insurance that pays UPFRONT

[carlp]

are there any companies that will pay medical costs up front. it scares me when i read some medical costs can reach anywhere

from $10,000 -$50,000 and up

who carries that much with them

any help appreciated

 

[Babr]

There are policies that will advance payment in order to secure treatment. It requires careful reading of the policy to find one.

 

The surest method is to work with a professional who represents reputable companies. Call the folks at Trip Insurance Store to discuss your needs.

[GeezerCouple]

34 minutes ago, carlp said:

are there any companies that will pay medical costs up front. it scares me when i read some medical costs can reach anywhere

from $10,000 -$50,000 and up

who carries that much with them

any help appreciated

 

 

This is a situation where speaking with a travel insurance broker who is familiar with a wide range of insurers and policies will be very helpful.

Many here use www.TripInsuranceStore.com

We always recommend calling, but for this type of question, it is essential.

 

There are a few things to keep in mind.

The first, and most important (in our minds) is that in a true medical EMERGENCY, one does *NOT* want to wait for an insurer to be contacted, then have discussions, perhaps call in specialists to verify if the treatment seems reasonable, etc.... before treatment is even started!

 

We would certainly want to be able to hand over a charge card with a healthy (no pun intended!) credit limit to get emergency medical care started, and worry about reimbursement, or payment of additional/ongoing higher cost treatment *later*.

 

That said, there are some insurers who *might* be able to guarantee payment or even wire money in certain circumstances.  But keep in mind, this would never be immediate.  If nothing else, the insurer would need to verify the request/need isn't some sort of scam.

 

In one overseas ER, while I was arranging payment and the ER staff were starting to attend to DH, I saw a sign that had something like the following:

"We will not accept any insurance guarantees unless it is from ..."

... and then the names of a few big name travel insurers.  But even then, they'd still need to contact them, discuss the situation, etc.  And I doubt anyone in a true emergency is going to be okay with someone in serious medical distress just "waiting" for verification.

 

In the USA, the ER medical team don't wait to get verification of payment.  That is not always the case overseas.  We purposefully keep more than one charge card with us when traveling, and make sure there are good limits available.

 

Speak with TIS about how these situations can be managed.

And always bring some charge cards when traveling.

 

GC

 

[klfrodo]

2 hours ago, carlp said:

 

who carries that much with them

any help appreciated

 

Nobody carries that much money with them.

Many of us have high limit credit cards that we only use for emergencies for just this purpose.

 

I was recently in Cancun on a land vacation. My wife trip and fell while getting off a bus. (She hadn't started drinking yet). Anyway, when we got to the hospital, before any treatment began, I had to run my credit card for $3600 approval. She then received better treatment than she would have received here at home. 7 stitches in her head from a plastic surgeon with no scar to this day.

 

When you ask about UPFRONT and looking for an insurance company. IF the policy you choose does provide this, there will be caveats. Some policies will require that the facility be in THEIR network (which isn't always available in the community you are seeking care) or, they only provide by fax or e-mail Proof of Ability to Pay, which may or may not be accepted by the facility.

Edited October 3, 2022 by klfrodo