Hello,
We are planning a trip to Scotland. I would like to obtain comprehensive travel insurance which includes medical, dental and evacuation coverage.
Current medical insurance does not cover when out of the home country. I am wondering how much coverage is needed for healthy older people who will be primarily sightseeing. The range is 15k-250k.
Regarding medical evacuation: we will be traveling in or near to cities and towns, therefore I would think that medical evacuation would not be as necessary or involved as it would be if one were traveling to a remote or dangerous area.
Does anyone have experience with this?
Thanks
Posted by
The Heartland USA
8967 posts
LB, I've never had to use coverage abroad, but here's how I look at it. If you're thinking routine cuts and bruises, a sprained ankle, a cold, etc., its likely no big deal. But what happens if something more serious happens? Say you get hit by a car because you're looking the wrong way crossing the street, or you fall off a pub stool and break a hip, or you have that unexpected unplanned heart attack or stroke at the caber toss. They will not take care of you for free or forever. If you need to get back home for long-term care or surgery, and maybe need to travel with a nurse, oxygen or IV morphine drip, or can't sit up in a airplane seat, its going to cost you big bucks. That's what the med evac coverage is for, not an ambulance to the nearest hospital.
Posted by
OP
41 posts
Thank you, I understand all of that. I am asking the forum for any specific insight as to how much coverage could potentially be needed while in the UK. If one needed to be hospitalized for a week after a surgery would one need 50 k or 250k of coverage? While travelling in another country, I would not expect to get anything for free. I want to know what to purchase for myself to take care of my own medical expenses should an emergency arise.
Thank you.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7885 posts
If you intend to decline evacuation coverage, then it is easy to reply that you should, sensibly, take the maximum medical coverage offered. Airlines do not accept dangerously ill people (I'm not talking about COVID-19 ... ) as walk-up general passengers. As you may know, they even tend to shy away from obviously pregnant women, when not restricted by law.
I might observe that age is not particularly a factor in need for evacuation insurance. I noticed that Travelguard offers a separate rider for some (not all, I presume ... ) active sports that are excluded under their regular coverage. (Yes, I know that one of the George Bushes took a tandem skydive at an advanced age.) You have no control over what happens crossing the street or in a bus or taxi. You are much more likely to be injured in a motor vehicle than in an airport.
Posted by
Atlanta
5196 posts
As with all insurance, read the fine print carefully. The devil is always in the details and it's surprising what is sometimes excluded. Some med. evac. policies for example will only get you to the nearest facility that can treat you. Others will get you all the way back home. Some policies will deal directly with the health care facility while others want to reimburse you after the return home. Be sure you know what is and isn't covered.