Medical coverage while traveling in Italy

First thing to do is find out what coverage, if any, your med insurance carrier provides in a foreign country to determine if you need/want additional coverage

Medicare does not cover you, if that is your situation. Many plans through employers will cover you but you pay out-of-pocket and file for reimbursement. Medical services are not very expensive in Italy in our considerable experience, BTW.

Even though we have great coverage with our plan , I always buy a travel policy for extraordinary events that might require medical evac. Www.squaremouth.com allows you to specify your needs and select your policy from among several,carriers.

You will definitely need to check first with your existing insurance provider and specifically ask them what they will/won't cover if you require medical attention outside of the US while in Italy. As stated, some policies may provide some coverage, but even if you're lucky enough to have health insurance which covers costs outside of the US, you may still be required to pay everything yourself up front and submit bills for reimbursement upon your return. The amount of reimbursement will depend on your own insurance policy.

One thing you may want to consider is the cost of returning to the US if you become ill/injured outside the country and require medical transportation back to the country. This is not health care insurance. It doesn't cover doctors, hospitals, or medications. It's simply the cost of getting you back home which can be considerable. Medical evacuation insurance is what it's generally called, and the price may vary depending on your age and specific activities (like extreme sports) in which you plan to participate while abroad.

After ‘a certain age’, I’ve always purchased travel insurance, especially for a three week trip. The website Insure My Trip is a great web site that I use. It allows you to compare a number of policies before purchasing. Luckily, I’ve never had to use it, but for their very reasonable price, I have piece of mind. The website also includes reviews of all the policies to help in making the decision.

As others have said, the first place to start is with your current coverage. Some companies do cover emergency medical services outside of the U.S. However, they don't cover medical evacuation. Buying travel insurance that includes medical coverage/medical evacuation would cover you. We always purchase ours through insuremytrip.com. Good luck.

Blue Cross/Blue Shield offers reasonable health insurance only through GeoBlue. It’s very reasonably priced and you don’t have to pay for travel insurance if you don’t want it.