Post: #1

For the long term travelers do you buy travel insurance?

I frequent lonely planet forums and the people say you have to buy it but I feel like they are older demographic that likes the comfort of it.

Post: #2

It has hurt to shell out the cash for multi-month trips but I've always purchased it. Here's a recent incident with a Canadian chick that made the mistake of not purchasing it.

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&gl=ca&...66&bih=643

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/09/06/...62410.html

Post: #3

Another one...a Canadian family visiting their relatives in Greece that need their infant airlifted back to Toronto...trying to raise $100K for the airlift. I'd like to think there's something fishy about these sums ($140k for the girl injured in Croatia in previous post) but I think it's legit.


http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/n...rom-greece

Quote:A Toronto family needs to raise $100,000 to cover the air ambulance and other associated costs to bring their baby home for life-saving medical treatment after he fell ill in Greece.

The Global Angel Charitable Organization has set up a link on its site to help the Karanikas family raise the funds needed to bring eight-month-old Alexander back to Toronto for treatment at the Hospital for Sick Children.

Alexander started developing cold-like symptoms during the family’s visit to Greece in June and was diagnosed Sept. 24 with dilated cardiomyopathy — a weakened and enlarged heart. The condition means the baby’s heart can’t pump enough blood to the rest of his body.

“Without medical treatment in Canada, this will be fatal,” Global Angel, a charity that provides support to families in need of medical transportation, said in a statement.

The family doesn’t have travel insurance or the money to get Alexander home via air ambulance with a specialized medical team.

In a separate case, Global Angel helped Peterborough woman Christine Connelly raise the money needed to return home after she was paralyzed in a car accident in British Columbia last month.

And friends and family of Thornhill woman Anna Leibenko managed to raise $140,000 to cover the costs of transporting her home after she was critically injured during a vacation in Croatia in August.

Leibenko was put into an induced coma after she suffered bleeding in the brain after a three-metre fall.

Donations for Alexander can be made online or by calling Global Angel at (705) 740-2645.

Post: #4

well it's so cheap right?

for me it was £60 ($100) for a year's basic coverage of unlimited trips. The peace of mind for medical bills alone is worth more than that.

Post: #5

I think most people are covered under through their credit card,I know I am with mine. Just apply for a credit card and don't use it for purchases but just use their insurance should you need to make a claim.

Post: #6

(09-22-2012 02:04 AM)phoenix101 Wrote:  It has hurt to shell out the cash for multi-month trips but I've always purchased it. Here's a recent incident with a Canadian chick that made the mistake of not purchasing it.

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&gl=ca&...66&bih=643

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/09/06/...62410.html

There are a few horror stories for about every situation out there.

Post: #7

i thought credit cards only cover insurance if you are disabled or injured , My understandign is you need travel insurance. That beign said is medical really that much better in Canada than Greece? It be cheaper to pay greek prices.

Post: #8

(10-12-2012 11:37 AM)Vorkuta Wrote:  I think most people are covered under through their credit card,I know I am with mine. Just apply for a credit card and don't use it for purchases but just use their insurance should you need to make a claim.

I read an article about that and it usually only covers really basic things such as trip cancellation and stuff like that.

Post: #9

I traveled for almost a year without it, but in hindsight it would have been a good idea since there are tons of cheap policies. The reason I did not get it was because 2 months became 3 which became 6 and so on.

I was lucky to not run into any major medical problems and to be in a part of the world where I was able to self medicate (most moderately intelligent people can diagnose many medical problems especially the ones they have had before). Had I been a foreigner coming to the US then the bills for needing to see a doctor to get a prescription for some of the medicines I took would have been worth the cost of the insurance.

I did meet a guy who had his laptop and camera stolen and the insurance paid for replacements. So if you're on the fence then it is probably a good idea.

Post: #10

(10-12-2012 06:39 PM)murrb Wrote:  

(10-12-2012 11:37 AM)Vorkuta Wrote:  I think most people are covered under through their credit card,I know I am with mine. Just apply for a credit card and don't use it for purchases but just use their insurance should you need to make a claim.

I read an article about that and it usually only covers really basic things such as trip cancellation and stuff like that.

My experience is similar to Vorkuta's. Get free travel insurance with credit card, including basic health care. Just have to call the cc company and tell them when and where you're traveling. They try to sell you on upgraded insurance but its your choice. Not sure if it works the same in the States though.

Post: #11

(10-12-2012 04:17 PM)jimukr104 Wrote:  i thought credit cards only cover insurance if you are disabled or injured , My understandign is you need travel insurance. That beign said is medical really that much better in Canada than Greece? It be cheaper to pay greek prices.

Canada has communist health care. The family would have to foot the bill in Europe, thus the need to return home.

Post: #12

I have an AMEX, which uses Global Travel Shield insurance. It's not a "travel medical plan" but just travel insurance from what I can tell, covering medical bills for existing conditions and injuries (cannot be caused due to "high risk" activity!) as well as trip cancellation issues. There are also trip limits 31 or 60 days. If I were moving abroad or doing some long-term travel in a country where walking down the street may be considered "high risk"...I'd get a more comprehensive plan...unless you're in Thailand - the land of cheap, high-quality healthcare (see link below).

Relevant Simon Black post from today: http://www.sovereignman.com/expat/in-cas...aces-9003/

Post: #13

Well isn't that why they call it Travel insurance, I never use to bother with it until recently. So many horror stories like these why take the risk.

Post: #14

seven corners is a good company

Post: #15

Hey guys, sorry I know this is an old thread but has anybody else here had to ever make use of travel insurance, specifically the medical evacuation option?

I'm planning on doing some traveling in the coming months and for a portion of that time, am responsible for an elderly relative so want to make sure any potential emergencies are covered should shit hit the fan. If it helps anybody, here's one website I found that actually has reviews from diff people but there aren't a lot of people who ACTUALLY had to use the insurance which is what I'm trying to figure out.

https://www.insuremytrip.com/

Thanks in advance

Post: #16

I use geoblue - the plan for expats. They also have a traveller plan for up to six months. Not sure about evac, but you can get US coverage added in case you want to come home for treatment. Don't know anyone that's used it, but it's blue cross so I'm guessing at least halfway reputable...

Post: #17

(11-11-2014 06:27 PM)presidentcarter Wrote:  I use geoblue - the plan for expats. They also have a traveller plan for up to six months. Not sure about evac, but you can get US coverage added in case you want to come home for treatment. Don't know anyone that's used it, but it's blue cross so I'm guessing at least halfway reputable...

Thanks Prez!! I also gave ya a +1 for the Thailand link. Will check both out but yeah, I don't think I'll truly have peace of mind until I can hear firsthand about the ACTUAL experiences of someone who has used the option. I would hate to be caught in an emergency situation and some customer service rep gives me a BS excuse of why they can't help my family member out. It's just how corporations roll.

Post: #18

If you can't afford travel insurance you can't afford to travel.

Post: #19

I heard WorldNomads was a good choice for international/travel health care.

Post: #20

I work in travel insurance. These are some statistics.

Rarely costs more than 5% of your prepaid travel cost (it will go up a lot once you reach your 70s)

1 in 17 people claim
1 in 26 people make a claim > $1,000 (Aud)
Out of 1.5M people insured per year, roughly 400 need a specialist medical evacuation

Anecdotally, all sorts of fucked up shit happens outside of the travellers control. Earthquakes happen, relatives die, weather shuts the road to the airport, people put their passport in the washing machine. Shit, something as benign as an inner ear infection will ground you for a week.

Take it out. It's a few percentage points, and most decent policies cover electronics like Ipads / Laptops and shit like that.

Post: #21

On a side note- America is far and away the most expensive country in the world for medicine. For you Americans on health insurance in the states, do they cover your costs overseas considering they are going to cost far less?

Post: #22

(11-11-2014 09:30 PM)Tesseract Wrote:  I heard WorldNomads was a good choice for international/travel health care.

World Nomads has one huge benefit and that is that you can sign it AFTER you left your country. That is not possible with normal travel insurance. You can also keep extending it for a year or so.

Cost in Thailand for a month is about $150USD, so it is not cheap. There is also a minimum self pay of around $100 and you have to wait 3 days from when you sign it until it covers.

If you're just going for a couple of months, I'd sign something from back home. If you're abroad already, then World Nomads is cool. If you plan on staying in one place for 6 months or more, then get local health insurance, cheaper and better cover.

Post: #23

My grandmother actually had to get a medical evac from Florida back to eastern Canada about 10 years ago.

Honestly it was a painful experience, and I really don't think very high of insurance companies. Basically she had cancer like 3 years prior, but her doctor up here gave it the all clear, and then it came back down there.

They decided to send here back to Canada via Air Ambulance, and then the insurance company didn't want to pay the $37k because they said it was preexisting. The doctor said no it wasn't, but the insurance company said yes it was. So then we had to get the lawyers and doctors involved, but it eventually got paid.

Also be careful with relying on credit card coverage because I know some of them don't cover trips for longer than 15 days. Similar to the free rental car insurance a lot of CC's offer.

Post: #24

^^interesting story..but she couldn't take 3 hr jetblue? Cancer isn't usually an emergency like a heart attack.

Another thing..evac insurance is usually /often to send someone to nearest modern facility that can treat condition. USA has much better cancer treatment than your socialized system.Cancer is 1 area where we excel.

Always wonder how so many old Canadians can spend 6 months in Florida without medical care

Post: #25

I wouldn't normally recommend it and I would normally say "You won't need it".

Though, personally I have claimed over $12,000 on travel insurance over the last 5 years.