Pacific Coast Cruise from Vancouver: Medicare Coverage or Buy Travel Insurance?

[DarCrav]

Hi,

 

My husband and I are taking a Pacific Coast cruise from Vancouver to L.A. (San Pedro) and we were wondering if our Medicare coverage is enough for the trip.  We will be in Vancouver for three days before getting on the ship. Thanks for any information you might have.

[CruiserBruce]

Medicare doesn't cover outside the US, but some secondary insurance does. Your call.

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, DarCrav said:

Hi,

 

My husband and I are taking a Pacific Coast cruise from Vancouver to L.A. (San Pedro) and we were wondering if our Medicare coverage is enough for the trip.  We will be in Vancouver for three days before getting on the ship. Thanks for any information you might have.

Per Medicare:

When does Medicare cover health care services in a foreign
hospital?
There are 3 situations when Medicare may pay for certain types of health care
services you get in a foreign hospital (a hospital outside the U.S.):
•
You’re in the U.S. when you have a medical emergency, and the foreign hospital is closer than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat you.
•
You’re traveling through Canada without unreasonable delay by the most direct
route between Alaska and another state when a medical emergency occurs,
and the Canadian hospital is closer than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat
you. Medicare determines on a case-by-case basis what qualifies as “without
unreasonable delay.”
•
You live in the U.S. and the foreign hospital is closer to your home than the
nearest U.S. hospital that can treat you, regardless of whether you have a medical
emergency. Remember, in these situations, Medicare will pay only for the Medicare-covered services you get in a foreign hospital.

 

We have a Medicare supplement that converts to basic coverage for emergencies outside of the U.S.. Nonetheless, we still get travel insurance to cover Trip Cancel/Delay and inpatient medical. And we have an annual MedEvac policy. 

Edited August 30 by Flatbush Flyer

[Host Kat]

3 hours ago, DarCrav said:

Hi,

 

My husband and I are taking a Pacific Coast cruise from Vancouver to L.A. (San Pedro) and we were wondering if our Medicare coverage is enough for the trip.  We will be in Vancouver for three days before getting on the ship. Thanks for any information you might have.

 

Hello @DarCrav

 

Thank you for your new thread on the Ask s Cruise Question forum! However, it is the forum for general questions regarding cruising. Your inquiry was off topic there since it is about insurance. Your new thread has been moved to the Cruise/Travel Insurance forum where it will be on topic. Browse through the thread titles in this forum looking for threads of interest. You may find your fellow Cruise Critic members have already posted questions and received answers that may be of interest to you.

 

The Cruise Critic website and message boards are both great resources for new as well as experienced cruisers and we are so glad you are posting! Please feel free to browse the Cruise Critic Community categories list of the various forums. I suggest you put the page link in your browser's Favorites for quick & easy access in the future. Please read a few threads in the different forums to get a feel for what each forum is about. Make sure you read any pinned threads (aka stickies) on the top of the first page of threads in most forums. You will find very important instructions or information there. 

 

I sincerely hope this will be helpful and glad to have you aboard Cruise Critic! 

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat

[DarCrav]

Thank you for the “course correction.” 

[Host Kat]

40 minutes ago, DarCrav said:

Thank you for the “course correction.” 

 

You are most welcome and glad to be of service!

[klfrodo]

Myself? I'd risk (self insure) the 3 days pre-cruise in Vancouver.

Worse case, you may have to pay out of pocket for services "on" the ship. Medivac from the ship to land will be free via US Coast Guard. Once on the land Medicare plan will take over.