Travel Insurance

[Cruisegirl6]

Can anybody recommend and give me any positive/negatives on travel medical insurance?

[LynnTH]

We always get Trip Insurance on cruises. I look at the option on insuremytrip.com and go from there. Two cruises ago my DS broke his wrist on the basketball court the 1st day of the cruise. (it was totally his fault). Went to the ships Dr where they did an xray and showed broken in 2 spots. The put a temp cast on and made an appointment for us the next day in Cozumel with an Orthopedic Surgeon. (and they brought us there). They did more xrays at the hospital then they had to put him under and rebreak the bones and they put him in a new cast. Was very scary and of course they want payment up front. Bill was like 22,000 (we almost fainted) until they told us it was in Pesos and was about $2000. We paid with CC (make sure to always bring a CC or 2). When we got home we submitted all the bills to our insurance company and what they did not pay - our trip insurance did. It is a nice peace of mind to have. You never know what can happen.

[woodman]

Be sure to check out CSA travel ins. The coverage is much greater then what Carnival offers and cheaper as well. It is rated AAA so I am comfortable buying their policy for each cruise. Travel Ins. is a must when ever you leave the country in MHO.:cool:

[elainmir]

We go thru our auto carrier USAA to buy trip insurance and I've gotten it every single time due to reading someone having a 12,000 medi-vac bill on here! It's best to factor that money in and pay it so your not left hanging with a huge bill later..

[angiegal]

We've always used insuremytrip to compare policy options. We've never had to use it *knock on wood* but I consider it part of the cost of any vacation.

[HawkIVette]

One thing I learned long ago, is that on "free" cruise from the casino, if you don't show up for any reason, Carnival will charge you full price of the cruise. I always get Carnival Insurance for those just in case. I have some medical issues that might cause me to cancel at the last minute and $100 or so is cheap so I don't have to pay $2000 or so later.

I also buy Trip Insurance (insuremytrip or Carnival) on other cruises for the same reason. Don't want to be out the money of a missed cruise (Airline delay, medical, other reasons) over a $100 or so.

[nhsails]

Start at insuremytrip.com. years ago we were on Cruise with friends and he had heart attack. 10 days to be stabilized before medjet home. believe was between $120-130,OOO..Always have it

[CA_Cruzing]

The right plan provides a few key coverages:

 

Trip insurance - insuring the value of the trip, if for a covered reason, you'll receive your monies back if you have to cancel your trip. You also want to include the cost of your flights in your full trip insurance to cover any flight cancellations or need to return home early from your cruise.

 

Medical insurance - insuring against medical costs while in a foreign country. This part of the insurance covers you for any medical expenses incurred while on vacation. Example would be suffering a gash wound while snorkeling. There are different kinds of medical coverage, primary-pay or reimbursement pay. Depending on your knowledge and desire, it is usually better to buy primary-pay insurance versus reimbursement cost insurance. Reimbursement cost insurance forces you to pay up front and be reimbursed sometime thereafter.

 

Emergency evacuation - some plans cover emergency evacuation costs. These pay for evacuation after you have been stabilized and your care requires immediate evacuation to continue your recovery or to remedy your situation.

 

Repatriation of remains - if you die while on vacation, this coverage pays the costs to repatriate you to your home country/state.

 

I own an insurance agency, and I am not soliciting any business here on this site.

 

Insuring the cost of a nice trip is inexpensive if purchased correctly. For a few hundred dollars, our family always buys coverage for large ticket trips, especially when leaving the USA. It's a different ballgame once you leave the USA and you have to be prepared to play by different rules.

 

And for the record, I do not buy Carnival's insurance. IMO it is too weak and misses consequential coverages and coverage limits.

 

Hope this helps.

[linbobky]

we had to cancel a 13 day panama canal cruise this past jan. never had to use insurance before now! my wife got colitis a week before the cruise and was very, very sick!

 

we had insurance through travel guard and it was very easy to file the claim and within 2 weeks we had our money back!:)

[Drazil65]

We always use Insure My Trip dot com and we make sure the medical coverage we choose is a "primary" coverage (pays first before any other coverage we may have) and includes an "pay upfront" clause (it will pay the hospital/doctor up front as many require you to do). In addition, of course the medical evacuation coverage is always important when traveling out of the country.

 

You will have to decide what exactly is priority for you and your family and put those details in to compare the policies.

[cruisergrandma]

We buy our travel insurance from 'Travel Insured'. I had emergency gall bladder surgery a week before our last cruise and, of course, had to cancel the trip. The insurance covered our cruise, our airfare and even the tours we had prepaid with independents. We will never book another cruise without insurance!

[jdemps]

Be sure to check out CSA travel ins. The coverage is much greater then what Carnival offers and cheaper as well. It is rated AAA so I am comfortable buying their policy for each cruise. Travel Ins. is a must when ever you leave the country in MHO.:cool:

 

does anyone know the latest date before cruising that you can purchase this insurance? final payment is due on 4/24 for our next trip.

[riclop]

Can anybody recommend and give me any positive/negatives on travel medical insurance?

Don't leave home without it.

[Cruisegirl6]

Thank you everybody, I meant to say medical insurance for pre-existing conditions, I tried some of them that you all mentioned, there were many exclusions.... I did find GeoBlue International, its Blue Cross/Shield but overseas, wonderful best plan I found yet, 0 deductibles, 1million coverage, all pre-existing conditions, 100 payment and no out of pocket expenses and $52.91.

 

I live with a large amount of medical problems so needed some coverage as medicare won't cover me international thank you everybody for all your help!

[dezertcruzer]

My husband and I always buy travel insurance from Alllianz Global Assistance, both to insure against the possibility of having to cancel for some reason, but also, and most importantly, in case of the need for medical evacuation. We always buy it, but no one ever thinks that they'll be the ones to have to use it.

 

I recently became ill while on a Pride Journeys cruise and, after excellent care in the ship's infirmary, I had to be debarked to the hospital in Grand Turk where I spent some time. Before we ever arrived in Grand Turk, the ship's doctors contacted Allianz who opened a case for me immediately. Allianz stayed on top of communicating with my husband and the admitting doctor in Grand Turk.

 

They, Allianz, were the ones who were insistent upon receiving a report from the Grand Turk doctor to determine if I should be evacuated back to the US. Finally it was determined that I needed to be moved, and Allianz handled ALL of the details, including moving me via Lear jet to FLL and then via ground ambulance to Cleveland Clinic in Weston, FL. Let me repeat, THEY TOOK CARE OF EVERYTHING.

 

If we always said before that we'd never travel without this insurance, you can bet your bottom dollar that we feel that way even more so than before.

[easyboy]

Thank you everybody, I meant to say medical insurance for pre-existing conditions, I tried some of them that you all mentioned, there were many exclusions.... I did find GeoBlue International, its Blue Cross/Shield but overseas, wonderful best plan I found yet, 0 deductibles, 1million coverage, all pre-existing conditions, 100 payment and no out of pocket expenses and $52.91.

 

I live with a large amount of medical problems so needed some coverage as medicare won't cover me international thank you everybody for all your help!

What you found already looks good to me.

[lizardhowson]

does anyone know the latest date before cruising that you can purchase this insurance? final payment is due on 4/24 for our next trip.

 

Depends on the coverage you want. To waive pre-existing medical conditions, many policies require you buy the policy within 2 weeks of the initial deposit on the cruise. You can still buy a policy to cover medical coverage/evacuations but any pre-existing conditions will not be covered.

[Cruisegirl6]

Dezertcruzer sorry to hear you had that medical experience! I am very glad to hear Allianz was perfect for your situation too!

 

Allianz was my second choice, but I have pre-existing conditions and they told me that I only get a 25k maximum for ER Evacuation and I didn't like the wording for hospital room and board, ICU, ambulance to be 100% covered for "reasonable and customary charges"...there was a $200 co-payment for each ER room visit, urgent care had a $50 co payment...there were some items that weren't spelled out in the contract....where GeoBlue (BlueCross/Shield owns them its their international plan) had no co-payments, no restrictions to pre-existing conditions, (did have up to 1million coverage as Allianz offered) but it also stated in the contract it pays 100% surgery, anesthesia, doctor visits, in hospital dr visits, ER, X-rays, ambulatory surgical and service, prescription drugs...those words "reasonable and customary charges"do scare me because that could mean it could cost me a lot of money. Also GeoBlue had a higher Medical Evacuation amount, both are great and as for price, GeoBlue was only two dollars more.

 

I am glad you all helped and gave me info that I will use a few times each year.

[sanger727]

I've gotten that geoblue policy before; never filed a claim though. I liked that they pay upfront (or at least that they say they do). Think for pre-existing coverage you usually have to buy the policy within so many days of booking the trip; but that's more for the cancellation aspect.

 

Respectfully though, since it appears you are only getting medical coverage; with you having medical conditions are you fine with losing the price of the trip if something flares up and you have to cancel? I do that all the time myself (not insure a trip against cancellation), but I don't have any medical issues.

 

 

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[nychad10]

The right plan provides a few key coverages:

 

Trip insurance - insuring the value of the trip, if for a covered reason, you'll receive your monies back if you have to cancel your trip. You also want to include the cost of your flights in your full trip insurance to cover any flight cancellations or need to return home early from your cruise.

 

Medical insurance - insuring against medical costs while in a foreign country. This part of the insurance covers you for any medical expenses incurred while on vacation. Example would be suffering a gash wound while snorkeling. There are different kinds of medical coverage, primary-pay or reimbursement pay. Depending on your knowledge and desire, it is usually better to buy primary-pay insurance versus reimbursement cost insurance. Reimbursement cost insurance forces you to pay up front and be reimbursed sometime thereafter.

 

Emergency evacuation - some plans cover emergency evacuation costs. These pay for evacuation after you have been stabilized and your care requires immediate evacuation to continue your recovery or to remedy your situation.

 

Repatriation of remains - if you die while on vacation, this coverage pays the costs to repatriate you to your home country/state.

 

I own an insurance agency, and I am not soliciting any business here on this site.

 

Insuring the cost of a nice trip is inexpensive if purchased correctly. For a few hundred dollars, our family always buys coverage for large ticket trips, especially when leaving the USA. It's a different ballgame once you leave the USA and you have to be prepared to play by different rules.

 

And for the record, I do not buy Carnival's insurance. IMO it is too weak and misses consequential coverages and coverage limits.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

Thank you!

[pe4all]

3 out of 4 of us have pre-existing medical conditions. We always get travelguard gold plan. Great coverage, reasonably priced. Have used it 2x (once for appendicitis attack that dd had while we were on CCL Dream, in Belize - stayed in hospital there 3 days) and the other time when I came down with norovirus the day before one of our CCL cruises. No problems getting $$ re-imbursed. Didn't use the pre-existing conditions coverage, but it was there if needed.

[Cruisegirl6]

I don't mind loosing money on the cruise because I am going to be there no matter what, I just want medical/hospital/evacuation coverage should something happen and with my pre-existing conditions anything can happen anytime. I also just purchased another plan for my Aruba trip in August.

 

I am glad you all had good experiences with the companies you have chosen, thank you!

[Steelers0854]

Thank you everybody, I meant to say medical insurance for pre-existing conditions, I tried some of them that you all mentioned, there were many exclusions.... I did find GeoBlue International, its Blue Cross/Shield but overseas, wonderful best plan I found yet, 0 deductibles, 1million coverage, all pre-existing conditions, 100 payment and no out of pocket expenses and $52.91.

 

I live with a large amount of medical problems so needed some coverage as medicare won't cover me international thank you everybody for all your help!

 

 

 

Be VERY careful here. This is SECONDARY insurance which generally (see below) means you must file a claim with your primary insurance (which one of the policies stipulates you must have primary insurance to buy that particular travel policy).

 

You say no out of pocket costs and that is not necessarily right, you will pay 100% of your costs out of pocket and then you will be reimbursed for your expenses after filing a claim unless it seems you go to one of their "in network" so to speak providers. In an emergency I'm not sure you will have the time or option to lookup and find a provider that they cover directly. Also, you may not have a choice if, for instances, you have to be medevac off the ship.

 

This seems like a great policy if you are staying in one spot for a long time, you can basically use it like most primary health plans in the US, and can go to regular doctors visits etc where you can preplan for them.

 

IMO you would be better off with another policy like Allianz etc.

 

Just my 2 cents, we won't travel without insurance and given your prior posts I want to make sure you are getting exactly what you want.

 

You may also want to consider MedJet Assist. They will fly you back to the US no questions asked in a medical emergency no need for doctors certifications or company approvals. Most other policies will only get you to the nearest hospital that CAN treat you. They offer an annual policy as well as a per trip policy. Never bought it myself but I know it's a popular option.

[sanger727]

Be VERY careful here. This is SECONDARY insurance which generally (see below) means you must file a claim with your primary insurance (which one of the policies stipulates you must have primary insurance to buy that particular travel policy).

 

You say no out of pocket costs and that is not necessarily right, you will pay 100% of your costs out of pocket and then you will be reimbursed for your expenses after filing a claim unless it seems you go to one of their "in network" so to speak providers. In an emergency I'm not sure you will have the time or option to lookup and find a provider that they cover directly. Also, you may not have a choice if, for instances, you have to be medevac off the ship.

 

This seems like a great policy if you are staying in one spot for a long time, you can basically use it like most primary health plans in the US, and can go to regular doctors visits etc where you can preplan for them.

 

 

Have you used geoblue? I'm asking because their advertising is that they pay upfront like primary insurance and it's not till afterwards that they are secondary and want to be reimbursed by your primary insurance. I just used them so read all the terms; didn't have a need to file a claim though. They are pretty useless otherwise considering my insurance will pay my bills after the fact. It's the upfront coverage that's needed.

 

 

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[cargo13]

Thank you everybody, I meant to say medical insurance for pre-existing conditions, I tried some of them that you all mentioned, there were many exclusions.... I did find GeoBlue International, its Blue Cross/Shield but overseas, wonderful best plan I found yet, 0 deductibles, 1million coverage, all pre-existing conditions, 100 payment and no out of pocket expenses and $52.91.

 

I live with a large amount of medical problems so needed some coverage as medicare won't cover me international thank you everybody for all your help!

==================================================

 

We have investigated the pre existing conditions dilemma (diabetes) and credit cards travel insurance does not cover. Cruise lines have to offer the travel insurance but the coverage is poor and its expensive.

 

Our doctor recommended this article that was very helpful coparing providers:

https://www.thediabetescouncil.com/diabetes-travel-insurance-guide/

 

Because of the ability to buy travel insurance to cover pre existing up until final payment of the cruise, we always buy CSA TRAVEL PROTECTION http://www.csatravelprotection.com lists a phone to call CSA and speak w/ an advisor who was very helpful on which plan to buy.