I'm covered medically, do I need travel insurance?

I have Kaiser for my health insurance and I called them to find out if I am covered internationally and I am. They said the only thing is, that I may have to pay up front and then I would get reimbursed.

So my question is do I still need travel insurance? Or maybe I only need insurance for cancellation purposes. Do they have plans just for that? I'm obviously really new at this and I have no clue!

TIA :)

They do have plans for just the trip.

You should call Kaiser back and ask what happens if you have to take medical transport back home. Will they cover a medical plane or a nurse to fly commercial with you? Those kinds of extraordinary expenses are what will break the bank if you have to foot the bill.

I have Kaiser for my health insurance and I called them to find out if I am covered internationally and I am. They said the only thing is, that I may have to pay up front and then I would get reimbursed.

 

So my question is do I still need travel insurance? Or maybe I only need insurance for cancellation purposes. Do they have plans just for that? I'm obviously really new at this and I have no clue!

 

TIA :)

I think you need to be more specific with your questions to Kaiser.

I'm covered outside of the US with my health insurance provider also.

Except

My plan will only reimburse me at the Out of Network costs.

If payment for major medical is required up front, my provider will neither help with up front costs not will they provide any documentation indicating an ability to pay.

If I have major medical outside the US but need continued care closer to home, they will not provide coverage for a medical flight.

If I die, they will not provide coverage or assistance to repatriate my remains.

Therefore, not only do I get Travel Insurance, I also am a member of Medjet Assist.

I think you need to be more specific with your questions to Kaiser.

I'm covered outside of the US with my health insurance provider also.

 

Except

My plan will only reimburse me at the Out of Network costs.

If payment for major medical is required up front, my provider will neither help with up front costs not will they provide any documentation indicating an ability to pay.

If I have major medical outside the US but need continued care closer to home, they will not provide coverage for a medical flight.

If I die, they will not provide coverage or assistance to repatriate my remains.

 

Therefore, not only do I get Travel Insurance, I also am a member of Medjet Assist.

We also have MedJetAssist.

To explain, this coverage is for any medical INPATIENT hospital admission more than 150 miles from home (any country).

It will pay for medical transport/medevac to the hospital of YOUR choice (in home country - check this).

There is no need to have the local medical staff declare themselves not qualified to treat you, and no beancounters get involved.

GeezerCouple

We have AAA and they have a great plan. Trip and medical is covered. Glad I called them. Above poster had a good point about what Kaiser may not cover.

The short answer is Yes, you should have a cruise specific imsurance policy. I'm covered as well by my medical- but there are exceptions. I have to be hospitalized so if something happens to me on the ship and I need to be flown off then that is not covered. Then do I really want to have an emergency procedure done in a remote hospital on some island? You get the idea...

I spoke with Steve at http://tripinsurancestore.com and he was very helpful in pointing me to a plan. Things to take into consideration are things outside of your coverage in a remote hospital. Like lost baggage, you get sick prior to the cruise, your cruise gets interrupted, you need to rejoin the cruise, you need to be flown off the ship or transported from the ship to a medical center --- the list goes on.

So it is not just being medical covered by what you have now but haveing a secondary policy to fill in on what your policy won't cover.

Talk to to Steve. I won't travel without insurance and I won't travel without MedJet. Both purchased through his site after speaking with him.

~Steve

I think you need to be more specific with your questions to Kaiser.

I'm covered outside of the US with my health insurance provider also.

 

Except

My plan will only reimburse me at the Out of Network costs.

If payment for major medical is required up front, my provider will neither help with up front costs not will they provide any documentation indicating an ability to pay.

If I have major medical outside the US but need continued care closer to home, they will not provide coverage for a medical flight.

Yes. OP - you may incur $25,000 in medical expenses, but Kaiser may only reimburse you, for example, for $10,000. And, they certainly won't pay to get you home. Buy trip insurance.

Here is the rub... and I spoke with Steve from http://tripinsurancestore.com

I have health insurance, you hope nothing happens but if something does then your good to go... albeit, your paying out of network so you have some costs associated with your stroke or gall bladder attack or appendicitis.

What you forget is the evacuation costs of being flown off the ship, how you get home costs once the ship keeps sailing and your in a Coconut Hut or some Igloo on an Alaskan Cruise. Your interruption costs for the cruise and that list just goes on and on... Then you have this bill that equates to taking 20 cruises and staying in the Top Suite.

I just can not imagine now, not having cruise insurance and Med Jet. I hope I never need either but if I or my loved one needs it then I know we are not breaking the bank and I have a way home.

Sort of stating the obvious to those that take out cruise insurance but more directed to those that think they can save a few coins and skip insurance. :cool:

~Steve

Here is the rub... and I spoke with Steve from http://tripinsurancestore.com

 

I have health insurance, you hope nothing happens but if something does then your good to go... albeit, your paying out of network so you have some costs associated with your stroke or gall bladder attack or appendicitis.

 

What you forget is the evacuation costs of being flown off the ship, how you get home costs once the ship keeps sailing and your in a Coconut Hut or some Igloo on an Alaskan Cruise. Your interruption costs for the cruise and that list just goes on and on... Then you have this bill that equates to taking 20 cruises and staying in the Top Suite.

 

I just can not imagine now, not having cruise insurance and Med Jet. I hope I never need either but if I or my loved one needs it then I know we are not breaking the bank and I have a way home.

 

Sort of stating the obvious to those that take out cruise insurance but more directed to those that think they can save a few coins and skip insurance. :cool:

 

~Steve

Absolutely agree.....peace of mind is worth the extra cost;)

I have Kaiser for my health insurance and I called them to find out if I am covered internationally and I am. They said the only thing is, that I may have to pay up front and then I would get reimbursed.

 

So my question is do I still need travel insurance? Or maybe I only need insurance for cancellation purposes. Do they have plans just for that? I'm obviously really new at this and I have no clue!

 

TIA :)

Suppose that you have a problem in a small town with a sort of hospital and the nearest good hospital is a plane flight away - will they pay for your transfer? Suppose that you are in a decent hospital and you want or need to get to a hospital close to where you live - will they transfer you? Hospital costs overseas are lower than in the US but they still cost - you may have to pay for it before they release you.

Insurance for cancellation purposes should be the least of your worries. Good medical and good evacuation is much more important.

Get some insurance.

DON

Suppose that you have a problem in a small town with a sort of hospital and the nearest good hospital is a plane flight away - will they pay for your transfer? Suppose that you are in a decent hospital and you want or need to get to a hospital close to where you live - will they transfer you? Hospital costs overseas are lower than in the US but they still cost - you may have to pay for it before they release you.

 

Insurance for cancellation purposes should be the least of your worries. Good medical and good evacuation is much more important.

 

Get some insurance.

 

DON

That is why I also have Med Jet... It's medical flights when your greater than 150 miles away from home virtually anywhere in the world. I purchased mine through http://tripinsurancestore.com I do don't have AARP but there is a big discount if you do. I have this in addition to my trip insurance.

~Steve

Help me understand. Why would someone have MedJetAssist if also buying travel insurance for each trip? Doesn't most if not all travel insurance cover medical evacuation and repatriation of remains? If so, you are really paying for the coverage twice. I suppose it may be good to have if also taking other trips by land internationally, but then you would probably also have travel insurance for that too?

Help me understand. Why would someone have MedJetAssist if also buying travel insurance for each trip? Doesn't most if not all travel insurance cover medical evacuation and repatriation of remains? If so, you are really paying for the coverage twice. I suppose it may be good to have if also taking other trips by land internationally, but then you would probably also have travel insurance for that too?

Very different services.

For MedJetAssist, one must be admitted as an inpatient to a hospital at least 150 miles from home (can be domestic or foreign).

At that point, the patient can make his/her own decision about being medevac'd to the hospital of one's own choice (in the USA, I think, for USA residents), be it your friendly neighborhood hospital or a specialty hospital elsewhere.

Importantly, it is *not* necessary to have the local medical team declare themselves "inadequate" to treat you, and the insurance beancounters don't get to make that determination, either.

As long as you are stable enough for air ambulance, etc., they'll take you to the hospital of your choice.

(If what is required is 'only' business or first class, with an RN accompanying you, then they'll do that.)

The "regular medical coverage" would be needed to get you the care on a ship, or to the local hospital, and it would be needed even if you weren't actually admitted, but just treated in the ER. And that would cover all the medical staffing, lab work, treatments, x-rays, CAT scans, MRI's, etc.

GeezerCouple

Help me understand. Why would someone have MedJetAssist if also buying travel insurance for each trip? Doesn't most if not all travel insurance cover medical evacuation and repatriation of remains? If so, you are really paying for the coverage twice. I suppose it may be good to have if also taking other trips by land internationally, but then you would probably also have travel insurance for that too?

In the most basic sense Med Jet is more like AAA rather than actual insurance. It will transport you from one hospital to your hospital of choice and equip. The right team depending on your care. You subscribe and that's the coverage or guarantee you get...

Travel Insurance will have limits or caps and may have only under certain circunpmstances will they transport...

That's the really rough explanation. Med Jet is so inexpensive that many of us simply have it to avoid getting back. It does not matter if your trip insurance is primary or secondary it is more piece of mind.

Rather than purchase it directly from Med Jet, I purchased mine through http://tripinsurancestore.com same price only you get Steve's input should you need further clarification...

Most of us carry Med Jet and of course trip insurance. Med Jet is a subscription for a year or up to five years where trip insurance is generally for a specific trip.

~Steve