Best Combination For Inexpensive Insurance

[mcrcruiser]

After doing a long research & being  84   we found the best combination  for low cost uearly travel insurance which includes cruises ,airfares & all  land trips 

 

 First  we took the  Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card  .This imo is a a sure winner for not only the coverages it fives you  can place $4000 on  the card  it gives you currently  80000 points which is $800 .00  ,We got it because we are now for up to $20000.00 trip cancelation & trip interruption as well as  baggage & other coverages as well 

 

 Then we added Allianz  Travel insurance for one year .There are many different levels of coverage to suit most people .Just google Allianz Travel insurance .We got medical ,medical evacuation ,accident insurance ,  morre baggage insurance ,

 

  Mind you that just about all med vac insurance in a insurance package  will not usually cover   being in a foreign medical center bed ridden to  be moved to your home  hospital . This takes a separate type of insurance ,We found one that covers this area it is Med Jet Assist  ,There may be others that sell this type of insurance 

 

  I am not a agent for  any insurance company & been retired 24 years   

 

 Why we did all this research is because our trip insurance cost was way too high  .The above saves us substantial monies & we are now covered for one dull year 

 

 We hope this helps many travelers .Please tell others so they can be helped as well 

[colbe]

Are you covered for medical evacuation at sea from ship to shore side hospital?

[CruiserBruce]

8 minutes ago, colbe said:

Are you covered for medical evacuation at sea from ship to shore side hospital?

Read the third paragraph in the OP's post.

[mcrcruiser]

14 minutes ago, colbe said:

Are you covered for medical evacuation at sea from ship to shore side hospital?

The Allianz travel insurance that you  but for one year has med vac from  the ship to land based hospital facility that is capable of handling the persons case  .That is usually decided by on board medical /doctors & land based hospiital doctors   . You need a different yearly insurance if you are in a foreign gospital & wasnt to be transported vabk to a US hospital near home . That is like Med  Jet Assist .

 

 

 

 

[colbe]

1 minute ago, mcrcruiser said:

The Allianz travel insurance that you  but for one year has med vac from  the ship to land based hospital facility that is capable of handling the persons case  .That is usually decided by on board medical /doctors & land based hospiital doctors   . You need a different yearly insurance if you are in a foreign gospital & wasnt to be transported vabk to a US hospital near home . That is like Med  Jet Assist .

 

 

 

 

Thank you.

[mcrcruiser]

I was hospitalized in  Rome  Italy  in 2008 ,Great hospital & staff , To get into the hospital (n surgery  no needed ) at vthat tome it was $15000 .00 fee  or not get in  . Be aware foreign   hospitals do not bill private US insurance companies .So have a lot of credit when traveling & of course get all your bills ,taxi fares ie 

[Babr]

I don’t know your medical history nor am I asking; however at 84 most people have been or are being treated for something. If you are going to rely on credit card coverage for cancellation and interruption, be sure you understand the pre-existing conditions exclusion. 
 

 

[klfrodo]

14 hours ago, colbe said:

Are you covered for medical evacuation at sea from ship to shore side hospital?

These medical evacuations are typically going to be free or no charge to the patient. There are no private companies equipped to safely perform these evacuations. They are always done by a Govt entity like Navy or Coast Guard.

There are many international treaties to include the Geneva Convention, Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS), International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR), et al, that covers this.

Edited May 21, 2023 by klfrodo

[mcrcruiser]

3 hours ago, Babr said:

I don’t know your medical history nor am I asking; however at 84 most people have been or are being treated for something. If you are going to rely on credit card coverage for cancellation and interruption, be sure you understand the pre-existing conditions exclusion. 
 

 

There is no pre existing conditions in either the Chase Sapphire credit card coverage or the Allianz insurance .We have read the lines throughly

Edited May 21, 2023 by mcrcruiser

[Babr]

56 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

There is no pre existing conditions in either the Chase Sapphire credit card coverage or the Allianz insurance .We have read the lines throughly

 

There absolutely is a pre-existing conditions exclusion in Chase. See page 30 of your Guide to Benefits. 

[ljones]

I also have Chase Preferred and am wondering if anyone has received a benefit / reimbursement from them?  If so, how was the process since they are not an actual insurance company.

[Babr]

2 hours ago, ljones said:

I also have Chase Preferred and am wondering if anyone has received a benefit / reimbursement from them?  If so, how was the process since they are not an actual insurance company.

 

Neither is the cruise line or Costco or a travel agency. They sell you a policy or provide coverage which is underwritten and administered by an insurance company. In the case of Chase cards, it is Federal Insurance Company.

 

Your claim will be handled by the Program Administrator. Contact information  is provided in your Guide to Benefits.

 

As long as you are filing for a covered reason and have the required documentation, your claim will be paid according to terms of the policy.

Edited May 21, 2023 by Babr

[ljones]

Thanks.  I've always purchased actual travel insurance through an insurance company previously.

 

I was more wondering if anyone had made a claim on their Chase card insurance.  And also how they felt it was handled, did the documentation go to Chase, did you call Chase with questions and were there any issues...I do have the Guide to Benefits...massive & can easily be used right before bed to get to sleep!

[Babr]

While you are waiting, I can tell you that the coverage is provided by an unaffiliated insurance company. You’ll deal with them. The contact information and details on how to file a claim can be found in your bedside reading.

 

Others have reported here that they have used the benefit successfully; however, I can recall at least one person who came here looking for advice on choosing a policy after being denied for a pre-existing condition.

 

 

Edited May 22, 2023 by Babr

[klfrodo]

The Guide to Benefits has a section after every chapter describing what is covered, that has definitions, what documentation is required, and how to file a claim. Not rocket science.

[jules815]

1 hour ago, ljones said:

Thanks.  I've always purchased actual travel insurance through an insurance company previously.

 

I was more wondering if anyone had made a claim on their Chase card insurance.  And also how they felt it was handled, did the documentation go to Chase, did you call Chase with questions and were there any issues...I do have the Guide to Benefits...massive & can easily be used right before bed to get to sleep!

 

Interesting posts. My husband and I (66 and 62, good health) have a 2 week cruise (B2B eastern/western Caribbean) coming up in September. Not sure how it happened, but this is the first time I haven't purchased trip insurance thru the cruise line while booking. Starting to think I should, however, have been looking at benefits provided with our Chase Sapphire Preferred card and wondering if that may be enough. We have another trip next year, a transatlantic on Ascent with some time at the end in Europe, and I definitely plan on getting additional insurance for that one.

 

Also, a while ago, I think it was someone here, posted a link to a travel insurance provider that sold a policy specifically for air evacuations. I seem to have not saved that link. If anyone knows what I'm talking about and can post it, that would be great. thanks!

 

 

 

[jules815]

23 hours ago, klfrodo said:

These medical evacuations are typically going to be free or no charge to the patient. There are no private companies equipped to safely perform these evacuations. They are always done by a Govt entity like Navy or Coast Guard.

There are many international treaties to include the Geneva Convention, Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS), International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR), et al, that covers this.

Interesting. 

[ljones]

16 minutes ago, jules815 said:

looking at benefits provided with our Chase Sapphire Preferred card and wondering if that may be enough.

Do NOT count on Chase Preferred for "Travel Accident Insurance".

Edited May 22, 2023 by ljones
add

[ljones]

1 hour ago, Babr said:

The contact information and details on how to file a claim can be found in your bedside reading.

Thanks much...knew where to find it but it's not my preferred reading & hopefully will not become 'required reading'! 😉

Edited May 22, 2023 by ljones

[Babr]

1 hour ago, ljones said:

Thanks much...knew where to find it but it's not my preferred reading & hopefully will not become 'required reading'! 😉

Sure - - it is required reading only if you plan to rely on it for cancellation/interruption coverage. Best to know how it works before having to file a claim.

Edited May 22, 2023 by Babr

[Babr]

1 hour ago, jules815 said:

Interesting. 

@klfrodo has explained how air/sea rescue works.

 

Medical evacuation coverage in a comprehensive travel policy provides for hospital to hospital transfer if you need additional care after treatment at the initial facility. You’ll be taken to the nearest appropriate hospital. Usually, people are returned home once they have recovered enough to travel by commercial air. Sometimes that requires first class with a medical escort.

 

You are probably asking about MedJet Assist. That is a membership organization that provides air transport to the hospital of your choice. There are still some limitations to the service. You can easily Google it to find the options available to you.

[GeezerCouple]

21 minutes ago, ljones said:

Thanks much...knew where to find it but it's not my preferred reading & hopefully will not become 'required reading'! 😉

 

But it *should* be required reading, and sooner rather than later.

 

Reading those details when one wants to file a claim is not the best time to find out that the requirements for a claim are not met for your particular needs, something wasn't covered, or something should have been handled differently, etc.

 

Many of the complaints about travel insurance involve claims for events/issues that were never covered or that violated some term(s) of the policy in the first place.

The rest of it, "filling out the paperwork", isn't difficult; just include *all* receipts.  One may need a form to be completed by a treating physician.  Best to know that while one is still there, or get the forms.

(I simply sent in a copy of the hospital records once, and other times just asked the treating physician for a handwritten letter at the time of care overseas.  Those were sufficient.  There was no push-back to get the "proper form" completed by a foreign physician or such, but that could vary, obviously.)

Worst case in that situation, usually, would be that the insurer would request additional information; in that case, just send it along (before considering it a "denial").

 

And not knowing to save receipts, etc... not good to find that out "later", after receipts haven't been saved.

 

GC

[jules815]

7 hours ago, ljones said:

Do NOT count on Chase Preferred for "Travel Accident Insurance".

Yeah, I wasn't planning on it. If I'm doing my research correctly, it looks like the best plan for us now at this stage in our lives (newly retired and planning on traveling more) is an annual travel policy. More economical (not cheap) and will cover all of our travel for a year. 

[Jersey42]

14 hours ago, jules815 said:

Yeah, I wasn't planning on it. If I'm doing my research correctly, it looks like the best plan for us now at this stage in our lives (newly retired and planning on traveling more) is an annual travel policy. More economical (not cheap) and will cover all of our travel for a year. 

Buying a comprehensive annual travel policy does not offer the same coverage as buying a policy for each trip, but it is almost always a lot cheaper.  All of the comprehensive annual travel plans have "holes".  I don't think they are a good choice for many people.  But they can be an excellent value if the "holes" have minimal impact for your personal situation.  Personal situation includes:

• How does your existing medical insurance work outside of the US?  If you need the annual policy to cover gaps such as deductibles and co-pays, you are fine.  If the annual policy is your only coverage, be careful.
• What types of trips do you usually take?  If it is several relatively inexpensive trips each year, an annual policy can work well.  If you take longer and/or more expensive trips, be sure to understand the terms and conditions. Most plans limit trips to 45 days or less.  The annual cancelation/interruption benefit is usually fairly small. Allianz offers the most coverage that I have seen for a couple at $10K per person.  If you use up the benefit early in the policy period, you can not buy more coverage and it is sometimes too late to purchase a trip specific plan.
• What is your risk tolerance?  Are you willing to "self insure" losses above the policy limits? What are the chances of a large medical bill?  What are the real chances of cancelling or interrupting more than one trip in a year?

 

We have limited foreign emergency medical coverage, so we always purchase an annual GeoBlue Trekker policy.  Good coverage (especially under 70) at a good price. We then deal with each trip on a case by case basis.  Credit card coverage, buy a policy, self insure. It all depends on the situation.

 

If you end up buying a comprehensive annual travel policy, can you share with us which one and why.  Good luck.

[jules815]

2 hours ago, Jersey42 said:

Buying a comprehensive annual travel policy does not offer the same coverage as buying a policy for each trip, but it is almost always a lot cheaper.  All of the comprehensive annual travel plans have "holes".  I don't think they are a good choice for many people.  But they can be an excellent value if the "holes" have minimal impact for your personal situation.  Personal situation includes:

• How does your existing medical insurance work outside of the US?  If you need the annual policy to cover gaps such as deductibles and co-pays, you are fine.  If the annual policy is your only coverage, be careful.
• What types of trips do you usually take?  If it is several relatively inexpensive trips each year, an annual policy can work well.  If you take longer and/or more expensive trips, be sure to understand the terms and conditions. Most plans limit trips to 45 days or less.  The annual cancelation/interruption benefit is usually fairly small. Allianz offers the most coverage that I have seen for a couple at $10K per person.  If you use up the benefit early in the policy period, you can not buy more coverage and it is sometimes too late to purchase a trip specific plan.
• What is your risk tolerance?  Are you willing to "self insure" losses above the policy limits? What are the chances of a large medical bill?  What are the real chances of cancelling or interrupting more than one trip in a year?

 

We have limited foreign emergency medical coverage, so we always purchase an annual GeoBlue Trekker policy.  Good coverage (especially under 70) at a good price. We then deal with each trip on a case by case basis.  Credit card coverage, buy a policy, self insure. It all depends on the situation.

 

If you end up buying a comprehensive annual travel policy, can you share with us which one and why.  Good luck.

Thank you for all of this information!  Now I need to look at the GeoBlue Trekker policy. Still haven't made a decision yet.