Travel Health Insurance

[mom of a lil pirate]

I am looking into travel health insurance for our trip. We are perfectly healthy (knock on wood), but feel it is important to have the extra coverage in the event we needed it. So, I will be getting a policy, but have never done this before so does anyone have any company recommendations?

 

[ilovetexas]

I am looking into travel health insurance for our trip. We are perfectly healthy (knock on wood), but feel it is important to have the extra coverage in the event we needed it. So, I will be getting a policy, but have never done this before so does anyone have any company recommendations?

Go to either insuremytrip or tripinsurancestore, they both seem to see the same coverage for the same prices. You can price the plans and see reviews of the companies. It's too late for you to get pre-existing coverage or cancel for any reason coverage, but you don't need that anyway, since I've already got your FE present!

The biggest thing that I look for with young, healthy people is making sure you have enough coverage for emergency evacuation. I won't consider a policy that has less than $50,000 and I prefer more than that. If anything bad happens while I'm on my cruise, I do not want to be treated in a foreign country and I don't want to get hit for a $50,000 bill for a medical evac, either. Talk about adding insult to injury!!!

 

[Lisa71]

We have used insure my trip as well and usually look at the best bang for the buck. The PP is right..you want medical evacuation. The rest of it is just icing. It can easily cost $30,000 for medical evacuation to the United States, and often more. Get the most coverage in that area. You want to go to a hospital near your home if possible, and the US at least.

 

[sayhello]

I am looking into travel health insurance for our trip. We are perfectly healthy (knock on wood), but feel it is important to have the extra coverage in the event we needed it. So, I will be getting a policy, but have never done this before so does anyone have any company recommendations?

Check out www.insuremytrip.com or www.tripinsurancestore.com Both sites let you compare the cost & coverage for several well-rated insurance companies, and find the one that really meets your needs and budget.

Personally, I've used Travelex, Travel Insured and CSA, and had good experience with all of them.

Sayhello

 

[mom of a lil pirate]

Go to either insuremytrip or tripinsurancestore, they both seem to see the same coverage for the same prices. You can price the plans and see reviews of the companies. It's too late for you to get pre-existing coverage or cancel for any reason coverage, but you don't need that anyway, since I've already got your FE present!

The biggest thing that I look for with young, healthy people is making sure you have enough coverage for emergency evacuation. I won't consider a policy that has less than $50,000 and I prefer more than that. If anything bad happens while I'm on my cruise, I do not want to be treated in a foreign country and I don't want to get hit for a $50,000 bill for a medical evac, either. Talk about adding insult to injury!!!

This exactly! Thanks for the help I just want to have coverage in the event something happens on the vacation. I hope it is not needed, but don't want to take a chance.

 

[kimb96]

I used tripinsurancstore and I am very pleased with their service. You can call and tell them what you need and they will find a policy for you in no time.

 

[mom of a lil pirate]

Thank you everyone, your information has been very helpful

 

[mellers]

I am looking into travel health insurance for our trip. We are perfectly healthy (knock on wood), but feel it is important to have the extra coverage in the event we needed it. So, I will be getting a policy, but have never done this before so does anyone have any company recommendations?

My personal feeling is that it is more important to have pre-existing conditions coverage than to go with any particular company. That said, if you or a traveling companion is a veteran, or active or reserve military, http://www.usaa.com/ usually has very good deals on travel insurance, and insures children free, which is a nice bonus. I'd recommend either their TravelInsured Worldwide Trip Protector, or Worldwide Trip Protector Gold.

If you are sure your insurance will not cover you outside the country, or if it would be a hardship to wait for a check, you might want to make sure your insurer is primary and not secondary--there is an extra charge for that with Worldwide Trip Protector, and Worldwide Trip Protector Gold, but I would still see if the overall charges are more or less than others. Another poster had good luck with a medical claim with TravelInsured, so that is an advantage.

To get pre-existing conditions coverage, you generally have to buy insurance within 14-30 days of your first payment. The one major exception to this rule is CSA, which you have to purchase within 24 hours of your final payment. If nobody in your family has been ill for several months, and has had no checkups or changes in their medications for several months, it may not be absolutely necessary, but I would worry without a PEC waiver.

Remember, if you need to cancel a trip due to a family member's illness, the pre-existing condition clause may come up.

If you want to compare several policies, http://www.tripinsurancestore.com/ does an excellent job of comparing the advantages and drawbacks of a number of policies. http://www.insuremytrip.com and http://www.squaremouth.com/ are also good.

Whatever you decide, I hope you have a wonderful trip and never need to make a claim.

 

[auntie]

My personal feeling is that it is more important to have pre-existing conditions coverage than to go with any particular company. That said, if you or a traveling companion is a veteran, or active or reserve military, http://www.usaa.com/ usually has very good deals on travel insurance, and insures children free, which is a nice bonus. I'd recommend either their TravelInsured Worldwide Trip Protector, or Worldwide Trip Protector Gold.

If you are sure your insurance will not cover you outside the country, or if it would be a hardship to wait for a check, you might want to make sure your insurer is primary and not secondary--there is an extra charge for that with Worldwide Trip Protector, and Worldwide Trip Protector Gold, but I would still see if the overall charges are more or less than others. Another poster had good luck with a medical claim with TravelInsured, so that is an advantage.

To get pre-existing conditions coverage, you generally have to buy insurance within 14-30 days of your first payment. The one major exception to this rule is CSA, which you have to purchase within 24 hours of your final payment. If nobody in your family has been ill for several months, and has had no checkups or changes in their medications for several months, it may not be absolutely necessary, but I would worry without a PEC waiver.

Remember, if you need to cancel a trip due to a family member's illness, the pre-existing condition clause may come up.

If you want to compare several policies, http://www.tripinsurancestore.com/ does an excellent job of comparing the advantages and drawbacks of a number of policies. http://www.insuremytrip.com and http://www.squaremouth.com/ are also good.

Whatever you decide, I hope you have a wonderful trip and never need to make a claim.

Another thing I ran into when purchasing trip insurance regarding the pre-exsisting condition option was that it wasn't just based on when I purchased the cruise portion of the trip. As I knew we would be leaving from Fl and purchased the airline tickets a week before I booked the acutal cruise portion of the trip. At insuremytrip, she told me that "14 day" period started from when I first purchased the airline tickets..not just the cruise portion of the trip. Since it was less than 14 days, it was a non-issue, but easily could have been. While we are both in good health currently, I was afraid that if (God forbid) something happened for which we had been treated for in the past, it might not be covered it. Additionally, I did go with a provider that was primary, as when I made the call I really didn't know if our health insurance covered us out of the country(which they did), but it would be less paper work with the trip insurer being primary.
Hope I didn't confuse anyone!

 

[sayhello]

Another thing I ran into when purchasing trip insurance regarding the pre-exsisting condition option was that it wasn't just based on when I purchased the cruise portion of the trip. As I knew we would be leaving from Fl and purchased the airline tickets a week before I booked the acutal cruise portion of the trip. At insuremytrip, she told me that "14 day" period started from when I first purchased the airline tickets..not just the cruise portion of the trip. Since it was less than 14 days, it was a non-issue, but easily could have been. While we are both in good health currently, I was afraid that if (God forbid) something happened for which we had been treated for in the past, it might not be covered it. Additionally, I did go with a provider that was primary, as when I made the call I really didn't know if our health insurance covered us out of the country(which they did), but it would be less paper work with the trip insurer being primary.
Hope I didn't confuse anyone!

Just wanted to clarify that pre-existing condition does not mean every single condition you now have or have been treated for, ever in your life. Each insurance company has a defined "look back period" prior to the date your insurance is effective (most insurance is effective the day you buy it). The look back period can even vary from policy to policy within a company. It generally ranges from 2 to 6 months. Any condition which first manifests itself, is first diagnosed, first treated, or for which treatment was changed within that look back period would be considered a pre-existing condition.

If you have not had any problems within that look back period, with a condition that you had prior to purchasing the insurance, it is not considered a pre-existing condition.

If you are being treated for a condition, but it has not worsened, or your treatment for that condition has not changed, within that look back period, it is not considered a pre-existing condition.

Always check the policies you are looking at to see how they define a pre-existing condition, and what their look back period is.

That said, it's always a good idea to get a pre-existing condition waiver if you can, because you just never know if someone else at home will get ill, and may cause you to have to cancel your cruise, or head back home early. The pre-existing condition waiver & look back period applies to them, also.

Sayhello

 

[auntie]

Just wanted to clarify that pre-existing condition does not mean every single condition you now have or have been treated for, ever in your life. Each insurance company has a defined "look back period" prior to the date your insurance is effective (most insurance is effective the day you buy it). The look back period can even vary from policy to policy within a company. It generally ranges from 2 to 6 months. Any condition which first manifests itself, is first diagnosed, first treated, or for which treatment was changed within that look back period would be considered a pre-existing condition.

If you have not had any problems within that look back period, with a condition that you had prior to purchasing the insurance, it is not considered a pre-existing condition.

If you are being treated for a condition, but it has not worsened, or your treatment for that condition has not changed, within that look back period, it is not considered a pre-existing condition.

Always check the policies you are looking at to see how they define a pre-existing condition, and what their look back period is.

That said, it's always a good idea to get a pre-existing condition waiver if you can, because you just never know if someone else at home will get ill, and may cause you to have to cancel your cruise, or head back home early. The pre-existing condition waiver & look back period applies to them, also.Sayhello

The bolded is especially important to us. We have a couple of relatives who are in extremely poor health. For whatever reason, they always seem to be worse, or be hospitalized when we go on vacation. Weren't taking any chances with the cruise.