Please sign in to post.

Health Insurance for long term travel? (Including Spain)

Posted by on

Hi traveling friends,

I'm headed to Spain, France, and the UK for several months, and looking for a good health insurance package.

The tricky part -- I'm an American, but don't have health insurance in the US, since I've been living in the UK for the past few years and was on the NHS system. I'm now no longer on the NHS either.

So, I've been having a helluva time finding plans online that are actually reliable, which don't require existing US coverage, and which will offer health coverage (not just travel insurance). As I'm also in perimenopause (hooray!), I need a plan that will cover / offer HRT care as well. Aside from hormone replacement needs, I'm otherwise very healthy.

Note: I'm also considering the Spanish DNV, so ideally, this plan would cover me for the entire year, both in Spain (maybe France, or beyond?) and back in the States for visits.

Many thanks for any help or ideas!
- D

Posted by
1944 posts

Can you get back on the NHS? That would give you access to an European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which would be accepted in France and Spain.
Don't bother with US health insurance until you plan to return. If you have an urgent need to return, apply for coverage through your state's health exchange on your way home.
Pay-as-you go doctor visits and prescriptions will be very inexpensive in Spain and France, so you really only need some kind of catastrophic policy. A few years ago, I had a one-year plan (I don't remember the company) that was valid outside the US (not in every country in the world but definitely in all European countries). I went to a doctor about 10 times in Poland and visited the ER in Spain (with ultrasound and surgical consult) and didn't hit the deductible.

Posted by
10164 posts

American Express has health coverage while traveling that includes evacuation. For million dollar coverage you can buy for two persons on a typical 2-3 week trip, cost about $60.

Posted by
2441 posts

I found Insurte to offer a good, cost-effective health insurance plan that met French visa requirements at a very reasonable cost for a 73-year-old male. I'd check them out.

Posted by
2 posts

Thank you all,
These are helpful suggestions.

Sadly, the NHS in the UK is not an option for me, so I will have to go with something private.

I have thought I may need to simply cover this initial trip, then find a long-term health plan if I decide to pursue the digital nomad visa (which requires health coverage for the year).

These are a few options I hadn’t heard about, so I will look into them to get started. Thank you!

Add Reply

Please do not reply to violations of our Community Guidelines.