Reason For Travel Insurance!

Oh Andrea...glad they are OK. I always debate about the travel insurance, but then always wind up with it anyway.

The question to ask and answer regarding insurance is, can you afford the loss if you were not insured? The two kinds of travel insurance to consider are the medical/evacuation policies and the comprehensive policies that cover trip interruption/cancellation losses.

For most folks, an overseas medical evacuation would be a big hit.

For others, the cost of rescheduling a no-refund flight and losing a first night deposit on a hotel may be something one could live with.

For most folks, an overseas medical evacuation would be a big hit.

I am clueless in this respect, but what exactly is a medical evacuation and whom would this apply to (except military personnel)? I cannot imagine hospitals in Europe (and non-Europe provided you are not in a very isolated place) not being able to take care of any emergency.

Agnes---Medicare and some US health insurance policies will not cover major expenses overseas. Your insurance may cover emercency treatment, but not surgery or Lengthy hospitalization. Medical evacuation is supposed to cover the cost of transport of an ill person needing medical care during the flight. It is an uncommon situation, unless one is perhaps inna 3d world countrynwith very poor medical care. But coverage for medical costs while abroad is a good idea.

A good friend of ours had a heart attack while on a ski trip in Austria. He needed treatment---probably a stent--- and his wife wanted to fly him backmtonthe US for that. He reportedly said, "H@$l no, they have the best strudel in the world right here, and pretty nurses as well!". So he had the procedure done there. He could make that choice because they had travel medical insurance.

Thank you everyone for answering my question...I really appreciate it.

Edgar has it right, but some further explication is needed. Let's imagine that the scenario of the car hit happened while you are traveling abroad. You have your surgical repair. You really cannot continue your trip, and you cannot fly in economy with your leg down for 10+ hours. The cost of a business class seat without advance purchase is very high - - 10's of thousands - - plus maybe you would want your partner there with you. That is the risk you need to consider.
Something similar happened to a friend. She tripped on a curb in Paris and sustained a double compound fracture of the ankle. Following surgery, she, husband, and daughter flew home in business class paid for by the insurance she had bought.
BTW, the argument occasionally raised by some on this forum, "I've never bought travel insurance, and I've never needed it" is so logically fallacious, it makes the math teacher (ret.) in me despair. Think fire insurance on your house. We all likely have and will never use it. Want to take the risk of not having it?

We always take the insurance, even though my husbands always complains. Think of Murphy's Law, nothing happens when you have it, but the one time you don't is when something will occur.

One additional point about medical evacuation insurance – it's important to remember that the evacuation decision, with standard travel insurance policies, is made by the insurance company. After seeing someone required, by the insurance company, to get surgery in Egypt (not Cairo or Alexandria), I have always purchased an evacuation policy that lets me (or my family/companion) make the decision. All that's required is agreement from the doctors caring for me and the doctors who would receive me. The policy I get is through Medjet Assist, and it's not that expensive. I find that it's worth it for peace of mind.

So sorry for your niece and her hubby, Andrea. I hope they are OK. I'm sure it made you worry.

One thing to keep in mind is that there are two medical evacuations, the first being from where ever the accident happened to the hospital and the second being from the hospital destination. Now in most cases the initial evacuation is straight forward - get in the ambulance stuff, but in the Alpine regions it may turnout to be an air lift and that is when things get very expensive. So even if you are willing to stay put during your recovery you still can get hit with a very big bill if you do not ensure that the initial evaluation is fully covered by your insurance.

This is fresh in my mind because a colleague had to be airlifted out of the Zermatt region during his holidays and if it was not for the fact that he has been a life long contributor to Rega, he would have been hit with a bill of over 35K!

Andrea,

Medical (and possibly evacuation) insurance is extremely important when travelling (IMO). I always make sure I have that especially on trips to the U.S., but even for trips between provinces here. I buy an annual travel policy to supplement my regular medical coverage.

Baggage and trip cancellation insurance is not as essential, and mostly a decision based on each traveller's circumstances. In terms of baggage insurance, I believe that's covered by my home insurance policy (will have to verify that before my next trip). I was told that covers my camera gear, unless I'm using it in a professional capacity.

Medical evacuation can be the "big hit". My old boss suffered a traumatic head injury in France shortly after retiring. He was in a coma for months. I heard that he had to be medi-evac'd back to the States on a chartered medical jet staffed with a doctor and nurse. I have no idea what a chartered jet with medical staff cost, but I could guess that AIG Travel Guard's Silver Plan medivac limit of $150,000 could be close. I'm sure that the trip interruption cost was the least of his families worries.

In most cases, one would hope that a chartered jet with doctor is not required. I tore a hamstring a couple of years ago and self-evacuated. I'm sure that others have heard horror stories.

Thank you for your replies and sharing your own experiences. We all think bad things happen to other people, not us. Clearly that is not true.

My niece had surgery yesterday. She had 2 pins put in broken toes, a plate on each side of her ankle, and 2 screws in her leg. If this hadn't happened close to home what would happen? She couldn't continue traveling, and would likely need a first or business class seat in order to elevate her leg. How long would she have to wait before she would be allowed to travel?

It's a personal choice to get travel insurance. I do, because things like this can happen to anyone. I don't care about insuring my luggage or anything like that, but if something medically serious happens, I want to be prepared.

Safe and healthy travels everyone!

I suffered a broken ankle too, only while abroad, Andrea. My pointy-toed shoe caught a raised threshold in my hotel room after a little too much Austrian beer and the ankle snapped.

Fortunately for me, it wasn't a compound fracture, so I was able to get it set with a plaster cast and attempt o make my way home. I couldn't stay in Vienna because my hotel was booked solid, so I actually got on a train to Munich (hooray for seat reservations) and flew home from Munich. Lufthansa would not allow me to fly, but the angel who took my call that day from United said "no problem."

The hospital gave me anticoagulant, and since the cast was plaster, the swelling stayed down fairly significantly. I received an aisle seat in economy plus, and had some really wonderful "aisle neighbors" who took turns fixing the pillows under my foot. I received surgery when I got home at the hospital I'm employed at.

I realize I was very lucky it wasn't worse. I always carry travel insurance now.

And Andrea, best wishes to your niece! Bring her lots of books. She's going to be very bored.

Emily, I'm sorry you had to go through that. I'm glad you were able to make your way home without it being too much of a problem.

My niece lives 80 miles from me. Luckily I have 2 brothers that live near her and have really stepped up to help her. I'm encouraging her to come to my house Sunday to spend the week, since she was planning to come for Thanksgiving anyway. If she waits until Thursday to come she will be in traffic for 3-4 hours instead of the usual 1 1/2 hours. Also I have a single story house and she lives in an upstairs apartment. Apparently to get up and down the stairs she has gone step by step on her backside. That can't be easy.

Something similar happened to a friend. She tripped on a curb in Paris and sustained a double compound fracture of the ankle. Following surgery, she, husband, and daughter flew home in business class paid for by the insurance she had bought.

If I had been the clumsy one, I would have insisted the rest of the family continue the trip without me.

My health insurance works anywhere so I don't bother with travel insurance normally. Also keeping the trip costs down (no escorted tours, no cruises) means a loss would be easier to bear. If I ever take something really pricey like a Galapagos cruise or African safari I would consider insurance.