Main reason for insurance

[Gracie115]

3 hours ago, TeeRick said:

Thanks.  I priced out the lowest membership (annual) at $425.  More than GeoBlue Trekker ($250), which offers a global health network and evacuation.  People should evaluate both perhaps and decide.  I don't think that I personally would purchase both unless I traveled extensively. 

 

I just renewed yesterday at $375 for DH and myself total.  That is with discount for AARP membership.  We have both GeoBlue and Medjet.  Peace of mind is important too and with the cost of travelling these days it seems a very small part of the overall bill.  Medjet also works within the USA, not just internationally.

[alyssamma]

23 minutes ago, Gracie115 said:

Peace of mind is important too

I think this is something people often overlook. It applies in all aspects of life...not just insurance. For example, you may purchase a drink package on a cruise, even though you "know" it might be cheaper to pay as you go, because now you don't have to worry about it.

 

Insurance is pretty much the same. For most people if you add up premium costs and weigh that against claims made, the premiums are way more. But, the peace of mind is an somewhat invaluable offset to that.

 

I don't buy trip insurance for all of my trips, but do if I'm taking a cruise. Do I need it? Probably not. I've certainly never used it on a cruise (I have once on a non-cruise trip). But I'll keep buying it for peace of mind.

 

It's the same reason I pay more for refundable deposits. I probably don't need to, but do just because I don't want to deal with the hassle...another way of saying peace of mind 🙂

 

[d9704011]

4 hours ago, TeeRick said:

Thanks.  I priced out the lowest membership (annual) at $425.  More than GeoBlue Trekker ($250), which offers a global health network and evacuation.  People should evaluate both perhaps and decide.  I don't think that I personally would purchase both unless I traveled extensively. 

I'm pretty much of the same mind.  Our travel/medical insurance is pretty good but, of course, they don't offer the service Medjet Assist does.  We've decided not to purchase the package.  For sure I can understand why others may - peace of mind and/or due to the amount of travel and locations.

[d9704011]

14 minutes ago, alyssamma said:

It's the same reason I pay more for refundable deposits. I probably don't need to, but do just because I don't want to deal with the hassle...another way of saying peace of mind

Travel/medical insurance I always have.  Our plan (through a federal government retirees program) is paid monthly and always in effect when we travel.  Trips over 40 days out of country need supplemental insurance.

 

I never pay extra (insurance) for refundable deposits.  That's something I will risk as I already know the cost of that as opposed to not knowing what the cost of a travel/medical insurance claim may work out to and most cruise lines will provide a credit for the deposit to be used on a future cruise. 

 

I don't cruise on lines that require 'large' portions of the full cruise fare as a deposit but I do understand many people do and the insurance calculation for them is probably entirely different than mine.

[phoenix_dream]

6 hours ago, alyssamma said:

I think this is something people often overlook. It applies in all aspects of life...not just insurance. For example, you may purchase a drink package on a cruise, even though you "know" it might be cheaper to pay as you go, because now you don't have to worry about it.

 

Insurance is pretty much the same. For most people if you add up premium costs and weigh that against claims made, the premiums are way more. But, the peace of mind is an somewhat invaluable offset to that.

 

I don't buy trip insurance for all of my trips, but do if I'm taking a cruise. Do I need it? Probably not. I've certainly never used it on a cruise (I have once on a non-cruise trip). But I'll keep buying it for peace of mind.

 

It's the same reason I pay more for refundable deposits. I probably don't need to, but do just because I don't want to deal with the hassle...another way of saying peace of mind 🙂

 

I don't disagree with you. This is exactly how insurance companies stay in business.  People buy with their emotions rather than their logic. But it's their money and their choice to make.

[phoenix_dream]

8 hours ago, the penguins said:

Interesting as the website states that all it's services are underwritten by Lloyd's of London. 

So at the end of the day a distinction without a difference.  Anyone who thinks their claims assessment is going to be any different is just fooling themselves. In fact, insurance companies are very tightly regulated, probably much more so than other companies. 

[alyssamma]

54 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

I don't disagree with you. This is exactly how insurance companies stay in business.  People buy with their emotions rather than their logic. But it's their money and their choice to make.

LOL, yeah...and I've worked for several insurance companies across different industries. But it isn't just insurance that is like that. It's virtually everything from paying for Starbucks coffee instead of McD's, or like I said before about drink packages (or any type of "all inclusive").

 

I think as long as you know that's the game, and choose to play, everything's good. The problem is the people who don't understand that's how it works and get preyed on to buy stuff.

[Guest ldtr]

On 3/20/2023 at 7:23 AM, TeeRick said:

Yes GeoBlue is an annual policy that is supplemental health insurance for international travel (multiple land trips and cruises).

We use GeoBlue as well

[Guest ldtr]

On 3/21/2023 at 10:02 AM, Gracie115 said:

No, they won't get you home.  Many medical policies have "evacuation" coverage but there are many caveats attached.  Our friends thought they were covered because their policy had "evacuation coverage" but ONLY if the insurance company felt it was medically necessary.  She had a shattered hip with several breaks and needed surgery and her insurance said she just do that in Lanzarote rather then get her home to her own doctors.  Medjet would have gotten her home.

Sure, but keep in mind that Medjet has some major limitations that the patient must be in a hospital and that hospital must be close enough to an airfield that they can fly into. The odds of someone needing medical is much higher than the odds of meeting the conditions for MedJet.

 

Also even if the insurance company does not want to provide evacuation beyond the closest hospital one can influence that by addressing the potential quality of care issues, with statements from medical professionals if there really is a major difference. That increases their risk a d makes them more likely to consider medical evac to a better facility.

[the penguins]

10 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

So at the end of the day a distinction without a difference.  Anyone who thinks their claims assessment is going to be any different is just fooling themselves. In fact, insurance companies are very tightly regulated, probably much more so than other companies. 

I was simply commenting on 2 earlier posts one of which said Jetmed was insurance and the other that it wasn’t it was a Club and to check out the website. As the product is underwritten by Lloyds of London to my mind at its heart it is a straight forward insurance product,

Reading all the posts I am glad that in the U.K. I can buy one simple annual product (unlimited worldwide travel for upto 31 days per trip) that covers me and my wife both aged over 75 for, cancellation, baggage, medical to around $4,000,000, and medical evacuation. The policy has paid out on numerous occasions the last claim in less than a week after submitting the documents. One claim was for over $20,000.

[Gracie115]

9 hours ago, ldtr said:

Sure, but keep in mind that Medjet has some major limitations that the patient must be in a hospital and that hospital must be close enough to an airfield that they can fly into. The odds of someone needing medical is much higher than the odds of meeting the conditions for MedJet.

 

 

True......but to get stuck with a $100,000+ evacuation bill because the decision was not made to spend the $375 for MedJet coverage is not something we are willing to test.  We know of several situations that happened with people who had coverage and those that didn't that had accidents or illness occur fr from home and those with Medjet got home and the others did too...eventually and at great cost.  They now carrry it too.  Once burned and all.  Peace of mind is worth a few hundred dollars when travelling 10's of 1000's miles from home.

[phoenix_dream]

23 hours ago, alyssamma said:

LOL, yeah...and I've worked for several insurance companies across different industries. But it isn't just insurance that is like that. It's virtually everything from paying for Starbucks coffee instead of McD's, or like I said before about drink packages (or any type of "all inclusive").

 

I think as long as you know that's the game, and choose to play, everything's good. The problem is the people who don't understand that's how it works and get preyed on to buy stuff.

Agree 100%

[mac_tlc]

On 3/22/2023 at 8:50 AM, TeeRick said:

Thanks.  I priced out the lowest membership (annual) at $425.  More than GeoBlue Trekker ($250), which offers a global health network and evacuation.  People should evaluate both perhaps and decide.  I don't think that I personally would purchase both unless I traveled extensively. 

We also just purchased the GeoBlue Trekker and we’re also looking at MedJet. Seems to me the biggest difference is you decide if you want to be evacuated back to a hospital near home if you have Medjet while GeoBlue makes the decision if, in their evaluation, sufficient care is not available where you are. 
 

Having never been in that situation, and hoping I never will, I can see the possibility of also getting MedJet. 
 

mac_tlc

[jules815]

On 3/21/2023 at 6:13 PM, phoenix_dream said:

So you completely lied on the health questionnaire before boarding? And doing so with no way of knowing for sure if she had food poisoning or norovirus which could have infected hundreds on your sailing? Nice.

First thing that cross my mind as well.

[Big_G]

On 3/13/2023 at 7:09 PM, Dar & Bob said:

Some Medigap policies cover - ours does after the first $250 but it's reimbursement so we have an annual policy.

 

What company did you go with for the annual? We just bought one but it was a lot of work finding it.

[Dar & Bob]

18 minutes ago, Big_G said:

 

What company did you go with for the annual? We just bought one but it was a lot of work finding it.

We went with Allianz since I had purchased through them previously for land vacations and when I missed the window on a cruise.  Our policy only covers to 10K of vacation expense but has medical and medevac which is more my concern.  

Over the years we have seen people break bones at resorts and have to have surgery in and island hospital, seen an aquaintance put off for medical on an island, and had a friend fall just barely miss being sent to a hospital in a port in Italy.  We got the wake up call to have the medical and evac policy.

[Big_G]

3 minutes ago, Dar & Bob said:

We went with Allianz since I had purchased through them previously for land vacations and when I missed the window on a cruise.  Our policy only covers to 10K of vacation expense but has medical and medevac which is more my concern.  

Over the years we have seen people break bones at resorts and have to have surgery in and island hospital, seen an aquaintance put off for medical on an island, and had a friend fall just barely miss being sent to a hospital in a port in Italy.  We got the wake up call to have the medical and evac policy.

 

Same here. I couldn't remember the company name as I was typing the question. I'm always looking for additional options.

[Dar & Bob]

17 minutes ago, Big_G said:

 

Same here. I couldn't remember the company name as I was typing the question. I'm always looking for additional options.

As many have pointed out - we don't know how good the coverage is until we unfortunately have to use it. I hope we never find out LOL