What Health Insurance Plan Do You Have ?

[Chief Engineer]

as a cruiser?

[rebel heart]

Not even $0.02, more like $0.01:

We're loading up an HSA account to help pay for some of the bills while we're out cruising. I don't think I can use the money for premiums but it can be used for copays or any form of medical care (barring elective / cosmetic, I believe). I figure whatever plan we end up with, it will be nice to have a few g's tax free that we can spend on medical.

[senormechanico]

I 'Hope' I am healthy, and I keep the 'Change'.

So far, it's been working for 64 years.

[osirissail]

IMIS has several cruiser medical insurance options for those planing extended cruising outside the USA. We use the IMG coverage with exclusion of coverage for any costs inside the USA - which are covered by Medicare.

[maxingout]

When we were out cruising, our health insurance was nearly $10,000 a year for the two of us with a $5,000 deductible for each person (myself and my wife). The insurance was with State Farm, and we never made a claim in the ten eleven years that we had the policy.

I feel that it was a rip off by State Farm.

Basically, we paid $10,000 annually for catastrophic coverage, and if we got sick, the first $5000 came out of our pocket, and after that, there was a 20% copay. Thank you State Farm!

Makes me wish I was English, French, Kiwi, or Ozzie where there is affordable health care.

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by jedc53

The insurance application states that if your health status changes after you've filled out the application you must contact the insurance company and advise them of the change. Cinergy Health Insurance is a program provided by Cinergy Health Inc.It is a company that provides novel and reasonable health coverage solutions for families or who cannot afford health insurance.

Cinergy Health is NOT a medical insurance company. See: Has anyone tried Cinergy Health Insurance? - Yahoo! Answers
As explained in the link, it is a company that appears to negotiate for you with the "medical provider" to get you a lower bill/invoice. You are responsible to pay for all of the "medical provider" bill after it has been discounted.
- - Additionally, the link states: " Insurance commissioner’s offices in many states have posted consumer warnings and even the FTC has posted one."
It would be easy to confuse this type "plan" with real medical insurance companies which could be fatal to your financial health.

[osirissail]

Follow-up - The Cinergy Website states that they are brokers/agents for temporary or short term medical insurance companies. The exclusions are extensive including no "pre-existing" conditions, etc. They use numerous adjective and adverbs that change their statements into the indefinite. The names of the "carriers" are obscure and it would warrant some serious research to find out if the actual medical coverages involved fit your needs. They list several States where they are not allowed to sell coverage. Although the underwriting insurance company goes back to 1919, it appears to market to the "excess" insurance market which another name for high risk, short time. Exactly how this company(s) will be affected by the new law covering medical insurance companies will be interesting since exclusions for "pre-existing and policy termination due to illness" are supposed prohibited.

- - For medical insurance coverage for cruisers sailing the "seven seas" the issue is what insurance company(s) will provide coverage/reimbursement for the costs of medical services outside your home country. Importantly, coverage/reimbursement for Med-i-Vac back to the home country should be included as many small or 3rd World countries have limited facilities for "advanced medical care." They just don't need it for their citizens so the facilities do not exist.
- - A huge/colossal jump in medical insurance premiums occurs when you try to "include USA/Canadian" medical coverage. The premiums for medical coverage excluding USA/Canada are a fraction of the totally "world-wide" (anywhere) policies.