Medical coverage under comprehensive trip insurance plans

[artbcpa]

I was reading the details of the comprehensive trip insurance plans. Several of them have the following exclusion under medical benefits, "If you are eligible for benefits or compensation through a government-funded program other than Medicaid, you don't qualify for this coverage".

 

If I am reading this correctly, anyone ELIGIBLE for Medicare can not receive medical coverage under a comprehensive trip insurance package.

 

Is this for real?

 

Since a large percentage of the people who cruise are eligible for Medicare and Medicare has a very restrictive policy for international travel, what is the best alternative? Do the medical "only" policies also have this exclusion?

 

Anyone have any recommendations?

[cruiseco]

 

Anyone have any recommendations?

 

Choose a plan without that exclusion.

 

None of the major insurers have that -- Travel Guard, CSA, TravelSafe, Travelex, etc.

 

But congratulations on actually reading and understanding the fine print. I'd bet that 90% of those that buy a plan from HTH have no idea that this is happening to them.

[klfrodo]

Question

Would that include US Veterans who are elegible for VA medical benefits?

[Hlitner]

The exclusion is primarily included to discourage Medicare clients. Many of these travel Med policies hold down their cost by being a "secondary" provider (they pay after your other insurance). Medicare customers are generally seniors (who tend to have more medical issues because of their age) who often have no other insurance. Since Medicare will not pay any claims outside the USA (there are only a couple of minor exceptions) so this means that the travel medical insurance essentially takes on a primary medical insurance role. Since they do not want to price for this situation some of the policies write-in an exclusion.

 

Hank