Travel insurance questions

some coverage for medical problems

I think you need to check if it has "enough" coverage for you.

Note: Medical expenses are not very high in Europe. Medical evacuation on the other hand can be extremely high. If you need an ambulance plane with a doctor and a nurse in attendance, it can set you back a couple of hundred thousand USD.

I have seen other threads regarding travel insurance. One of interest to me is GeoBlue??? I like the fact I am familiar to Blue Cross Blue Shield. I did a quote online and it was like $140.00 per couple. This just seems to hard to believe. Are these polices monthly for a specific time frame or just one payment for the duration of the trip? Calling them is on my to do list.

I’m almost positive that it was a one time payment and all they needed was the exact dates we would be out of the country.

I booked my flights and hotels, as well as a few tours and tickets within the past few weeks. I need to get travel insurance, but when I tried to research it, I got overwhelmed, so decided to step back for a bit. My trip is in early April though, so I’m glad you posted this. I’ll be watching for helpful advice...

GeoBlue also offers annual plans with various coverages and limits to suit you. For me, I paid $100 for an annual plan. I liked the idea that I had automatic coverage without having to call in to review and purchase each time I holiday out of the country. I assume premiums increase quite a bit for folks that are of a certain age. For me, I am still on the south side of 50, so that no doubt factored into the reasonable premium.

I have always had trip insurance except once. I relied on the insurance through the airlines without reading the fine print. On that particular flight we were stopped at ORD for a mechanical issue. Had to spend the night there which the airline gave us a voucher for. What we did not get reimbursed for was our rail tickets and BNB stay for the first night...We had to replace the rail ticket with same day purchase at great expense. Lesson learned.

Fast forward two years. We had middle of the road coverage. My husband fell and fractured his femur. He required orthopedic surgery. I called the insurance first off and their first question was: Are you satisfied with the medical care he is receiving. From there on he was taken care of. They sent a representative to escort him home, arranged all the flights and transfers. I got three days of meals and room.

Had I had the next higher premium there would have been more allowance for medical evacuation, but not a lot of bells and whistles.

Coverage for the duration of the trip is not inexpensive but in this case it paid off....always a roll of the dice. They paid the tens of thousands of dollars to get him out of the hospital, the business flight home, the escort to our door. Worth every penny.

KRS, be careful. Most travel insurance policies only cover pre-existing conditions if you purchase it within a certain period of time after paying your first trip payment or deposit. 15 days is common, but someone the other day was telling me their policy had an even shorter window.

Trip insurance is worth every penny it costs, in my not so humble opinion. Last September my 69 YO wife and I were visiting London when my wife became ill and required hospitalization for two days. I contacted our travel insurance company, CSA Travel Protection, thinking we may need to have her repatriated. CSA's rep was most helpful in starting the process but as it turned out we did not need it. My wife's illness occurred early in our trip and she was able to return to the USA on our regularly scheduled flight. Upon our return, I submitted claims for reimbursement of hospital costs and tickets for activities we could not attend. CSA paid the claims in full within two weeks.
A couple of things to consider. Some, if not all, travel insurance requires the traveler to pay out of pocket and submit a claim for reimbursement. So, you should have access to enough funds to pay for any hospitalization or treatment you receive or at least to provide a down payment. On the other hand, if evacuation is required, most insurance will make those arrangements for which you will not be billed. One other thing for military retirees, Tricare will pay for part of your claim but only as a secondary payer. There is an enrollment fee, deductible, and cap on what is allowed. On all travel insurance it's imperative you READ THE FINE PRINT.

I purchased my tickets January 7. Hopefully I'll have time this evening to get the insurance. Does anyone have a particular insurance they have found is reputable and easy to work with?

Luckily, we've never had to file a claim. But check out www.insuremytrip.com They make it (fairly) easy to compare benefits and costs.

So,
I just pulled the trigger for the GeoBlue. Seems legit and I like dealing with familiar! It was 130.00 for a two week trip for my husband and I.

As others have noted, well worth the peace of mind. Check out the options for your specific needs and circumstances, and look at several companies, their various plan levels and costs. Remember, there may (?) be coverages with your health insurance, many credit cards, and for us retirees, some Medicare supplement policies offer a foreign travel rider (though have limitations i.e. coverage to 80%, max. of 60 days and lifetime coverage to $50,000 I believe) for international travel. Medicare is not usable outside U.S. Read the travel insurance policies to make sure you know what is and is not covered, if a particular coverage is primary or secondary, how it integrates with airlines delays etc., and how non-refundable payments or deposits work. Also, almost all have a 14 or 15 day window for purchase from first day any payment is made in order for pre-existing conditions to be covered - also worth checking how pre-existing is defined. Even though you may sign up on line, talk to their representatives with questions - I found them to be up front and explaining what their coverages are and how handled. Every company and every policy level is different. Confusing, yes but think through your biggest risks and concerns and focus on those. The little things can be overwhelming.

That said, we have been fortunate to never have needed to use the benefits in our many travels, but like any insurance nice to know it is there. Yes, relatively expensive as we recently purchased coverage for an upcoming 6 week trip to Italy, but we are in our early 70’s and age is a factor.

What exactly does the medical evacuation consist of in these polices? Is it getting back home? Or just emergency evacuation to the nearest hospital?

I guess you're saying the airline product will take care of the airfare if you cancel for covered reasons. What about non-refundable hotels, theater tickets, and excursions and guides paid in advance? Medical is important, but it's not the only part of "travel insurance." Even "re-routing assistance" is part of many comprehensive plans, as well as baggage insurance, delay insurance, and early termination of a trip that has begun. This is a very complex subject.

Your trip insurance should have provided you with a copy of your policy. They usually send it by email.

I always buy medical coverage and medical evacuation insurance from AmEx, it usually costs only $50 for wife and self for about a months travel.

I am covered by Blue Cross/Shield overseas, but many places require payment upfront, even in countries like Canada. That is why I get the insurances (especially the evacuation).

It is always a good idea to get travel insurance, because when you need it you need it. You only need to submit your non-reimbursable expenses to get an estimate. I have always had it when I travel, and after twelve years, I finally had to use it and I was really happy I had it!
Comparing coverage among companies is fairly easy to do online. Determine how much coverage you need first. I always get the package that includes medical as well as collision damage in my travel insurance when we rent a car.
When I got sick on a cruise, the medical office facilitated communication with the travel insurance company, so that submitting the claim was very easy to do once I got home.
Definitely recommend this sometimes expensive but necessary provision for travel!
Chris

Because I recently bought insurance for a short trip to the Caribbean, I thought to post the "coverages" (for Travelex Travel Select, Plan TSB-1117.) This is a premium plan that may cost more than the OP was planning to pay. But every since insurance was invented, people have been buying something they don't understand, and without determining what their "risks" really are. There are no shortcuts to buying the right insurance, for anything. We're both over 60, and the price (Jan, 2020) was $130.00 .

I might note that because this trip is so close-in, I decided to cut the cost by NOT getting any Cancellation insurance. I believe (from experience) that United Airlines will accept a hospital statement if my mother falls ill again, and I'll take my chances for the hotel deposit. Your risks (and your age .... a prime cost factor) may be different. My mother's age is NOT a factor in this particular calculation.

The last few items are options that I didn't choose to pay for.

Trip Cancellation --------
Trip Interruption 150% of Insured Trip Cost
Trip Delay $750 ($250/day)
Equipment Delay $200
Missed Connection $750
Baggage & Personal Effects $1,000
Baggage Delay $200
Emergency Medical & Dental Expense $50,000 ($500 dental sublimit)
Emergency Evacuation & Repatriation $500,000
24 Hour AD&D $25,000
Travel Assistance Services Included
Car Rental Collision Upgrade None
AD&D Common Carrier Air Only Upgrade None
Cancel for Any Reason Upgrade None
Adventure Sports Upgrade None
Medical Upgrade None

I might add that it was unclear to me how to DECLINE Cancellation Insurance, which I had never declined before. I take nothing about insurance for granted, so (after sitting in the phone queue for a while) I sent Travelex an email. They told me to simply give a trip cost less than $249. They don't have a separate no-cancellation Travel Select policy. I would not buy the plan until I had that reply from them. Of course, I have a copy of the email, in case they accuse me of low-balling my insurance purchase.

We have had three very large claims paid in full by Travel Guard in a month’s time.

I can't recommend a plan for you, as I live in Canada; but absolutely don't travel without trip interruption and cancellation insurance, and full medical insurance.
Two years ago we had to cancel a European trip as my husband suffered a medical event two weeks before.
Our insurance, through our credit card, paid back everything within 10 days of my claim; including rental apartment payments and train tickets.
We even made a little money back, as the exchange rate for Euros had changed! :)
Also , if you are over 65, you may have to pay out more for the premium, but worth it for peace of mind.