Vent about travel insurance

[Andrew Bichard]

First some background.

I live in the UK, where medical care is supplied by the nation, free of cost to the individual. (It is paid for out of taxation).

The downside, is that you have to buy medical insurance for trips to the USA, because state medical care only covers travel within the European Union.

I have just got off the phone after arranging cover for my next Disney trip.

I have either spinal muscular atrophy or muscular dystropy. My doctors don't know which. They are agreed on my problem, the long term effects (slightly progressive but not life threatening) medication (none needed) and cure (none). Apparently, they can only tell which I have, by taking me into hospital for painful & pointless operations. Effectively, it doesn't matter which I have.

Except that is, by the insurance company, who initially counted these as two conditions, not one, and refused me cover. After 45 minutes on the phone, the matter was referred to their medical helpline who finally agreed that my two possible conditions were effectively the same condition.

As a result, they have given my wife and I cover, but at a premium. We will have to pay £1083.00 for our trip, which equates to about $1800.

If the insurance increases every year as we get older and medical costs in USA go up, we will eventually have to stop visiting WDW and sell our DVC!

Andrew

PS - I suppose there's always DLP.

 

[ducklite]

Have you shopped around to different companies? It seems that someone would be more reasonable. Just curious, who did you get that quote through?

Also, who do you insure your home through? Some companies will add a travel addendum to your home owners cover for travel insurance for a reasonable premium.

Anne

 

[Andrew Bichard]

Have you shopped around to different companies? It seems that someone would be more reasonable. Just curious, who did you get that quote through?

Also, who do you insure your home through? Some companies will add a travel addendum to your home owners cover for travel insurance for a reasonable premium.

Anne

Age is a factor. Up until 2002 we always had an annual trip insurance from our home contents insurer, that covered us for unlimited trips each year.

Then, just before our 2003 trip, my wife had her 70th birthday and we could no longer get annual trip insurance from my household insurer. Last year and this year we went to a specialist insurance broker for older travellers. The market is restricted when you reach a certain age and few companies will offer cover at all. I was on the phone a long time so I didn't want to start over again with another company.

Andrew
Andrew

 

[ducklite]

Is it possible to get two seperate policies, one to cover your wife and another to cover you? Just a thought...

Anne

 

[binkyboots]

you might try the post office insurance, my husband has multiple disabilities but they cover him at no extra cost! they've been marvelous both times I've had to claim with them.

 

[Hannathy]

What is your deductable? I would go for a very large deductable figuring I would pay OOP for anything minor (up to 5,000-10,000) and get coverage for if a catastrophic thing happened ie. needing a quadruple bypass, stroke, life threatening accident.
Being from the UK you may not be used to checking this for health policies but it really does alter your costs- We have to pay for our own right now and we couldn't afford it if we had low deductables. Good luck but health insurance is very expensive to pay for yourself, but we do have great care with no age limits.