Medical Travel Insurance

The only thing I would consider is medical evacuation insurance for a serious problem. We can handle the nickel, dime stuff but if I needed to get home quick, it can be expensive and evacuation insurance is cheap. In all of our travels -- many, many days we have never been asked for any of the items you mention. And often we do not have a return ticket. Maybe some day that will be a problem but our son travels the same way.

Sounds like you already have out of country medical coverage through your regular health insurance. I believe that France only requires proof of insurance if you are applying for a visa. You only need a visa if your stay in the Schengen area is 90 days or longer.

Looks like you are covered for medical insurance. If you have purchased travel insurance for your trip it may include additional coverage or coverage to do medical evacuation, it is worth checking it out. Also, many credit cards offer some degree of coverage as well.

If you are satisfied with your current medical coverage, there is no reason to buy any more.

I started buying trip cancellation insurance when my parents got older. Now that I'm old, it's gotten quite expensive.

Medical evacuation insurance is essential.

Yes to medevac, not much and worth the price.

However when you enter the country and they ask how long your stay is, you are going to set off red flags and they may interrogate you about your health insurance. Go to squaremouth and insuremytrip and do some browsing, might be money well spent.

@Phred. He already has information he could show from his current health insurance company. Why buy more?

I very much appreciate the feedback. However, this feels like the COVID testing and form filling I did back in the spring for absolutely no reason for a short trip to Spain & Portugal; if I get the extra insurance, nobody will ask for it. if I DON'T get the extra insurance, they won't let me clear immigration.

My search of the internet says everything from, "Although citizens of countries who do not need a visa for France are not necessarily required to get travel health insurance for France, they are strongly advised to do so,” AND "On the other hand, if you do not need a Schengen visa to enter France, then travel insurance is not mandatory,” TO ""Whether or not you need a visa, entry into the Schengen area of third-country nationals must comply with a certain number of conditions, as provided for by the European and national regulations in force...” such as, "You must have an insurance certificate covering all medical and hospital expenses for which you may be liable for the duration of your stay in France, as well as medical repatriation costs and expenses in the event of death."

Completely opposed advice. I really wish I knew what to do. I still get hung on the fact that I have traveled to France and Europe in general, dozens of times without any extra insurance nor have I ever obtained a visa because I was there less than 90 days, just like this upcoming trip.

Travel has become such a pain!

Sorry!

..... you are going to set off red flags ..... Unless you can provide first hand knowledge of red flag, I doubt if that is of any concern. There is a lot of urban legends around being asked for returned tickets, insurance policies, amount of cash, etc. We have been asked, "Purpose of trip?" "Holiday" Where are you going, headed ? -- name a couple of countries. By that time they are folding of the passports and saying, "Have a good trip. Have a nice day. etc." As I have posted before we seldom have a return ticket and only a vague idea when we are returning -- within a couple of weeks. We have our insurance cards plus a card for the evac insurance but nothing special after that. I think you are over thinking the potential problems.

Frank, I hear you but the part about, ""Whether or not you need a visa, entry into the Schengen area of third-country nationals must comply with a certain number of conditions, as provided for by the European and national regulations in force...” such as, "You must have an insurance certificate covering all medical and hospital expenses for which you may be liable for the duration of your stay in France, as well as medical repatriation costs and expenses in the event of death," comes from the website: https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/France-visas/your-arrival-in-france, "The official visa website for France." Or so they claim.

But you said in your first post that you already have health insurance that will cover out of country claims. All you need is the insurance card. So what is your problem?

They only care that you have medical coverage while in France. It doesn't HAVE to specifically be a travel medical policy.

CJean what I mean by, "My Health Insurance provider, Aetna, is sending me an email that states something along the lines of, “pay out of pocket, collect receipts and submit for reimbursement when returning to the US,” is that they will not directly cover my medical potential expenses but that it is on me to pay out of pocket and come back armed with receipt to submit for possible reimbursement. France and Aetna will not communicate. In essence, as far as France is concerned, I do not have medical insurance that they can look to, to get paid. They will looking at me. Hopefully, showing French immigration that communication from Aetna will mollify them although really, why would it? Again, the parties are me and French health providers. That I might get reimbursed from Aetna may mean nothing.

Argh, sorry. This is hard to do in writing.

OP, I think you will have to search far and wide to find a travel health insurer who will directly pay the hospital/ doctor/whatever. All of the policies that we have held over the decades have required us to pay first and be reimbursed later. Which is why we carry multiple credit cards and can access online banking. But maybe insurers in the US are different.

Have you gone to any of the online insurance brokers like squaremouth or insuremytrip to see if they have any policies that would pay directly?

Have to say that in all our trips overseas, we have never been asked at Immigration for proof of insurance.

CJean, I completely agree with your very first sentence! I have today received a letter from Aetna that says right up front, "This is the proof of coverage for traveling outside of the United States." It goes on to state that it is reasonable for providers to ask for payment up front and that I am to collect documentation to file a claim when I get back home, etc. That, combined with a brochure that outlines all the generous coverage - such as returning my cold, dead body! - should squash any concerns immigration officials might have.

We, like you, will carry multiple credit cards and can access online banking and other financial resources to bring our "fortune" to bear, should the unlikely catastrophe occur.

While I have you gone to the online insurance brokers you mentioned, I will not pursue this any further since I am now armed with what just has to be adequate for immigration officials.

Finally, I agree with your last statement about never being asked about proof of insurance, or financial abilities and so forth. Neither have we. However, given that our previous trips were three weeks max and this trip is about 80 days, I think it is wise for us to be prepared to answer questions that that length of a trip may raise.

Thanks so much and phewee!

OP, from your posts you are overthinking it way too much. You have a policy issued in the USA that covers you and your spouse outside of the USA. I have yet in all of our travels around the globe had an officer at any country's passport control ask me or my wife about medical insurance. Go enjoy your trip.