Is trip insurance worthless?

[Verystormy]

I cant believe that people would even consider going on holiday without it, in fact a lot of companies in the UK wont let you depart without proof of insurance! As a TA, let me tell you why: Recently we had a cust who had refused to take it - he was cruising the caribean and wasnt planning on anything unusual and as a young guy didnt think it was a problem - fit and heathly. Unfortunatly for him he slipped on deck and hit his head hard. He required a emergency helicopter evacuation to hospital, from where he was stabalised, and spent some time there. On recovering he still needed to return by air ambulance. The cost for the treatment and air ambulance - over 200,000 dollars, his wife has had to sell their home as have his parents to pay the bill

[smeyer418]

since you work in the field, you know what kaiser permanente is then right?

 

Yep I know them, The original HMO(staff Model). Started in WW II as part of the Kaiser industries. Very foward thinking. There is a book called "the Rise of PPO's" I wrote the first chapter. This is part of the original health insurance coverage in the US through employers. Good coverage and as I said most not all doesn't cover outside the US. My coverage is through NY State for employees, it too covers world wide(this year at least), but the additional coverage for other items, is still so inexpensive that about 1/2 the time I buy it as well. I don't buy it for close in coverage. UK health coverage never covers outside the UK. There is a report in the Royal Gazette of Bermuda of what happened when someone didn't have coverage. Finally someone paid to bring someone back to the UK who was injured and the cost was well in excess of $100,000.

 

You can buy it or not buy it, when gets me is when someone doesn't buy it and then expects us to bail them out. I personally think it should be included for all by the cruise lines. Why because then the cost would drop dramatically. No sales charges and the cruise company would negotiate for the best price(hopefully). Yes it would all be secondary coverage but the cost would be included and the issue would never arise.

[melika091900]

I totally agree,,

It should almost be mandatory , and then like you said, there will not be any problems....:D

 

 

Happy Holidays everyone

 

melissa

[Nectarologist]

Its interesting how the general opinion seems to be insurance is really only truly neccessary for catastrophic situations. I wonder if there is an insurance that only covers catastrophic claims. For example a travel insurance with a

$10,000 dollar deductable. In such a situation given the probability etc... of a claim over that amount I think the prices would plummet to an amount that no individual on this board would consider unwise even the most skeptical.

 

Does anyone know if a travel policy with a very high deductible and comparatively low price exists?

 

Hi comfixit. You can purchase this type of insurance. Check out insuremytrip under "medical evacuation policies." It seems to be about half of what the "full coverage" policies are. But as I'm sure is the case with all of these policies, it's the company & the Dr (which one I don't know) who decide if it's "medically necessary" to fly you somewhere on the couple I have read. The conflict of interest is enough to make me skeptical but that itself wouldn't stop me from buying it. But it's available.:)

[horselady295]

We just started purchasing trip insurance in the last 2 years. I feel better knowing that we have that additional coverage.

 

For travelers on medicare... medicare will not cover medical expenses that are incurred outside the U.S. so if you do not have other insurance, you will have to pay any medical expenses incurred outside the U.S.

 

If you need to be medi-vac'd back to the U.S., it costs about $20,000.

 

Accidents can happen to anyone while on vacation .... case in point .... my 22 y.o. niece was on her honeymoon in Aruba several years ago. She & new husband rented scooters to tour around the island. DH was in front on his scooter when a truck came around a turn and ran into his scooter. His leg was broken in several places. He received emergency care in Aruba, but it took my niece a few days to coordinate medical transportation back to the U.S. for the required surgery. The airlines refused to transport him due to the extent of his injuries and liability issues. Being in their 20s, they didn't feel they would need travel insurance. So on her honeymoon, they started their marriage with a $20,000 medical bill. The medical transportation dropped them off at the first U.S. city which was Miami. It was a mess.

 

We used our Travel Guard insurance last year when DH fell and was injured while on a tour. He was treated by the ship's doctor with penicillin shot, antibiotics, tetanus. Travel Guard is secondary to your own insurance, so they had us submit the bills to our insurance company & mail the decline of payment before they would cover the $400 medical bill... but they sent us a check without issue.

[travelteam]

We always take teip/medical insurance if we cruise or fly on a vacation. My DH has Parkinsons disease, so we always get a policy that covers pre-existing.

 

Twice we had to cancel trips,once to Hawaii and once for Egypt. No trouble getting our money back. Our TA wouldn't recommend planning an expensive trip without proper insurance.

 

While on a Princess cruise through the Pananma Canal a gentleman had to be airlifted off the ship. His wife was frantic with the arrangements. She had insurance and knew the 20thousand $ bill would be covered. She used her american express card to secure the arrangements.

 

This could be anyone of us. I take the best irnsurance I can.