Medical Insurance only??

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Is there a Company that offer's Medical Insurance only

[buggins0402]

Check GeoBlue. Policies can be bought from a number of sources and direct.

[cherylandtk]

You can purchase any of the comprehensive policies and put a trip value of $1. That effectively eliminates your cancellation and trip interruption coverage, but gives you medical coverage while on the trip. Note that medical coverage alone does not include loss of trip days or full transportation from wherever you are to home. Some policies include $1000 return air, most do not, when $0 value is declared.

Edited April 1, 2015 by cherylandtk

[Hlitner]

You can purchase any of the comprehensive policies and put a trip value of $1. That effectively eliminates your cancellation and trip interruption coverage, but gives you medical coverage while on the trip. Note that medical coverage alone does not include loss of trip days or full transportation from wherever you are to home. Some policies include $1000 return air, most do not, when $0 value is declared.

 

We generally do not think this is a good idea from a financial point of view. One can go out and purchase an annual travel med policy for about $350 per couple which gives you $250,000 of Med and $500,000 of travel evacuation...and that policy (from GeoBlue) covers every trip you take (up to 70 days per trip) over an entire year.

 

Buying a more comprehensive policy from a travel insurance provider and setting the value at $1 will only give you coverage for a single trip and usually not at a particularly attractive price. For example, doing this with a CSA policy for only a 2 week trip would cost about $157. If I did it for a single 70 day trip the cost would be about $320 or nearly as much as we pay for a policy that would cover every 70 day trip for an entire year. I would also be concerned with using the $1 trip cost since that is not accurate info. Although that dollar amount should not be relevant to the medical coverage, over thirty years in the medical insurance industry makes me wary. In CSA's policy they specifically ask for the "Total trip cost for all travelers" and one wonders if they might later claim that your failure to disclose the accurate figure invalidated the entire policy. We have seen claims denied for less :(

 

Hank

Edited April 5, 2015 by Hlitner

[GeezerCouple]

We generally do not think this is a good idea from a financial point of view. One can go out and purchase an annual travel med policy for about $350 per couple which gives you $250,000 of Med and $500,000 of travel evacuation...and that policy (from GeoBlue) covers every trip you take (up to 70 days per trip) over an entire year.

 

Buying a more comprehensive policy from a travel insurance provider and setting the value at $1 will only give you coverage for a single trip and usually not at a particularly attractive price. For example, doing this with a CSA policy for only a 2 week trip would cost about $157. If I did it for a single 70 day trip the cost would be about $320 or nearly as much as we pay for a policy that would cover every 70 day trip for an entire year. I would also be concerned with using the $1 trip cost since that is not accurate info. Although that dollar amount should not be relevant to the medical coverage, over thirty years in the medical insurance industry makes me wary. In CSA's policy they specifically ask for the "Total trip cost for all travelers" and one wonders if they might later claim that your failure to disclose the accurate figure invalidated the entire policy. We have seen claims denied for less :(

 

Hank

 

This is a real concern... not specifying the correct travel costs.

 

Some policies might allow it (we don't know), but we do know that the types of policies we have used or considered are very specific that ALL "non-refundable costs" MUST be included in the total costs insured.

 

We have had some hotels that don't charge until arrival, or have a 24 hour cancellation policy, so those don't need to be included.

 

Likewise, for airfare with a "penalty/fee" for cancelling or changing, one only needs to cover the penalty part.

 

One problem we've read about is if the "refundable" part of the airfare has to be used within a year, and the folks are not able to use it then.

 

When we had to cancel cruise and air, the insurer (Travel Insured) required PROOF of cancellation, a document from both that we had indeed cancelled, and there was no residual value.

Fair enough!

(Otherwise, it's double dipping; collecting on the insurance AND still having part of the covered costs to use.)

 

GeezerCouple

[buggins0402]

It should also be noted that a GeoBlue policy which covers pre-existings can be bought well after booking the cruise. Last trip I purchased only a few weeks prior to our cruise. We buy single trip coverage from Geo, since the annual does't pencil out cost wise for our yearly travel days. You have to do the math to see what works for you. The website is pretty easy to navigate. Again this is for medical only.

 

For cancellation, we just are willing to go with what might be covered under our Chase credit card. Is it the best...probably not, but, we now would just look at a loss of a cruise as an lost opportunity cost, whereas, medical can run hundreds of thousands. Last cruise we did have a delayed luggage claim and Chase's insurance underwriter paid very quickly with no hassles.

Edited April 6, 2015 by buggins0402

[cherylandtk]

... and one wonders if they might later claim that your failure to disclose the accurate figure invalidated the entire policy. We have seen claims denied for less :(

 

Hank

I agree that an annual policy might make more sense if a traveler took multiple trips within a year, but the OP asked if one could purchase a medical only policy, not an annual policy. As for invalidating the policy by only clicking a $1 trip cost: this is not a problem, it is done all the time, Steve even has a full page explaining why to use a $1 cost vs. $0 cost when purchasing medical only. The biggest part of that is the effective date of the policy, but there is nothing wrong with using a lower than full cost AS LONG AS the purchaser understands there is no cancellation or trip interruption coverage. Most policies only require full price coverage if one wants the PEC waiver.

 

This is a real concern... not specifying the correct travel costs.Some policies might allow it (we don't know), but we do know that the types of policies we have used or considered are very specific that ALL "non-refundable costs" MUST be included in the total costs insured.

That is true only if you are covering PEC. Otherwise you can cover any amount you want for cancellation up to the full cost, but you will only be able to claim up to the insured value in case of cancellation.

http://tripinsurancestore.com/blog/dont-insure-a-0-trip-cost-to-save-money/

https://tripinsurancestore.com/what-is-your-trip-cost/

[GeezerCouple]

I agree that an annual policy might make more sense if a traveler took multiple trips within a year, but the OP asked if one could purchase a medical only policy, not an annual policy. As for invalidating the policy by only clicking a $1 trip cost: this is not a problem, it is done all the time, Steve even has a full page explaining why to use a $1 cost vs. $0 cost when purchasing medical only. The biggest part of that is the effective date of the policy, but there is nothing wrong with using a lower than full cost AS LONG AS the purchaser understands there is no cancellation or trip interruption coverage. Most policies only require full price coverage if one wants the PEC waiver.

 

That is true only if you are covering PEC. Otherwise you can cover any amount you want for cancellation up to the full cost, but you will only be able to claim up to the insured value in case of cancellation.

http://tripinsurancestore.com/blog/dont-insure-a-0-trip-cost-to-save-money/

https://tripinsurancestore.com/what-is-your-trip-cost/

 

Hlitner and I are making the same point, that it is NOT necessarily true that one can "just insure the trip costs at $1".

 

As with ALL policies, it is critical to understand ALL of the terms - and fine print!

 

What we were reacting to was the statement that it would be satisfactory to include travel costs of only $1, as though that would always be "okay".

(Neither of us wrote that it was "never" okay.)

 

It's just another "heads up" that one should NOT "believe" everything that is written here (or on any anonymous internet forum!), but should check directly with an insurer or broker, including about "all of the needs/questions".

 

There are quite a number of people here who DO want/need coverage that does not exclude pre-existing conditions, and for them, to read that one could "just include $1"... that could ruin everything if there were to be a claim.

And there may be other policies where it isn't "okay".

 

There shouldn't be bickering here about what can or cannot be included or insured, because so much depends upon the insurer, the residence of the insured, and the specific terms of each individual policy.

 

GeezerCouple

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It should also be noted that a GeoBlue policy which covers pre-existings can be bought well after booking the cruise. Last trip I purchased only a few weeks prior to our cruise. We buy single trip coverage from Geo, since the annual does't pencil out cost wise for our yearly travel days. You have to do the math to see what works for you. The website is pretty easy to navigate. Again this is for medical only.

 

For cancellation, we just are willing to go with what might be covered under our Chase credit card. Is it the best...probably not, but, we now would just look at a loss of a cruise as an lost opportunity cost, whereas, medical can run hundreds of thousands. Last cruise we did have a delayed luggage claim and Chase's insurance underwriter paid very quickly with no hassles.

Thanks for the info , This will work great for us this year with 7 trips all less than 70 days each We always pay with our Chase Sapphire card which covers cruise cancellation thanks again Marty

[Shak]

Thanks for the info ' date=' This will work great for us this year with 7 trips all less than 70 days each We always pay with our Chase Sapphire card which covers cruise cancellation thanks again Marty[/quote']

 

I have a Chase card too so I went and looked at the cancellation policy. Actually it seems like a nice perk but there is on big drawback it doesn't cover preexisting conditions. There are other traps you may want to look at too in the fine print.

 

Shak

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I have a Chase card too so I went and looked at the cancellation policy. Actually it seems like a nice perk but there is on big drawback it doesn't cover preexisting conditions. There are other traps you may want to look at too in the fine print.

 

Shak

I have collected 3 times from chase no problem.. There are other traps you may want to look at too in the fine print.????????

[buggins0402]

I have a Chase card too so I went and looked at the cancellation policy. Actually it seems like a nice perk but there is on big drawback it doesn't cover preexisting conditions. There are other traps you may want to look at too in the fine print.

 

Shak

 

In our case I have no pre-existings and DH's is controlled by Meds. With refunds at certain percentages prior to sailing the real monetary risk becomes when you get close to sailing....it's just a risk I'm willing to underwrite out of our own funds, given our current risk parameters. Our parameters may change in the future and everyone has different ones.

 

There was a time when I purchased cancel for any reason, when our near 90 year old mothers were both alive, I felt it was worth paying the high rate to insure even the small loss. Cancellation was always a very distinct possibility.

[sail7seas]

See if Travelex has what you are seeking. I think it is called Travel Max.

 

 

[TeeRick]

Is there a Company that offer's Medical Insurance only

 

 

There is a very good discussion about this on the US government CDC site (link below). I found out that travel medical can be purchased for Evacuation only or with additional coverage. They recommend looking at MEDEX. For our two week Baltic cruise (includes Russia) the MEDEX evacuation policy was only $59 pp, so a cheap alternative if looking for medical only.

 

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2014/chapter-2-the-pre-travel-consultation/travel-insurance-travel-health-insurance-and-medical-evacuation-insurance

[Hlitner]

There is a very good discussion about this on the US government CDC site (link below). I found out that travel medical can be purchased for Evacuation only or with additional coverage. They recommend looking at MEDEX. For our two week Baltic cruise (includes Russia) the MEDEX evacuation policy was only $59 pp, so a cheap alternative if looking for medical only.

 

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2014/chapter-2-the-pre-travel-consultation/travel-insurance-travel-health-insurance-and-medical-evacuation-insurance

 

One needs to be careful with government web sites :). The CDC simply posts a few different links (including MEDEX) but does not specifically recommend any company!

 

But Hank (that would be moi) does not recommend most cruise line policies because they generally have very low medical coverage limits! While those policies suck folks in with "cancel for any reason" provisions they continue to have inadequate medical limits. Personally we have a problem with any medical policy that does not provide AT LEAST $100,000 of medical coverage. And of course one should ALWAYS (and we emphasize ALWAYS) read all the fine print and coverage limitations of any policy before you purchase. Woe be the person who only reads a policy after their large claim is denied and says "OOPS" I didn't realize blah blah blah was not covered.

 

Hank

[TeeRick]

Hank,

Thank you. You are correct about the US government sites not actually recommending any one company. I think the CDC site has at least an impartial summary on the issues for travelers and references with other links to useful information. In fact I have 3 cruises upcoming in the next 12 months and I'm covered by my primary medical insurance plus I have purchased a Geo Blue Trekker Plan (good but inexpensive extra secondary coverage for 12 months). I am not all that interested in other coverage like trip cancellation and baggage loss. I want to be protected for a major medical issue.

[Hlitner]

Hank,

Thank you. You are correct about the US government sites not actually recommending any one company. I think the CDC site has at least an impartial summary on the issues for travelers and references with other links to useful information. In fact I have 3 cruises upcoming in the next 12 months and I'm covered by my primary medical insurance plus I have purchased a Geo Blue Trekker Plan (good but inexpensive extra secondary coverage for 12 months). I am not all that interested in other coverage like trip cancellation and baggage loss. I want to be protected for a major medical issue.

 

We agree :). In fact, we also have a Geo Blue Plan (for several years) and we love that it covers all of our trips throughout an entire year. Last year we were out of the country about 7 months (3 different 2 month trips plus some shorter things) and getting medical coverage for only $350 (full cost to cover both DW and moi) with high limits is a bargain.

 

Hank

[Keith1010]

Most of the companies do.

 

I use insuremytrip.com

 

When it asks how much you want to insure your trip for just place 0 next to it.

 

Keith

[Suzanne123]

We agree :). In fact, we also have a Geo Blue Plan (for several years) and we love that it covers all of our trips throughout an entire year. Last year we were out of the country about 7 months (3 different 2 month trips plus some shorter things) and getting medical coverage for only $350 (full cost to cover both DW and moi) with high limits is a bargain.

 

Hank

 

I've purchased GeoBlue for a couple single trips to Europe. They cover only foreign travel.

Do you know of any similar insurance that would cover an Alaskan cruise? (We have BC/BS. I'm looking for something to cover co-pays or deductibles if necessary)

Thanks.

[TeeRick]

I've purchased GeoBlue for a couple single trips to Europe. They cover only foreign travel.

Do you know of any similar insurance that would cover an Alaskan cruise? (We have BC/BS. I'm looking for something to cover co-pays or deductibles if necessary)

Thanks.

 

Suzanne- My suggestions but not an expert! You should just call and check with your insurance carrier. Since it is BC/BS and since Alaska is in the US, it is likely covered. There are major medical centers in Anchorage and Juneau. Only Vancouver is outside US if you are going there but very close to Seattle so no worries. If anything ask them about ship evacuation coverage and how that would work. You can purchase evacuation only coverage for your trip as a supplement to your primary BC/BS only if you need to. Also since GeoBlue is part of BC/BS you can just call them and see what they recommend.

[Hlitner]

I've purchased GeoBlue for a couple single trips to Europe. They cover only foreign travel.

Do you know of any similar insurance that would cover an Alaskan cruise? (We have BC/BS. I'm looking for something to cover co-pays or deductibles if necessary)

Thanks.

 

Great questions. If you have medical insurance it should cover services in Alaska just like the coverage you would get in New Jersey, Florida, etc. Your main concerns should focus on what if you get evacuated to Canada or get sick on the ship. Your own medical insurance might (or might not) give some coverage in Canada for emergencies so certainly check with your carrier. However, note that Medicare and/or Medicaid do not give coverage in Canada. As to treatment on the ship, we have never focused on this since onboard treatment is somewhat limited and if you are seriously ill they are going to toss you off the ship at the next port.

 

As to co pays and deductibles, you would usually get some or total coverage by just getting a typical travel insurance policy (these are usually secondary coverage and may or may not have their own deductibles and copays. Personally we do not usually focus on these lower cost issues as we tend to be more concerned with the impact of catastrophic costs. We see too many folks who are concerned about getting coverage for the first few hundred dollars...and ignore the potential of a real serious problem which could generate huge costs (such as $80,000, $100,000 or even more). Over the years we have met folks who would spend hundreds of dollars on insurance that only got them hundreds of dollars of additional coverage. For example, somebody who already has decent insurance (that gives them coverage on a trip) spends $300 on medical insurance which is secondary. If they then see the doctor on a ship this travel policy pays their $120 bill and the folks are happy. The fact that they paid $300 for that $120 bill is lost to them.

 

 

Hank

Edited June 17, 2015 by Hlitner

[donaldsc]

You guys obviously know what you are doing as you have taken many cruises but I do not understand why you want medical only. I can see medical and evacuation only without the other worthless crap as that is what we and many others do do but just medical?

 

DON

[amandabillings]

I already have medical insurance that covers me in each country that I am visiting. Which I will have to pay a pretty high deductible if I have to use it..but I guess my question is, will I still be covered while on the ship in the middle of nowhere? ?? Also should I look into more coverage insurance for my trip through somewhere else that doesn't carry $1000 deductible? Will a secondary pick up that deductible? Thanks in advance. .

[TeeRick]

You guys obviously know what you are doing as you have taken many cruises but I do not understand why you want medical only. I can see medical and evacuation only without the other worthless crap as that is what we and many others do do but just medical?

 

DON

 

Don,

I am getting both Medical and Evacuation coverage with Geo Blue. Not medical-only.

[Babr]

I looked back through the other posts, and I didn't find where you said what kind of medical you have. Is this your ordinary health insurance - not some kind of travel policy?

 

If it is your regular policy, you should be covered anywhere - even on the ship - but you should also know that it will probably cover the expense as an out-of-network claim, meaning that you will have to pay a hgiher percentage of coinsurance in addition to your big deductible. It will not guarantee your admission to a hospital. You'll have to pay all costs up front and file for reimbursement when you get home. It just doesn't offer much protection for unique circumstances associated with travel.

 

A good comprehensive policy will have a lower deductible; some don't have any. Some provide primary coverage which means it pays first regardless of other coverage.

 

I think you can do better, but it can be pretty daunting to sort through the various policies. Call one of the professionals mentioned here (insuremytrip.com or The Insurance Store). Tell the agent what you are most concerned about such as medical, evacuation, or cancellation. They can help you find the right policy.

 

This answer is for Amanda. Somone posted while I was typing so this is further down the thread now - out of sequence.

Edited June 17, 2015 by Babr