Medical Insurance & Costs

[sailorboy1]

We all are aware of the 900 lb gorilla for older cruisers that medical insurance is. So for those of us that aren't going to be covered by some free type insurance lets collect some stories for cost etc.

So for current or recent cruisers:
- what are you paying for medical insurance
- what restrictions does your coverage have (things or locations like country restrictions)
- what is your deductible, is it a general plan or really a major medical
- are there factors with your health that affected the price (ie past heart attack or preexisting conditions etc)

Lets try to stick to facts and not rants, the costs are the costs and there is no reason to cry about them on a CF thread as that solves nothing. The goal here here to allow a reader to understand the current cost as they may apply to themselves if they need to find insurance in order to budget and plan.


Let's not go down the USA medical system & cost rants. This is an international forum and an international question. If you are cruising in the US and have coverage that is fine post the costs, but don't start a rant.

[Kenomac]

Here in the US, my wife's employer sends us a government statement each year declaring that $34,000 was spent towards healthcare insurance to cover the two of us with no preexisting conditions. 56 & 57 yrs. We also pay an additional $4000 per year deducted from her salary plus a $500 each annual deductable. This policy covers 80 percent of medical cost and 100 percent hospitalization and is considered by the government to be one of the "gold plated cadillac policies" for the rich which they intend to begin taxing at 38 percent in a couple of years.... my wife in a registered nurse.

When she hopefully retires in a few years, we plan to pay cash for medical services and obtain an evacuation policy and or one that just covers catastrophic events with a high deductable. Our present dental insurance only covers the first $1000 per year for each of us, we pay 100 percent of the amount above.

[virginia boy]

Veterans Administration: 100% free including medicine and dental. Although you get what you pay for.

I also have medicare; I'm sorry I don't know what it costs me, but it's minimal. I do not have part D (which would cover medication)

If out of the country (or in) and need emergency care, or care for a service connected disability, the VA has a reimbursement program. For example: VA paid tens of thousands of dollars of my private health costs when I was stabbed in the liver.
http://www.va.gov/hac/forbeneficiaries/fmp/fmp.asp
http://www.va.gov/hac/factsheets/fmp/FactSheet01-05.pdf

In order to renew prescriptions for my regular meds I'm required to see a VA doc at least every six months which means flying back home for a Dr appt. With flights and hotel my "free" healthcare can get pretty expensive.

[Teknav]

Just the facts about private medical and dental insurance...If you are over 60, in the US, Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO medical insurance with Delta Dental coverage will cost you around $600 USD per month/per person; $1500 USD medical deductible per year. Maximum dental benefits per year is $1500 USD with two "free" dental cleaning; 20% deductible on dental.

Mauritz
The devil is in the details.

[msponer]

$650/month for a family of four (parents in their thirties and kids ten and under) to have the highest deductible Obamacare insurance. One of us has a significant preexisting condition, but that didn't affect the price of the plan. I believe the deductible is somewhere around $7k.

I am not sure if it covers us internationally. We view it as "last resort" coverage, if something is so wrong we have to return to America to treat it.

We recently used the emergency medical system on a French island, including a long ambulance ride, and were not charged anything. I don't expect to always be treated that graciously by the countries we visit, but think the costs are likely to be reasonable. My father is a physician in Australia and has told me a few anecdotes of the reasonable fees their healthcare system charges visitors. So I think self insuring for international coverage will probably work out well for us.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by msponer

$650/month for a family of four (parents in their thirties and kids ten and under) to have the highest deductible Obamacare insurance. One of us has a significant preexisting condition, but that didn't affect the price of the plan. I believe the deductible is somewhere around $7k.

I am not sure if it covers us internationally. We view it as "last resort" coverage, if something is so wrong we have to return to America to treat it.

Did you look for a international program instead and get a price for that verse a US ACA program?

[carstenb]

here is a quote I received about 1 year ago: I can't get this to work.

Anyway, with a 250 deductible coverage for 2 persons starts at $300 per month, if you accept the normal "exclusions" (prior illness etc), with no exclusions the same coverage is $400 per month.

From there it goes up or down. Same coverage but with a $10,000 deductible is $200 per month without exclusion, $150 per month with exclusions.

That's pretty basic coverage, If yo buy the whole load (their Platinum package) with no exclusions and a $250 deductible it costs just over $ 1,000 per month

Note that the above prices include both me (62 years old - no existing illness) and my wife (54 years old - no existing illness)

[sailorchic34]

I of course pay zero for medical insurance. So not in my budget. I've not seen a doctor is quite some time. Oddly enough, I don't worry about it either.

[ShaktiGurl]

My company plan (med and dental) covers myself, spouse and kids (up to 26). Costs me about 5k per year and company pays about 9k at 80/20 coverage, $800 per person deductible, $50 office visit copays. Costs were flat year over year for last two years but had increased about 6-8% per year before then.
I might check out the cost of the ACA since prior to it I was uninsurable on the private market for a pre-existing condition.

[RainDog]

Does anyone have one of the plans the covers care anywhere in the world except USA? I have heard of these plans and am curious what they cost.

[virginia boy]

Originally Posted by RainDog

Does anyone have one of the plans the covers care anywhere in the world except USA? I have heard of these plans and am curious what they cost.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by RainDog

Does anyone have one of the plans the covers care anywhere in the world except USA? I have heard of these plans and am curious what they cost.

Google "Yacht Crew Health Insurance" and you'll find quite a few providers who cover yacht crews worldwide but also cover individuals. They can be designed in just the way you need.

We looked into covering everywhere but the US and it's available, but for us just excluding one country wouldn't have saved. What we did get savings on was that our international policy is secondary to our US policy.

One thing to be careful on with an international policy is where they require you to get treatment. What control and options do you have. If you don't trust the treatment somewhere can you get transported elsewhere?

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by RainDog

Does anyone have one of the plans the covers care anywhere in the world except USA? I have heard of these plans and am curious what they cost.

My insurance (Guatemalan Co) covers everywhere (including USA), but their network is mostly in Central America. Coverage rate is less if out of network (typical 80/20 for major medical if in network).

Q1,800 (about $230/mo) for 53 yo male in good health.

[Navicula]

In Canada (Ontario) we have OHIP......and Ohip will cover us to the amount that it would cost here in Ontario....anywhere in the world...this does not cover evacuations....However this would not be enough coverage in the USA

eg: if I were to cut my finger off in Florida...Canada would pay what it would cost to sew if back on here in Toronto.....this is enough for most of the world except the USA (it is just to expensive to get hurt in the USA)

I like these threads to learn what other people are doing

[hpeer]

Not me but a guy I trust and believe. 58, diabetic, $30k income level got an Obama care plan for $1,000 per month, with a $1,000 per month reimbursement, so it ends up costing him nada.

I'm 63, wife 61, daughter is 23. I have a gold plan at work. I took a sabbatical and had to pay out of pocket to stay in the plan. $2,450 per month. Ouch.

I carry DAN divers insurance for when we travel.