Cancelation Policy

[Linda&Vern]

[quote name='kazu'] <snip> Canadians may joke about the cost of an aspirin in the United States, but it is not without good reason sadly.[/QUOTE]
[COLOR="Blue"][SIZE="3"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]You are so correct Jacqui! The last time (2013) I was admitted to my local hospital the bill was $48,000 and I was there 47 hrs. No major surgery, a relative common event (stent placement). This was only the hospital bill, not any of the doctors charges. I was blessed to not have to pay a penny because of good insurance. But I fear in the US things are spiraling out of control.

I have a question you may be able to answer about Canadians who "winter" in Florida. My DM had many friends who had a certain date they had to leave FL and get back to Canada and it had something to do about their health insurance. Were these retirees still covered in Florida or did they have supplemental insurance for their time in the US? There was always a timeframe involved - they could only be gone out of Canada so many months and still be covered under Canadian insurance. I can't remember all the details. [/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[kazu]

[quote name='Linda&Vern'][COLOR="Blue"][SIZE="3"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]You are so correct Jacqui! The last time (2013) I was admitted to my local hospital the bill was $48,000 and I was there 47 hrs. No major surgery, a relative common event (stent placement). This was only the hospital bill, not any of the doctors charges. I was blessed to not have to pay a penny because of good insurance. But I fear in the US things are spiraling out of control.

I have a question you may be able to answer about Canadians who "winter" in Florida. My DM had many friends who had a certain date they had to leave FL and get back to Canada and it had something to do about their health insurance. Were these retirees still covered in Florida or did they have supplemental insurance for their time in the US? There was always a timeframe involved - they could only be gone out of Canada so many months and still be covered under Canadian insurance. I can't remember all the details. [/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE]

ahh, you are talking about the infamous snowbirds. A huge benefit to the Florida and other Southern States economy.

Yes, they all get extra insurance to protect themselves - what we have here would not cover them in the U.S.

The time frame relates to just under 6 months which is related to two things - their insurance maximum time frame and more importantly - their benefits of being Canadian. There is a maximum time you can leave. If you go beyond that you lose certain benefits in Canada and any Canadian in their right mind doesn't want to kiss that good bye, eh? (had to throw that in, but other than the eh I am trying to answer you seriously)

People are very careful with their calculations and wisely so:D

While we may complain about certain things here in our health care (and justifiably so), I just had 4 appointments with an orthopaedic surgeon, resetting of a wrist with an xray and xray tech there not to mention numerous xrays, casts, cast removal and new ones, etc. my bill? $0 My medicare card did the trick. That's nothing to be sneezed at.

[sapper1]

[quote name='kazu']ahh, you are talking about the infamous snowbirds. A huge benefit to the Florida and other Southern States economy.

Yes, they all get extra insurance to protect themselves - what we have here would not cover them in the U.S.

The time frame relates to just under 6 months which is related to two things - their insurance maximum time frame and more importantly - their benefits of being Canadian. There is a maximum time you can leave. If you go beyond that you lose certain benefits in Canada and any Canadian in their right mind doesn't want to kiss that good bye, eh? (had to throw that in, but other than the eh I am trying to answer you seriously)

People are very careful with their calculations and wisely so:D

While we may complain about certain things here in our health care (and justifiably so), I just had 4 appointments with an orthopaedic surgeon, resetting of a wrist with an xray and xray tech there not to mention numerous xrays, casts, cast removal and new ones, etc. my bill? $0 My medicare card did the trick. That's nothing to be sneezed at.[/QUOTE]

Another factor is that if Canadians stay in the States longer than 180 days in a year frame then the IRS steps into the picture and things get complicated. Then we are considered to have a stronger presence in the US than in Canada. The Snowbirds have to be real careful because once their 180 day limit is reached, a simple two hour trip over the border to shop counts as a day and suddenly they are at 181 days and in trouble.

[Linda&Vern]

[COLOR="Blue"][SIZE="3"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Thank you Kazu and Sapper ... Now I understand the timing factor that my DM's friends (yes, the snow-birds) were concerned about. Makes sense.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[sail7seas]

[B]Very interesting about the six month rule for snowbirds or others leaving Canada for extended time. Thanks for explaining..

Just for the sake of accuracy, it should be noted in this discussion that depending upon what insurance each American may or may not have, many of us leave hospitals after very serious and lengthy stays with absolutely no bill. My insurance was such that two surgeries in one of the finest U.S. hospitals resulted in -0- owed by us (thankfully). You hear the 'horror' stories of those without adequate insurance and, indeed, there are people in that circumstance for any number of reasons. There are also many of us who have very good insurance and particularly if we are 65 and otherwise qualify, we have a government health care plan called Medicare. Most seniors are very satisfied with it particularly if we opt for supplemental coverage which covers what Medicare will not.

However, like in Canada, that insurance usually does not pay out of country claims. And that brings us back to why it is so important for U.S. seniors who travel to have travel insurance for emergency medical bills. Same, apparently, as it is important for those from Canada and U.K. etc .


[/B] Edited September 8, 2014 by sail7seas

[Lizzie68]

[quote name='Linda&Vern'][COLOR=Blue][SIZE=3][FONT=Comic Sans MS]You are so correct Jacqui! The last time (2013) I was admitted to my local hospital the bill was $48,000 and I was there 47 hrs. No major surgery, a relative common event (stent placement). This was only the hospital bill, not any of the doctors charges. I was blessed to not have to pay a penny because of good insurance. But I fear in the US things are spiraling out of control.

I have a question you may be able to answer about Canadians who "winter" in Florida. My DM had many friends who had a certain date they had to leave FL and get back to Canada and it had something to do about their health insurance. Were these retirees still covered in Florida or did they have supplemental insurance for their time in the US? There was always a timeframe involved - they could only be gone out of Canada so many months and still be covered under Canadian insurance. I can't remember all the details. [/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR][/quote]


I am curious, and wonder if you can say what the average monthly premium on US health insurance would be? We hear so much for and against Obamacare, with widely differing information, seemingly dependent on which side of the political spectrum the information comes from.:confused:

[sail7seas]

[quote name='Lizzie68']I am curious, and wonder if you can say what the average monthly premium on US health insurance would be? We hear so much for and against Obamacare, with widely differing information, seemingly dependent on which side of the political spectrum the information comes from.:confused:[/QUOTE]



[B] That is one of the problems as it is very difficult to say average premium. It is a huge range and varies tremendously upon whether you are part of a company plan or independent. Whether the employer pays a percentage of the premium; how high a deductible; how much co-payment; what kind of pharmaceutical coverage......

To complicate it more, we have coverage offered in our state that may not be available in another state. Though all our policies will pay for a medical claim made by a policy holder while in any state, their policy could be one that isn't even available where it is they become ill or have an accident.

There is nothing simple about health coverage in U.S. these days.

As to Obamacare, watch the news (if you are interested) as new premium amounts are supposed to start to be known in the coming months. Some speculate there will be a massive increase while others say otherwise. Few if any of us really know.


[/B]

:) I tried hard to leave my personal politics out of that response. :) Edited September 8, 2014 by sail7seas

[cbr663]

[quote name='CowPrincess']Maybe that is one of the differences between Canada and the US. I know when I was shopping for out of country medical coverage I was asked questions about pre-existing. All my Canadian friends have been asked too, as far as I recall.[/quote]

Here in Canada, we are cautioned against purchasing insurance that is underwritten at the time of a claim versus underwritten at the time of purchase. Insurance that does not ask for medical information upfront is generally of the underwritten at the time of claim variety. Our media is full of stories of folks who found out after they have submitted a claim that they were not eligible for insurance. Here's an example: [url]http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/spending_saving/2011/12/18/seniors_with_travel_insurance_billed_107000.html[/url]

[Jade13]

[quote name='Lizzie68']I am curious, and wonder if you can say what the average monthly premium on US health insurance would be? We hear so much for and against Obamacare, with widely differing information, seemingly dependent on which side of the political spectrum the information comes from.:confused:[/QUOTE]

Premiums largely depend on age and also whether one is paying for an individual policy or family of 5, and whether or not they are paying through a group/work, and the terms of their policy such as lower premiums and higher costs at the time of service, or higher premiums and lower costs at the time of service.

Without having more information on your situation such as your age, and whether the plan is for one or more people, there is no way anyone can give you any idea of what coverage in the US could possible cost you.

[Lizzie68]

[quote name='Jade13']Premiums largely depend on age and also whether one is paying for an individual policy or family of 5, and whether or not they are paying through a group/work, and the terms of their policy such as lower premiums and higher costs at the time of service, or higher premiums and lower costs at the time of service.

Without having more information on your situation such as your age, and whether the plan is for one or more people, there is no way anyone can give you any idea of what coverage in the US could possible cost you.[/quote]

Thank you. I was looking for a ballpark figure based on the scenario posted by Linda&Vern, but trying not to be nosy about what he/she pays themselves. From what you say, it's very similar to here, where we pay for provincial health coverage, but many employers will pay all or part of the premiums, and then we have Extended Health and Dental insurance - same thing, employers may pay part or all of the premiums. Our family coverage for provincial health care is $125.50/mo. Not sure what the Extended coverage would cost, it depends on the plan. Now we are retired we pay as little as we possibly can, it works out to around $90/mo including basic dental and covers much of our prescriptions too. We don't get info on what our health care costs actually are when we have surgery or any kind of procedure.

[CowPrincess]

[quote name='Lizzie68']I am curious, and wonder if you can say what the average monthly premium on US health insurance would be? We hear so much for and against Obamacare, with widely differing information, seemingly dependent on which side of the political spectrum the information comes from.:confused:[/quote]

The last cruise DH and I were on, it was [I][B]fascinating [/B][/I]to hear the two sides on Obamacare. Lots of discussion about it, and people were either fervently in favor or fervently opposed.

My American friends are about evenly divided on it, some in favor, some opposed.

[sail7seas]

[quote name='Lizzie68']Thank you. I was looking for a ballpark figure based on the scenario posted by Linda&Vern, but trying not to be nosy about what he/she pays themselves. From what you say, it's very similar to here, where we pay for provincial health coverage, but many employers will pay all or part of the premiums, and then we have Extended Health and Dental insurance - same thing, employers may pay part or all of the premiums. Our family coverage for provincial health care is $125.50/mo. Not sure what the Extended coverage would cost, it depends on the plan. Now we are retired we pay as little as we possibly can, it works out to around $90/mo including basic dental and covers much of our prescriptions too. We don't get info on what our health care costs actually are when we have surgery or any kind of procedure.[/QUOTE]



[B] WE are trying to tell you there is no way for us to give you 'ballpark numbers' as there is a huge range. There are private policies, Obamacare policies, employer shared policies, independent policies, medicare and supplemental policies, it even can depend income of the insured ......... You want a number we cannot give you without a specific State, size of family, age of enrollees etc

After my late husband's recent lengthy hospitalization and ultimate passing, I never received a bill that itemized everything. I don't know what all the care cost but it had to be unfathomably huge.



[/B] Edited September 8, 2014 by sail7seas

[CowPrincess]

[quote name='Lizzie68']I have heard some very heated discussions on American politics onboard.:eek: I stay away. But I do find CNN interesting.....:D[/quote]

Fortunately the discussions we heard were always only from one side. A group would be talking about how GREAT the upcoming changes were, OR a group would be talking about how BAD. Never had the two sides around at the same time. Thank goodness ;)

[sail7seas]

[B]I believe CC's rule forbid political discussions so it isn't likely we'll have that sort of conversation here.

[/B]

[Kathie859]

[quote name='RSLeesburg']I cannot comment on how RCI Cruise Care compares to HAL insurance, but understand that it does cover "cancel for any reason" - but, when we booked our two cruises, we "purchased" the insurance when we booked the cruise; however, we did not have to pay for the insurance until final payment - so technically, if we canceled before final payment, we would not pay for the insurance at all (so no refund needed - only thing we paid when we booked was our deposit). The RCI rep explained to me that the insurance only covers you from final payment until the end of your cruise, so they don't charge you for it until final payment. If we cancelled after final payment, then the insurance would kick in, so there would be no refund of the insurance.


Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app[/QUOTE]

I booked 2 cruises in 2014 directly with HAL with travel insurance on which I paid deposits only. In January, I had to cancel the cruises due to some health issues and was given a full refund of my deposits---the insurance hadn't been charged yet and, in reflection, I believe the policy as stated above is the reason.

If the OP did book directly with HAL, I think I'd reach out to a manager to ask why the insurance was charged so early, if that is truly the withheld amount and file a protest.

[sail7seas]

[quote name='Kathie859']I booked 2 cruises in 2014 directly with HAL with travel insurance on which I paid deposits only. In January, I had to cancel the cruises due to some health issues and was given a full refund of my deposits---the insurance hadn't been charged yet and, in reflection, I believe the policy as stated above is the reason.

If the OP did book directly with HAL, I think I'd reach out to a manager to ask why the insurance was charged so early, if that is truly the withheld amount and file a protest.[/QUOTE]



[B] That's a good point. If HAL cancellation coverage does not have to be purchased until one day prior to final payment date, why was it charged at such an early date? Why wasn't it charged day before final payment?

[/B]

[LindaM]

[quote name='sail7seas'][B] That's a good point. If HAL cancellation coverage does not have to be purchased until one day prior to final payment date, why was it charged at such an early date? Why wasn't it charged day before final payment?

[/B][/QUOTE]

That is a good question. I would think if the OP really pushed this, she could get her money back. Hopefully HAL will be kind...

One of the reasons we book HAL is that you can wait to get cancel for any reason insurance, so you cancel before final payment and not lose out, except for what your TA may charge. Our big box charges $25--our previous TA nada.

[mcmarya]

I believe that most third party trip insurance policies--this is true of Travel Guard and Allianz, if not others--will transfer your policy to another trip if you have not gone on the insured trip and have not made any claims on the policy. I always buy insurance as soon as I make any kind of payment on a trip to make sure there are no pre-existing condition issues. If I have only put a deposit on a cruise way off in the future, I can cancel that cruise and book another one then let the insurance company know the new particulars. All of the companies I deal with will also do it incrementally--I start out insuring for a deposit and add coverage as I book airline tickets or incur other non-refundable costs.

[OVgirl]

[quote name='sail7seas'][B] That's a good point. If HAL cancellation coverage does not have to be purchased until one day prior to final payment date, why was it charged at such an early date? Why wasn't it charged day before final payment?

[/B][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="3"]You can "purchase" the insurance anytime up to day before final payment date. However, when you "purchase" , you must pay at that time. It is up to the passenger not to "purchase" until the day before final payment.[/SIZE]