Travel Medical Insurance

I use Travel guard Medevac plan, although I have never chased down a better price. And I never had to file a claim. That is when you find out if it is any good or not.

There was a lengthy discussion on the forum of this subject last week. Much good information was shared. See if you can find the thread using the search feature.

I have been using Travel Guard Silver, a comprehensive travel policy with medical and medical evalcualtion coverage. Start with reading the RS tip: https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/trip-planning/travel-insurance

And then go to https://www.insuremytrip.com where you can compare coverages, ratings, cost etc. and buy a policy. Pay attention to pre-existing exclusions if you are under care for something. Reviews should be read as well but only pay attention to those who had to file a claim, otherwise useless.

USAA, the highly regarded insurance company for military personnel and ex-military, doesn't offer their own travel insurance but suggests Travel Insured International in Glastonbury, CT. I have made 17 trips to Europe over the years and always buy my policy from them.

I have only had one claim when someone stole my cellphone in Barcelona. They paid the claim promptly with no hassle.

We buy Travelguard as well, Gold or Platinum. It came recommended by a travel agent who's been in business for over 40 years, has a 2nd home abroad, and buys it herself for multiple trips every year. Knock on wood, haven't had to make a claim yet.

For Travelguard, the first thing you see is offers for Platinum, Gold and Silver plans that include all these extras like trip cancellation, delay, luggage damage etc. To see just medical and evacuation, you have to click on "Show all plans" and then select plans that include only emergency medical ($50,000 if I recall) and emergency evacuation back to the States if something really serious happens that incapacitates you.
Surprisingly, in France, you may find that in an emergency, you will receive excellent attention, and they just say "We have your address, we'll send you a bill." When you get the bill at home, it will be less than your insurance co-pay in the States for equivalent service. Then your problem is how to make a payment for the pittance in EUR. You mileage may vary.

I use Allianz. When I needed surgery in the south of France a couple of years ago for a badly broken elbow, they paid the hospital directly. They also reimbursed me for follow up care in Paris including physical therapy. I was in the middle of a 10 week trip and it was cheaper for them and better for me to remain on the trip and not be flown home although I suppose they would have done that.

We always buy it from Travel Guard. Haven’t had a major health issue abroad but they have paid our claims 100% for trips cancelled due to illness while still home. For visits to doctors and an ER abroad in France and Greece,, we paid in cash and filed with our insurance when we got home. So very inexpensive compared to US.
A friend had a major medical emergency, stroke, abroad, didn’t have insurance, and was charged $70,000. for a staffed medi jet flight back to US.
Buying medical evacuation insurance is key.

Before spending a lot of money on insurance, you should understand that the medical system is France is nothing, in terms of cost, like the USA. A typical visit to a doctor is 30€ little more than what most people´s copay would be in the US.

Everyone does what is feels is right but high cost medical care is a fact in the USA. It is not the case in France.

...medical system is France is nothing, in terms of cost, like the USA. Apparently true of Europe.

A friend of Medicare age and prior history of heart problems had a medical situation in Germany a couple of years ago. He needed six stints inserted. Between Medicare Supplemental and travel insurance, they fully covered the approximately 6000 EUR (about $7000 USD or $ USD at the time) German medical bill.

In the same timeframe, an American coworker had a single heart stint put in, His insurance out-of-pocket copay was over $5000 USD.

The full German bill BEFORE insurance for six stints was almost as much as the American copay AFTER insurance.

Moral of the story is time your medical emergencies for travel in Germany (or France).

PS Having travel insurnace with medical coverage provides assurance to the foreign medical service that they will be properly compensated.

My arm surgery and 5 days in the hospital in southern France cost about 4000 Euros. My follow up care in Paris including an orthopedic specialist and half a dozen physical therapy sessions cost about 350 Euro. I had no out of pocket except the 15 Euro for fiberglass casting material; my husband had to go to the pharmacy and get it. The standard casts are plaster but everyone pretty much provides the fiberglass material. A year later I had the wires and pins removed from the elbow; in the US the cost for this outpatient surgery was $18,000. My out of pocket was over $1000 and I was lucky. My orthopedic specialist in the US told me that the very same treatment I had in Menton for 4000 Euro would have been about 50 K in the US. We know someone who had eye surgery in Paris for several thousand Euro; the same surgery in the US was 30K and yet his insurance company still balked at covering the surgery.

One explaination of medical cost outside the US:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/why-an-mri-costs-1080-in-america-and-280-in-france/2011/08/25/gIQAVHztoR_blog.html?utm_term=.d55a818d8761

In 2009, Americans spent $7,960 per person on health care. Our
neighbors in Canada spent $4,808. The Germans spent $4,218. The
French, $3,978.

“The United States spends more on health care than any of the other
OECD countries spend, without providing more services than the other
countries do,” they concluded. “This suggests that the difference in
spending is mostly attributable to higher prices of goods and
services.”

“Other countries negotiate very aggressively with the providers and
set rates that are much lower than we do,” Anderson says. They do this
in one of two ways. In countries such as Canada and Britain, prices
are set by the government. In others, such as Germany and Japan,
they’re set by providers and insurers sitting in a room and coming to
an agreement, with the government stepping in to set prices if they
fail.

In America, Medicare and Medicaid negotiate prices on behalf of their
tens of millions of members and, not coincidentally, purchase care at
a substantial markdown from the commercial average.

Medicare for all? Or get sick in Europe.

Edgar's moral of the story made me laugh. Too true.