Trip Insurance

[SportyGirl11]

Hello,

 

We have a cruise booked for 1/11/15, my husband is undergoing surgery to remove his kidney in November he was recently diagnosed with Kidney cancer. My question is I would like to buy trip insurance in case he has any issues it say's on Travelguard they will reimburse us within 1 year of any medical expenses. Could someone explain how this would work if he needs any care...Do we pay out of pocket, would our BC/BS insurance cover anything? Thanks for your help.

Tammy

[Sauer-kraut]

Make sure it covers pre-exsisting conditions

[SportyGirl11]

At this point I can't get pre existing insurance it says I would have had to purchase it within 15 days of our original deposit which was in May.

Can you still purchase trip insurance after final payment?

[elliair]

At this point I can't get pre existing insurance it says I would have had to purchase it within 15 days of our original deposit which was in May.

Can you still purchase trip insurance after final payment?

 

Yes, you can, but you should have done it before the 15 day of original deposit was made. It won't cover preexisting conditions and I don't know of any travel insurance at the point in time that will. We use Travelguard, maybe look at their platinum policy and see what it offers. We get the gold. Best of luck to you and your husband.

[fridaythe13th]

At this point I can't get pre existing insurance it says I would have had to purchase it within 15 days of our original deposit which was in May.

Can you still purchase trip insurance after final payment?

 

I think your best bet would be to call insure my trip dot com and talk to someone about your particular circumstances. They would tell you what plan would be best for you and when you can buy it. I personally would be more concerned of having to cancel the cruise. Regarding your BX paying, yes you would submit to them first and then the travel insurance would pick up the difference (if you get the right plan). Best to talk to someone who really knows all the ins and outs. Good luck!

[hannahouse]

Call your BC/BS to see if they will cover anything while on the cruise...most health insurance plans will not. Also make sure you purchase a plan that covers pre-existing conditions.

[John1928]

You can buy it later, and it would cover your husband if he slipped, fell, and broke his arm in port, or if there was a hurricane (that formed after you purchased the plan).

 

However, for issues related to an existing medical condition you're going to need pre-existing condition coverage which typically needs to be purchased within 15 days of deposit. You might find some plans which offer that even at a later date but that is not common in my experience.

[Ken076]

At this point I can't get pre existing insurance it says I would have had to purchase it within 15 days of our original deposit which was in May.

Can you still purchase trip insurance after final payment?

 

CSA has policies that can be purchased up to final payment w/ "Waiver of Pre-Existing conditions - hopefully you're not at final payment! If so, there may be one COSTLY "customized" option to check out.

 

If you have Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) FIRST Check with BCBS to see if you have the "Out-of-Country" usually separate coverage; BCBS Federal Employees Program (FEP) has same and is VERY good coverage, in fact I believe every provider is treated as a Preferred Provider!

 

You might, or might not, want to contact Carnival wrt your situation and see what they would do for you wrt re-scheduling/deferring your cruise!

 

ken

Edited October 3, 2014 by Ken076

[Ken076]

Hello,

 

We have a cruise booked for 1/11/15, my husband is undergoing surgery to remove his kidney in November he was recently diagnosed with Kidney cancer. My question is I would like to buy trip insurance in case he has any issues it say's on Travelguard they will reimburse us within 1 year of any medical expenses. Could someone explain how this would work if he needs any care...Do we pay out of pocket, would our BC/BS insurance cover anything? Thanks for your help.

Tammy

 

With the 3rd party Trip Insurance you'll be paying the provider, filing a claim (which will be coordinated with your primary BCBS) and being reimbursed. If you have BCBS Out-of-Country coverage, it looks that they don't guarantee that their out-of-country providers will accept BCBS. Most 3rd party policies include a several thousand dollar "Hospital Guarantee" if you have to pay up front to get admitted.

 

Some policies only cover emergency expenses during the insured cruise and include no "continuing coverage". Other policies provide "continuing coverage" for 6 months or a year, but this would be coordinated with your own health insurance after the cruise. But...if the policy you purchase is PRIMARY coverage, they'll pay everything.

 

Note that Medicare is no good for any out-of-country with a few very specific exceptions.

 

ken

Edited October 3, 2014 by Ken076

[9876]

Once it is diagnosed it is probably pre-existing. Can you cancel and rebook your sailing so that you can again fall within the 15 days of initial deposit? I agree, you should call a vendor like insure my trip dot com and ask about specifics and the best way to handle this.

Edited October 3, 2014 by 9876

[travler27]

I am unaware of any trip insurance you could get at this point that would cover a pre-existing condition (ie: nephrectomy). Depending on the cost of the cruise and the amount you would forfeit if cancelled, I would consider cancelling and re-booking and then purchase the trip insurance within the time frame that covers pre-existing conditions.

 

Since your normal health insurance likely does not cover you outside the country the financial risk is pretty significant if something does happen. Your willingness to accept that risk is a personal decision but could easily run into hundreds of thousands of dollars. Medical evacuation is very expensive.

 

I had a nephrectomy the end of August 2012 and cruised in early October with no problems whatsoever. I just had to have the porters and my wife handle all the baggage. I actually kind of liked that. :D I did have travel insurance purchased with pre-existing condition coverage. I would not have gone without it.

[cherylandtk]

Canceling and rebooking for the same dates will NOT reset the initial payment calendar, so forget about doing that. If there is surgery planned, that impacts the medically able definition.

 

https://tripinsurancestore.com/what-is-medically-stable/

 

PLEASE call these folks and explain your exact predicament. They will tell you whether there is policy out there for you or not. Do not rely on what you think the policy says, these folks are well-versed in their product and can definitively tell you. Advice from this board is well-meant, but frequently incorrect. (Just look at how many people told you to cancel and rebook the same cruise.)

[SportyGirl11]

Thanks everyone for the responses. I did call blue Cross we have a PPO plan they said medical would be covered out of the country as an out of network provider. DH is scheduled for robotic laparoscopic surgery at Dana Farber in Boston to remove his kidney Nov 3rd, Now we pray for a speedy recovery & cancer free....fingers crossed.

 

 

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[searoses]

Good luck and swift healing.....

[sail7seas]

Isn't this rather like trying to buy homeowner's insurance when the house is already on fire?

 

Good luck, OP. Hope your DH will do well.