travel medical insurance

I would check with your insurance company first. Some offer medical insurance in foreign countries as part of their policy. The other element to check is medical flight back to the US if you require specialized transportation. That type of plane ride is often quite expensive so you want to look into that.

I can deal with the nickel, dime stuff in Europe especially most of their medical costs are so reasonable. But want I want is medical evac in the event of major medical problem that would be best treated at home - accident, stroke, heart attach. For that we use Medajet.

Check out insuremytrip.com. They list many travel insurance companies. Just enter basic information and it gives you companies that carry what you are looking for. After you choose one you can ala-carte it and add what you want.
We always carry medical evacuation insurance and reimbursement for medical and dental costs incurred overseas. Medical costs aren't high in Europe (relatively speaking) and the one time we ended up with an ambulance ride with a visit to an ER, the bill was so low that we just paid it rather than dealing with insurance.
Medical evacuation is what you really need - if you need it and have to pay, it'll break the bank. Don't think it can't happen to you...I know three people who have had to use it and it was scary-expensive. Have a friend who can't retire because he is still paying for his daughter's medical evacuation from central America.

I spend a little or a month in Europe each year. Sometimes places with good medical care, sometimes places with not so good medical care, sometimes with reasonably priced medical care and sometimes in places where medical care costs more than you might imagine. Here is my logic.

First,
I carry all the information a doctor would need including conditions, medications, doctor's names and contact information.

Second,
I have confirmed that my insurance company will cover medical costs at fair market U.S. rates under the same terms as if I were in the U.S.

Third,
I recognize that no provider in Europe is going to accept my insurance as guarantee of payment so I will have to accept reimbursement by the insurance company once I get home and hand file the entire unthinkable mess.

Fourth,
I purchased a Medjet Assist policy that will transport me back to the states if I am hospitalized. For a few extra dollars you can up grade to an account that spots you up to $50,000 to pay the medical bills so they will let you out of the country. I have other resources for this so I don't buy that part of the policy but you should consider having quick access to a rather significant amount of cash in the event of an emergency.

What about your own parents? For a period of time when our parents' health was fragile we made sure our insurance included our return home if their health status (death, or near near death) required our presence.