How long do you have to buy insurance

[mafig]

Purchased the cruise yesterday.  It's within 5 weeks of sailing, so I made final payment.

How long do I have to buy insurance.  We're going to buy just medical.....we'll be self-insuring the cost of the cruise itself.  

We're seniors, so on Medicare.

[GeezerCouple]

39 minutes ago, mafig said:

Purchased the cruise yesterday.  It's within 5 weeks of sailing, so I made final payment.

How long do I have to buy insurance.  We're going to buy just medical.....we'll be self-insuring the cost of the cruise itself.  

We're seniors, so on Medicare.

 

The time frame to purchase insurance depends in part on what type of coverage you want.

 

If you want medical coverage that will include any problems that are due to (or might be due to) pre-existing conditions, you probably have 10-20 days to start the coverage from the day you made your *first* payment.   Also note that "pre-existing condition" is defined by the insurer, and may be different from what you consider it to be.

The "might be due to" wording I used is because unless you have this coverage, an insurer might want to check your medical records to make sure that any medical claim is *not* due to a pre-existing condition.  This can delay a claim, even if no pre-existing condition was involved.

 

With very few exceptions, Medicare doesn't cover medical care outside the USA.  Some supplemental-type policies may have some (possibly limited) coverage.

 

I'd recommend that you CALL www.TripInsuranceStore.com and discuss your specific concerns/needs with them.  They can help you find a policy that works best for your situation.

 

GC