Best Emergancy Insurance /Medivac if fully insured in US

[ocean.jedi]

Danboater.org. No s. Sorry.


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[reed1v]

Medivac from anywhere in the world, even from Antarctica or Mt. Everest is standard with Amex Platinum Card or with membership in the Explorer's Club, NYC. Never had to use either but do know folks who did and they had no complaints. Both are 24/7 . Always nice to have that bit of insurance available.

[hellosailor]

I think DAN has only offered their BOATERS policy since January 1st, or not long before that. So the secret will get out. They're advertising in the 2016 sailing magazines.

[Valmika]

I think one of the high end AMEX cards has something included with membership. The card annual fee is pricey but still less than buying the insurance separately. My friend who travels extensively did this
It is a platinum card and airline upgrades. He also has DAN and thinks it is a great deal.

[lesterbutch]

Originally Posted by msrcal36

Look at AAA roadside insurance. They offer emergency evacuation to home if you are over seas: "Emergency Medical Transportation coverage (worldwide)- $25,000"

Nice, but in my experience, inadequate. The last time I was involved in a medivac at sea was from Great Sale Cay in the Bahamas, and that required the patient use Doctors Hospital in Nassau, (the patient wanted to go to Palm Beach), and the price for that was middle 50K range!

[Symphony]

FrontierMEDEX will show up anywhere anytime to pluck you out of harm's way or for medical emergency. check if your employer or university offers it.

[SailingCJ]

First of all my "disclaimer". I am a Licensed Insurance Agent, Sailor (including offshore), travel extensively, and have residences in both the U.S. and Costa Rica.

In regards to Travel Medical Insurance there are many significant differences between policies. One needs to answer the following questions in order to determine whether a policy meets your particular needs:

How long will I be out of the country?

Will I be able to renew my policy if needed / wanted?

How are pre-existing conditions covered?

What "adventure" excursions / activities are excluded?

What deductible do I feel comfortable with? (At what point will it cause "pain" to pay?)

What if I have to pay more than one deductible in a particular period of time?

$25,000 for medical evacuation out of the U.S. IS NOT ENOUGH! NOT EVEN CLOSE!

Will they medivac me to the location of my choosing (back home to hospital of choice?) or the medical facility of their choosing? Do you wish to be making medical choices for yourself in a medical facility where your primary language is not the primary language of those treating you?

Will your medical insurance forward the payment for your bill directly to the medical facility? If it is only reimbursable, do you have the funds available in cash / credit cards to cover a major medical bill?

Do you know that Cuba will not allow a Medical Evac plane to land until your medical bill is paid in full? Wire transfers take a couple / few days...

If you have U.S. for treatment in the U.S., a policy for secondary coverage, for outside the U.S. is less expensive.

For those on Medicare, there is NO Medicare coverage outside the U.S. and its territories. If you have the appropriate Medicare Supplement, you are covered outside the U.S. for 60 days. Unless there is an Agreement with the facility you are in, this will be on a Reimbursement Basis

Fair Winds and Following Seas!

[Kenomac]

I was going to start the same thread subject myself. Thanks.

On the same issue, is there any company offering international catastrophic health care coverage for US residents? Since this new Obamacrap insurance came to be, now us non Medicare eligible cruisers are required to carry extremely expensive but useless health insurance. Expensive in the tens of thousands of dollars, useless in that it doesn't cover us when we're away in other countries... which is most of the time. Now we have the absolute worse situation... high cost, and we get absolutely nothing in return.

Is there a way to subscribe to the cheapest useless crap USA insurance, then instead pay out of pocket for the small stuff as it comes up, and the carry catastrophic international coverage for the big stuff? I looked into it last week and was told that neither catastrophic nor international insurance was available to residents of Massachusetts.

Any ideas? I don't want to be stuck in the USA for health issues, nor do I expect to be treated for free in host countries.

[SailingCJ]

Yes to your questions. Yes, you can subscribe to the least expensive insurance available in your State (each State governs the Insurance Carriers in that particular State).

There are International Carriers who will write Medical / and or Travel Medical Insurance on U.S. Citizens. You can exclude coverage for the U.S. and makes them much less expensive.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by SailingCJ

Yes to your questions. Yes, you can subscribe to the least expensive insurance available in your State (each State governs the Insurance Carriers in that particular State).

There are International Carriers who will write Medical / and or Travel Medical Insurance on U.S. Citizens. You can exclude coverage for the U.S. and makes them much less expensive.

Can you please offer a couple of names for those international companies or some internet search options. I tried the other day, only to be told the coverage would be denied to Massachusetts residents. We cruise in Eruope.

Thanks

Ken

[monstads]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Can you please offer a couple of names for those international companies or some internet search options. I tried the other day, only to be told the coverage would be denied to Massachusetts residents. We cruise in Eruope.

Thanks

Ken

Might be a Massachusetts thing. If Obamacare has some quirks in this area, it's very likely that RomnyCare has it worse. I just know that having recently moved to MA, the healthcare mandate here seems much more arcane than back in MN, and much, much pricier. Maybe time to reside in NH for a spell?

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[SailingCJ]

Good Evening Ken,

I have to be careful in my reply so that it is not construed as soliciting commercial business on this site. Am in Costa Rica and I'm traveling with some friends. Give me a few days and I'llbe able to suggest some companies for you to research with your specific situation / needs in mind.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I was going to start the same thread subject myself. Thanks.

On the same issue, is there any company offering international catastrophic health care coverage for US residents? Since this new Obamacrap insurance came to be, now us non Medicare eligible cruisers are required to carry extremely expensive but useless health insurance. Expensive in the tens of thousands of dollars, useless in that it doesn't cover us when we're away in other countries... which is most of the time. Now we have the absolute worse situation... high cost, and we get absolutely nothing in return.

Is there a way to subscribe to the cheapest useless crap USA insurance, then instead pay out of pocket for the small stuff as it comes up, and the carry catastrophic international coverage for the big stuff? I looked into it last week and was told that neither catastrophic nor international insurance was available to residents of Massachusetts.

Any ideas? I don't want to be stuck in the USA for health issues, nor do I expect to be treated for free in host countries.

My Obamacare policy (washington state bssed)covers us overseas and costs about half what are pre ACA policy covered. You do know that if you are out of the country most of the year then you can have an exemption from the ACA insurance requirement and self insure yourself. For us, I'd much rather use insurance to share the risk.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by monstads

Might be a Massachusetts thing. If Obamacare has some quirks in this area, it's very likely that RomnyCare has it worse. I just know that having recently moved to MA, the healthcare mandate here seems much more arcane than back in MN, and much, much pricier. Maybe time to reside in NH for a spell?

Or move to Italy.

Our friends from Canada have the same problems with their health insurance mandates... (No private insurance allowed). So even my Canadian citizenship doesn't help us.

I don't want the fly me home nonesense. I just want to be covered with catastrophic coverage wherever I happen to be at the time.

[SailingCJ]

Canadians can get secondary coverage, even for the U.S, and purchase inexpensive medical evac coverage (for U.S. and Canada only). This allows a Canadian traveling / residing in the U.S.for a period of time to be covered in the U.S., and get transported back to Canada where they can be treated in the area they live...or where they have family members.