My husband and I will be traveling to France this year and we're unclear as to what might happen should he need emergency or urgent care. He's in good health but we are little concerned since Medicare does not cover a person who is more than 5 miles outside of the US. I am wondering if anyone has any experience/suggestions as to what to expect from the French healthcare system and/or an inexpensive way to cover my husband for the month that we will be in France this year.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Kay,, I am a bit confused,, you should ALWAYS get supplemental health insurance when you leave your country,, it is easy and cheap.
I am paying a grand total of 84 dollars to cover my family of 4 for a 10 day trip to Hawaii. I wouldn't leave home without insurance.
Go to any insurance office , or my case I went to my bank, also many travel agent offices sell it too.
The health care system in France is very good, but they aren't going to treat a foreinger for free, so get covered.
Get insurance for BOTH of you. There is really no excuse.
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
Kay: Here's Rick Steves' advice on insurance, scroll down to see his suggestions as to travelers medical insurance Rick on Travelers Medical InsuranceWith you being over 65, and the fact that you already know for sure that your US medical coverage does not cover you in Europe--these are factors to carefully consider in deciding whether to travel without medical insurance. I wouldn't leave home without it. In the 3rd paragraph of Rick's article, you'll see links to sites where you can purchase travelers medical quickly online. Compared to the total cost of a Europe trip, travelers medical is affordable because the duration of your trip is short, compared with the cost of annual coverage.The few travelers, reporting here, who have needed medical care in Europe have generally reported that emergency medical care was provided to them, often at nominal charge. However, be careful: There's no guarantee that I know of, and the information we've received here indicates that you can't rely on medical care beyond emergency or basic care to be provided without charge. And certainly in the (unlikely) event that you needed medical evacuation to the US, without insurance you would be liable for the cost--we've had some worst-case-scenario stories reported here where travelers without medical insurance who required medical evacuation or extended care faced devastating bills.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32212 posts
Kay,
As the others have suggested, it would be a very good idea to get supplemental travel medical insurance, especially as you'll be in France for a month. Whichever agency you choose may try to sell you a "package" which includes lost baggage, trip cancellation or other benefits. You may want to do a bit of research first to determine if you want other coverage in addition to the medical.
Some of the policies I've used in the past require individuals to call for authorization before getting treatment, so be sure of the "fine print" in the policy.
If you're concerned about minor injuries or illness, you could also have a look at IAMAT, which provides a list of english speaking Doctors who will treat minor ailments for a set fee.
Happy travels!
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9363 posts
www.insuremytrip.com is a good source of comparison between travel insurance companies. There is a wide variation of coverages out there, but you can see what each company offers and choose the ones with the coverages you want without having to pay for coverage you don't need. And yes, you should BOTH have health/med evac insurance for while you are away.
Posted by
Paris
83 posts
I won't try to address the subject of health insurance coverage, but here is what happened to my husband on a trip to France in 2003. We were visiting the Loire when he started having terrible stomach pain. The hotel called a doctor who sent him to the local hospital. They determined that something was seriously wrong, and he was taken by ambulance to a large hospital in Tours. He had major abdominal surgery and was in the hospital for one week. Not once did anyone ask for proof of insurance. As we checked him out of the hospital, we asked for the bill. They seemed a bit surprised but sent us to the Admissions dept. The bill including surgery and room (i.e. everything) came to about $6000. We used MasterCard and submitted the bill to Anthem when we got home. The only negative thing about this whole episode (aside from poor hubby's illness, of course) was that it took more than a year for the American insurance company to pay us. In fact, the experience was so positive, we decided to move to France, which we did two years later. We love it here, and have great French insurance.
Posted by
Atlanta, Georgia
135 posts
Kay, I am on Medicare, too. In 2007 I spent 6 weeks in Europe and got travel health insurance via American Express. It covered my return to the US "dead or alive" via med evac/shipping the body home. It even said they would pay for a close relative to fly over in case of serious illness and a longer hospital stay. It kicked in where my supplementary insurance left off. I paid by the month (it was around $12.50/$15.00 per month) and I canceled it after my return. IMPORTANT; Check into it early and get it early enough before your trip to cover "pre-existing conditions". I didn't actually use it but the peace of mind was worth it. Just google it to get their web site. Best regards, Brianna