Health Insurance for cruising Ozzies - is it crazy?

[b_rodwell]

This is a bit of a rant about the rules for Health/Travel Insurance from Australian providers as applied to cruisers from Australia. The rules seem to me to be ridiculous and I wonder whether anyone has found a more reasonable provider or worked out a way to get around the rules.

Lorraine and I are currently life aboard cruisers. We are in the Med at the moment. We like to go back to OZ for about 2 months each year starting in November. We have bought 12 months insurance in the past. So far so good but we have never had a claim.

However it would not be surprising if we had to return to Oz for a special short trip (say 2-3 weeks) in addition to our annual planned trip back. This could be within the contracted insurance period. There could be a family emergency or perhaps a funeral. I have contacted 3 providers and, if we did this, the insurance policy is cancelled in all cases. There is no rebate for the unused portion and no cover for the remaining period when we are overseas again. They will not suspend the policy. If you still want insurance when you are overseas, you have to take out a new policy.

Some providers have a multi-trip policy. This doesn't work either because the trips overseas have to be, say 45 days or less (depends on provider). Our 'trips' would be more than this. Snookered.

This puts me off getting health insurance. I am inclined to put the insurance premium money aside for a possible emergency airfare to Australia. This would cover some but not all health possibilities. Anyone worked out an answer to get insurance cover?

Thanks
Brian Rodwell

[dlymn]

Your mastercard has a travel insurance policy connected to it provided you used that card to buy your plane tickets. The degree of cover depends on the fanciness of your card (gold, platinum etc)

Some countries in Europe have a mutual health agreement policy with Australia. In Italy for example you have access to the same hospital care as you would get in the public system in Australia. If you have a UK or EU country passport, you get health care at very low rates while in an Eu country.

your public hospital service in Australia,even for minor matters is free and would be more than adequate for any incident. You might want to look at ambulance cover while you are here.

Some Australian private insurers will suspend your subscription at no charge for a while and then reinstate it when you return to Australia. I don't know whether they'll do it for 10 months each year though.

There are some international health insurers that will provide cover wherever you are AXA PPP Healthcare (www.axappphealthcare.com ), BUPA International (International Health Insurance Plans | Worldwide Health Cover at Bupa ), Exeter Friendly Society (www.exeterfriendly.co.uk ) and International Health Insurance (Bupa Global*-*Buy health and travel insurance online ).

It might be an idea to have a chat to this company:
http://www.bupa.com.au/health-insura...upa-membership

They might be able to meet all of your needs.