We’ve provided information on travel insurance options on this site in the past, but we have recently been asked about our actual policies and how they work. Nobody really expects to need travel insurance, especially with a medical emergency but recently we had a serious event requiring our insurance to step in. For the details see below…
First, everyone who travels internationally MUST have the right international medical insurance. Not having it can literally wipe you out financially. Most of us will survive the costs of trip interruption but can you survive uncovered medical costs of hundreds of thousands of dollars?
The Intentional Travelers Insurance
Below is a listing of our current travel insurance with annual costs being less than US$1,550. One small incident recently paid us back way more than those total annual premiums.
United Health Care Supplemental Coverage. We maintain this premium Medicare supplemental insurance for several reasons but primarily because it provides $50,000 in international emergency medical coverage. It now seems to have a 20% cost deductible? Medicare and most supplements actually provide no international coverage.
EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PLUS® (EA+®)
This insurance provides emergency medical repatriation for the insured and travel companions up to $500,000 with a crises management team available 24/7. We’ve had this policy for years because of the modest cost (under $300 for both of us).
Allianz Annual Travel Policy
We actually had to use one of their policies for a trip interruption incident and while it required a bit of time to submit the required documentation, they paid quickly. It was really helpful to recover all those associated costs and loses.
This is our primary travel insurance and it actually costs less than 2 or 3 supplemental cruise insurance policies. The coverage is based on annual payouts but it provides peace of mind should something happen. After somrthing happens we may need to reevaluate insurance for the balance of the year.
Annual Limits
Trip Cancellation Coverage $10,000.00
Trip Interruption Coverage $10,000.00
Travel Delay Coverage $1,500.00
Baggage Loss Coverage $2,000.00
Baggage Delay Coverage $2,000.00
Rental Car Damage and Theft Coverage $45,000.00
Emergency Transportation Coverage $500,000.00
Emergency Medical/Dental Coverage $50,000.00
What follows is our experience with both of these travel insurers during a recent and serious travel medical emergency
On a recent cruise out of Southern Africa Judi suffered a heart attack onboard the ship in Namibia. The ships doctor was contacted*1 and he transferred her within the hour to a local hospital*2. After two days in ICU in Walvis Bay, Namibia she was taken by air ambulance*3 to a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa where she had two cardiac procedures preformed*4. After three more days in the Cardiac ICU she was released and cleared by the cardiac doctor to fly home. After the hospital release she transferred to my Johannesburg hotel*5. At that time a flight nurse was brought from Canada to Johannesburg to accompany her home and business class flights were booked from Johannesburg to Florida for the three of us*6. This emergency engaged three insurance companies and easily cost in excess of $100,000 and it probably would have beenmuch more if the hospitals were in Europe.
*1 For less than one hours time, an injection, several medications and an EKG the ship billed our onboard account almost $1,600 (to be reimbursed by Allianz).
*2 For three days of care, x-rays, constant blood tests, an intensive care doctor with the total cost just over $3,000 (this portion was paid for by our credit cards and we will be reimbursed by Allianz).
*3 After we contacted EA+, the evacuation insurance company, they talked to the Namibian doctor in less than a half hours time. Soon after reviewing the lab work they arranged for an air ambulance with a medical team that included a doctor and a paramedic to arrive as soon as the Walvis Bay airport opened the next morning. They had spoken to three hospitals and cardiac doctors in South Africa and selected one in Johannesburg.
*4 After arriving at the Johannesburg hospital that evening she was scheduled for cardiac procedures the next day and afterwords spent a couple more days in ICU. As an estimate the hospital suggested the total costs at between $10,000 and $15,000 and Allianz covered these payments.
*5 From the time we contacted the insurance companies I was provided with hotel rooms paid for by them (mostly EA+).
*6 When she was cleared to travel EA+ arranged for an air nurse to fly to South Africa to accompany her and paid for all hotels and business class flights back to Florida.
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