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Health Insurance

I am going to be in Spain next month for about two weeks. I have minor health issues and want to buy medical insurance for my time in Spain. Am a 72 year old male in general good health but do not want to get over there and..........Many thanks for any suggestions.

Posted by
2193 posts

Your own private health insurance should cover you – you would need to pay for services and get reimbursed later. Take a credit card. Otherwise, you can also purchase a travel policy with one of the large insurers, such as Travelex. They have a lot of options that can cover basic to every part of your trip, including health insurance, medical evacuation, etc. Different insurers handle pre-existing differently...you'll need to do some research online. Regular Medicare doesn't cover you out of the country.

Posted by
171 posts

I too am going on a trip to Europe. I usually get Travel Guard.
I feel so much safer buying trip insurance. You can go on line and there is an 800 #. They are very helpful and the health insurance covers a lot while on a trip including if the trip needs to be cancelled do to an illness or problem

Posted by
693 posts

I get American Express; purchase it several weeks in advance to cover preexisting conditions, cancel it after return. Very reasonable fee; also covers returning you home dead or alive if necessary (this could run into big money otherwise). Medicare does not cover you overseas and supplementary insurance to Medicare covers the bare minimum if anything.

Posted by
2876 posts

You might also look into Medjet Assist. They'll transport you home to the hospital of your choice if you become hospitalized in Europe. All you pay is a membership fee which can be as low as $95. They'll also provide names of local doctors & hospitals in the area where you're traveling. www.medjetassist.com

Posted by
128 posts

What a nice and helpful response! Thanks guys/gals!

Posted by
893 posts

You can compare many different options at www.insuremytrip.com. Also, I'd recommend checking to see if any hospitals are excluded from any medical coverage you have. For example, the American Hospital in Paris is sometimes not covered (because it's private and has higher prices than regular French hospitals). I don't know if there is anything like that in Spain, though.