Travel Insurance Re-visited

[cmthomas]

In January, 2007, as I prepared to book a lovely river cruise with Amadeus (now AMAdeus Waterways) from Budpest to the Black Sea I started a thread to discuss some issues related to the differences in various travel insurance products. This discussion can be found at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=485342&highlight=Amadeus+insurance.

 

At that time I had little concern about the issue of "pre-existing conditions" as I was in fine health with no conditions that might render my purchase of insurance voidable. Also, I had been traveling for about 40 years without ever considering the purchase of insurance for such short periods away from home but having just reached the ripe old age of 70 thought that it might be a wise idea. Little did I know what lay in store for me!

 

Our trip was an adventure that was reported on in detail by my friend and fellow traveler WIT http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=645975&highlight=WIT. We completed the trip without incident and returned home on October 25, 2007. A mere two months later on Christmas morning, 2007, without a single prior symptom, I was stricken with a heart attack while opening Christmas gifts in my living room. Through the prompt action of my wife (over my objections!) the EMT's were called and I was raced to the hospital where a fine team of cardiac specialists found the blockage and saved my life by implanting stents.

 

This was a routine procedure (for them!) and I am happy to report that I have made a fine recovery and am almost ready to resume traveling. What brings me to write this follow-up to the insurance issue is the frightening thought of what might have happened if my event occurred only two months earlier. On October 25 we were sealed into a long aluminum tube known as an airplane for 11 hours, 8 of which were over the Atlantic Ocean. I case you have never noticed there are no hospitals over the ocean!

 

Even if it had happened a few days before I would have been looking for highly skilled medical care in places such as Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia. I suspect that the outcome would have been far different.

 

I am now ready to "test the waters" once again. I will not yet subject myself to confinement in an airplane for long periods over water so we are taking a short Caribbean cruise where we can drive to the ship. Nevertheless, if anything does go wrong I want to be sure that I have plenty of medical and evacuation coverage because, as you know, Medicare does NOT pay for care outside of the U.S. So, now I have a pre-existing condition about which to be concerned.

 

After re-reading the thoughtful additions to the earlier post by Steve Dasseos (iamtrustworthy) who is an insurance professional I recognized that not ALL waivers of pre-existing conditions are the same. So, I turned the issue over to him and he found the coverage that I needed at a reasonable cost. If ever you need advice about travel insurance, Steve is the guy to turn to.

 

The more important purpose of my post is to encourage all of my fellow travelers to keep in mind that IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU! Yes, you can duplicate the services that a travel insurance company will provide you if something goes wrong and pay for them out of pocket. If you wish to be airlifted to a hospital offering specialized care expect to pay $25-50,000 AND they will want the money up front. This may present your spouse with a life or death decision and none of us should want that to occur.

 

True, we cannot keep bad things from happening unexpectedly and we cannot live our life in fear that they will happen. BUT, is it wise to allow such events to be controlled by the availability of resources that can be shifted to an insurance company for a modest premium? Having just dodged that bullet I can tell you that my opinion is that it is not worth saving the few dollars to get the peace of mind!

 

Clarence:)

[fllady]

Good Post! and good advice. We never go without it. As we get older, one never knows what could happen. The cost is low compared to what it could be without insurance.

[The Cruise Advantage]

Been there done that, but my medical condition will never keep from traveling. Matter of fact, one year after my 4 day hospital stay in Italy, we resumed where we left off and continued our trip. For all those who say they don't need it, God bless. I'm glad that I took it out-more for the trip cancellation and interruption. Medical was an after thought due to my excellent physical condition. You don't know what's lurking about inside those little veins. We never leave home without it.

[tiggypooo]

Anyone that chooses to travel without "out of country" medical Ins. is really taking their future into their hands.

Especially anyone from out of the US, that is taking a trip into that country. The Ins. company that I use, has paid out as much as $900,000. to settle a US hospital claim.

I have had quite a few clients have to cancel before leaving because of last minute medical conditions, so the cancellation/interruption Ins. has also come in very handy.

I always say that Ins. is certainly the thing that we hate to spend money on when we're buying it, but boy if you have to use it, you're sure glad you have it......

[skertso]

I've never cruised without travel insurance and I have never had to use it thank god. I purchase it for the peace of mind and should I ever need it it will be there. Thank you cmthomas for your post it was very informative and I will use it to hopefully convince reluctant cruisemates to purchase their own.

 

:)

[Nana4x]

CMThomas Wrote:

After re-reading the thoughtful additions to the earlier post by Steve Dasseos (iamtrustworthy) who is an insurance professional I recognized that not ALL waivers of pre-existing conditions are the same. So, I turned the issue over to him and he found the coverage that I needed at a reasonable cost. If ever you need advice about travel insurance, Steve is the guy to turn to.

 

The more important purpose of my post is to encourage all of my fellow travelers to keep in mind that IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU! Yes, you can duplicate the services that a travel insurance company will provide you if something goes wrong and pay for them out of pocket. If you wish to be airlifted to a hospital offering specialized care expect to pay $25-50,000 AND they will want the money up front. This may present your spouse with a life or death decision and none of us should want that to occur.

 

MY QUESTIONS:

How do I contact Steve Dasseos? I would like to know just how good the preexisiting condition coverage is with the insurers we used (HTH and CSA).

For our trip next June we are using Access AM (an American Express company). We were allowed to buy a policy to cover the non-refundable deposit we paid Tauck (at booking). Once we make the final payment the TA will increase the coverage to cover the air, hotels and river cruise.

 

How does one pay up to $50,000 in advance for med evacuation?

We bring two credit cards with us when we travel. Between the two of them I think we may have $50K for a limit. If we have charges on the cards (most likely a few thousand for the normal monthly shopping as we never use cash or checks) how do we make payment to either a hospital or med evac flight?

 

As we get older it is more important to know the many details if one has to use the insurance for more then just peace of mind.

[JerseyGem]

For all seasoned cruisers who have kids or grandkids who are cruising: tell them to get Trip Insurance (or buy a policy for them as a going away gift!).

 

Last year, DD & her college roomie went to Punta Cana for a week. (I know it wasn't a cruise, but keep with me, this could apply). Both girls were 23. DD, a seasoned traveler with some medical issues, bought trip insurance. We found a cheap plan (it's cheap at 23 LOL) for her roomie, but she laughed that she wasn't going to spend an additional $73 (because she was young and healthy). To make a long story short- roomie's appendix burst on the third day; the tiny hospital in Punta Cana demanded $5000 up front just to do the surgery (and more $$ later to release her). DD & roomie only had credit cards with $4000 total available, so DD talked them into accepting that. Roomie's father could not get a flight down for two days (bringing more money and credit). Lots of phone calls back and forth to states (and to the Embassy, etc) on DD's cell phone ($300 cell phone bill which her trip insurance wouldn't pay because she wasn't the injured/sick one- understandably).

 

So if you're under 65 and in great health, before you decide to skip Trip Insurance, remember that you might still have your appendix, gall bladder, or other body parts that could go awry- even in a young person.

[Steamboatin]

We were 2 weeks from sailing on a back to back transatlantic cruise and an European river cruise when the wife tore a muscle in her back trying on clothes for the cruises.

 

Naturally with a torn back muscle in her back we could not take the cruises. Immediately went to Doctor prior to flight date going to the first cruise and Doctor said we would be unable to go for medical reasons. Later Doctor signed off on insurance claim cancellation forms and we received 100% of our money back minus the insurance costs and the insurance deductable.

 

The trip insurance claim payment saved us over $9,000.

[LAexNY]

CMThomas Wrote:

 

MY QUESTIONS:

How do I contact Steve Dasseos? I would like to know just how good the preexisiting condition coverage is with the insurers we used (HTH and CSA).

For our trip next June we are using Access AM (an American Express company). We were allowed to buy a policy to cover the non-refundable deposit we paid Tauck (at booking). Once we make the final payment the TA will increase the coverage to cover the air, hotels and river cruise.

 

 

.

 

Steve's company is TripInsuranceStore.com. I have also found him very helpful.

[happy taveler]

I am also one who believes in getting travel insurance. I took my first river cruise in 2002 with a good friend and his wife and I took out the insurance and they did not as he did not want to pay for it and the trip went very well with no problems. Then in 2004 we planed another one and he decided to leave the insurance on their invoice and pay it when it arrived. I also took out the insurance again. Well to make a long story short about a month before the trip he passed away and his wife was able to get the money back that they had paid for the trip minus the insurance fee. I was not able to cancel so I went by myself and I enjoyed the trip but not a much as if the three of us had been able to go.