Annual medical only insurance: Geoblue or Allianz?

[fstuff1]

Male, age51, solo

 

I usually get Geoblue Trekker medical-only annual insurance for medical/medivac emergencies.

Before Covid, it was $100/yr.

Now it's $150/yr.

 

Allianz is $138/yr. ($20k medical/$100k medivac)

 

You can buy GeoBlue through Insuremytrip.com at no markup so you get your own insurance agent working on your behalf.

I think you have to buy Allianz directly. (https://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/travel/annual)

 

If you bought an annual medical only plan, which did you buy?

Why that company/

 

[Jersey42]

3 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

If you bought an annual medical only plan, which did you buy?

Why that company/

I continue to buy GeoBlue Trekker for the following reasons:

• The possibility of a potentially large medical bill is my primary reason for purchasing insurance. It is nice to have insurance for a sore throat or some bumps and bruises.  But I don't want to face a large unreimbursed bill.  $20K (per trip) of coverage would not interest me unless I had other good medical coverage.
• I want insurance that pays primary (Allianz is secondary). My primary medical insurance offers some foreign emergency travel coverage, but it has a $50K lifetime maximum, so I need primary to avoid using up the lifetime max.  Plus, the claims process is simplerwith primary.

 

Other reasons I like GeoBlue, but Allianz would be ok:

• I want it to cover pre-existing conditions - just in case.  Both GeoBlue and Allianz do this, although Allianz does have a very minor time constraint.
• I want medical evacuation coverage.  GeoBlue provides much more, but for my typical trips, Allianz's coverage is probably adequate.

 

Yes the GeoBlue premiums have gone up a little and the small annual deductible has changed slightly, but in the whole scheme of things it is still a great value - especially for people under age 70.

[jelayne]

I am looking at GeoBlue and the info I have say a Primary Health Plan is required.  That would lead me to believe that GeoBlue is secondary.

[Suzanne123]

I also have an annual Trekker Choice plan.

According to GeoBlue FAQ

• Do I file claims with my primary insurance first?
oGeoBlue Trekker plans are secondary insurance. However, GeoBlue will process and pay claims upfront as a primary payor and reserves the right, where applicable, to contact your primary insurance company to coordinate benefits

[Jersey42]

1 hour ago, jelayne said:

I am looking at GeoBlue and the info I have say a Primary Health Plan is required.  That would lead me to believe that GeoBlue is secondary.

From GeoBlue: "The GeoBlue Trekker plans are secondary insurance. However, GeoBlue will process and pay overseas claims as a primary payor and reserves the right, where applicable, to contact your primary insurance company to coordinate benefits." 

 

While GeoBlue could contact your primary plan for coordination of benefits, Steve at TripInsuranceStore (highly recommended) confirmed to me recently that he has never seen this happen with any of his customers. He has never given me bad information, and I trust his advice.

 

We have had only one claim and they did not go back to the primary insurance.  Others, including a frequent poster with a large medical claim have had the same experience.

Edited August 30, 2022 by Jersey42

[Ashland]

On 8/24/2022 at 7:19 PM, Jersey42 said:

I continue to buy GeoBlue Trekker for the following reasons:

• The possibility of a potentially large medical bill is my primary reason for purchasing insurance. It is nice to have insurance for a sore throat or some bumps and bruises.  But I don't want to face a large unreimbursed bill.  $20K (per trip) of coverage would not interest me unless I had other good medical coverage.
• I want insurance that pays primary (Allianz is secondary). My primary medical insurance offers some foreign emergency travel coverage, but it has a $50K lifetime maximum, so I need primary to avoid using up the lifetime max.  Plus, the claims process is simplerwith primary.

 

Other reasons I like GeoBlue, but Allianz would be ok:

• I want it to cover pre-existing conditions - just in case.  Both GeoBlue and Allianz do this, although Allianz does have a very minor time constraint.
• I want medical evacuation coverage.  GeoBlue provides much more, but for my typical trips, Allianz's coverage is probably adequate.

 

Yes the GeoBlue premiums have gone up a little and the small annual deductible has changed slightly, but in the whole scheme of things it is still a great value - especially for people under age 70.

It's especially good for people over 70 as well...Very happy with our GeoBlue Trekker plan. 

[GeezerCouple]

16 minutes ago, Ashland said:

It's especially good for people over 70 as well...Very happy with our GeoBlue Trekker plan. 

 

Why?  What does this policy provide that is especially good for "Geezers"? 😉 

 

Thanks!

 

GC

[Hlitner]

12 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

Why?  What does this policy provide that is especially good for "Geezers"? 😉 

 

Thanks!

 

GC

Being a "geezer" comes with some healthcare baggage.  The odds that we will need medical care do increase with age as do most insurance premiums.  GeoBlue does provide us with a relatively low-cost annual plan (and they also have excellent single trip plans) that still gives us geezers at least $100,000 of coverage which includes pre-existing conditions.  For those of us who do a lot of international travel (we can be out of the country 5-6 months a year) it is difficult to find any other coverage to equal what we get from GeoBlue (Allianz does also have some good options).  

 

We agree with the other poster that the typical $10 - $20,000 of medical coverage offered in most trip policies is wholly inadequate.  I have oft posted that the leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the USA is unexpected medical bills.  While $20,000 sounds like a lot of coverage, one can quickly exceed that amount with any major medical event!  

 

A lifetime working in the medical insurance world has taught me some things about human nature that we often see here in CC posts.  Folks will pay top dollar (sometimes in excess of 10% of their cruise cost) for cancellation protection.  But cancellation/interruption is not going to bankrupt folks (you would have paid that money even if you took the trip).  It is the unexpected medical costs (and evacuation) that can be the true financial killer.  But many folks are more concerned with insuring a few thousand dollars of travel bills while paying little attention to the unlimited cost potential of medical emergencies.  

 

Hank

[Jersey42]

13 hours ago, Ashland said:

It's especially good for people over 70 as well...Very happy with our GeoBlue Trekker plan. 

I totally agree that it is an excellent plan and the best one that I have seen for those that qualify.  Once you reach 70, the medical coverage is 1/5 or 1/10 of what you get if you are under age 70.  So the value is better if you are under 70.  That said, $100K of coverage (ages 70 and above) should be more than adequate for any trip.  

[RusticSeagull]

@Jersey42  Thanks for all of the good info you provided on Annual Insurance.  Just wondering if you carry any other insurance for cruising (besides primary and GeoBlue)?  Just thinking about whether I should worry about losing the trip cost or just letting it go...

[klfrodo]

1 hour ago, RusticSeagull said:

@Jersey42  Thanks for all of the good info you provided on Annual Insurance.  Just wondering if you carry any other insurance for cruising (besides primary and GeoBlue)?  Just thinking about whether I should worry about losing the trip cost or just letting it go...

Many of us forego coverage for cancellation. The money is spent and/or is planned. The real odds of having to cancel are slim. If something should occur and one loses a couple thousand, well, it might be painful but will not put you into financial default like a $100K unexpected medical bill might. So, I self-insure the cost of the trip.

[Jersey42]

3 hours ago, RusticSeagull said:

@Jersey42  Thanks for all of the good info you provided on Annual Insurance.  Just wondering if you carry any other insurance for cruising (besides primary and GeoBlue)?  Just thinking about whether I should worry about losing the trip cost or just letting it go...

In addition to GeoBlue Trekker, we have one of the Chase Sapphire cards that provides travel insurance.  While it is a little more restrictive than comprehensive travel insurance, it saves a lot of insurance premiums.  The biggest downside for us with the Chase card is it has a 60 day lookback on pre-existing conditions for both travelers and non-traveling family members. Most of the Chase coverage (including trip cancellation) excludes any reasons due to a pre-existing condition.

 

Most of the time we purchase no other insurance as we often take relative inexpensive last-minute cruises where we can drive to the port.  If the Chase card did not cover us, it would not be the worst thing.

 

Occasionally we purchase a trip specific travel insurance policy.  This is usually for more expensive trips when we know we have a pre-existing condition (such as a medication change) in the 60 days before making a trip deposit.

[odie1024]

I was looking at buying both GeoBlue and Allianz as I have 3 international non cruise trips planned for next year and a B2B cruise. Is this right as I am about to turn 70 and my health plan does not include international medical?

[GeezerCouple]

20 minutes ago, odie1024 said:

I was looking at buying both GeoBlue and Allianz as I have 3 international non cruise trips planned for next year and a B2B cruise. Is this right as I am about to turn 70 and my health plan does not include international medical?

 

You might want to contact www.TripInsuranceStore.com and ask them about those two policies, or whether there are other policies that might be better for *your* specific travel concerns.  That means a phone call so that you can ask them questions, and so that they can ask you some as well (e.g., do you have any relatives who are not traveling with you, and you'd want to return if they got very ill, etc.; there are many other issues to consider).

 

If you start the coverage when the deposits are paid (or within approximately 20 days), you'll have the largest selection of types of coverage.  This may or may not be something that matters to you, and you'd know that after the first time discussing this with TIS.

 

We also insure both cruise and land-only trips, and the same policy works for us with all trips thus far.  We also get MedJetAssist, which will medevac us back to the hospital of *our* choice (in our case, our regular hospital, with our records and physicians), even if it is not "medically necessary".  One must be admitted as an inpatient (not ER or Observation), and one must be stable enough to travel at least by full air ambulance with medical staffing.

TIS sells this coverage as well; we get the annual policy as that also covers us for assorted trips (over 150 miles from home) throughout the year...

 

Enjoy your trips!

 

GC

[Roz]

I was just thinking about annual medical insurance today because I submitted my application for Medicare Part B.  This thread has been very informative.

 

I turn 70 in a few months and will be retiring the day after.  😎  Medicare kicks in on Jan. 1, 2023.  As those of you on Medicare know, it doesn't cover medical outside of the US and its territories.  Medicare will be my primary, so what would be the value in a travel insurance co. coordinating benefits with my primary?  Medicare isn't going to pay.

[odie1024]

2 hours ago, Roz said:

I was just thinking about annual medical insurance today because I submitted my application for Medicare Part B.  This thread has been very informative.

 

I turn 70 in a few months and will be retiring the day after.  😎  Medicare kicks in on Jan. 1, 2023.  As those of you on Medicare know, it doesn't cover medical outside of the US and its territories.  Medicare will be my primary, so what would be the value in a travel insurance co. coordinating benefits with my primary?  Medicare isn't going to pay.

I spoke with someone at Insuremy trip over the weekend. Even though we know Medicare will not pay,  it will be filed with them first and once it gets declined then it gets submitted to your policy you bought.

[GeezerCouple]

There are some Medicare supplement policies (not sure of what they are called) and those do have overseas coverage, albeit with a $50k LIFETIME limit (not per trip!).

So a third-party insurer can't know whether you have that add-on to Medicare until/unless you get an official denial for your overseas medical claim.

 

To avoid this denial delay (which can sometimes be considerable), you can get "primary" coverage.  That means that your travel insurance policy will pay first - *before* any other policy, so there is no need to send a claim to Medicare or any other insurance (if you aren't on Medicare).  Also, this preserves that $50k lifetime limit if you have that coverage with your Medicare.

 

Otherwise, your travel insurance coverage might be "secondary", which means you must demonstrate that you have received any coverage you might be entitled to from other insurers first.

 

GC

[Jersey42]

3 hours ago, Roz said:

I was just thinking about annual medical insurance today because I submitted my application for Medicare Part B.  This thread has been very informative.

 

I turn 70 in a few months and will be retiring the day after.  😎  Medicare kicks in on Jan. 1, 2023.  As those of you on Medicare know, it doesn't cover medical outside of the US and its territories.  Medicare will be my primary, so what would be the value in a travel insurance co. coordinating benefits with my primary?  Medicare isn't going to pay.

I'll assume you are already on Medicare part A.  In the (highly unlikely) case that as of 1/1/23 Medicare A/B is your only insurance, then there is no financial benefit to have a travel insurance policy that pays primary.  However as @odie1234 said, the claims process for secondary insurance would be more complex and slower.  You would have to manually file first with Medicare (the ship medical center or a foreign facility will not do it), and wait weeks or even months for Medicare to deny the claim. Then travel insurance can process the claim.

 

More likely you will have other insurance.  The other insurance typically falls into one of three categories:

• Medicare Supplement (aka Medigap) - many of these have some limited, well defined, foreign travel benefits
• Medicare Advantage (aka Medicare Part C) - This is private insurance that replaces Medicare. There is no mandate to cover foreign travel so coverage varies widely from none to fantastic.
• Employer retiree plan that augments regular Medicare - Much more typical with government retirees including military and teachers.  Foreign travel coverage can also vary widely, depending on the plan.

 

You really need to understand your coverage before trying to figure out primary vs secondary travel medical plans. Depending on what you have, you might not even need a travel medical insurances.

 

• In some cases primary or secondary have no financial advantage, but primary is easier and faster.
• In some cases (like my situation) primary has a financial advantage, and is easier and faster.
• In some cases (like my former situation) secondary, or the ability to file first with my primary insurer has financial benefits.

 

Unfortunately, this is more complicated than it should be.

[Roz]

@odie1024, @GeezerCouple, and @Jersey42, thank you for your thoughtful and informative responses.  

 

After I posted, I did some research on Geo Blue on the Trip Insurance Store website.  I see that having a Medicare Supplement or being in a Medicare Advantage Plan qualifies as primary insurance.  I'm a state employee and will be purchasing a Medicare supplement for state retirees.  

 

I noticed that both the Geo Blue Trekker Essential and Trekker Choice only offer $100,000 of medical coverage for those 70-95 yrs. old.  The Essential plan has $250,000 of coverage for emergency medical evacuation and  the Choice plan offers $500,000 of coverage.  Both plans are very reasonably priced.  

 

I agree with @Hlitner about medical and evacuation coverage being much more important than trip cancellation or interruption.  

 

I have 2 big cruises coming up over the next 6 months - a river in Europe in December and a 31-day South American cruise next March/April.  I purchased individual (pricey) policies for those.  Going forward I seen that having an individual annual medical policy is going to be more cost effective and give me the coverage I'm more interested in.  

[Jersey42]

5 minutes ago, Roz said:

I'm a state employee and will be purchasing a Medicare supplement for state retirees.  

 

Going forward I seen that having an individual annual medical policy is going to be more cost effective and give me the coverage I'm more interested in.  

It sounds like you have done the research and know what works best for your retiree plan. The GeoBlue Trekker plans are are still the best ones I have seen for people who qualify. For others, I still caution them to make sure they completely understand what there home medical coverage actually includes. 

 

I have several siblings as well as SIL/BILs that worked for federal and state governments.  They all refer to their retiree insurance through their employer as their "Medicare Supplement".  But, none of their plans are actually a "Medicare Supplement" (letter plan).  Rather they fit into the third category I mentioned on my last post.  All of their plans are actually better than any "Medicare Supplement".  They all fully cover foreign emergency travel with no lifetime caps.  So in their cases,  they don't need any additional travel medical insurance.  I don't believe any will cover medical evacuation or other types of travel insurance so they sometimes purchase comprehensive travel insurance for the other benefits.

 

It is all more complicated than it should be.  That's why it pays for everyone to understand what they have and what they are purchasing. 

[GeezerCouple]

16 minutes ago, Roz said:

@odie1024, @GeezerCouple, and @Jersey42, thank you for your thoughtful and informative responses.  

 

After I posted, I did some research on Geo Blue on the Trip Insurance Store website.  I see that having a Medicare Supplement or being in a Medicare Advantage Plan qualifies as primary insurance.  I'm a state employee and will be purchasing a Medicare supplement for state retirees.  

 

I noticed that both the Geo Blue Trekker Essential and Trekker Choice only offer $100,000 of medical coverage for those 70-95 yrs. old.  The Essential plan has $250,000 of coverage for emergency medical evacuation and  the Choice plan offers $500,000 of coverage.  Both plans are very reasonably priced.  

 

I agree with @Hlitner about medical and evacuation coverage being much more important than trip cancellation or interruption.  

 

I have 2 big cruises coming up over the next 6 months - a river in Europe in December and a 31-day South American cruise next March/April.  I purchased individual (pricey) policies for those.  Going forward I seen that having an individual annual medical policy is going to be more cost effective and give me the coverage I'm more interested in.  

 

Be careful about that "primary" insurance.  Any policy can be "primary" (yes, that sounds odd) *IF* it will pay for covered claims straightaway without waiting to find out costs are "left over" from other policies.

 

The point I tried to make above is that the Medicare add-ons MIGHT have a $50k *lifetime* limit.  If you have a big medical claim (hopefully not, but that's what insurance is for) and your travel insurance is not primary coverage, then you'd need to first file a claim with the Medicare/etc., and thus use up that $50k coverage even though the travel insurance would have paid the entire amount *if* it were primary.  With primary travel insurance, there's no need to touch that Medicare policy limit.

Then you'd still have that for, say, a quick trip out of the country, although you'd still risk exceeding that $50k limit if something catastrophic happened.  But you'd be covered for that broken arm or such...

 

What you might be referring to, given you mentioned GeoBlue is probably "primary" in a somewhat different sense.  (Yeah, if so, that's really helpful terminlogy. 😠 )  In that sense, it means that you already have a "regular" health insurance policy.  My guess is that this requirement is to make sure that someone without insurance coverage at all needs medical care, and thus takes out a "medical only" travel insurance so they can get the medical condition covered, but that's just my guess, as I said...

 

Steve, from TripInsuranceStore, could clarify what I've written, or make any corrections if warranted.

 

We still have Employer medical coverage (DH enjoys his work and is going strong as he approaches 80) and will end up with Medicare plus Retiree health coverage, which is good.  So we haven't had personal experience with Medicare at all yet, and later, it will be combined with that Retiree coverage.

 

GC

[Roz]

@Jersey42, I have no idea if TN's plan covers foreign travel.  That's something I need to research.  When you say "It is all more complicated than it should be" you're absolutely right.  😁

[Roz]

@GeezerCouple, Geo Blue is who refers to Medicare supplements as primary, not me.  I think they want you to have other medical insurance, not just a travel policy.  I can't imagine the retirement plan for TN state employees only has $50,000 lifetime benefits, so now I AM totally confused.  

 

Where would I find travel medical insurance that's primary for older people?

[Jersey42]

5 minutes ago, Roz said:

@Jersey42, I have no idea if TN's plan covers foreign travel.  That's something I need to research.  When you say "It is all more complicated than it should be" you're absolutely right.  😁

Of the specific plans I mentioned, two were from New York and the third was for Federal employees. It pays to check.  If yours does not completely cover foreign travel, you can't go wrong with GeoBlue.  We have had a GeoBlue trekker plan for several years now.  If your plan covers foreign medical, then check medical evacuation coverage.  If that is not covered you might want to consider MedJet Assist.  It only covers medical evacuation, but it offers you more flexibility and choices than the evacuation coverage in the GeoBlue Trekker plan.  We are personally fine with GeoBlue's evacuation coverage, but some people prefer the additional benefits of MedJet.

[GeezerCouple]

Just now, Roz said:

@GeezerCouple, Geo Blue is who refers to Medicare supplements as primary, not me.  I think they want you to have other medical insurance, not just a travel policy.  I can't imagine the retirement plan for TN state employees only has $50,000 lifetime benefits, so now I AM totally confused.  

 

Where would I find travel medical insurance that's primary for older people?

 

Speak with Steve or his associates at TIS.  This is why I recommend people CALL and *not* just rely upon the online summaries of policies.  Not only can the summaries not include all the details, but one can't ask about one's own specific circumstances.

In some cases, one can pay $25 extra (per person) to have a good plan change from secondary to primary.  But there are probably other choices, so ask them!

 

And *retiree* coverage is not the same as some plain add-on to Medicare, so I'd doubt there are such low limits to the total coverage limits.... although there MIGHT still be limits for OUT OF COUNTRY.  That would still depend upon the specific Employer plan policy and what it offers...  Double check before any trip... not after!

 

And per what Jersey42 just wrote, we get an annual plan with MedJetAssist, although they also offer "per trip" plans.  Well, we had annual plans before The Plague Era; we haven't traveled anywhere yet. 😞 

 

Again... call the experts and discuss your situation.  They can be far more specific for your situation than any of us here.

 

Good luck!

 

GC