Medical travel insurance -- Are you really covered?

I'm wondering how many have this false sense of security when they
purchase their out of country medical travel insurance? ...For years.
I've bought coverage while traveling. Last spring I required a hospital
visit while out of country. ...Send us the bills, says the insurance
outfit. Then they write letters to your Dr. etc., to find every
possible means to avoid paying anything out.

It seems most standard policies have a 3 month exclusion clause. (This
goes up to 6 months once you get past a certain age). ...In other
words... If you visit the Dr. any time within those three months, the
insurance company will twist your symptoms around, such that a link will
instantly be found between the reason for your visit and your need for
the "away from home emergency treatment." Thus, for example... If the
Dr. steps up, say your blood pressure medication-- 2 3/4 months away
from your departure, and you have an incapacitating stroke, while on
vacation, they won't pay. ...They'll claim, the stroke could be a
result of your having high blood pressure-- a pre-existing condition
that you received treatment for.

My advice -- read your policy -- If it says 3 months, don't go to any
Dr. within that time period. ...My condition relates to kidney stones,
but know I'm faced with probably months of appeals. They're quick to
take your money... They'll tell you: Nothing to worry about-- travel
with the knowledge that if anything goes wrong you're covered.

....I have to shell out about 3 grand, now. Thank God I didn't opt for
the emergency operation the out of country Dr. wanted to perform. ...It
could have jumped the bill up to 30,000 dollars. ....Jon

wrote:
I'm wondering how many have this false sense of security when they
purchase their out of country medical travel insurance? ...For years.
I've bought coverage while traveling. Last spring I required a hospital
visit while out of country. ...Send us the bills, says the insurance
outfit. Then they write letters to your Dr. etc., to find every
possible means to avoid paying anything out.

It seems most standard policies have a 3 month exclusion clause. (This
goes up to 6 months once you get past a certain age). ...In other
words... If you visit the Dr. any time within those three months, the
insurance company will twist your symptoms around, such that a link will
instantly be found between the reason for your visit and your need for
the "away from home emergency treatment." Thus, for example... If the
Dr. steps up, say your blood pressure medication-- 2 3/4 months away
from your departure, and you have an incapacitating stroke, while on
vacation, they won't pay. ...They'll claim, the stroke could be a
result of your having high blood pressure-- a pre-existing condition
that you received treatment for.

With most travel insurance policies you can get pre-existing
conditions covered, but you have to buy the policy within a week or
two of making the deposit on your trip. The exact time that you can do
this varies from company to company. As soon as we put a deposit on a
cruise, we purchase our insurance. When we have had to cancel a cruise
before making final payment, we have been able to transfer the policy
to a different cruise, so we didn't lose anything.

sue

On Fri, 8 Jul 2005 07:50:32 -0700, wrote:

...I have to shell out about 3 grand, now.

That's a shame. You could have used it on a decent education.
--
"Get the Hell out of Iraq, USA"

(Chrissy=A0Cruiser) wrote:
That's a shame. You could have used it on a
decent education.
Chrissy, Chrissy, Chrissy ...The woman(?) with the odd breasts. ...I
see you're still lashing out at the world -- as usual. But it is nice to
get a wise crack out of you -- I'd hate to see you change. ....yawn
...Jon

I agree with Sue. We had to cancel 2 cruises recently, and we had
absolutely no problem whatsoever being reimbursed. We always purchase
insurance within the apponted time frame to avoid pre-existing
condition issues.

Jo-Ann

wrote:

I agree with Sue. We had to cancel 2 cruises recently, and we had
absolutely no problem whatsoever being reimbursed. We always purchase
insurance within the apponted time frame to avoid pre-existing
condition issues.

His problem wasn't with cancellation before the cruise starts - it is
with medical treatment during. That's a different ball game because
before the cruise starts, they can reimburse you what you've actually
paid, and may be able to sell the cabin to someone else and recoup.

Even a very expensive cruise is not a patch on actual medical
treatment during the cruise, and especially an evacuation or
operation.

Another one that I ran into (actually I didn't buy the policy because
I read it first) was that in order to be reimbursed for treatment you
had to be admitted to the hospital. This may not be real easy
everywhere.

grandma Rosalie

wrote:
I agree with Sue. We had to cancel 2 cruises
recently, and we had absolutely no problem
whatsoever being reimbursed. We always
purchase insurance within the apponted time
frame to avoid pre-existing condition issues.
Our travel agent has never mentioned about there being a way around the
"pre-existing" clause. IE: about there being an insurance available
where the pre-existing clause doesn't exist. ...In fact, my Mother,
who travels with me and is 81, is subject to the 6 month pre-existing
clause . Do you buy the insurance through the cruise line? I tried to
buy insurance for cruising through our local insurance broker, but was
told that "travel agencies" only, handle cruise insurance. ...Jon

In article ,
wrote:

Our travel agent has never mentioned about there being a way around the
"pre-existing" clause. IE: about there being an insurance available
where the pre-existing clause doesn't exist. ...In fact, my Mother,
who travels with me and is 81, is subject to the 6 month pre-existing
clause . Do you buy the insurance through the cruise line? I tried to
buy insurance for cruising through our local insurance broker, but was
told that "travel agencies" only, handle cruise insurance. ...Jon

There have been many discussions on insurance both thru the cruise line
and third party insurance in this newsgroup over the years, it sounds
like you never read any of them. It might be though that what is
available to you in Canada is different than what we can buy in the
United States. Here in the US there is the choice of buying insurance
sold through the cruise line or that from third party companies such as
Travel Guard, CSA, Travelex and Access America. The third pary
insurance can be purchased independently.

--
Charles

lid (Charles) wrote:
There have been many discussions on
insurance both thru the cruise line and third
party insurance in this newsgroup over the
years, it sounds like you never read any of
them. It might be though that what is available
to you in Canada is different than what we
can buy in the United States. Here in the US
there is the choice of buying insurance sold
through the cruise line or that from third party
companies such as Travel Guard, CSA,
Travelex and Access America. The third pary
insurance can be purchased independently.
In our neck of the woods, it seems the travel agencies have one
insurance company only with which they deal with (Usually Royal Bank).
...You either take it or leave it. We buy the cruise cancellation
insurance separately-- through the travel agency. My medical isn't too
costly, and is included with this policy, but my Mother can save 4 or 5
hundred bucks by shopping around IE: By buying medical/travel through a
regular insurance broker.

The bottom line, and the whole point of my original post was to make
people aware of how the insurance companies can twist things around. I
was well aware of the 3 month exclusion clause-- years ago; however, my
condition falls into a grey area -- as "could" the conditions of many
others. IE: you may think you're covered, but in reality, you may not
be. ...I'm optimistic I'll win the appeal. I just wanted to point out
to people to be aware. ...If you know this clause is going to be in your
coverage, the best advice is to stay away from any Drs. for the three
months prior. ...I didn't really need to see the Dr., at the time...Yet
the insurance company is only too willing to grasp at any straw to deny
a claim. ...Jon

wrote:

wrote:

I agree with Sue. We had to cancel 2 cruises
recently, and we had absolutely no problem
whatsoever being reimbursed. We always
purchase insurance within the apponted time
frame to avoid pre-existing condition issues.

Our travel agent has never mentioned about there being a way around the
"pre-existing" clause. IE: about there being an insurance available
where the pre-existing clause doesn't exist. ...In fact, my Mother,
who travels with me and is 81, is subject to the 6 month pre-existing
clause . Do you buy the insurance through the cruise line? I tried to
buy insurance for cruising through our local insurance broker, but was
told that "travel agencies" only, handle cruise insurance. ...Jon

We do not buy travel insurance thru the cruise lines. There are times
we have had our TA buy it for us and other times we have purchased it
ourselves. Go to www.insuremytrip.com and it will help you figure out
which insurance policy is the best for you and then you can buy it
through them or call the insurance company yourself.

sue