Travel Insurance - Medical Only

[robbie21]

I recently reviewed the long thread on travel insurance posted here starting last Sept:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1915571

 

The primary thrust of that thread was the virtue of certain credit cards for their travel insurance benefits. Coverage is so good that traditional travel insurance for trip cancellation/interruption/delays/luggage, etc. is unnecessary or necessary only as a small supplement. Read the whole thread for details (or the last few pages for the conclusions).

 

The principle remaining insurance concern not covered by the credit card is Medical and medical evacuation while overseas. Suggestions from the experts (mostly Pacheco18, Laraine :) who did the heavy research) were to get annual travel policies (medical only) and/or Medjet Assist both of which can be had fairly inexpensively.

 

My particular problem is that I live in Washington State and I have been able to find exactly one medical travel policy that is legal and offered in this state; and its not a very good one. We have an elected Insurance Commissioner and a lot of bizarre regulations that are supposed to protect us from the evil insurance companies that the rest of you are victims of :eek:. As a result many insurance companies simply do not bother to do business in WA state for their lower volume lines of insurance. That was the start of my problem.

 

Further research disclosed that I can go to the web site of my primary insurer (USAA) and buy (through them) what looks like a regular travel insurance policy (Travel Insured) but that I can set the cost of the trip at Zero ($0.00) and what is left of the policy is the medical coverage only (mostly). The cost for a 32 day trip is about 30% of the cost of an annual medical travel policy and the coverage benefits are 3X higher than that other policy. So, since we travel overseas only once or twice a year purchasing this kind of policy is the most cost effective for us. If you travel as much as Laraine and Bob do other strategies may be more cost effective.

 

If you choose to try this approach you should certainly check with your insurance company for the rules that apply to you. In my case the suggestion to do this was on their web page under the heading "Medical Insurance Only". I have no idea how the costs would compare in other more open insurance states but it is certainly worth looking into.

 

Good luck,

 

Robbie

 

PS - If you are eligible for USAA insurance you should go there.

[Benita]

I have an annual plan from Travelguard- base policy gives minimal cancellation insurance, but covers evacuation and medical. Prices range from about $200 a year to $500 a year, if you increase the cancellation coverage to $6000 a year. If you use the cancellation benefit, the $6000 is reduced by the amount paid, so the $6000 is the maximum they will pay out for cancellation benefits, but the evacuation and medical expense resets to the full amount per trip.

[pacheco18]

I recently reviewed the long thread on travel insurance posted here starting last Sept:

 

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1915571

 

 

 

The primary thrust of that thread was the virtue of certain credit cards for their travel insurance benefits. Coverage is so good that traditional travel insurance for trip cancellation/interruption/delays/luggage, etc. is unnecessary or necessary only as a small supplement. Read the whole thread for details (or the last few pages for the conclusions).

 

 

 

The principle remaining insurance concern not covered by the credit card is Medical and medical evacuation while overseas. Suggestions from the experts (mostly Pacheco18, Laraine :) who did the heavy research) were to get annual travel policies (medical only) and/or Medjet Assist both of which can be had fairly inexpensively.

 

 

 

My particular problem is that I live in Washington State and I have been able to find exactly one medical travel policy that is legal and offered in this state; and its not a very good one. We have an elected Insurance Commissioner and a lot of bizarre regulations that are supposed to protect us from the evil insurance companies that the rest of you are victims of :eek:. As a result many insurance companies simply do not bother to do business in WA state for their lower volume lines of insurance. That was the start of my problem.

 

 

 

Further research disclosed that I can go to the web site of my primary insurer (USAA) and buy (through them) what looks like a regular travel insurance policy (Travel Insured) but that I can set the cost of the trip at Zero ($0.00) and what is left of the policy is the medical coverage only (mostly). The cost for a 32 day trip is about 30% of the cost of an annual medical travel policy and the coverage benefits are 3X higher than that other policy. So, since we travel overseas only once or twice a year purchasing this kind of policy is the most cost effective for us. If you travel as much as Laraine and Bob do other strategies may be more cost effective.

 

 

 

If you choose to try this approach you should certainly check with your insurance company for the rules that apply to you. In my case the suggestion to do this was on their web page under the heading "Medical Insurance Only". I have no idea how the costs would compare in other more open insurance states but it is certainly worth looking into.

 

 

 

Good luck,

 

 

 

Robbie

 

 

 

PS - If you are eligible for USAA insurance you should go there.

 

 

Great info robbie. We have usaa but not for health insurance. Going to look into it

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[vaitape]

We have USAA for everything EXCEPT health ins. Will do some research!

[robbie21]

I actually found this deal under their Travel Insurance page not Health Insurance. Basically what I did was to buy regular travel insurance with no cost of travel. I set the cost to zero thereby negating the cancellation, etc. coverage that is the biggest cost factor. What I was left with was all the medical coverage plus baggage and auto liability and a few other strays.

 

So, don't shop under medical insurance - look for travel insurance. On the USAA page it's under "other insurance products".

 

Robbie