the table.
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5 minutes ago, john91498 said:
My apologies for being a jerk...sorry...
Thank you for your gracious apology. It is very much appreciated.-
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Questions about the Carnival Insurance
in Carnival Cruise Lines
Posted
So you have discovered that in fact your Amex Platinum does not include $200,000 in medical coverage.
Not to worry. Frequent travelers often pair credit card insurance with a medical only policy as an economical way to cover their trips. It can work as long as you understand that credit card insurance does not fully replace a comprehensive travel policy, and you are willing to assume the risk for the gaps in coverage.
Amex provides $10,000 per trip ($20,000 a year) in cancellation/ interruption coverage. That gives you some protection unless you run afoul of the exclusions in the policy, or your total trip cost greatly exceeds the cap.
Whatever you bought from Nationwide surely is better than the $10,000 medical/ $30,000 evacuation in the Carnival policy, if it were available.
You may not have the coverage you thought you did with a premium card, but you do get other benefits like lounge access or hotel discounts.