Do I really need travel insurance?

[wnissen]

I assume you have health insurance that kicks in our side of the US? Most don’t.

Depends on where you are going. The US is almost unique among developed countries in that you can easily bankrupt yourself with a few weeks in the hospital. Mexico, for instance, has much cheaper prices for care but you have to pay in advance, in that case getting medical insurance is probably a good idea.

And never, ever buy the cruise line or tour operator's coverage. Almost always the worst coverage for the most amount of money. The slight convenience gained when working with the on-ship doctor is minor.

 

[Steelers0854]

Unless you are independently wealthy and can self-insure for potentially over $100,000, then yes, you absolutely need travel insurance. My brother was recently on a trip with his in laws. One of them fell ill and was in the infirmary for 2 days on their way back to port. The bill was about $50,000, which they had to pay immediately and then get reimbursed through their travel insurance once they were home. Even if you are in perfect health, you never know when an accident will happen and evacuations can be tens of thousands of dollars. Im not rolling the dice on going bankrupt for $300, given how expensive these cruises are it’s basically a rounding error anyway lol.

 

[Cfabar1]

For us, the only part of the insurance that is necessary is the medical. I can self-insure against the loss of a 3 night cruise. I will be annoyed and said, but I'd rather have the $$s...

We will look into the BCBS medical for the future. I can't self insure presently against a majorly expensive airlift and international medical care. Thanks for the link!