Travel insurance

[TinCan782]

I purchase travel insurance primarily for getting us back home if a serious injury or illness occurs (medical transportation). We are in our seventies and illness/injury is our primary concern. We have more than adequate medical insurance to cover the doctor and hospital bills. Recovering the cost of our tickets and lodging is not a big concern.
I never purchase the insurance offered by Amtrak, cruiseline, etc. I'll deal directly with the insurance company and purchase something that meets our needs.

 

[GAT]

I really hate the idea of getting into NY late. As seniors, I no longer feel safe heading to Port Authority if we come in too late.

It's not clear to me what risk(s) you want to cover. Missed connection at Port Authority? Need for additional overnight accommodation? Forfeiture of prepaid hotel and other costs? Medical costs in event of a mugging or other medical emergency? Lost/delayed baggage? etc.

If you have Medicare and a good supplemental policy to cover the remaining 20%, and you're traveling solely within the US, you probably don't need extra medical coverage. For the other risks, you have to balance the cost of the premium against potential out-of-pocket costs after carefully reviewing the policy coverages and especially the documented exceptions to the coverage.

There are third party sites on the Internet that can help you evaluate different policies based on what you tell them about your risks. There are also some good general purpose articles about the types and pros and cons of travel insurance coverage.

Here is just one example article I quickly came across.

https://covertrip.com/travel-insurance-coverage/when-is-travel-insurance-not-necessary

 

[jebr]

They're already seniors. How much time are they going to need to come out ahead? My advice is to buy a general purpose travel policy and discuss the fine print until you're comfortable. I would not advise buying insurance as part of any ticket purchase as those plans seem to be among the worst available.

Depends on whether they have any claims that would've been covered, and what the potential loss that they'd cover might be. Based on TEREB's post, I got the impression that it's primarily to cover paying for a hotel night and/or some sort of alternate transportation out of Penn instead of Port Authority should they be "too late." That's something I wouldn't insure against regardless of age - at most the coverage would pay a couple hundred dollars for a hotel room and any policy broad enough to cover a 3-6 hour delay without onward connections is likely going to be quite expensive compared to what it'd pay out.

There's definitely reasons to get travel insurance, and fully agree to do research and get a travel policy independently. Medical is a big one, particularly when traveling outside of whatever network your health insurance has. I can also see it for a particularly expensive trip with a lot of non-refundable bookings if the pricing is in line with what you feel the risk is. If it's just to pay for a hotel after a delayed train before taking a local bus home, though, I'd suggest even a senior self-insure for that unless it happens to be covered under a policy they plan to buy for other reasons anyways, or the additional cost is quite low.

 

[Joe from PA]

We buy it whenever we leave the US. The medical and hospital bills can be staggering, and your regular policy, most likely, will not cover them.

 

[UserNameRequired]

We buy it whenever we leave the US. The medical and hospital bills can be staggering, and your regular policy, most likely, will not cover them.

If Medicare, it most definitely works in the USA only. Our employer's health insurance policy is international, I usually carry a paper claim form just in case. Our employer's life insurance also interestingly (maybe not so interestingly after thinking - it will help avoid having to pay a claim!) has international medical evacuation coverage. Travel & Medical Assistance - axa-assistance-us-site I have a credit card that has extra travel insurance that I always use to book motels, events, travel, etc. with. The credit card travel insurance provided on different cards appears to vary depending on the credit card company.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Emergency evacuation is one of the more confusing products I've ever considered. Serious injury or illness often precludes flying to another country and even when that's possible it may not be desirable or happen the way you expect. Instead of a private jet you could end up on a stretcher in a curtained section of the economy cabin on a standard commercial flight. That sounds pretty miserable to me. Evacuation can even make things worse by taking a patient from a country with reasonable medical costs to a much more expensive medical system. In many cases a very sick or injured person is better off being treated locally until they are healthy enough to travel normally.

 

[MARC Rider]

I'm reviving this thread to ask for suggestions about my Canadian trip this November. My main interest is medical coverage (and maybe medical evacuation if I need it in places like Sioux Lookout) while in Canada and coverage for trip interruption due to a possible family medical emergency back home. I've booked all my tickets and hotels separately, and I can either cancel without penalty or can afford to lose a hotel night here and there or a ticket cancellation fee. Although ,some to think of it, considering the recent report of people being dumped off the Zephyr in Salt Lake at 4 AM, it might be nice to have some recourse if Amtrak decides to "detrain" us somewhere along the way with no alternative transportation.

 

[jiml]

I'm reviving this thread to ask for suggestions about my Canadian trip this November. My main interest is medical coverage (and maybe medical evacuation if I need it in places like Sioux Lookout) while in Canada and coverage for trip interruption due to a possible family medical emergency back home.

Since my situation is the opposite of yours, i.e. a Canadian visiting the US, all I can suggest are the options we use as "snowbirds". However they do meet all your requirements and I presume we are of similar age. First, check if your supplemental health insurance includes any allowance for out-of-country travel. Often this will be limited in duration - in our case 2 weeks. Credit cards - specifically the ones used to pay for the travel - often have similar allowances and some allow their use to supplement other coverage. Then search for "top up" coverage that can be purchased. This can take the form of both extending the duration or adding benefits such as medical evacuation or funding an emergency return home. This combination should yield an overall lower total than buying a one-trip "cover all" policy. Frequently you will have to purchase a "bundle" that includes things like flight cancellation and luggage loss that drive up the cost. There are companies that specialize in the insurance you need for seniors but there are an equal number of shady operators as well. I'm not a fan of the travel policies offered by the airlines or Amtrak (usually Allianz). They have a lot of loopholes and exceptions when emergencies are encountered, with things like natural disasters topping the list.

It's also worth noting that since Covid all travel health insurance has increased exponentially and in our case now consumes approximately 1/3 of our winter travel budget. It was a struggle to justify this year since we have never made a claim and many take the risk of little or no insurance. I'm no gambler however, so have ponied up for our usual stay in Florida this year. Increasing costs may make future trips less affordable if trends continue.

Good luck with your search.

 

[MARC Rider]

OK, here's my specifics:

- On US Medicare (No coverage outside the US)
- Have a Blue Cross Medigap plan (they pay everything not covered by Medicare in the US and have coverage in Canada, but only some providers are in their Canadian network, so not sure what would happen if I needed a doctor in a place like Sioux Lookout.

Thus, for the days I'm in the US, I have no problem with medical coverage, but I want to make sure I'm not stuck with a large medical bill while I'm in Canada (a period of about a week.) I'm pretty healthy for my age, but I do have some "pre-existing conditions." actually, I'd be more worried about being hit by a car on the streets of Toronto or Vancouver than getting so sick I can't wait until I return to the US to see a doctor.

-I have a family member who has a medical condition which is pretty stable, but there's always a small chance that I might need to interrupt the trip to deal with a medical emergency.

I made my first reservation (at VIA for the Canadian on April 30. They have a ~C$200 cancellation fee if I cancel before the trip. No refunds after I start the trip. I don't know how VIA handles interrupted trips once you start out.

My Amtrak reservations were made about the same time as the VIA reservations. I figure if I need to cancel on short notice I can either rebook something else down the line or take the 10% penalty and get a refund as an eVoucher, which I will easily use in the coming year. Each leg of the trip (BAL-ALB, ALB-TWO, VAN-SEA, SEA-CHI, and CHI - BAL) is a separate reservation. The only one where a 10% cancellation penalty might really hurt (or at least sting a bit) would be my last leg, the roomette on the Capitol Limited.

My hotels were all booked through the Marriott Bonvoy site and each stay (Albany, Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle, Chicago) is a separate reservation. These can all be cancelled without penalty 2-3 days before arrival. (Marriott seems to be changing from 2 days before arrival to 3 days before arrival penalty-free cancellation.) And I remember when you could cancel without penalty by 6 PM on the day of arrival!) A couple of the nights were booked with "free night" coupons from Bonvoy, which I'm not sure how they handle. So, I would be most concerned about a trip interruption on the Candian on my way to Vancouver or on the Empire Builder on my way to Chicago. For most other trip interruptions, I can cancel the rooms without penalty, barring any family medical emergency.)

For medical coverage I think I'd want something that's secondary coverage after my Blue Cross. For trip interruption, I'm concerned mostly about having to fly home from across the country (or from Canada) on short notice, though I suppose if I have to fly home from Seattle or Chicago, I'd probably be using Southwest Airlines, which tends to have pretty reasonable fares. Also, possible loss of hotel nights (at $200+ per night) and additional hotel costs related to the trip interruption and transfers, etc. could eat up a good bit of money.

For most of the actual travel reservations, I think I can afford to self-insure.

Apparently my Bonvoy credit card (Chase Visa) has some travel insurance, but when I looked it up, it had a lot of exclusions, and I don't think they have any medical coverage. I'm not sure if the Amtrak FNBO car has any similar travel coverage.

 

[jiml]

So much for the credit card idea. I know some people, including American members of my snowbird group, who are able to "stack" their coverages. Of course, they aren't out of their country. Amex used to allow one to supplement the few days of basic coverage with top-ups to both duration and additional benefits, but (at least here) their insurance stops at age 65.

TravelSafe is a name that comes up in searches for people with your needs. Unfortunately the company I use only insures Canadians travelling internationally. In their FAQ they state there are just too many variables to cover American travellers' needs. Have you tried AARP for recommendations? (I didn't renew my membership after the pandemic due to greatly reduced benefits.) AAA/CAA might be another source.

Kudos on recognizing that health care is not free in Canada and can be exorbitantly expensive for visitors. I hope you are successful and, more importantly, have no need for it on your trip. We could have a whole separate discussion about the latest "enhancements" to Bonvoy and their cancellation policies.

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

Have you tried AARP for recommendations?

AMAC (Association of Mature American Citizens) is an AARP alternative which might also offer discounted travel insurance for its members. Here's a link to the first page of its "travel and lodging" member benefits, which seems to include a couple of travel insurance partners: here

 

[gregg_vw]

One of the many "advantages" of choosing a Medicare Advantage plan over traditional Medicare is that many offer reimbursement if a medical emergency occurs when you are traveling in another country.

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

One of the many "advantages" of choosing a Medicare Advantage plan over traditional Medicare is that many offer reimbursement if a medical emergency occurs when you are traveling in another country.

Although on a Medicare Advantage plan, you'd have problems if you had medical issues while traveling in the USA and had to go to an "out-of-network" provider for treatment. Since my future travel plans will be mostly within the USA (except perhaps for a few trips on Canada's VIA Rail), I was happy to go with original Medicare + a supplement plan. When I'm ready to travel in Canada, I'll look for travel insurance which will include medical coverage outside the USA.

 

[gregg_vw]

That is true for some plans. But ER and urgent care are covered anywhere with mine, and I also have the option to temporarily switch my coverage to another state if I'm going to be there awhile. That combined with coverage in other countries was one of the many perks that I could not get with traditional Medicare.

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

That is true for some plans. But ER and urgent care are covered anywhere with mine, and I also have the option to temporarily switch my coverage to another state if I'm going to be there awhile. That combined with coverage in other countries was one of the many perks that I could not get with traditional Medicare.

My mom's on a Medicare Advantage plan up in Wisconsin (although she's not planning any major travel). From what I've read, the plans available in Wisconsin differ a bit from those available in most states. I'm not sure if any of the plans available to me in Illinois included ER & urgent care anywhere, but I was SO tired of the local hospital and local doctor's office not honoring the short-term health insurance the hubby & I had pre-Medicare, so I didn't want to deal with any Advantage plan restricted to a network at all for non-emergency everyday care.

 

[gregg_vw]

I understand. I'm in Wisconsin. Also, all of the providers I have used here have turned out to be in network. My plan is not an HMO, but rather a preferred provider network where coverage is provided everywhere, with the most coverage at preferred providers. If that doesn't hold true in your situation, then you're back to expensive travel insurance and/or relying on premium credit card benefits.

 

[jis]

My mom's on a Medicare Advantage plan up in Wisconsin (although she's not planning any major travel). From what I've read, the plans available in Wisconsin differ a bit from those available in most states. I'm not sure if any of the plans available to me in Illinois included ER & urgent care anywhere, but I was SO tired of the local hospital and local doctor's office not honoring the short-term health insurance the hubby & I had pre-Medicare, so I didn't want to deal with any Advantage plan restricted to a network at all for non-emergency everyday care.

I have a United Healthcare Medicare Advantage PPO which has no network restrictions (that is no difference in coverage inside and outside the purported "network") and covers the whole world. It is part of my retirement package from HP. The plan is otherwise essentially the same as the AARP UHC Medicare Advantage PPO, with a few extras thrown in by HP including paying part of the premiums over and above Medicare. So far I have gotten coverage just fine wherever I have needed it.

 

[Bonser]

That is true for some plans. But ER and urgent care are covered anywhere with mine, and I also have the option to temporarily switch my coverage to another state if I'm going to be there awhile. That combined with coverage in other countries was one of the many perks that I could not get with traditional Medicare.

Traditional Medicare covers just about everywhen in the US. To me, that offsets any Medicare Advantage plan.

 

[jis]

Traditional Medicare covers just about everywhen in the US. To me, that offsets any Medicare Advantage plan.

Even those that cover everywhere in the US and the world? I have one such with no network restrictions. Outside the US of course usually direct billing does not work, you have to pay and then claim, but they have never turned down a claim yet, just because it was for services provided outside the US.

I agree that there are many (maybe even most - I have not done a survey to know for sure) Medicare Advantage Plans that don't do so. But I am just contesting your use of the word "any". Clearly you are wrong, since I have one.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Even those that cover everywhere in the US and the world? I have one such with no network restrictions. Outside the US of course usually direct billing does not work, you have to pay and then claim, but they have never turned down a claim yet, just because it was for services provided outside the US.

I agree that there are many (maybe even most - I have not done a survey to know for sure) Medicare Advantage Plans that don't do so. But I am just contesting your use of the word "any". Clearly you are wrong, since I have one.

Ditto! My Medicare Advantage Plan from United Healthcare is similar to yours, but fortunately I have not had to use it outside the US yet!

Each State, and even Cities in some cases, have plans that vary greatly in what they cover and what is charged, so it depends on where you live as to which Insurance plan or Regular Medicare is right for you!

 

[cassie225]

We also have a Medicare advantage from UnitedHealth that covers everywhere thru employer. It does depend where u live if Advantage plan or straight Medicare is the best for you. I better check to see if we take VIA and get sick there if we are covered. Never really thought about that.

 

[PVD]

Insurance choices are very individualized depending on many factors. Is there a retiree benefit? Do doctors or hospitals you use participate in a particular network? What are your financial resources or needs. One size definitely does not fit all.

 

[pennyk]

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