Insurance that will actually pay if you have a heart attack

[colkeena]

Just watched a troubling tv show re insurance companies.Apparently their documents are written in double talk by lawyers.If your doctor sends you for a ekg test and you are fine the companies can say a test is a treatment and therefore you have a preexisting condition and will not pay.Also someone that did not know he had diverticulitis ticked off no on the form and was denied compensation for a heart attack even though there is no connection.Another person had his doctor help him fill out the form and he too was denied.

I have insurance but as I have never had a heart attack I have no idea if my company is one that denies everything.

It is scarry.One gentleman paid $2500.00 for coverage and was not covered.

1)Has anyone actually successfully claimed for heart attack?

2)How do I find out if I have coverage (everyone says yes on the phone to everyone but not true)

3)If your claim went through what was the name of your insurer.

I do not have a bad heart but stress from wondering if I will be covered miles from home may change all that!

Do not want to be $100,000.00 in debt because of a vacation.

[Keith1010]

You need to read the details of the policy.

 

I know a couple of people who had heart attacks on the ship and their insurance did pay for it.

 

Again, the devil is in the details.

 

Keith

[flamomo]

Several years ago I had an EKG, to establish what my NORMAL EKG looks like. That way if I ever have chest pain and have an EKG at that time, the doctor will have something to compare it to and determine if there are changes.

I would not think having an EKG under those circumstances, which was just to establish a baseline for my norm, would prevent my insurance from paying for my care in the event of an actual heart attack.

[colkeena]

The fine print on insurance policies is written for lawyers, not the average traveller.You will not be able to comprehend much.That is why I would like names of insurance companies that do pay rather than deny.The ekg I heard about was fine also.Company still refused to pay.

Scares me!!

[cruiseco]

The fine print on insurance policies is written for lawyers, not the average traveller.You will not be able to comprehend much.That is why I would like names of insurance companies that do pay rather than deny.The ekg I heard about was fine also.Company still refused to pay.

Scares me!!

 

Two things:

 

1) If you do what's necessary to get the insurer's coverage for pre-existing medical conditions then all of your worries go away.

 

2) I'm assuming you're a US resident here, but if you ever have a claim denied for a reason you feel is not fair your state dept of insurance can help you.

 

By the way, many of the horror stories you read have to do with Canadian companies insuring Canadian citizens. Their treatment of pre-existing conditions is grossly unfair and would never be allowed here in the US.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

We us Access America, And never had a problem ..

[Keith1010]

The fine print on insurance policies is written for lawyers, not the average traveller.You will not be able to comprehend much.That is why I would like names of insurance companies that do pay rather than deny.The ekg I heard about was fine also.Company still refused to pay.

Scares me!!

 

What company was it?

 

And yes you still need to read the coverage even if you are scared because while you might find out it covers one item you won't know each and every item unless you read it.

 

By the way, I do not find the details from these companies at least the reputable ones such as TravelEx that we use difficult to read.

 

Yes, auto and home insurance policies are hard as are credit card agreements but just about everything is very clearly spelled out.

 

Keith

[xxoocruiser]

Deleted - read post below

[xxoocruiser]

The fine print on insurance policies is written for lawyers, not the average traveller.You will not be able to comprehend much.That is why I would like names of insurance companies that do pay rather than deny.The ekg I heard about was fine also.Company still refused to pay.

Scares me!!

 

The insurance company probably did not pay as the policy did not contain a pre-existing waiver.

 

In order to have any pre-existing conditions waived ( even the senerio stated abovein your original post) when purchasing travel insurance the policy has to be purchased within a specific window of time from the date of the original booking. Most companies generally require 10-14 days from the original booking date.

 

The following websited site will let you compare policies, companies and pre-existing waiver requirements:

 

http://www.insuremytrip.com

 

http://www.squaremouth.com

[april47]

I just bought from Insure my trip, Frontier. I am on blood pressure medication but have been on the same meds for years and has been controlled and documented at the doctor's office. here is a quote from Frontier. They exclude pre-existing conditions except....

 

Pre-existing Medical Condition Exclusion Applicable To All Coverages (Except Emergency Medical Evacuation and Repatriation of Remains) The Policy will not pay for loss or expense

incurred as the result of Injury or Sickness of the Covered Person which manifests itself during the 6 months immediately preceding and including the Effective Date, unless the condition is controlled through the taking of prescription drugs or medication and remains controlled (without any change) throughout the 6 month period.

[6rugrats]

Just watched a troubling tv show re insurance companies.Apparently their documents are written in double talk by lawyers.If your doctor sends you for a ekg test and you are fine the companies can say a test is a treatment and therefore you have a preexisting condition and will not pay.Also someone that did not know he had diverticulitis ticked off no on the form and was denied compensation for a heart attack even though there is no connection.Another person had his doctor help him fill out the form and he too was denied.

 

I hear people say many untrue things, read many inaccurate articles that are total nonsense, and watch televsions shows that have no basis in reality. You are writing about second/third/fourth hand stories, and have no idea what the true story was. I have never had any problem being reimbursed by Travelguard for a trip cancellation for a medical problem. I always purchase my policy within the 21 day time frame which is required in my state by TG to have pre-exisiting coverage, and always insure the total amount of my trip, which is also a requirement.

 

Ignore these stories and speak to an actual agent about your concerns.

[Ashland]

Usually how far back do insurance companies (travel ins) go in your medical history to find a pre-exsisting condition...Something you may have complained about years ago but ended up being nothing at the time ???

[Hlitner]

Usually how far back do insurance companies (travel ins) go in your medical history to find a pre-exsisting condition...Something you may have complained about years ago but ended up being nothing at the time ???

 

You ask a good question and the correct answer is that you must carefully read the policy. There are some travel policies that do waive pre-exisiting conditions if you purchase the policy within a short period of time of booking your trip. Pre-exisiting condition clauses are very complicated and sometimes not understandable by anyone (and I spent over thirty years in the Healthcare insurance industry). Also beware of anecdotal comments such as "I got paid for my pre exisiting condition" because these comments are totally worthless when it comes to your own claim. The only thing that matters is what is written in the policy (not what is said verbally by anyone) and the behavior of the insurance company (some are better the others).

 

Hank

[Keith1010]

You ask a good question and the correct answer is that you must carefully read the policy. There are some travel policies that do waive pre-exisiting conditions if you purchase the policy within a short period of time of booking your trip. Pre-exisiting condition clauses are very complicated and sometimes not understandable by anyone (and I spent over thirty years in the Healthcare insurance industry). Also beware of anecdotal comments such as "I got paid for my pre exisiting condition" because these comments are totally worthless when it comes to your own claim. The only thing that matters is what is written in the policy (not what is said verbally by anyone) and the behavior of the insurance company (some are better the others).

 

Hank

 

Hank, I agree. I mentioned that early about reading the policy but got my head chewed off. :D How one can spend all this money on insurance and not read the policy first is beyond me.

 

In fact when I do have questions before I purchase it I will ask the agent on the phone to elaborate and then to show me where it says that in the policy. My belief is the devil is in the details and while it's good to ask the questions on the board in the end the person needs to verify it themselves in writing.

 

Keith

[Nebr.cruiser]

The key here is probably the pre-existing conditions waiver. This is the main thing I look for, and for us, we need it to cover family members due to elderly parents. I pay more for a policy with a good waiver.

 

We have had to cancel three major cruise or cruise/tour vacations, one because of the SARS crisis in China and two because of health problems of parents. None of these were our normal cruise vacation of 7-14 days, but major 3 week or more cruise tours.

 

Each policy paid completely everything that was insured. You do have to provide documentation from the doctors and hospitals that the problem was real, and that takes some time and hassle, but we are over $20,000.00 to the good on these 3 trips.

 

I completely agree that insurance policies are difficult to read. The two things I am most concerned about are the pre-existing waiver and a very good emergency care/evacuation policy. Insure My Trip is very helpful to me.

[DanJ]

By the way, many of the horror stories you read have to do with Canadian companies insuring Canadian citizens. Their treatment of pre-existing conditions is grossly unfair and would never be allowed here in the US.

 

Try collecting on mortgage insurance here. I was told about the phrase "underwritten at time of death". Which my insurance guy basically said, when you die, they exclude all pre-existing conditions. If you die from cancer, well sorry, you had cancer and that's a pre-existing condition at time of death. A heart attack would be quite a significant sign of a pre-existing condition or there wouldn't have been the heart attack to begin with. My dad's neighbour was walking through a park near his home about 10 years ago. He was attacked and beaten by a group of kids. Had the crap beaten of out him. He managed to get home, where he died. Autopsy said cause of death was a heart attack. Sure enough, mortgage insurance didn't pay (life insurance did though). (And we won't discuss how the autopsy changed what criminal charges were or were not laid against the thugs who did it)

[Hlitner]

Keith mentioned something in his post that seems very obvious, but which is often ignored by consumers. It is fine to talk to insurance agents, insurance company reps, customer service folks, etc... and ask them questions about a specific policy. But (and this is the big BUT) anything they say to you is worthless unless it is in writing (in the policy). So when an agent tells you blah blah blah....ask him/her where you can find this info in the policy...and then read it yourself. In the insurance business an oral contract is worth about the same as an ounce of hot air. If it isn't it writing....it isn't!

 

Hank

[OVgirl]

I think the program showed that if you omit even the tiniest detail about any conditions, write down the wrong word for your condition, you can be denied coverage on the basis of lying/ not filling out the form correctly.

 

If your doctor helps you fill out the form and you assume they know all the medical details, there can still be problems. When you submit a claim, the insurance company wants the names of all the specialists, surgeons etc. that you have seen in the past. If one of these mentions a condition that you GP did not put on the form, BINGO... your policy us null and void. You are out of luck, even if your medical event while traveling had nothing to do with the misrepresented medical condition.

 

I think it's very difficult filling out the applications for regular and underwritten travel insurance because of the chance of omitting details of which you might not even be aware.

 

The traveler mentioned in the program by the OP was out over $300,000.

 

This shouldn't happen to people who try honestly to fill out the forms and then pay ~$150/day for insurance, hoping that they will have some peace of mind if something should happen.

 

Hope no one here is ever denied coverage.

[cruiseco]

I think the program showed that if you omit even the tiniest detail about any conditions, write down the wrong word for your condition, you can be denied coverage on the basis of lying/ not filling out the form correctly.

.

 

That's the horrible part of the way the Canadian insurers handle these things. Say you have to cancel your cruise because you've been diagnosed with brain cancer. When they obtain your medical records from your doctor they discover you forgot to mention that you had an episode of gout a year ago. Claim denied. It doesn't matter to them that the two problems are completely unrelated (I'm assuming, maybe some doctor will correct me on that) but since you didn't disclose it you've committed fraud because they should have charged you $8 more on the premium and you've cheated them out of that.

 

Even if I was a Canadian citizen I'd rather deal with a US-based company than do business with a company that would do this kind of thing.

[Kartgv]

...I think it's very difficult filling out the applications for regular and underwritten travel insurance because of the chance of omitting details of which you might not even be aware.....

and then pay ~$150/day for insurance....

 

I'm curious - what kind of forms have you had to fill out to obtain travel insurance? We've never filled out anything, just told our TA what we wanted, gave him our credit card number, and 15 minutes later we have our policy emailed to us. Are you possibly talking about filling out the forms for filing a claim? Also, our policy offers full money back within 10 days of buying - so that gives you time to read and hopefully understand the policy and ask questions.

 

Don't understand how you can be paying $150 a day for insurance. Our policy is pretty basic, but covers 2 of us for 13 days for $340. Our primary concern is medical evacuation, which it does cover.

[cruiseco]

I'm curious - what kind of forms have you had to fill out to obtain travel insurance? We've never filled out anything, just told our TA what we wanted, gave him our credit card number, and 15 minutes later we have our policy emailed to us. Are you possibly talking about filling out the forms for filing a claim? Also, our policy offers full money back within 10 days of buying - so that gives you time to read and hopefully understand the policy and ask questions.

 

 

With many Canadian companies (and UK) you have to submit paperwork detailing your medical history BEFORE you can buy a policy. They'll go over everything and then come up with a premium based on the info you submitted.

 

For US-based companies there's no pre-qualifying. As long as your check doesn't bounce you have a policy.

[OVgirl]

I'm curious - what kind of forms have you had to fill out to obtain travel insurance? We've never filled out anything, just told our TA what we wanted, gave him our credit card number, and 15 minutes later we have our policy emailed to us. Are you possibly talking about filling out the forms for filing a claim? Also, our policy offers full money back within 10 days of buying - so that gives you time to read and hopefully understand the policy and ask questions.

 

Don't understand how you can be paying $150 a day for insurance. Our policy is pretty basic, but covers 2 of us for 13 days for $340. Our primary concern is medical evacuation, which it does cover.

 

With many Canadian companies (and UK) you have to submit paperwork detailing your medical history BEFORE you can buy a policy. They'll go over everything and then come up with a premium based on the info you submitted.

 

For US-based companies there's no pre-qualifying. As long as your check doesn't bounce you have a policy.

 

This is usually done for Medically Underwritten Travel Insurance if you have a number of pre-existing conditions. You fill out the paperwork and a panel of specialists from the insurance company go over your application and decide if they will underwrite your coverage.

 

A few years ago, my parents had this type of insurance (no cancellation, just medical) and were able to cancel up until the day coverage began, if they did not go on their cruise.

 

You are really buying a product in this kind of situation and therefore, you expect that if you have a claim it will not be denied.

[DanJ]

With many Canadian companies (and UK) you have to submit paperwork detailing your medical history BEFORE you can buy a policy. They'll go over everything and then come up with a premium based on the info you submitted.

 

For US-based companies there's no pre-qualifying. As long as your check doesn't bounce you have a policy.

 

 

As a Canadian, my experience has been like kartgv. My TA asks if I want insurance, medical right around time of booking, trip insurance later (usually when I buy the airfare because I've got commited money at that point). I say yes or no, and if yes, I have the policy in my email within minutes. Never been asked my history or anything.

[SadieN]

Also CHECK FOR EXCLUSIONS

 

Reading the latest of DD's TravelGuard policies I noticed that American Airlines was placed on the exclusion list based on it's bankruptcy a while back. Do not know how the exclusion would work if one would book through British Air and had connections on AA as DD has.