travel insurance questions

[gelo7]

Lots of good information.

[Randyk47]

Our attitude about travel insurance has evolved over the years but then again we've aged, which certainly beats the obvious alternative :) and our cruise destination focus has changed. For years and years we cruised the Caribbean and quite frankly we decided, based on pretty simple and maybe incomplete cost analysis, not to insure our trips. Whether it was wrong headed or not we decided back then that we were healthy, our very small family was healthy, our jobs were secure and predictable in terms of time off and demand, and quite frankly travel insurance was expensive enough that we could probably pay for a cruise every four or five cruises from the "savings" of not getting insurance. Today things have quite frankly changed. The family hasn't gotten any bigger, in fact it's gotten significantly smaller with the passing now of all our parents, so that's still not a factor. We've somehow interestingly become the elder members...funny how that works....and while our health hasn't significantly changed it's not what it was 20 years ago when we started cruising. Funny thing is that if we were still focused on the Caribbean we'd probably still not be getting travel insurance, though we'd probably think about it harder, but our attention is now more distant destinations like Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific. Those itineraries raise a time and distance issue and are inherently more expensive for all sorts of reasons. It's all about risks, either real or perceived, and whether or not you're comfortable whatever your decision.

[Ians Grandma]

We left a cruise early once because of an issue with my DH several year ago. We had Travel Guard Ins. and they were, awesome. I can't say enough between them and Hal, we couldn't of had a better expierence with the care we got.

If you don't mind me asking..was your DH hospitalized and if so, did you have to pay his bill before he left the hospital or did the insurance take care of it?

When my son left the hospital after 3 days (no surgery just IV antibiotics) I had to pay almost 10,000$. We are still hoping that Blue Cross may cover some of those costs.

[Ians Grandma]

We always have DAN (Divers Area Network) membership evacuation insurance - you don't have to be a scuba diver to get this benefit. About $40 a year membership that includes this basic, but well regarded emergency coverage. Caveat Emptor: Do your due diligence about this option and see if it works best for your needs and company reliability.

Yes, I agree DAN is very good. My son is a diver and was covered by DAN. They paid for the transportation costs for both my son and me from Nuku Hiva to Tahiti and eventually back to Seattle. They only covered transporation, however, not medical costs.

[SwissMyst]

Yes, I agree DAN is very good. My son is a diver and was covered by DAN. They paid for the transportation costs for both my son and me from Nuku Hiva to Tahiti and eventually back to Seattle. They only covered transporation, however, not medical costs.

 

Yes, this is the point to emphasize - this basic coverage is for evacuation only. They do have further insurance plans also for medical and trip insurance as well. But the membership plan is just evacuation and a few other privileges all set out clearly up front. I think at least this is the bare minimum everyone should think about getting for the price of the membership - solo or family plan.

[world~citizen]

edit

[world~citizen]

Good place to make my next point. Why are you so sure that hospitals in the USA are better? Why is it so important to be evacuated back to the USA? Perhaps I would probably be better off in a Canadian or European hospital.

 

... if I was to travel to a questionable area of the world, but the Montreal to Boston or Alaskan cruises do not warrant extra protection beyond our own insurance.

 

 

igraf

 

Wrong.

 

If you are hit crossing the street in Boston if the injuries are severe enough you don't have the option to transport to Canada and the bills can raise to half a million. Examples such as these are used to encourage Canadians to prepare themselves with adequate insurance protection.

 

As to US hospitals being the best in the world, I offer no opinion, I haven't suggested anything one way or another. They are quite probably the most expensive, and why you really need insurance when travelling.

[SwissMyst]

Wrong.

 

If you are hit crossing the street in Boston if the injuries are severe enough you don't have the option to transport to Canada and the bills can raise to half a million. Examples such as these are used to encourage Canadians to prepare themselves with adequate insurance protection.

 

As to US hospitals being the best in the world, I offer no opinion, I haven't suggested anything one way or another. They are quite probably the most expensive, and why you really need insurance when travelling.

 

TIME magazine (3/4/13) has a special investigative edition called Bitter Pill- Why Medical Costs are Killing Us that explores why US health care costs are so high - highly recommended as we face our new federal government medical care mandates in the US - that curiously built in no costs containment - just more coverage.

[igraf]

I am a US citizen with US insurance. I am covered and can be treated in Boston or Montreal. Not really a problem, except for the French......

 

igraf

 

 

 

Wrong.

 

If you are hit crossing the street in Boston if the injuries are severe enough you don't have the option to transport to Canada and the bills can raise to half a million. Examples such as these are used to encourage Canadians to prepare themselves with adequate insurance protection.

[momatibm]

I am a US citizen with US insurance. I am covered and can be treated in Boston or Montreal. Not really a problem, except for the French......

 

igraf

 

I don't think that works with Medicare.

[mightycruisequeen]

The only time we've actually had a claim on our trip insurance was the last cruise, and we had TravelGuard. I had a medical claim for an eye injury onboard ( a hot ash blew into my right eye at sail away from Bora Bora,) and I needed emergency medical treatment, and follow up treatment from the onboard doctors. I don't know if it was from the smokestacks on the ship, or the smokers on the ship, but I spent several days of that wonderful, long cruise with a patch over my eye (we made the best of it with silly artsy "eyes" on the patches).

TravelGuard covered all but the understood $50 deductable. I would not hesitate to buy this same policy for any and every upcoming cruise.

[world~citizen]

I am a US citizen with US insurance. I am covered and can be treated in Boston or Montreal. Not really a problem, except for the French......

 

igraf

 

A Canadian citizen would require travel insurance in the US.

[Watson's aunt]

Hi

 

Igraf or anyone else. Someone fall and gets injured while you are ashore. They are taken to a hospital. They have a broken foot. the ship has sailed away. You happen to be in Alaska American hospital. the doctor's tell you you can fly home or you can't fly home just yest maybe in a few weeks. All flights are booked and have been booked for month's your stuck there until a flight becomes available. Do you have that much money to be stuck them alone? Insurance will take care of it. Hope that never happens to anyone but read some of the stories of people gettting sick or dying while on a ship. Do you know how much it is to bring a loved one home in a box?

 

 

Mary

[sail7seas]

 

A Canadian citizen would require travel insurance in the US.

 

 

A U.S. citizen on Medicare would require travel insurance in Canada.

 

[dag144]

When you purchase travel insurance understand the difference between Primary and Secondary coverage. Secondary is the cheapest and I would imagine is the one that most people purchase. Primary which is more expensive pays if you don't desire to make a claim on other insurance. You will pay more but won't have to wait for your existing insurance to kick in first.

 

Naturally you will not be reimbursed on a Primary policy and existing insurance as well.

[igraf]

The things you mentioned can happen anywhere on any day. Not just cruising. Do people buy supplemental insurance every time they drive out to another state of the USA? Would you buy a special supplemental medical policy if you vacationed in Hawaii? I have visited Hawaii several times and the thought never crossed my mind.

 

I just think that it is strange that so people are so concerned about a cruise to Alaska.

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

Hi

 

Igraf or anyone else. Someone fall and gets injured while you are ashore. They are taken to a hospital. They have a broken foot. the ship has sailed away. You happen to be in Alaska American hospital. the doctor's tell you you can fly home or you can't fly home just yest maybe in a few weeks. All flights are booked and have been booked for month's your stuck there until a flight becomes available. Do you have that much money to be stuck them alone? Insurance will take care of it. Hope that never happens to anyone but read some of the stories of people gettting sick or dying while on a ship. Do you know how much it is to bring a loved one home in a box?

 

 

Mary

[world~citizen]

The things you mentioned can happen anywhere on any day. Not just cruising. Do people buy supplemental insurance every time they drive out to another state of the USA? Would you buy a special supplemental medical policy if you vacationed in Hawaii? I have visited Hawaii several times and the thought never crossed my mind.

 

I just think that it is strange that so people are so concerned about a cruise to Alaska.

 

igraf

 

The OP is talking, I think, about a 35 day Voyage of the Vikings cruise, not a cruise in the USA.

 

You are not suggesting people not be adequately insured, only that they may not need supplemental insurance if they travel in the USA IF provided for in their policy.

 

Generally on these boards, the message that needs to get out is not to be caught with inadequate coverage. Crazy things can happen when you are abroad, and facing financial ruin on top of that in not necessary.

[sail7seas]

If one is cruising from U.S., one MUST stop at a foreign port due to PVSA. An Alaska cruise necessitates stopping in Canada. If one is on Medicare, has a heart attack during the five hour stop in Canada, they will be taken to Canadian hospital.

 

Their medicare probably will not pay.

Medical travel insurance would sure come in handy in that circumstance.

 

[tangerinebunny]

The things you mentioned can happen anywhere on any day. Not just cruising. Do people buy supplemental insurance every time they drive out to another state of the USA? Would you buy a special supplemental medical policy if you vacationed in Hawaii? I have visited Hawaii several times and the thought never crossed my mind.

 

I just think that it is strange that so people are so concerned about a cruise to Alaska.

 

igraf

 

Yes, Alaska is the USA, but the ship isn't - even when it's in port. We spend more time on board than in ports.

[igraf]

Perhaps I need to be more clear. I am taking the position that if we have full private insurance like Aetna, then there we are adequately covered for medical mishaps in or out of the USA. I was not discussing other situations that would not provide coverage outside of the USA.

 

Obviously if one is in a situation with no coverage outside of the USA, then by all means one should buy supplemental insurance when traveling abroad.

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

If one is cruising from U.S., one MUST stop at a foreign port due to PVSA. An Alaska cruise necessitates stopping in Canada. If one is on Medicare, has a heart attack during the five hour stop in Canada, they will be taken to Canadian hospital.

 

Their medicare probably will not pay.

Medical travel insurance would sure come in handy in that circumstance.

 

[igraf]

The ship will drop off a seriously sick or injured passenger if a port is just a few hours away. This happens all the time with ships and even commercial aircraft. Medical evacuation is only a problem if the ship is days away from a city which is not the case on a typical Alaskan or New England cruise.

 

igraf

 

 

 

Yes, Alaska is the USA, but the ship isn't - even when it's in port. We spend more time on board than in ports.

[Watson's aunt]

I from Boston area. People have to understand how much it cost to be hospitalized in Boston. The local news covered this with the people who were hurt due the bombing. Just think of a hospital room costing 1800 + a day per room.

 

 

Mary

[Tampa Girl]

Good place to make my next point. Why are you so sure that hospitals in the USA are better? Why is it so important to be evacuated back to the USA? Perhaps I would probably be better off in a Canadian or European hospital.

 

I would probably buy insurance if I was to travel to a questionable area of the world, but the Montreal to Boston or Alaskan cruises do not warrant extra protection beyond our own insurance.

 

igraf

 

 

Aren't we talking about two (maybe three) different types of insurance? There is medical insurance; there is travel cancellation insurance; and there is evacuation insurance. The latter is so important if one is traveling anywhere other than North America because the costs of being med-evac'd can cost $100,000. As for medical insurance, many of our medical insurance policies will cover the cost of the medical care. You may or may not want to be treated in the closest country, and you may or may not need to be med-evac'd back to the U.S. For our purposes, this the most important insurance, with the trip cancellation running a close second for cruises of two weeks or longer.

[bcd2010]

As for medical insurance, many of our medical insurance policies will cover the cost of the medical care.

 

Does medicare?

[iancal]

We had a great TA a number of years ago. Her advice was always don't buy insurance from a cruise line or a tour company and don't buy it from the travel agency. You will pay too much. Buy it from a primary insurer, direct if possible. The cost will be less and the coverage will be better. We always check these prices but her advice has always held true for us.

 

Over the years we have found this to be true. We recently purchased an annual policy that covered us for six months of travel. We found that the easier it was to purchase, as an example on line from our bank, the more expensive the policy was and the less coverage it provided.

 

If you are covered by any group insurance, call them to see if they can sell you a travel policy. We hear nothing but good things about Travelguard but we have never used them. My father had Blue Cross group coverage as part of a retirement package. He was able to purchase very comprehensive travel insurance from them for about half what the cruise lines were charging and it was a much more comprehensive policy.