best insurance for Covid hospitalization

Have a look at insuremytrip or square mouth to compare travel medical insurance. But be aware that most policies will require you to pay your bills and be reimbursed later. The actual medical coverage will likely be separate from any evacuation or covid related travel interruption (quarantine) coverage.

USAA's travel insurance told me that they consider Covid to be an illness, so one has the same coverage as any other illness noted in their policies.
Safe travels!

Note that you could be quarantined or not allowed to fly home if you test positive even though you have no symptoms at all. You need to check whether insurance would cover that situation, which I've read could cost out of pocket thousands of dollars extra unexpectedly. If you're vaccinated, that's much more probable than getting hospitalized.

Marcia,
I have read some posts on these threads that some tours (probably those where people buy insurance) are paying for the quarantine costs in the event people have COVID or are exposed. I know someone that did a trip to South Africa on tour and was quarantined for over a week because someone on the tour tested positive for COVID (not him). The tour paid for the quarantine costs.

Yes you’ve pointed out some of my worries. Quarantining could be thousands of $, and a breakthrough infection an order of magnitude greater. [I would assume most people here would planning their own trips rather than tours]. All of these insurance companies seem to have a lot of fine print and Asterix when they say they cover things is that we have some escape clause is for themselves.

There are medical evacuation companies, medjet is one and there are others, that will do a medical evacuation of a covid patient back to the US if the patient is ill enough to require hospitalization. If you were to be hospitalized in Europe and Dr. concurs that medical evacuation is a good idea for you, you would be brought back by private jet to the hospital of your choice in US. That of course assumes there is room in the US hospital.

Medjet covers all medical evacuations, not just covid. You can look at their website for additional information.

I think anyone who travels to Europe needs to be prepared for the possibility of a positive test and quarantine before travel home. Budget for the worst case scenario and then be happy when it doesn't happen. I know that for many people it is the time off of work that also becomes an issue.

Have you investigated what your regular medical insurance covers for medical expenses outside your home country ? Quarantine costs (hotels and meals) would not be covered, but hospitalization could be.