health/trip insurance ?

What does your insurance carrier cover you for overseas? Our plan (Blus Cross) is great on medical treatments although medivac is not covered so we get a travel plan that covers that. Trip cancellation insurance or a plan that covers things like delays and lost luggage may also give you peace of mind. Take a look at www.squaremouth.com tomget quotes from a variety of companies.

Yes, even if you guys are healthy and young, still invest in it. You're right. You never know what might happen abroad. https://www.insuremytrip.com/

I would suspect the average traveler would buy nothing -- many travelers don't bother.

That said, whether you want to buy something depends on your risk tolerance. Try to imagine yourself dealing with an Italian doctor or going to an Italian hospital. What, for you, are the financial ramifications of staying longer in Italy to deal with a health problem?

Only you can answer that for yourself.

For some, it's no big deal.

For others, it's a huge problem.

Let that be your guide.

Insurance (of all types) is something we all buy but hope we never use. But it is, in my opinion, better to have it and not need it than the other way around. Suggest you check out Travel Guard's site and look at what they offer. We've had one claim with them and were well pleased with the resolution. One thing to which you should pay close attention is medical evacuation. Most travel policies have medical evacuation coverage. But they USUALLY will only evacuate you to the nearest hospital than can treat you, but there are exceptions. On the other hand, there is a company named "Med Jet Assist" that has a number of different membership plans. It in NOT medical insurance -- just med evacuation coverage. As long as you are more than 150 miles from home, they will, if medically necessary, fly you back to your home hospital in a medical jet with medical personnel. Google them and see what you think.

My wife and I were in Italy for a month earlier this year. I researched the pros and cons of trip cancellation/medical insurance. I read conflicting posts that the Italian gov't will pay most or all medical costs. I opted for trip cancellation/medical insurance from Allianz for $183. cheap investment in my opinion.

A friend without medivac insurance had to be air lifted to his town in the US. Since he did not have coverage, it cost him $70,000.

Accidents can happen to anybody. Should you suffer a leg break that would require you to stay horizontal, the costs to transport you back to the USA for recovery can easily reach $100,000.
A one week medical/evacutation policy costs as little as $25 a week.
While there have been no reports of immigration officer asking to show proof, EU law requires travelers entering the Schengen Zone to have at least $50,000 worth of medical coverage.

I use this company:
https://www.bhtp.com/

As with any insurance policy, purchase depends on your personal circumstances and your tolerance for risk.

There are all kinds of travel insurance that you can purchase. Health. Medical evacuation. Trip interruption. These are all different things. Not every policy covers everything. Not all people need all of the above.

For example, before my first trip to Europe, I called my health insurance to ask them if they covered me overseas. Their answer? Ummm...try not to need medical attention. So I kept pressing - am I covered if I break my leg? Am I covered if something happens? And the best answer I got from them was - try not to need the insurance and don't use it for anything that can wait until I get home. Hopefully your health insurance will give you a better answer, but that's one thing to consider.

Then there's medical evacuation insurance. This covers you if something bad happens and you need to be returned home to the US. This can be the MOST expensive thing to happen to you if the worst should happen, so this might be worth considering.

Lastly there's trip interruption/trip cancellation insurance. This covers things like missing a flight and you miss a prebooked tour, hotel, night, etc. It may also cover things like delayed luggage, somebody close to you dies and you have to go home...scenarios like this. I've never seen a policy cover any of these costs at 100%, but they usually cover it to some degree.

Your credit cards may cover a few things like delay, luggage, etc. as long as you use the card to book your entire trip.

Before you look at any kind of trip insurance, call your own health insurance and see what's covered. Check your credit cards and see what's covered.

If you have expensive tours, hotels, planes, etc. that are not refundable, then it might be in your best interest to look at a more comprehensive policy. If not, then you may just want to see what's not covered elsewhere and check the prices for coverage in those areas.

Here's a testimonial for you, Barbra. Last year on a Holland America cruise my sister took ill in the night. We went to the Medical Centre where the handsome young MD from South Africa did a few tests, prescribed an antibiotic and sent us on our way. The charge to her credit card was just under US$1000. When we got back home she submitted her documented claim to Mutual Life and was reimbursed very quickly. Of course, a similar visit to a doctor here in Montreal would not have incurred a charge, except for the medication.

Here's another one for you Barbra. I came down with a nasty respiratory virus while travelling in Europe last fall, and it sent my asthma into overtime. My regular inhaler wasn't working. I had to pay out of pocket for the doctor's visit and the several meds that he prescribed. I submitted my claim when we returned, and was reimbursed within a week.

Friend of my mother slipped when going from the cruise ship to the tender. Broke her ankle. The medical staff on the boat were able to get her to a doctor in port where it was checked out and eventually put in a cast. Billed $8,800 by the cruise line which included the onshore treatment and ongoing checks through the remainder of the cruise. Her travel policy paid $8,600.

I always get medical insurance for travel out of the US. It is always relatively inexpensive when compare to the overall cost of the trip. So far I have never had to use it. I have seen others fall with possible bones broken, a few have existing medical conditions flare up, and so on. Don't know if their insurances paid anything or not. But still, I don't want to be in the situation where I end up needing medical care and not being able to afford it.

Since December 23, 1978 the Italian health service (SSN) changed from the Bismarckian type to the universalist one. This means that you are eligible for free healthcare in case of emergency (in this case you should reach the closest emergency available OR the one with the shortest queue, and you can check how many people are waiting by visiting the healthcare website of the region you are in). Moreover the Guardia Medica Turistica is another service reserved for tourists (and it is free as well). This service gives you access to a standard physician. In some cases you are required to pay a regional fee, that should be a sum around €25. So unless you need special procedures that are obviously excluded (i.e. special transportation back to your country) I think an expensive insurance might not be as useful as it seems.
Anyway, you can visit this page http://www.salute.gov.it/portale/temi/p2_6.jsp?lingua=italiano&id=1764&area=Assistenza%20sanitaria&menu=stranieri
This link will open the ministry for healthcare website, where you can find a flyer in English (and some more languages) with all the information you need.
This strictly applies to assistance in Italy, so you will not receive this type of treatment on board of a cruise ship or in some of the other EU countries
I hope you'll have a nice stay and I still hope you won't need any medical service ;-)

However, I still have yet to hear a testimonial from anyone who has actually had to use traveler's medical insurance.

On two occasions we've incurred medical expenses while on cruises. A respiratory infection and bad hip muscle strain. Had to pay the cruise line for treatments, but Travel Guard reimbursed us within ten or so days of receiving our claim.