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Old 15-02-2018, 07:45   #1
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Medical insurance for US 'resident' long-term cruisers

Hopefully someone has found their way through this maze and can advise us. We are planning to live on board and overseas for a couple of years with brief visits back to the US.

My wife is under 65 and paying an enormous premium for coverage that treats overseas costs as out of network resulting in a $10,000 deductible and only 80% coverage.

I am on Medicare and Medigap which provide zero overseas coverage after six weeks.

I am not going to confuse this thread by describing what we THINK we have learned to date yet but if anyone has made sense of options we would love to hear from them.

Thanks

Graham
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Old 15-02-2018, 08:07   #2
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Re: Medical insurance for US 'resident' long-term cruisers

Great question! In same predicament. Following this one.
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Old 15-02-2018, 08:24   #3
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Re: Medical insurance for US 'resident' long-term cruisers

I would look at emergency medical repatriation insurance. There have been other threads on the topic.


Depending where you're going, the 'wing and a prayer' method will work, insofar as health care can be free to inexpensive in lots of other countries. Repatriation insurance will get someone home in a serious situation.
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Old 16-02-2018, 00:18   #4
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Re: Medical insurance for US 'resident' long-term cruisers

Quote:
Originally Posted by GrahamO View Post
Hopefully someone has found their way through this maze and can advise us. We are planning to live on board and overseas for a couple of years with brief visits back to the US.

My wife is under 65 and paying an enormous premium for coverage that treats overseas costs as out of network resulting in a $10,000 deductible and only 80% coverage.

I am on Medicare and Medigap which provide zero overseas coverage after six weeks.

I am not going to confuse this thread by describing what we THINK we have learned to date yet but if anyone has made sense of options we would love to hear from them.

Thanks

Graham
www.sailingleela.com

Where are you planning on sailing?? We have sailed all the Caribbean and most of the Med as well as the USA and we are both 70+ and going on our 11th year underway.
We do not carry insurance. We were going to get on a group policy some of our South African friends have but the minute the company found we were over 65 they said no way.
Have we had issues? Yep! in Colombia the Admiral had hand surgery, in Trinidad I had 1/2 my nose replaced, in Tunisia I tore a tendon in my shoulder and had 2 screws put in for a repair along with a lot of pt, in Tunisia the Admiral had her other hand operated on, in Turkey I donated by gall bladder to a local hospital. We pay for these by cash.

Here is our 9 years of cost data so you can see exactly what we pay for our medical and some of the medical is discretionary such as the admirals facial stuff - it also includes dentist and eye as both of us wear glasses and I wear trifocals.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ta-197309.html
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Old 16-02-2018, 03:16   #5
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Re: Medical insurance for US 'resident' long-term cruisers

Quality health care and health insurance outside the USA can be quite affordable. There have been several threads here discussing that topic here, give them a search.

Companies like Gowrie broker policies that might be useful to you.

https://gowrie.com/

Policies that exclude USA coverage are quite affordale. Add repatriation insurance and you can go back and use Medicare, but you may find that treatment outside the USA is still less expensive.

Bottom line: if you want good affordable healthcare & insurance, both are readily available outside the USA.
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Old 16-02-2018, 08:56   #6
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Re: Medical insurance for US 'resident' long-term cruisers

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Originally Posted by Drew13440 View Post
I would look at emergency medical repatriation insurance. There have been other threads on the topic.
Does that cover medical costs though? I googled it and found this: Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation Coverage | Travel Insurance Review

Sounds like it covers only the transportation back to your home country - it's insurance for transportation for medical reasons, not insurance for medical coverage. I don't think that's what they're looking for? You'd still need medical insurance or be stuck with a big bill back in the US.

It sounds like medical repatriation insurance is mainly useful for people who have a very good medical plan in the US (thus it will be cheaper than paying cash in a foreign country) or prefer US healthcare for major issues, *and* feel they can't afford last minute emergency transportation (otherwise it'd be better to self-insure that). Or want the benefit of having someone else help with booking that in stressful times.
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Old 16-02-2018, 10:05   #7
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Re: Medical insurance for US 'resident' long-term cruisers

Hi

While it is still a few years before we set off I have looked into this question. Emergency evacuation insurance is good if you just need to get back to the U.S. It is not expensive, check out DAN Boater. Health care in most of the world is affordable. Especially as compared to the U.S. We saw doctors in Mexico and they were both schooled in the U.S. The facilities are not as nice looking as in the states, but were clean and adequate.
I personally plan on a catastrophic policy for the worst case. Minor needs will be out of pocket outside the states.
Another site to check out is:

https://www.sevencorners.com

Good Luck
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Old 16-02-2018, 10:29   #8
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Re: Medical insurance for US 'resident' long-term cruisers

Check this out: https://geobluetravelinsurance.com/
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Old 16-02-2018, 13:00   #9
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Re: Medical insurance for US 'resident' long-term cruisers

Look at https://danboater.org/ for information about emergency repatriation coverage. Once you are home your US-based coverage would kick in.

DAN started out as an organization for divers, but have expanded beyond their original roots. They have a stellar reputation, and are very affordable.

Regards,
David
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Old 16-02-2018, 13:28   #10
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Re: Medical insurance for US 'resident' long-term cruisers

I am a health insurance broker in the US. I have been using IMG for the last few years, have had no issues with coverage outside the US. Hope this helps.

https://www.imglobal.com/?msclkid=4a...IMG%3A%20Exact
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Old 16-02-2018, 13:47   #11
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Re: Medical insurance for US 'resident' long-term cruisers

Check with Allianz Epat Health Insurance and Cigna Expat Health Insurance. Not sure if either of those will cover you if you are always moving because I think you need to have a "home country". That means you must stay in your "home" country a minimum number of months a year. They might have a product for people that are always moving or be able to point you in the right direction

If your wife is healthy another option is go uncovered and along as the Affordable Care Act continues to cover pre-existing conditions and continues to have an annual maximum of aprox. $7.5K. If your wife gets seriously ill then you can get coverage by the first of the month following the month you establish residency back in the USA. You can establish residency just by renting an apartment, having a utility bill or living with a family member. Then for minor health care issues you can pick a country that has very good and inexpensive health care of which their are many as you travel the world.
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Old 16-02-2018, 15:31   #12
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Re: Medical insurance for US 'resident' long-term cruisers

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Check with Allianz Epat Health Insurance and Cigna Expat Health Insurance. Not sure if either of those will cover you if you are always moving because I think you need to have a "home country". That means you must stay in your "home" country a minimum number of months a year. They might have a product for people that are always moving or be able to point you in the right direction

If your wife is healthy another option is go uncovered and along as the Affordable Care Act continues to cover pre-existing conditions and continues to have an annual maximum of aprox. $7.5K. If your wife gets seriously ill then you can get coverage by the first of the month following the month you establish residency back in the USA. You can establish residency just by renting an apartment, having a utility bill or living with a family member. Then for minor health care issues you can pick a country that has very good and inexpensive health care of which their are many as you travel the world.
Sorry but trying to secure coverage after it is needed is ill advised . You need more than a utility bill to establish residency and how much time does it take to arrange an account and then obtain coverage? 60 days? How would care be accessed in the meantime? Sometimes care is needed urgently. Please make plan choice for all eventualities, not just what you can predict
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Old 16-02-2018, 15:52   #13
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Re: Medical insurance for US 'resident' long-term cruisers

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Originally Posted by sagablu View Post
I am a health insurance broker in the US. I have been using IMG for the last few years, have had no issues with coverage outside the US. Hope this helps.

https://www.imglobal.com/?msclkid=4a...IMG%3A%20Exact
Seems like IMG has unreasonable caps on pre-existing conditions with a liberal definition of what a pre-existing condition is.
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Old 16-02-2018, 15:55   #14
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Re: Medical insurance for US 'resident' long-term cruisers

I thoroughly researched the process involved to get residency in California and Pennsylvania and then get coverage via the Affordable Care Act with two different brokers one in each in State. The results of the research was it would take no longer than 45 days to get coverage. If 45 days is too long in terms of what pans out then I agree if you do not already have coverage it is not a good scenario. I am 61. My wife and I spend 6 months year traveling, sailing. The other 6 months my wife and I live in Guatemala. I have $20K deductible health insurance($3 million annual max), with Allianz Expat for coverage in Latin America and the USA for $230. It includes emergency coverage for wherever we are in the World and cost of transportation if needed when outside coverage area or if adequate treatment is not available when the insured is in his country of domicile. Coverage for Latin America with no coverage in the USA would have been $210 for me. Health care in Guatemala is quite good, and not expensive. I have had a number of procedures in Guatemala and I prefer being treated in Guatemala versus the States. You can get treatment for most illnesses in Guatemala but it is always possible for a better procedure or for a new procedure not available in Guatemala I would need to go to the USA or somewhere else outside Guatemala.
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Old 16-02-2018, 17:26   #15
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Re: Medical insurance for US 'resident' long-term cruisers

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I thoroughly researched the process involved to get residency in California and Pennsylvania and then get coverage via the Affordable Care Act with two different brokers one in each in State. The results of the research was it would take no longer than 45 days to get coverage. If 45 days is too long in terms of what pans out then I agree if you do not already have coverage it is not a good scenario. I am 61. My wife and I spend 6 months year traveling, sailing. The other 6 months my wife and I live in Guatemala. I have $20K deductible health insurance($3 million annual max), with Allianz Expat for coverage in Latin America and the USA for $230. It includes emergency coverage for wherever we are in the World and cost of transportation if needed when outside coverage area or if adequate treatment is not available when the insured is in his country of domicile. Coverage for Latin America with no coverage in the USA would have been $210 for me. Health care in Guatemala is quite good, and not expensive. I have had a number of procedures in Guatemala and I prefer being treated in Guatemala versus the States. You can get treatment for most illnesses in Guatemala but it is always possible for a better procedure or for a new procedure not available in Guatemala I would need to go to the USA or somewhere else outside Guatemala.
I don't wish to derail this thread, but coming to the US, establishing a sham residency and obtaining coverage for a pre-existing condition is nothing more than making the taxpayers and the those who pay premiums pick up those claims. There is no free money here, someone has to pay. Major factor in the continuing cost increases in the US. May be legal, but not exactly fair.

On another note, I make a very good living showing companies that their brokers know nothing, so if it sounds to good or too easy, get it in writing. Peace
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