Medical insurance abroad?

What you really need to care about is medical evacuation to not the nearest U.S. hospital but the one nearest your home. Girlfriend of mine was vacationing with her husband and parents. Dad had a heart attack which was going to require surgery. Trip insurance paid for a private jet, two nurses and a doctor from Spain to Los Angeles (all four traveled back home together). My cousin broke his leg in not one, not two but three places jumping over a two foot wide stream (go figure). He was shipped home in a first class lay flat seat with a RN. Wife, well they did put her in Business class. Travelguard is pretty good. Most of Europe provides free or very low cost Urgent Care although a private doctor arranged by your hotel will be an out of pocket reimbursable expense (maybe - depends on your regular insurance policy). Call your insurance carrier if you need care overseas - program the number into your phone along with your policy number. Blue Cross sent me a form to take along for that just in case emergency.

What you really have to worry about is evacuation charges. Should you suffer a severe leg or hip injury that requires to be horizontal to get you home and recover, those charges can ranges anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000
I use this company: http://www.medexassist.com

I've purchased medical insurance, including repatriation insurance (they ship you home dead or alive) through American Express in the past. Very reasonable, pay per month (under $15 when I checked this spring), cancel when you return. However, in order for existing conditions to be covered, you have to be symptom-free (have no new events, I guess) and no new meds for about six weeks before your trip. Luckily, I didn't have to use it. I've read on this forum before that you can compare offerings on insuremytrip.com

Kat I always always get medical insurance,, and that includes the repatriation and medical evacuation.. I like the ones that are accepted up front, ( as opposed to the type you pay for medical service then submit bill to insurance).
I know someone who had a VERY unexpected event in Hawaii,, and no extra insurance,, her family took a few years to pay that off,, it was insane. She was a young woman too, not some old thing that you can dismiss with " oh she was due for a heart attack or whatever" Emergency care is not enough.

Here's the medevac company I like (although I've never actually needed their services): http://medjetassist.com/ The thing I like about these guys is that there's no "medically necessary" clause. If you're hospitalized overseas and want to be flown home, it's your call. As always with insurances, read the fine print and know what you're buying.

We purchased trip insurance thru insuremytrip.com, after we found out our medical insurance didn't cover European travel. They will show you 15-20 companies, and you can compare the features of all of the policys in all companies and compare prices. I forgot the name of the specific company we chose, but we bought the policy on a whim a few hours before the 24 hour prior deadline for purchasing it. Nevertheless, my wife fell in Ireland and broke her shoulder. They covered all of the medical costs in Ireland (we paid it out of our pocket by credit card, and they reimbursed us.) The insurance company did the booking and paid for the 1st class ticket upgrade from Shannon to Portland Oregon (as per Drs. orders) They requested that we get a cell phone after the accident, which we did, but they didn't pay for that. They had a lengthy phone conversation with her Dr. in Ireland, who was the one that convinced them she needed to be in first class, so that the shoulder wouldn't get bumped, and that she had to get up once every hour and walk to prevent blood clots. Her shoulder sling required extra large blouses...but they wouldn't pay for that. Over all we were very pleased with the coverage, and the $3,000 ticket upgrade into first class made the trip home much easier on the broken shoulder. We have booked 2 trips since, and will never go with out it! Dan

Regarding filing a claim ... My employer-provided health insurance has always been similar to what you describe. It covers treatment overseas as an "out-of-network" visit. I've only had medical care twice overseas. I paid the bill and then filed a claim with my insurance company. I was reimbursed for the amount over my deductible. My care was while in the UK and the cost was less than I would have paid to see an out-of-network doctor here in the States. I've only had "urgent" care (e.g. ear infection), not "emergency" care. As many people suggested, you may want medical evacuation/repatriation if you want coverage that will transport you back to the States for treatment. Read the descriptions carefully. Some plans only cover evacuation to the nearest acceptable hospital (which in Europe would be most hospitals). If you want coverage that would transport you home, you need to make sure that is covered.