TRAVEL INSURANCE RECOMMENDATIONS Visitors Coverage (great for shopping the market for regular travel insurance. You'll get quotes from all the top insurers and you can filter the results according to your preferences/needs) - www.visitorscoverage.com/?affid=806036ae052f1 Travelex (I haven't used this insurance as it's only for Americans. I'm suggesting it here because unlike many/most travel insurance that cuts off at age 65, this one has no age limit!) - www.kqzyfj.com/click-100713654-11485720 MONTHLY RENEWABLE INSURANCE FOR LONGER TRIPS Genki Explorer (this is the policy I'm using on this trip that has excellent sports coverage and unlimited coverage limits) - genki.world/?with=theprofessionalhobo Safety Wing Nomad Insurance (I used them for many trips, and I still get a quote when shopping for policies) - safetywing.com/nomad-insurance/?referenceID=theprofessionalhobo&campaign=youtube&Ambassador EVACUATION COVERAGE If your policy doesn't have beefy evacuation coverage, you'll want it from one of these companies. They get you home with no questions asked. Medjet - www.awin1.com/awclick.php?gid=394388&mid=20001&awinaffid=202003&linkid=2688337&clickref= Global Rescue - partner.globalrescue.com/theprofessionalhobo/index.html GLOBAL HEALTH PLANS FOR EXPATS AND FULL-TIME TRAVELERS These are full health plans that cover not only medical emergencies, but also routine healthcare needs around the world. Genki Resident (with no age limits! And other perks like Air Doctor for direct billing and ease of locating medical help) - genki.world/products/resident?with=theprofessionalhobo Safety Wing Nomad Health (up to age 74) - www.safetywing.com/nomad-health?referenceID=theprofessionalhobo WRITTEN RESOURCES What is Travel Insurance? The Complete and Easy Guide - www.theprofessionalhobo.com/travel-insurance-guide/ Traveling Long-Term? Here are some Special Considerations - www.theprofessionalhobo.com/best-travel-medical-insurance/ Here's the Dirt on Expat Insurance / International Medical Insurance - www.theprofessionalhobo.com/expat-insurance-travel-insurance-for-full-time-and-long-term-travelers/ Thanks to Dave & Deb from ThePlanetD and Mitch from Project Untethered for sharing their stories! More from them: ThePlanetD RUclips - www.youtube.com/@ThePlanetD Website - theplanetd.com Their article explaining what happened to Dave in detail - theplanetd.com/daves-broken-back-and-a-little-healing-time/ Project Untethered RUclips - www.youtube.com/@ProjectUntethered Website - www.projectuntethered.com Note! Do your own research to ensure you get a policy that suits your needs.
We went on an international trip to several countries last fall, and got travel insurance, the one that we were offered on our airline's purchase confirmation page (Delta & Allianz). It came out to just over $50 each, which seemed reasonable given our itinerary and that our US-based health insurance was very restrictive for overseas use. It covered the usual things, health emergencies, lost luggage, canceled flights, etc. One thing that it didn't cover, which hadn't really occurred to us when we purchased it although in retrospect it probably should have, was war. Namely, in the event of war or conflict, it didn't cover anything that was affected by it, like canceled flights, hotel reservations we couldn't keep, trains we couldn't take, etc. And, what do you know, but a war did in fact break out when we were there. I won't get into the details although you can probably guess (and it was just as scary as you can imagine), but it led to our flight back being canceled and our being unable to make some of our hotel reservations on the way back (we had planned on stopping in the other countries on the way back), which, being cheapskates, we had purchased at their lowest non-refundable prices (another lesson learned). Thankfully, we were able to get full credit for the missed flights from the airline itself even though the flights were technically not refundable, due to the circumstances, and for one of the two hotel reservations we were forced to miss. And we ended up finding alternate flights out several days later on another carrier, for which we ended up paying way more than for our original flights, but which enabled us to make use of our remaining hotel and train reservations and flight back to the US. So the moral of this story is, research the places you're traveling to, to determine the various risks involved in traveling to them, both generally and at any given time as circumstances can be fluid, in terms of conflict, ethnic strife, crime, natural disasters, disease, etc., spend a bit more for flight, hotel and other reservations that can be canceled for a full refund, and get insurance that covers extraordinary situations that pertain to your destinations such as war and ethnic and political strife. And, in case someone thinks that the way to avoid the need for all this is to just not travel to potentially risky places, well, basically the whole world is risky these days for all sorts of reasons, and even the more risky places tend to be relatively safe most often, if you're careful and take prudent measures, and they can be some of the more interesting places to visit. And, in our case, we had to be in the country where the war broke out, being from there originally and having business to attend to there, plus wanting to see family, enjoy the holidays, etc. Sorry for the long comment, but I thought that our experience might help others.
Sure, your comment is long, but don't be sorry about it. I read every word of it. Can you share what travel insurance company you had, please. Is it Delta & Allianz ?
@@CL-mp4vn Yep, Allianz through Delta. Still glad I got it even if it was of no use for our specific situation, but had we come down with a medical issue or lost luggage it would have been well worth the relatively small cost. In fact the airline did lose one of our bags, but we got it within a day or so and didn't need the insurance for that either. And, yeah, my comments tend to be long. I'm not one of those "Oh you're so great your videos are so great that's all I had to say" types. I mean I say that too, but also try to add my own experiences and insights. You know, come for the content and creator, stay for the discussions. 😀
Incredible story and advice - thank you! Indeed, many/most policies exclude war, terrorism, and even....pandemics. Another reason to read the fine print and like you say, evaluate the risks before you book.
I would rather have too much insurance then not enough. Canadians don't realize how much medical care costs. Don't be relaxed about insurance. OhIP does not cover a lot now whe out of country like they used to
Thank you to your "guests" for mentioning Medjet. I had never heard of this particular company. I looked them up and one of the options will provide an Emergency Cash Advance up to $60,000 to medical care that requires a cash payment (with stipulations, of course). Having heard the "cash only and in advance" issue as part of several overseas medical emergency stories from travelers, that's a wonderful resource to have. The prices for Medjet's policies are fairly reasonable compared to other companies I've priced as well. Thanks for sharing.
I'm so glad you found it useful! I left a link to Medjet (and another emergency evacuation provider) in the description and also the first pinned comment.
tip: download all the conditions of your reservations as you make them. Insurance companies need a copy of to prove they were not refundable. Table of contents and numbered pages are necessary. I also try to pay for everything with credit card. That way all payments are in USD - no confusion with exchange rates which will change . I black out other information on credit card as its number and other charges unrelated to insurance. I am always happy when I didn’t have to use the insurance and never go bare .
Money Saving Tip - Single Trip Insurance When calculating the cost of your trip for insurance, don't include anything that can cancel (or cancel last minute) for no charge, and I don't include the cost for no change fee flights. This greatly lowered my Insurance cost. Having filed two claims on my last Asia trip - save everything, persistence and patience. Great Video!
In my experience, Insurance companies will often deny a claim, at first. It's a business decision. If you are a "nice" pest, calling daily, things will get to a point where they pay it because you are costing them more in professional time than the claim is worth. If you are nasty with them they will block you and deny permanently and cancel your policy. It can be a fine line. (Used to work in insurance...the break even decision thing is real).
THANK YOU!!! You made me check our travel insurance policy and realize we need to up our basic coverage. I never gave our travel insurance the scrutiny it deserved. Once again THANK YOU?
My son was studying in Taiwan and did something to his back while on a visit to Hong Kong for a weekend. He ended up in a hospital in Taiwan and needed back surgery. There was no option to bring him home for surgery. I went to Taiwan for a month to be its him during the operation and early rehabilitation. Although he was well insured (his home university had years of experience organizing such studies abroad), we had to pay for services as they were rendered. The total was about $5,000 for surgery, hospital stay and medication. DO check the prevailing costs in the country in which you will be traveling - like us you may not have an option to ‘go home’. If you can’t afford to pay those costs before you are reimbursed by your insurance company, have a plan to deal with that. Another thing to be prepared for is hospital release forms in a language you don’t understand. The ones I signed were in Chinese and there was no one to translate them. Even if there as a translator, the chances of changing them is negligible. Be prepared to live with terms that exempt the service provider from liability and must be litigated in local courts. There was a good side to this experience. The doctor was excellent - I found through the medical grapevine that the surgeon had been trained in the US and was known for his skill. If you find yourself in a foreign country in a high risk situation, contact your doctor at home to see what they might know about the medical system in that country. The information may help you to deal with the anxiety of the situation.
Taiwan is probably similar quality to US medical care. $5k sounds great for what you needed. In US may of been $25K ++. Also, google translate can easily read documents in your native language.
I would have described myself as a fairly experienced traveller, and I always buy insurance, but there were several points in this video that really made me think. Luckily my current policy seems up to scratch, but it hadn't occurred to me that I might be unconcious. I will email a copy to my husband (staying at home) and put his emergency contact details in my daypack.
In Canada, Tugo has a full preexistence condition coverage option. You have to be "stable" 5 days before your trip, while with others it can be 90 or even 180 days.
Thanks so much. Super helpful. Son has type 1 Diabetes. Mostly stable since Grade 6 (!) with never an emergency but it can happen at any time. You never know!
Great informetion. Folks take especially care when shopping for insurance once over 70. It ends by being told that your insury was a precondition related issue, therefore no single cent paid out for a surgery in the tune of 15 K US$. Needless to say that even necessary flight rescheduling was also not paid out: THANKS AIG, great insurance company
Thanks Nora for the real-life experience shared by you and your guests. For all the naysayers who think "nothing will happen to me", well there you go. A minor inconvenience on a recent flight from Vancouver to Toronto--luggage was on the tarmac in YVR when the flight landed at Lester Pearson. Fortunately (another logical travel tip), I packed extra undergarments, shirt and socks in my carry-on luggage for just such an occasion. I got the luggage the next (delivered from a different airline), but just goes to show you, things CAN happen to you and a bit of preparation only takes a little time.
Wow, you just described my situation last November to a T! Fortunately, I too had a few clothes and my CPAP in my carry-on. My checked luggage did arrive the next evening, which was critical because I was leaving the following morning for a bucket list trip on The Canadian.
What has made the headlines in Australia recently is alcohol consumption (let alone illegal substances) may void your claim if under the influence. Also lots of stipulations around motorbikes and scooters and even being a passenger on one (sober or otherwise).
Interesting about the alcohol. Also, great point about motorbikes and scooters - in some countries you can rent one without a license and it's a hazard for everybody on and around the vehicle. Multiply that by the number of people on the road (who may or may not also have licenses), and it gets messy. Definitely important to know what you policy covers before getting on one.
My experience. A friend and I went on a cruise to Greece and Italy. On the last day of the cruise. We managed to catch the norovirus going around the cruise ship. As a result, when we disembarked we were not able to continue with our regular plans which included the train for 2 hours giving everyone else norovirus. So I booked the nearest hotel that had availability. It was a Saturday. The insurance paid for our taxi to the new hotel and the hotel that we were not able to stay at in Bologna. Turned out our new hotel was in an Italian beach resort town. And our hotel room had a view of the ocean. We fell in love with this little town. We were the only Americans there. We still talk about it today. And my insurance refunded me for the hotel and taxi in a week. And I didn't even have a lot of documentation. I was really impressed. Great experience. I was thankful to have gotten the insurance.
Can you provide information either about the insurer or the levels of coverage you paid for? I'm trying to decide what insurance to get before I travel this Fall. Thank You.
I have a yearly policy with Allianz. Never in a million years did I think that 2 dogs would slam into me at the dog park and break my ankle/tib/fib 2 weeks before we were supposed to leave for Australia( cruise). ( This happened on Feb 10th) I was dismayed to find out I only had 5k of trip cancellation. I have the premier plan so I thought it would cover more. Thankfully, I charged my cruise on the Chase preferred card so I'm covered there.
Whew - glad you had coverage through your credit card! And a good learning point about trip cancellation limits when you're taking high-value trips. Thanks for sharing so we can all learn!
@@TT-vj5qq Yes, you have to have a Chase preferred card( 95 a year). You also have to call and let them know about your claim within 20 days. Allianze gave me 5k back, I'm waiting for the remainder from Chase.
@@TT-vj5qq It can be - depends on the card. It's important to read the terms before you go. Some cards require you to charge certain expenses in order to have the insurance. Others provide the insurance automatically.
Lots of valuable information. I had a bad fall 3 years ago in Indonesia and I needed xrays and an overnight stay in hospital. I had to pay up front which was about 5oo euros I kept all receipts hospital reports etc.. and was reimborsed on my return home. It's so important to be insured because you never know when you may need it. The only problem is the company to choose from, but, after watching this video I have a clearer idea what to look for. thank you Nora
Thanks, Nora. That was a nice combination of information and personal experiences. One addendum I would offer is that, at least in my experience with different companies, pre-existing conditions are usually COVERED if I purchase travel insurance within a couple weeks of making the first payment toward a planned trip. In recent years, I have had an annual policy that i have renewed annually, so pre-existing conditions are always covered. Regarding experiences with the insurance company, I have very good international coverage on my regular US health insurance policy, so when I have had expenses (all relatively small), I have just filed the claim with my health insurance, and they have paid very well. The one time I remember reaching out to my travel insurance company, Allianz, was when I was experiencing fairly serious pain on one side of my lower back. I called to have them recommend a doctor or clinic for consultation in Sydney, Australia on a Sunday. To my utter amazement, they had no suggestions for Sydney and I ended up getting advice from my hotel's front desk. To give Allianz the benefit of the doubt, perhaps since Sydney is an advanced location for health care and is English speaking (as am I), they felt I could easily find my own place for treatment. Still, it made me wonder about Allianz.
Getting ready for a lot of travel over the next 2 yrs. Very helpful information as I am now starting the process. Great checklist of things to watch out for. On aside, I have on captions and I laughed at all the ways pre-existing was written. Best was priest existing. Thanks!!!
Great video Nora, as usual! The pre existing condition section perked my ears up because before my next trip in October, I am having a full knee replacement. The first question I asked when booking this trip with insurance was about this possible denial of a claim if I somehow injured the new knee. Luckily, with my policy, I have nothing to worry about, but I did double check it to be on the safe side. Safe travels✈😊
The onus is on both the Travel Agent and client themselves....read everything. If your potential insurer doesn't want you to read the policies before you sign...run from them. Always check country travel cautions/warnings....
We are taking multiple trips this year and found that an annual travel insurance policy will save us a lot of money. We actually took out two different policies. One covers medical expenses and evacuation when out of the country. The other covers trips in the US and abroad. It gives us trip cancellation, not enough to cover the entire cost of our trips, but it would soften the blow. It also has lost luggage and trip delay. This policy has medical and evacuation as well, but the limits were pretty low. The cost of both policies for the year was much less than the cost of insuring each trip separately.
Thank you. I enjoy the way you present information. Also, the rock wall behind you is beautiful. Where is it? Do you have a picture of the entire wall?
Thanks Robert! The wall is an accent feature inside my partner's home in Bulgaria. He designed it to replicate the ancient building in the town square.
I'm 60 this year and I've always bought it but there are still lots out there who don't. WHEN they are in dire straights they start a go fund me page in the UK anyway. I always say if you can afford a holiday...... I buy annual travel insurance cos it's cheaper for multiple trips AND i have a pre existing medical condition too
In 50 years of traveling, I never considered buying travel insurance and never needed it, until 18 months ago. It had nothing to do with me. However, my brother unexpectedly died in the U.S., while I was on vacation in Thailand. I found out that no airlines anymore have any sort of bereavement plan/policy, either partial or full reimbursement. Singapore Airlines wanted $1,650 to change the return portion of my ticket (The ticket cost me $674 total for round trip). I had to buy a one way ticket on Qatar Airlines for $620, but paid an additional $300 at check in because they only allow 1 free check in bag. Even if travel insurance paid me back half the $674 cost of the original ticket, that still leaves me having to buy a one way ticket at a much higher price and extra travel and hotel expenses in getting back to Bangkok for a flight. I would prefer to travel to Thailand on a one way ticket and buy the return after I get there but most countries, including Thailand, want proof of an onward ticket. Which means buying the cheapest airline ticket out of Thailand to Vietnam as proof, and then not using it. I’ve got 4 more siblings, all of us are in our 70’s, so I’ve tentatively told them that I may not make it back if any of them die while I’m in Thailand (I go yearly because I have a house in Chiangmai and hopefully I’ll be retiring to it in 2 years).
Interesting! FYI there are some other options for providing proof of onward travel: www.theprofessionalhobo.com/things-before-traveling-abroad/#onward-travel-proof
Just tell them you are going to go from Thailand to Laos by bus like a Korean guy who was asked by Thai immigration when I took the Giant Ibis bus from Siem Reap to Bangkok last month.
I went to Japan many years ago and was sick and needed to see a doctor. When I got home the insurance company rejected the claim. The reason was DO NOT KNOW WHAT KIND OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS PRESENTED. BECAUSE THE LEGAL LANGUAGE HERE IS NOT THE SAME AS WHAT YOU HAVE SUBMITTED. They suggested to have the documents be translated by Japanese Consulate. As I can remember, the doctor consultation fee was just about US$120. But the translation fee for medical reports will cost me about ten times of the medical costs.
Yes, translation can be problematic. I also had to pay for translation of documents in Chiang Mai; luckily it was relatively inexpensive and worth the money in terms of what I would be reimbursed.
Some policies cover pre-existing conditions if the policy is purchased within a time period, usually 14 or 21 days, of booking your trip. We've had 2 relatively small claims that were handled promptly when I was able to send all the necessary documentation. One was medical, and I had to first submit it to our medical insurance and get a denial of coverage since they don't cover care outside of the US. THe other was a delay of trip when a cruise was unable to depart due to weather. The cruise line covered the hotel, but we were responsible for food and misc. stuff.....again, easy, I did follow our travel agent's recommendation as to a reliable company. Read your credit card's travel insurance coverage before you rely on it. I was surprised to see that on one of my cards, the claim must be submitted within 7 days of the occurrence. If I'm on a cruise and something happens within the first few days, I might not be home within in week!
This is a super helpful video for me as I start to dream about some future travel. Gone over the days when I didn’t have to give a thought to something called “travel insurance“! First thing I need to do is to check all my credit cards to see which if any have some kind of travel insurance…
Travel Insurance - better to have it and not need it vs need it and not have it! Thankfully I haven't had any medical emergencies in my travels, but I've always purchased coverage through SafetyWing for my trips. The basic policy does have exclusions for 'high risk' activities but they do offer and Add-On (for a price of course) which will cover you in that regard. Also not covered are pre-existing conditions and (interestingly) illness or injury due to "an epidemic, pandemic, public health emergency, natural disaster, or other disease outbreak when a health warning has been in effect before your start date or if you did not leave the area mentioned in the health warning within 10 days following the date the warning is issued." Good lord, the legalese 🤣
I never realized how important travel insurance was until I got stranded during a layover! Now, it's the first thing I get before any trip." I recommend AMA Travel Insurance in Australia.
One thing that you seem to have missed is that some international hospitals do not take card payments. Cash only! Speaking from experience with Luxor International hospital. Trying to get large amounts of cash from an ATM is difficult. You are usually limited as to how much you can withdraw on a daily basis. I had to use a local tour operator that was willing to let me have cash at a 5% premium
Wow - that's crazy! But you're right, Stewart - it's not the first time I've been told of a hospital that would only take cash. I'm hoping that this will be less and less common - it blows my mind that a hospital would expect people to have thousands of dollars in cash.
I got a $80 policy for my wife's 1-week trip to Mexico. She had an overnight stay in a hospital. We sent all documents to the insurance company, about 5 of them, and the claim was denied. They said something was missing. We had no other documents. Limits were over $250k. They saved $650 denying our expenses. 🤷🏻♂️
Trust me, it was the insurance fault.They'll try to get out of pain for it.And the philippines is wishy while she about doing any extra paper worker more than they have to@@intotheblue970
This was very helpful. I would never go anywhere without insurance. I had a friend who was a travel nurse (she'd accompany injured/ill people back to England), and she was away A LOT for this job. Accidents, illnesses etc happen all the time, and the cost of repatriation is horrific without insurance.😢
Got travel insurance before trip to Dominican Republic. Return date, there was a snowstorm in the US that prevented me from returning home. Travel insurance covered 2 more days at the resort. I think my airline rebooked for free, but it was important to produce documentation from the airline and hotel to the insurance company.
Thank you! Helpful. Sounds like you spent a lot of time dealing with all of this (I feel for you). I’m curious to know how many hours you’d say you spent to get properly reimbursed?
Keep in mind that one of the accidents was in a highly remote area of the Amazon, while the other was riding a scooter in Thailand, which is not easy if you don't have lots of experience. I just had friends in their mid 40's come back from Hanoi....and they both said there was no way in hell they were going to rent mopeds and ride in such congested traffic -- but some people believe they can do it...and it's a very easy way to get hurt. I think there's a lot less chance of getting hurt in Europe as long as you're not involved in any extreme sports
I used frequent flyer miles to book a round trip ticket from SAN to MIA. I paid the taxes and fees on the flight on my AMEX Platinum card ($11 each way.) Getting there was fine, but on the return home, Southwest cancelled the flight and booked me on a new flight the next morning. We were on the way to the airport when this happened. On very short notice, we had to book a hotel in Miami. The short of it is that AMEX Platinum's built-in insurance covered our hotel and drink/meal expenses in Miami. Southwest provided hundreds in future travel vouchers. Obviously, I'm not referring to broken backs and such, but some of these cards have some decent insurance baked in, but you must put your tickets and such 100% on their card, typically.
Great point about credit card insurance! I personally have copied the terms of my credit card insurances and I keep them in the "notes" app on my phone, so I can reference it on the fly.
Just an interesting fact/ experience...when I was much younger and living overseas ( before the internet days) I had to submit paperwork to the insurance company for a 2 day hospialization; however, the paperwork was in the native language so the insurance could not read any of it. I got asked to translate all of it. 😮
I'm worried I have been diagnosed with FND FUNCTUAL NEUROLOGICAL DISSORDER but it's not a well known condition with many medications to take, I go on holiday Tomorrow & after watching this I am going to have to contact the rbs cover I already have.
Travel insurance like all these type of things set it up so they will not pay out.... its the details.... "You wrote day time, the event happened at night...sorry"... "not covered outside city limits" sorry or "not covered in the rainy season"... sorry. Pre-existing conditions? I'm Italian. Am i covered? BTW, You are so smart to document and follow up on everything. You got a great video out of this adventure. LOL.
Thank you for this information. The personal examples were very helpful. I always travel with insurance but you have given me a couple things to think about for our next trip. I have only ever had to use cancellation insurance due to surgery before a trip (which was fully covered).
I had a bunch of valuable camera gear stolen in Italy. When I got back my home owners policy covered nearly 90% and I was refunded the money. btw...be sure to get a formal police report as evidence of any theft.
Thanks for sharing your Thailand experience, this would've been a lot more stressful if one was a solo traveler, unfortunately a lot of us are solo. @20:42 Wow, $15K for a hospital stay in Thailand? That is crazy expensive, I thought Thailand was cheaper than that.
My mum got bit by fire ants in Florida when I was a kid and spent two weeks in hospital there plus more time at home in Canada. They tried to tell my dad that our insurance wasn’t valid because they weren’t open on Xmas Day. The panic on his face having to wait til the next business day for confirmation while the costs for all the tests and her stay piled up. I’ve never travelled without travel insurance as a result. Sometimes my work policy is sufficient depending on the destination and trip expenses (land based in Japan) and sometimes I use World Nomads (my upcoming trip that involves a cruise and visiting a more unstable country).
Several years ago we had to cancel an overseas trip for the 4 of us as my husband required urgent surgery and had complications that made travel impossible. I submitted everything via the mail and had all the paperwork very organized. We got all our money back. Very positive experience. A second trip was one we canceled due to political unrest in Peru last year. We had only made one deposit but didn't want to sink more money into an uncertain situation. Claim was denied due to political unrest not being covered by the policy. Yes, we now do cancel for any reason
Thanks for sharing, Robert! Indeed, with exclusions for political unrest, natural disaster, terrorism, war, etc - cancel for any reason is a good idea if you're taking an expensive trip that is non-refundable.
Thailand offers some of the best healthcare on earth. Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok, for example, is excellent. But read your plan carefully. Cancel if necessary (most states have provisions in insurance products that allow state residence to cancel within 3 days).
This is such a helpful video. I am curious if there is travel insurance for pets. I plan on traveling with my service dog in October to Mexico, and I would love to make sure that she is covered as well.
What i would have done is not book a series of trips consecutively like that, always anticipating that if plans go sideways due to missed flights, health issues, etc., you won't have to cancel and rebook everything. You had 3 or 4 trips that you had to do and that in itself is a nightmare scenario. Having worked in the travel industry i am well aware even for 1 trip you will need Plan A, B, C & sometimes D (we flew quite a bit so there's been a couple times we've had to resort to Plan D). The expense you incur booking the next trip while at your present location may be a bit higher but it's worth the pain & headache, not to mention the insane hassle, of having to cancel & rebook.
Interesting strategy. Unfortunately this was one "trip", and just a succession of travel plans within that trip. Too book everything at the present location, at times with less than 24 hours to spare, would have been exorbitant if not impossible.
Hello Nora. Thank you for making and sharing this video. It is so informative and educational. After watching this video, I definitely will get travel insurance next time I travel overseas. Thank you again. 🙏👍
This was a long time ago, so I think I used payphones and international calling cards, believe it or not! These days, I would use my smartphone on Wifi and use the Skype app to call the toll free insurance number (which is free with Skype). But a local SIM card would also work. (Actually, I have an app called Fongo - only for Canadians - that is my phone number, and I can make calls with that over WiFi, so THAT is what I would do, but unless you're Canadian that won't apply to you. You COULD however use Google Voice if you're American, but you need to set it up before you travel. )
The guy with the shattered wrist in Thailand from a motorbike accident, didn't mention that motor bike riding is often excluded. Or can be only covered if hiring from a proper company, or only if wearing a helmet, or only if you have a motorbike licence etc.
Mitch called insur company ahead. Smartly recorded that call using wife's cell phone. Captured their confirmation it would be covered; also documented call details - who, when, etc. Those actions, turns out, saved him when they initially pushed back on coverage. Very smart move.
We've been lucky so far with our travel insurance. We had to cancel 2 trips at the last minute - one due to weather and the other due to my sudden illness. Luckily, we were still in the States, and I was able to do the claim paperwork on line, and submit the needed documents electronically. Like you, I made sure to have them organized, which sped up the claim. I won't travel internationally without insurance!
That was on purpose. All insurance companies have resulted in good experiences for some people, and bad experiences for others. That said, I do recommend some companies in the description and the first pinned comment.
I loved your video! Kudos to the effort made. Every time you were talking about travel insurance I was thinking about this insurance I came across , Sitata travel insurance, it kinda had medical benefits too. World nomads to is a great one !
My friend and I went on a cruise to Alaska and bought the insurance the cruise line offered at time of booking. The company is called AON and they are the worst. Its been a year and a half and still waiting for reimbursement. Anyone I speak to and the higher up I go the company's answer is "your claim is being processed" Be careful who you choose and read the fine print~!
I've only made use of the trip cancellation for any reason portion of my travel insurance. It made it slightly less heartbreaking to cancel my trip to England.
Thx very informative. What I have heard that every travel insurance company has to have an underwriter. Living in Canada I have heard they are only three underwriters. Be interesting to hear from traveller’s which underwriters they have had claims denied unreasonably and which underwriters are better to deal with when making claims. Thx
can you address pre-existing condition waiver? I was traveling internationally 2 months after total knee replacement surgery. I had no complications and was recovering well. When I asked a travel insurance comparison site, who works with multiple insurance companies, if any new complications arising from the surgery during my trip would be covered under a waiver of pre-existing condition clause, told me they would not be covered. They told me those waivers cover ongoing conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.
I don't know for sure, but I would suspect complications arising from the surgery might fall under the Acute Onset of a pre-existing condition clause. So if you had a policy with that, you might get coverage.
My sister in Australia, who has medical issues, could get insurance to travel to anywhere in the world, albeit a little expensive, except the USA because of the cost of healthcare.
Yes! There are often two different plans & prices for insurance; one including the USA, and one excluding it. The one including the USA is often double the cost.
Great video. Perhaps you are in Canada? The one thing I would add, for US residents, is why they need Travel Insurance, specifically the Emergency medical insurance. Most US employer provided medical insurance plans do NOT cover you outside the US, neither does Medicare or Medicare Supplement plans. Many Americans do not realize this! Credit card benefits are meager and most do not cover cruises. I was on a cruise last November when a fellow passenger found this out. We work for the fourth largest purchaser of health insurance in the US and our plans do not cover us outside the US. We bought an annual policy from Allianz. I was on a tour in the Holy Land when a woman fell and broke her leg. She did get needed care, but had to cut her trip short, and rebook her flights. None of this was cheap and she had no insurance. Thank you.
I had a very similar experience, I caught the fever of Dengue, which is a virus, transmitted from a mosquito bite. I thought that my Insurance Aetna would have covered at the end it covers you in the United States it will only cover you if it's a life and death situation, which it was. By submitting all the medical bills, thank God I was reimbursed. Lesson learned for me I will definitely get travel insurance when I'm traveling out of the country and, of course, pack a good mosquito repellent cream. I said cream because it protects you for a lot longer.
We learned that some Medicare Advantage plans will cover you if you are out of the country for 6 months or under. You need to come back to the US every 6 months and it was recommended to check in with you doctor to prove you were back in the US, or just use your insurance some how. If you are out of the country it will cost 150 dollars at the emergency room but then full coverage after that. We also have travel insurance and Medijet just incase.
@@marinahuizar6067 Medicare Advantage plans are between you and the insurance company; Medicare just pays your premiums. So any required communication would be between you and your insurance plan, not you and Medicare.
For me the most important concern is medical coverage, because I do have preexisting conditions. I always buy a policy that has a preexisting condition waiver which is available from some companies if you purchase within a few weeks of your first deposit. I look for the larger amount of evacuation coverage. I’m from the US and will soon be on Medicare which does cover medical costs in other countries (which my private insurance does not) but I will continue to purchase travel insurance with evacuation since it does not cover that. And I’d rather get home ASAP!
I also have medicare; but I always think medicare does not cover in other countries. If it does, thanks for the tip. I always purchase travel insurance and the evacuation is the detail I need to know if it covers.
I have traditional Medicare with a gap plan. Only some of the gap plans (C,D, F, G, M & N cover SOME travel abroad emergency help (with no evacuation). That is definitely not comprehensive in scope!
Read my reply above-Medicare coverage out of the U.S. is very limited (and with only some of the gap plans). Medicare Advantage would be as equally or more limited.
THanks! You can get it here: www.amazon.com/shop/theprofessionalhobo/list/2H88L1AJASF08?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_aipsftheprofessionalhobo_YB311KYBCCCGXC74NQ24
This was interesting timing. I was literally reading the T&Cs for my travel insurance for my upcoming trip to nepal. I get insurance with my credit card. It's a really good policy and it covers everything we normally need,,, but it doesn't cover hiking above 3,000 metres. I have one day at 3,300. I think I'm going to have to look another policy. I know if i don't that one day will be the day we get hurt 🤕😭
Good on you for reading the fine print and learning about this clause! It's at these higher altitudes that complications can arise. Make sure you have evacuation insurance too! You'll need it if you get hurt on the mountain.
Great video! I know you're Canadian but FYI for any Americans: your health insurance might already cover you abroad (mine does). I guess thats one "benefit" to not having a rational healthcare system 🙄
Hi dear it was a wonderful video , I am 65 years old living in Niagara Falls Canada , never had travel insurance before , please let me know which insurane to get for medical emergency . just subscribed to your channel . Thanks
@@sediqullahmohmand1337 It depends on your residency, destination, age, and length of travel. I always suggest getting multiple quotes. So you could get a quote from each of the insurance recommendations I give. For reference, here they are: TRAVEL INSURANCE RECOMMENDATIONS Visitors Coverage (great for shopping the market for regular travel insurance. You'll get quotes from all the top insurers and you can filter the results according to your preferences/needs) - www.visitorscoverage.com/?affid=806036ae052f1 Travelex (I haven't used this insurance as it's only for Americans. I'm suggesting it here because unlike many/most travel insurance that cuts off at age 65, this one has no age limit!) - www.kqzyfj.com/click-100713654-11485720 MONTHLY RENEWABLE INSURANCE FOR LONGER TRIPS Genki Explorer (this is the policy I'm using on this trip that has excellent sports coverage and unlimited coverage limits) - genki.world/?with=theprofessionalhobo Safety Wing Nomad Insurance (I used them for many trips, and I still get a quote when shopping for policies) - safetywing.com/nomad-insurance/?referenceID=theprofessionalhobo&campaign=youtube&Ambassador EVACUATION COVERAGE If your policy doesn't have beefy evacuation coverage, you'll want it from one of these companies. They get you home with no questions asked. Medjet - www.awin1.com/awclick.php?gid=394388&mid=20001&awinaffid=202003&linkid=2688337&clickref= Global Rescue - partner.globalrescue.com/theprofessionalhobo/index.html GLOBAL HEALTH PLANS FOR EXPATS AND FULL-TIME TRAVELERS These are full health plans that cover not only medical emergencies, but also routine healthcare needs around the world. Genki Resident (with no age limits! And other perks like Air Doctor for direct billing and ease of locating medical help) - genki.world/products/resident?with=theprofessionalhobo Safety Wing Nomad Health (up to age 74) - www.safetywing.com/nomad-health?referenceID=theprofessionalhobo
Nora, please keep your passport copy AND travel insurance copy on a separate paper, NOT IN YOUR PURSE/WALLET. This will avoid a problem if your purse/wallet goes missing. Keep Hotel address and your medications list on that paper also. I travel regularly Australia to Indonesia and always carry such ID separately from my wallet. Does this make sense to an experienced traveller like you? I enjoy your video content every time. Be well.....John Murray in Australia
I'll do you one better, John - I keep a copy in my wallet (so that I know I have it on me all the time, because as a woman I don't always have pockets to put anything), PLUS I keep copies in other bags, that are at my accommodation etc.
I thought I had done everything right, but when I got food poisoning in Egypt I should have seen a doctor! Because I didn’t see a doctor my claim was denied! Lesson learned!
I have a personal articles policy that covers my camera gear against damage. My camera gear is covered for theft under my homeowner's policy. I wanted to add coverage in case something happened like equipment being dropped. I hike a lot with my equipment and was concerned about repairing or replacing my equipment If I fell down a hill or something. It's got all of my gear listed by serial number. But it does have limits.
@@Skwarek-wp8dc I live in a very affluent Southern California community and there are no beds available in our hospitals either. We also wait two-to-nine months to see medical specialists and for tests like MRIs. My relatives and friends living in the urban Puget Sound of the Pacific Northwest are having the same experience. It took one of my relatives several months to see a specialist and be tested for a cancer and by the time he was, the cancer had spread so that the outcome is worse for him. However, we Americans are paying through the nose, the highest prices in the world, for the privilege of long waits for medical appointments and for no hospital beds/rooms available while we wait in the ED for two-to-four days for a room to open up. What’s our medical system’s excuse?
Amazing video. Can you please guide me regarding which is the best travel health insurance for Usa. I have heard that you can purchase insurance from local provider in my country or you can purchase from insurance provider in Usa. Which option is better?
It depends on where you're from and how long you're visiting for I think! I don't know the best travel insurance company for the USA in particular; I've had to make a few claims in the USA with different companies and they all went relatively smoothly.
I had a trip scheduled to New Zealand in October 2023, and three days before my trip, I'm in the Emergency Room so I had to cancel my trip. The one thing I learned in processing my first ever travel insurance claim, was documentation, documentation, documentation. The insurance company wanted to see my original booking confirmations with the cost; my communications to the vendors cancelling their services; emails showing partial refunds; bank or credit card statements showing that I had actually received partial refunds; and, of course, documentation about the medical emergency from my doctor. One thing that I found odd, was that they wanted a copy of communications from the tour operator cancelling the trip. I had to remind them that, 1) I booked the entire trip on my own, so there was no tour operator (like a cruise) that cancelled the trip and, 2) that it was my medical emergency days before the trip that cause ME to cancel the trip. Fortunately, the light bulb went off and they got it. Like you, I organized the documents in a manner that made it easy for them to understand exactly what happened, and I had my claim check about 5 weeks after starting the claim.
Hey Nora, thank you so much for making this video! I'm finding out the hard way about travel insurance coverages this year so i appreciate your content! I also have a question for you since you are so knowledgeable and I'm traveling to Europe for the first time: How do i find out regulations they have for liquid allowances, etc.?! Like, we have the TSA standards here in the USA but i'm sure they are different in what is allowed. Many thanks in advance! :)
Thanks Sara! For the most part, liquid restrictions are the same. If you comply with US standards you will likely be fine everywhere else. Here's a video I made about it: ruclips.net/video/M-q2OKPq9Y4/видео.htmlsi=-SqJXakmdCs22XRI
The whole idea of having to pay everything upfront even if you’re getting it back terrifies me, I don’t have an extra $5K dollars to spend on medical bills. Do any companies pay up front?
Thank you, Nora, for this video. I do have another question..... Do you have a spreadsheet of travel costs? I am planning my Germany-Italy trip this year. I want to make sure I have considered all costs. Easy to remember is flight costs, accommodation costs, food costs. But what am I forgetting? Maybe a spreadsheet or checklist? Thanks.
You are forgetting costs to enter attractions, museums, and galleries. You should also consider that costs for hotels and food increase significantly in Italy during the tourist season. You may also incur additional costs if you try to fly on the budget airlines in Europe and have more than 1 bag or an oversized bag - they charge for extra or oversized bags on every flight.
Great question, Eric - and awesome answer @vanisle! I don't keep spreadsheets of travel budgets, but I do track my expenses. But since travel budgets are all unique and I live on the road, mine wouldn't be helpful for you.
READ the insurance policy before you accept! I thought that since we had two trips planned, a yearly policy would be advantageous. True, EXCEPT, (for this company) you must purchase the insurance before you book your travel. Had I not read the insurance document, I would not have known. I tried to tell someone this and she said that since the insurance company allowed her to purchase the policy, she would be covered (not).
@@NoraDunn I failed to say that the rule does not apply if the policy is continuing from a previous year. The point is, we need to read the documents, not just the bold print (which I'm guilty of).
It was World Nomads. But to be honest I wouldn't blacklist the company from this experience; all insurance companies have stories of smooth claims and rough ones. It boils down to the claims adjustor, the specific situation, and more.
I just double -up in my insurance. That doesn't even include the insurance that comes embedded in my credit card. It is a small price to pay , but better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.
My Chase Reserve card only covers $2,500 medical (if I'm reading the literature correctly) - it also doesn't seem to cover medical evacuation. Though I may rely on the credit card insurance for trip cancellation, interruption insurance etc (prepaid items). I get a comprehensive policy for medical and medical evaluation insurance - there will be some overlap with the credit card insurance. It's reasonable in cost since I'm not including all the -paid items that should be covered under the credit card. Hope all that is clear... If someone else has a different strategy I'd love to hear about it
It depends on your residency, age, and length of travel. I suggest getting quotes from the different companies I recommend in the description (and first pinned comment). These are the exact ones I use to find the best policy for each trip.
Hi Laura. You left out special circumstances concerning people over 65! The premiums get higher and so do EXCLUSIONS and DEDUCTIBLES. Then when it comes to preexisting conditions, the company may cover the preexisting conditions but events CAUSED by the preexisting condition. For example if a person has high blood pressure the insurance will want to determine whether a heart attack was a result traced to high blood pressure. If so, they won't cover the heart attack. Finally, If you cancel the policy after submitting claims they may require you to keep paying the premiums until the end of a full year!
Thank you for the extra intel! I do provide insurance options for people aged 65+ in the description, but you're right, I didn't discuss these points in the video. I appreciate your input!
Why didn’t you pay for the travel and medical with credit card? Are the Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore primarily cash based countries? Would you use the same travel insurance company again?
I believe I did use credit cards at the time, but the insurance company required original receipts, not credit card statements. As for the insurance company, I did indeed use them again. I haven't used them for the last 5+ years however, because their rates and coverage aren't as competitive as they once were.
I have to say, when I was younger, our trips were short, week or two, trips in or close to the US. I thought that if I lost luggage or my trip got delayed or cancelled, it wouldn't be a big deal. As we aged, I realized it was the medical portion that would be the real problem/expense on a trip. We are both reasonably healthy, but things can happen to anyone at any age. Fortunately we haven't had to use our insurance, but are glad it is there. On a recent two week cruise, there were at least 4 medical evacuations and while we were hovering off the coast of the US and Canada, I imagine they were pretty pricey!
Indeed - medical evacuations from a cruise are incredibly expensive! Glad you haven't needed to use your insurance, but that you still rest assured that you have it.
If one lives in the EU get the free European health insurance card. This gives public healthcare in the EU country you are visiting, on the same basis as a local. Often this will reduce the travel insurance policy excess, if you also use the EHIC card.
TRAVEL INSURANCE RECOMMENDATIONS
Visitors Coverage (great for shopping the market for regular travel insurance. You'll get quotes from all the top insurers and you can filter the results according to your preferences/needs) - www.visitorscoverage.com/?affid=806036ae052f1
Travelex (I haven't used this insurance as it's only for Americans. I'm suggesting it here because unlike many/most travel insurance that cuts off at age 65, this one has no age limit!) - www.kqzyfj.com/click-100713654-11485720
MONTHLY RENEWABLE INSURANCE FOR LONGER TRIPS
Genki Explorer (this is the policy I'm using on this trip that has excellent sports coverage and unlimited coverage limits) - genki.world/?with=theprofessionalhobo
Safety Wing Nomad Insurance (I used them for many trips, and I still get a quote when shopping for policies) - safetywing.com/nomad-insurance/?referenceID=theprofessionalhobo&campaign=youtube&Ambassador
EVACUATION COVERAGE
If your policy doesn't have beefy evacuation coverage, you'll want it from one of these companies. They get you home with no questions asked.
Medjet - www.awin1.com/awclick.php?gid=394388&mid=20001&awinaffid=202003&linkid=2688337&clickref=
Global Rescue - partner.globalrescue.com/theprofessionalhobo/index.html
GLOBAL HEALTH PLANS FOR EXPATS AND FULL-TIME TRAVELERS
These are full health plans that cover not only medical emergencies, but also routine healthcare needs around the world.
Genki Resident (with no age limits! And other perks like Air Doctor for direct billing and ease of locating medical help) - genki.world/products/resident?with=theprofessionalhobo
Safety Wing Nomad Health (up to age 74) - www.safetywing.com/nomad-health?referenceID=theprofessionalhobo
WRITTEN RESOURCES
What is Travel Insurance? The Complete and Easy Guide - www.theprofessionalhobo.com/travel-insurance-guide/
Traveling Long-Term? Here are some Special Considerations - www.theprofessionalhobo.com/best-travel-medical-insurance/
Here's the Dirt on Expat Insurance / International Medical Insurance - www.theprofessionalhobo.com/expat-insurance-travel-insurance-for-full-time-and-long-term-travelers/
Thanks to Dave & Deb from ThePlanetD and Mitch from Project Untethered for sharing their stories! More from them:
ThePlanetD
RUclips - www.youtube.com/@ThePlanetD
Website - theplanetd.com
Their article explaining what happened to Dave in detail - theplanetd.com/daves-broken-back-and-a-little-healing-time/
Project Untethered
RUclips - www.youtube.com/@ProjectUntethered
Website - www.projectuntethered.com
Note! Do your own research to ensure you get a policy that suits your needs.
genki only covers til 69
@@lustgarten Their Resident plan has no age limit.
We went on an international trip to several countries last fall, and got travel insurance, the one that we were offered on our airline's purchase confirmation page (Delta & Allianz). It came out to just over $50 each, which seemed reasonable given our itinerary and that our US-based health insurance was very restrictive for overseas use. It covered the usual things, health emergencies, lost luggage, canceled flights, etc.
One thing that it didn't cover, which hadn't really occurred to us when we purchased it although in retrospect it probably should have, was war. Namely, in the event of war or conflict, it didn't cover anything that was affected by it, like canceled flights, hotel reservations we couldn't keep, trains we couldn't take, etc. And, what do you know, but a war did in fact break out when we were there.
I won't get into the details although you can probably guess (and it was just as scary as you can imagine), but it led to our flight back being canceled and our being unable to make some of our hotel reservations on the way back (we had planned on stopping in the other countries on the way back), which, being cheapskates, we had purchased at their lowest non-refundable prices (another lesson learned).
Thankfully, we were able to get full credit for the missed flights from the airline itself even though the flights were technically not refundable, due to the circumstances, and for one of the two hotel reservations we were forced to miss. And we ended up finding alternate flights out several days later on another carrier, for which we ended up paying way more than for our original flights, but which enabled us to make use of our remaining hotel and train reservations and flight back to the US.
So the moral of this story is, research the places you're traveling to, to determine the various risks involved in traveling to them, both generally and at any given time as circumstances can be fluid, in terms of conflict, ethnic strife, crime, natural disasters, disease, etc., spend a bit more for flight, hotel and other reservations that can be canceled for a full refund, and get insurance that covers extraordinary situations that pertain to your destinations such as war and ethnic and political strife.
And, in case someone thinks that the way to avoid the need for all this is to just not travel to potentially risky places, well, basically the whole world is risky these days for all sorts of reasons, and even the more risky places tend to be relatively safe most often, if you're careful and take prudent measures, and they can be some of the more interesting places to visit.
And, in our case, we had to be in the country where the war broke out, being from there originally and having business to attend to there, plus wanting to see family, enjoy the holidays, etc.
Sorry for the long comment, but I thought that our experience might help others.
Sure, your comment is long, but don't be sorry about it. I read every word of it.
Can you share what travel insurance company you had, please. Is it Delta & Allianz ?
@@CL-mp4vn Yep, Allianz through Delta. Still glad I got it even if it was of no use for our specific situation, but had we come down with a medical issue or lost luggage it would have been well worth the relatively small cost. In fact the airline did lose one of our bags, but we got it within a day or so and didn't need the insurance for that either.
And, yeah, my comments tend to be long. I'm not one of those "Oh you're so great your videos are so great that's all I had to say" types. I mean I say that too, but also try to add my own experiences and insights. You know, come for the content and creator, stay for the discussions. 😀
Incredible story and advice - thank you! Indeed, many/most policies exclude war, terrorism, and even....pandemics. Another reason to read the fine print and like you say, evaluate the risks before you book.
Many insurers are currently not covering war because there is so much turmoil and unrest right now
I would rather have too much insurance then not enough. Canadians don't realize how much medical care costs. Don't be relaxed about insurance. OhIP does not cover a lot now whe out of country like they used to
Thank you to your "guests" for mentioning Medjet. I had never heard of this particular company. I looked them up and one of the options will provide an Emergency Cash Advance up to $60,000 to medical care that requires a cash payment (with stipulations, of course). Having heard the "cash only and in advance" issue as part of several overseas medical emergency stories from travelers, that's a wonderful resource to have. The prices for Medjet's policies are fairly reasonable compared to other companies I've priced as well. Thanks for sharing.
I'm so glad you found it useful! I left a link to Medjet (and another emergency evacuation provider) in the description and also the first pinned comment.
I do not leave home without a medjet policy.
@@PK-nm8wu Good to know! I've not had it in the past, but after speaking with Dave & Deb, I think I'll get it from now on!
tip: download all the conditions of your reservations as you make them. Insurance companies need a copy of to prove they were not refundable. Table of contents and numbered pages are necessary. I also try to pay for everything with credit card. That way all payments are in USD - no confusion with exchange rates which will change . I black out other information on credit card as its number and other charges unrelated to insurance. I am always happy when I didn’t have to use the insurance and never go bare .
These are amazing tips - thank you!
Conditions of reservations? What does that mean, please?
"...copy everything, but I also included a table of contents..."
Subscribed.
Ha ha - thanks!
Money Saving Tip - Single Trip Insurance
When calculating the cost of your trip for insurance, don't include anything that can cancel (or cancel last minute) for no charge, and I don't include the cost for no change fee flights.
This greatly lowered my Insurance cost.
Having filed two claims on my last Asia trip - save everything, persistence and patience. Great Video!
Great call! Yes, any refundable expenses needn't be part of your trip cancellation amount.
In my experience, Insurance companies will often deny a claim, at first. It's a business decision. If you are a "nice" pest, calling daily, things will get to a point where they pay it because you are costing them more in professional time than the claim is worth. If you are nasty with them they will block you and deny permanently and cancel your policy. It can be a fine line. (Used to work in insurance...the break even decision thing is real).
I agree, the knee-jerk reaction if there is any question about the claim tends to be a denial. They'll reconsider when you appeal.
Wow, that’s awful. I always get Blue Cross (Canadian one) and have never had this problem.
THANK YOU!!! You made me check our travel insurance policy and realize we need to up our basic coverage. I never gave our travel insurance the scrutiny it deserved. Once again THANK YOU?
AWESOME - thanks for saying this, and I'm thrilled my video helped!
My son was studying in Taiwan and did something to his back while on a visit to Hong Kong for a weekend. He ended up in a hospital in Taiwan and needed back surgery. There was no option to bring him home for surgery. I went to Taiwan for a month to be its him during the operation and early rehabilitation. Although he was well insured (his home university had years of experience organizing such studies abroad), we had to pay for services as they were rendered. The total was about $5,000 for surgery, hospital stay and medication. DO check the prevailing costs in the country in which you will be traveling - like us you may not have an option to ‘go home’. If you can’t afford to pay those costs before you are reimbursed by your insurance company, have a plan to deal with that.
Another thing to be prepared for is hospital release forms in a language you don’t understand. The ones I signed were in Chinese and there was no one to translate them. Even if there as a translator, the chances of changing them is negligible. Be prepared to live with terms that exempt the service provider from liability and must be litigated in local courts.
There was a good side to this experience. The doctor was excellent - I found through the medical grapevine that the surgeon had been trained in the US and was known for his skill. If you find yourself in a foreign country in a high risk situation, contact your doctor at home to see what they might know about the medical system in that country. The information may help you to deal with the anxiety of the situation.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I'm glad everything worked out. Fantastic advice too. Thanks!
Taiwan is probably similar quality to US medical care. $5k sounds great for what you needed. In US may of been $25K ++.
Also, google translate can easily read documents in your native language.
I would have described myself as a fairly experienced traveller, and I always buy insurance, but there were several points in this video that really made me think. Luckily my current policy seems up to scratch, but it hadn't occurred to me that I might be unconcious. I will email a copy to my husband (staying at home) and put his emergency contact details in my daypack.
I'm glad I was able to help you improve your travel system!
In Canada, Tugo has a full preexistence condition coverage option. You have to be "stable" 5 days before your trip, while with others it can be 90 or even 180 days.
Awesome - thanks for the tip!
Thanks so much. Super helpful. Son has type 1 Diabetes. Mostly stable since Grade 6 (!) with never an emergency but it can happen at any time. You never know!
Great informetion. Folks take especially care when shopping for insurance once over 70. It ends by being told that your insury was a precondition related issue, therefore no single cent paid out for a surgery in the tune of 15 K US$. Needless to say that even necessary flight rescheduling was also not paid out: THANKS AIG, great insurance company
Oh no....I'm so sorry that happened.
Thanks Nora for the real-life experience shared by you and your guests. For all the naysayers who think "nothing will happen to me", well there you go. A minor inconvenience on a recent flight from Vancouver to Toronto--luggage was on the tarmac in YVR when the flight landed at Lester Pearson. Fortunately (another logical travel tip), I packed extra undergarments, shirt and socks in my carry-on luggage for just such an occasion. I got the luggage the next (delivered from a different airline), but just goes to show you, things CAN happen to you and a bit of preparation only takes a little time.
Good tip to bring a change of clothes, David!
Wow, you just described my situation last November to a T! Fortunately, I too had a few clothes and my CPAP in my carry-on. My checked luggage did arrive the next evening, which was critical because I was leaving the following morning for a bucket list trip on The Canadian.
@@LeonLahiere Glad your checked luggage arrived in time! Whew.
I admire your patience dealing with all those claims😮
Ha - thanks!
Your video is well done! I have traveled a lot and in the past lived overseas for years but learn something new from each of your videos. Thank you!
Thanks, Lisa!
What has made the headlines in Australia recently is alcohol consumption (let alone illegal substances) may void your claim if under the influence. Also lots of stipulations around motorbikes and scooters and even being a passenger on one (sober or otherwise).
Interesting about the alcohol. Also, great point about motorbikes and scooters - in some countries you can rent one without a license and it's a hazard for everybody on and around the vehicle. Multiply that by the number of people on the road (who may or may not also have licenses), and it gets messy. Definitely important to know what you policy covers before getting on one.
My experience. A friend and I went on a cruise to Greece and Italy. On the last day of the cruise. We managed to catch the norovirus going around the cruise ship. As a result, when we disembarked we were not able to continue with our regular plans which included the train for 2 hours giving everyone else norovirus. So I booked the nearest hotel that had availability. It was a Saturday. The insurance paid for our taxi to the new hotel and the hotel that we were not able to stay at in Bologna. Turned out our new hotel was in an Italian beach resort town. And our hotel room had a view of the ocean. We fell in love with this little town. We were the only Americans there. We still talk about it today.
And my insurance refunded me for the hotel and taxi in a week. And I didn't even have a lot of documentation. I was really impressed. Great experience. I was thankful to have gotten the insurance.
Thanks for sharing this insurance tale with a happy ending! So glad it worked out for you.
pixalu...at least the little town you wound up in brought you fond memories! Please give us the name of your Travel Insurance company!
What travel insurance company did you use?
What travel insurance company did you use?
Can you provide information either about the insurer or the levels of coverage you paid for? I'm trying to decide what insurance to get before I travel this Fall. Thank You.
MY God, Nora! After you made this video you must have been EXHAUSTED!!!! Great job and thank you and your friends as well!
Ha ha! Thanks Mia. These videos are a ton of work, but I ultimately enjoy it :-)
I have a yearly policy with Allianz. Never in a million years did I think that 2 dogs would slam into me at the dog park and break my ankle/tib/fib 2 weeks before we were supposed to leave for Australia( cruise). ( This happened on Feb 10th) I was dismayed to find out I only had 5k of trip cancellation. I have the premier plan so I thought it would cover more. Thankfully, I charged my cruise on the Chase preferred card so I'm covered there.
Whew - glad you had coverage through your credit card! And a good learning point about trip cancellation limits when you're taking high-value trips. Thanks for sharing so we can all learn!
Is that an automatic card benefit?
@@TT-vj5qq Yes, you have to have a Chase preferred card( 95 a year). You also have to call and let them know about your claim within 20 days. Allianze gave me 5k back, I'm waiting for the remainder from Chase.
@@TT-vj5qq It can be - depends on the card. It's important to read the terms before you go. Some cards require you to charge certain expenses in order to have the insurance. Others provide the insurance automatically.
Lots of valuable information. I had a bad fall 3 years ago in Indonesia and I needed xrays and an overnight stay in hospital. I had to pay up front which was about 5oo euros I kept all receipts hospital reports etc.. and was reimborsed on my return home. It's so important to be insured because you never know when you may need it. The only problem is the company to choose from, but, after watching this video I have a clearer idea what to look for. thank you Nora
Thanks for sharing your story, Susan - and I'm glad you kept everything and got fully reimbursed!
Hello from CA. Thanks 4 info, did you choose an ins co?
Thanks, Nora. That was a nice combination of information and personal experiences. One addendum I would offer is that, at least in my experience with different companies, pre-existing conditions are usually COVERED if I purchase travel insurance within a couple weeks of making the first payment toward a planned trip. In recent years, I have had an annual policy that i have renewed annually, so pre-existing conditions are always covered.
Regarding experiences with the insurance company, I have very good international coverage on my regular US health insurance policy, so when I have had expenses (all relatively small), I have just filed the claim with my health insurance, and they have paid very well. The one time I remember reaching out to my travel insurance company, Allianz, was when I was experiencing fairly serious pain on one side of my lower back. I called to have them recommend a doctor or clinic for consultation in Sydney, Australia on a Sunday. To my utter amazement, they had no suggestions for Sydney and I ended up getting advice from my hotel's front desk. To give Allianz the benefit of the doubt, perhaps since Sydney is an advanced location for health care and is English speaking (as am I), they felt I could easily find my own place for treatment. Still, it made me wonder about Allianz.
That's odd about Sydney! I recently found an app called Air Doctor which could help. That said, asking around (as you did) is also a great bet.
EXCELLENT VIDEO. Thanks for your research and clear presentations.❤
You're very welcome!
Getting ready for a lot of travel over the next 2 yrs. Very helpful information as I am now starting the process. Great checklist of things to watch out for. On aside, I have on captions and I laughed at all the ways pre-existing was written. Best was priest existing. Thanks!!!
Ha ha - auto captions can be funny. Sorry about that!
I’m thinking if you need a priest in a foreign hospital it already too late. 😉😅
Great video Nora, as usual! The pre existing condition section perked my ears up because before my next trip in October, I am having a full knee replacement. The first question I asked when booking this trip with insurance was about this possible denial of a claim if I somehow injured the new knee. Luckily, with my policy, I have nothing to worry about, but I did double check it to be on the safe side. Safe travels✈😊
Thanks Susan! Yes, I think if you injured the new knee that would fall under acute onset, rather than being directly related to the knee replacement.
The onus is on both the Travel Agent and client themselves....read everything. If your potential insurer doesn't want you to read the policies before you sign...run from them. Always check country travel cautions/warnings....
Absolutely!
We are taking multiple trips this year and found that an annual travel insurance policy will save us a lot of money. We actually took out two different policies. One covers medical expenses and evacuation when out of the country. The other covers trips in the US and abroad. It gives us trip cancellation, not enough to cover the entire cost of our trips, but it would soften the blow. It also has lost luggage and trip delay. This policy has medical and evacuation as well, but the limits were pretty low. The cost of both policies for the year was much less than the cost of insuring each trip separately.
Excellent, Barbara! Annual policies are great if you take multiple trips of a shorter duration. (Shorter, as in not months at a time - ha!)
Which company did you use?
Thank you. I enjoy the way you present information. Also, the rock wall behind you is beautiful. Where is it? Do you have a picture of the entire wall?
Thanks Robert! The wall is an accent feature inside my partner's home in Bulgaria. He designed it to replicate the ancient building in the town square.
I'm 60 this year and I've always bought it but there are still lots out there who don't. WHEN they are in dire straights they start a go fund me page in the UK anyway. I always say if you can afford a holiday...... I buy annual travel insurance cos it's cheaper for multiple trips AND i have a pre existing medical condition too
Good call with the annual policy!
In 50 years of traveling, I never considered buying travel insurance and never needed it, until 18 months ago. It had nothing to do with me. However, my brother unexpectedly died in the U.S., while I was on vacation in Thailand. I found out that no airlines anymore have any sort of bereavement plan/policy, either partial or full reimbursement. Singapore Airlines wanted $1,650 to change the return portion of my ticket (The ticket cost me $674 total for round trip). I had to buy a one way ticket on Qatar Airlines for $620, but paid an additional $300 at check in because they only allow 1 free check in bag. Even if travel insurance paid me back half the $674 cost of the original ticket, that still leaves me having to buy a one way ticket at a much higher price and extra travel and hotel expenses in getting back to Bangkok for a flight. I would prefer to travel to Thailand on a one way ticket and buy the return after I get there but most countries, including Thailand, want proof of an onward ticket. Which means buying the cheapest airline ticket out of Thailand to Vietnam as proof, and then not using it. I’ve got 4 more siblings, all of us are in our 70’s, so I’ve tentatively told them that I may not make it back if any of them die while I’m in Thailand (I go yearly because I have a house in Chiangmai and hopefully I’ll be retiring to it in 2 years).
Interesting! FYI there are some other options for providing proof of onward travel: www.theprofessionalhobo.com/things-before-traveling-abroad/#onward-travel-proof
Just tell them you are going to go from Thailand to Laos by bus like a Korean guy who was asked by Thai immigration when I took the Giant Ibis bus from Siem Reap to Bangkok last month.
@@heythave That works too.
I'm sorry for your loss.
L
I went to Japan many years ago and was sick and needed to see a doctor. When I got home the insurance company rejected the claim. The reason was DO NOT KNOW WHAT KIND OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS PRESENTED. BECAUSE THE LEGAL LANGUAGE HERE IS NOT THE SAME AS WHAT YOU HAVE SUBMITTED. They suggested to have the documents be translated by Japanese Consulate. As I can remember, the doctor consultation fee was just about US$120. But the translation fee for medical reports will cost me about ten times of the medical costs.
Yes, translation can be problematic. I also had to pay for translation of documents in Chiang Mai; luckily it was relatively inexpensive and worth the money in terms of what I would be reimbursed.
Some policies cover pre-existing conditions if the policy is purchased within a time period, usually 14 or 21 days, of booking your trip. We've had 2 relatively small claims that were handled promptly when I was able to send all the necessary documentation. One was medical, and I had to first submit it to our medical insurance and get a denial of coverage since they don't cover care outside of the US. THe other was a delay of trip when a cruise was unable to depart due to weather. The cruise line covered the hotel, but we were responsible for food and misc. stuff.....again, easy, I did follow our travel agent's recommendation as to a reliable company. Read your credit card's travel insurance coverage before you rely on it. I was surprised to see that on one of my cards, the claim must be submitted within 7 days of the occurrence. If I'm on a cruise and something happens within the first few days, I might not be home within in week!
Thanks for sharing, Kathryn - and great tips too!
You can always call the 800 or send an email or click on website to file claim but yeah I agree a week seems a bit unfair.
This is a super helpful video for me as I start to dream about some future travel. Gone over the days when I didn’t have to give a thought to something called “travel insurance“!
First thing I need to do is to check all my credit cards to see which if any have some kind of travel insurance…
Woohoo! Thanks :)
Travel Insurance - better to have it and not need it vs need it and not have it! Thankfully I haven't had any medical emergencies in my travels, but I've always purchased coverage through SafetyWing for my trips. The basic policy does have exclusions for 'high risk' activities but they do offer and Add-On (for a price of course) which will cover you in that regard. Also not covered are pre-existing conditions and (interestingly) illness or injury due to "an epidemic, pandemic, public health emergency, natural disaster, or other disease outbreak when a health warning has been in effect before your start date or if you did not leave the area mentioned in the health warning within 10 days following the date the warning is issued." Good lord, the legalese 🤣
Great point about the epidemic, natural disasters, etc. This is a common clause on policies, and a tough one to swallow.
I never realized how important travel insurance was until I got stranded during a layover! Now, it's the first thing I get before any trip." I recommend AMA Travel Insurance in Australia.
Thanks for sharing!
One thing that you seem to have missed is that some international hospitals do not take card payments. Cash only! Speaking from experience with Luxor International hospital. Trying to get large amounts of cash from an ATM is difficult. You are usually limited as to how much you can withdraw on a daily basis. I had to use a local tour operator that was willing to let me have cash at a 5% premium
Wow - that's crazy! But you're right, Stewart - it's not the first time I've been told of a hospital that would only take cash. I'm hoping that this will be less and less common - it blows my mind that a hospital would expect people to have thousands of dollars in cash.
I got a $80 policy for my wife's 1-week trip to Mexico. She had an overnight stay in a hospital. We sent all documents to the insurance company, about 5 of them, and the claim was denied. They said something was missing. We had no other documents. Limits were over $250k. They saved $650 denying our expenses. 🤷🏻♂️
Oh dear, I'm sorry that happened to you.
What company denied your claim? It’s important for others know who to avoid. Thanks!
@@ChristianLehrer There isn't enough info here to say it was the insurance companies fault
Trust me, it was the insurance fault.They'll try to get out of pain for it.And the philippines is wishy while she about doing any extra paper worker more than they have to@@intotheblue970
Please what’s the name of this insurance company?
This was very helpful. I would never go anywhere without insurance. I had a friend who was a travel nurse (she'd accompany injured/ill people back to England), and she was away A LOT for this job. Accidents, illnesses etc happen all the time, and the cost of repatriation is horrific without insurance.😢
Yes! It's the repatriation that can cost horrendous amounts of money.
Got travel insurance before trip to Dominican Republic. Return date, there was a snowstorm in the US that prevented me from returning home. Travel insurance covered 2 more days at the resort. I think my airline rebooked for free, but it was important to produce documentation from the airline and hotel to the insurance company.
@@antonkarridian2895 Glad you were covered! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! Helpful. Sounds like you spent a lot of time dealing with all of this (I feel for you). I’m curious to know how many hours you’d say you spent to get properly reimbursed?
That's a great question, and unfortunately I would be guessing (badly) to say. It was a while ago.
Watching this video made me determine I am better off staying home and watching my vacations on national geographic. Thanks.
Sorry that's the conclusion you came to. That said, different strokes for different folks! Nothing wrong with armchair traveling.
LMAO!!!
Keep in mind that one of the accidents was in a highly remote area of the Amazon, while the other was riding a scooter in Thailand, which is not easy if you don't have lots of experience.
I just had friends in their mid 40's come back from Hanoi....and they both said there was no way in hell they were going to rent mopeds and ride in such congested traffic -- but some people believe they can do it...and it's a very easy way to get hurt.
I think there's a lot less chance of getting hurt in Europe as long as you're not involved in any extreme sports
@@stevebalestreri7427 I agree Steve. Everybody has different travel styles and preferred activities!
I used frequent flyer miles to book a round trip ticket from SAN to MIA. I paid the taxes and fees on the flight on my AMEX Platinum card ($11 each way.)
Getting there was fine, but on the return home, Southwest cancelled the flight and booked me on a new flight the next morning. We were on the way to the airport when this happened. On very short notice, we had to book a hotel in Miami.
The short of it is that AMEX Platinum's built-in insurance covered our hotel and drink/meal expenses in Miami. Southwest provided hundreds in future travel vouchers.
Obviously, I'm not referring to broken backs and such, but some of these cards have some decent insurance baked in, but you must put your tickets and such 100% on their card, typically.
Great point about credit card insurance! I personally have copied the terms of my credit card insurances and I keep them in the "notes" app on my phone, so I can reference it on the fly.
Oh man. need to watch this one a few more times.
I DID pack a ton of info into it... :-)
@@NoraDunn But good stuff. Now I need to go back and rewatch some of the others you did on insurance.
@@WELEKnownHouston-rn3wm This is the only insurance video I've done.
@@NoraDunn mmmm, you may have found your next "hot topic".
Just an interesting fact/ experience...when I was much younger and living overseas ( before the internet days) I had to submit paperwork to the insurance company for a 2 day hospialization; however, the paperwork was in the native language so the insurance could not read any of it. I got asked to translate all of it. 😮
Great point, Peggy! I believe for my Thai claim I also had to translate and notarize hospital documents.
I'm worried I have been diagnosed with FND FUNCTUAL NEUROLOGICAL DISSORDER but it's not a well known condition with many medications to take, I go on holiday Tomorrow & after watching this I am going to have to contact the rbs cover I already have.
Hopefully you would be covered by the Acute Onset clause. Definitely call your insurance company to check.
Travel insurance like all these type of things set it up so they will not pay out.... its the details.... "You wrote day time, the event happened at night...sorry"... "not covered outside city limits" sorry or "not covered in the rainy season"... sorry. Pre-existing conditions? I'm Italian. Am i covered? BTW, You are so smart to document and follow up on everything. You got a great video out of this adventure. LOL.
I understand your frustration.
Thank you for this information. The personal examples were very helpful. I always travel with insurance but you have given me a couple things to think about for our next trip. I have only ever had to use cancellation insurance due to surgery before a trip (which was fully covered).
Glad your cancellation insurance came through for you!
Thank you for this informative and helpful podcast.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I had a bunch of valuable camera gear stolen in Italy. When I got back my home owners policy covered nearly 90% and I was refunded the money. btw...be sure to get a formal police report as evidence of any theft.
Great tip - thanks! Glad you got reimbursed.
Thanks for sharing your Thailand experience, this would've been a lot more stressful if one was a solo traveler, unfortunately a lot of us are solo. @20:42 Wow, $15K for a hospital stay in Thailand? That is crazy expensive, I thought Thailand was cheaper than that.
That 15K for Mitch included multiple surgeries and pretty long stay. I think it was actually very reasonable!
My mum got bit by fire ants in Florida when I was a kid and spent two weeks in hospital there plus more time at home in Canada. They tried to tell my dad that our insurance wasn’t valid because they weren’t open on Xmas Day. The panic on his face having to wait til the next business day for confirmation while the costs for all the tests and her stay piled up. I’ve never travelled without travel insurance as a result. Sometimes my work policy is sufficient depending on the destination and trip expenses (land based in Japan) and sometimes I use World Nomads (my upcoming trip that involves a cruise and visiting a more unstable country).
Thanks for sharing, Kristen! I'm with you on always having insurance.
Several years ago we had to cancel an overseas trip for the 4 of us as my husband required urgent surgery and had complications that made travel impossible. I submitted everything via the mail and had all the paperwork very organized. We got all our money back. Very positive experience.
A second trip was one we canceled due to political unrest in Peru last year. We had only made one deposit but didn't want to sink more money into an uncertain situation. Claim was denied due to political unrest not being covered by the policy. Yes, we now do cancel for any reason
Thanks for sharing, Robert! Indeed, with exclusions for political unrest, natural disaster, terrorism, war, etc - cancel for any reason is a good idea if you're taking an expensive trip that is non-refundable.
Thailand offers some of the best healthcare on earth. Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok, for example, is excellent. But read your plan carefully. Cancel if necessary (most states have provisions in insurance products that allow state residence to cancel within 3 days).
Indeed, the care we received in Thailand was top notch.
This is such a helpful video. I am curious if there is travel insurance for pets. I plan on traveling with my service dog in October to Mexico, and I would love to make sure that she is covered as well.
I'm not sure! I know pet insurance exists; I'm just not sure if it applies when you travel.
What i would have done is not book a series of trips consecutively like that, always anticipating that if plans go sideways due to missed flights, health issues, etc., you won't have to cancel and rebook everything. You had 3 or 4 trips that you had to do and that in itself is a nightmare scenario. Having worked in the travel industry i am well aware even for 1 trip you will need Plan A, B, C & sometimes D (we flew quite a bit so there's been a couple times we've had to resort to Plan D).
The expense you incur booking the next trip while at your present location may be a bit higher but it's worth the pain & headache, not to mention the insane hassle, of having to cancel & rebook.
Interesting strategy. Unfortunately this was one "trip", and just a succession of travel plans within that trip. Too book everything at the present location, at times with less than 24 hours to spare, would have been exorbitant if not impossible.
Great video, I and my family hope you to make about td Aeroplan visa travel insurance please
Thanks for the suggestion!
Hello Nora.
Thank you for making and sharing this video. It is so informative and educational. After watching this video, I definitely will get travel insurance next time I travel overseas. Thank you again. 🙏👍
Awesome - thanks Anthony!
I had a medical emergency right here in the USA thank God I had my insurance cards with me.
Always take a travel insurance policy.
Agreed! Hope you've recovered.
My friend broke her leg skiing, she didnt have ANY insurance, now she is stuck with 200k medical bills 😢 GET THE TRAVEL INSURANCE!!
Oh dear! Thanks for helping us learn from your friend's experience and encouraging people to get insurance.
Very helpful video about travel insurance. With regards to communication, did you use a local sim or your mobile carrier?
This was a long time ago, so I think I used payphones and international calling cards, believe it or not! These days, I would use my smartphone on Wifi and use the Skype app to call the toll free insurance number (which is free with Skype).
But a local SIM card would also work.
(Actually, I have an app called Fongo - only for Canadians - that is my phone number, and I can make calls with that over WiFi, so THAT is what I would do, but unless you're Canadian that won't apply to you. You COULD however use Google Voice if you're American, but you need to set it up before you travel. )
The guy with the shattered wrist in Thailand from a motorbike accident, didn't mention that motor bike riding is often excluded. Or can be only covered if hiring from a proper company, or only if wearing a helmet, or only if you have a motorbike licence etc.
True. Lucky for him, he was fully covered.
Mitch called insur company ahead. Smartly recorded that call using wife's cell phone. Captured their confirmation it would be covered; also documented call details - who, when, etc. Those actions, turns out, saved him when they initially pushed back on coverage. Very smart move.
Thank you Nora for sharing. This is great information. 😁👍🏿👍🏿
With pleasure, Nicole!
I love your videos very well informed I use the info as i travel to visit my wife inh PI and travel with her froim there great in fo
Awesome - thank you!
We've been lucky so far with our travel insurance. We had to cancel 2 trips at the last minute - one due to weather and the other due to my sudden illness. Luckily, we were still in the States, and I was able to do the claim paperwork on line, and submit the needed documents electronically. Like you, I made sure to have them organized, which sped up the claim. I won't travel internationally without insurance!
Glad your claims went through with minimal headaches!
Which travel insurance did you have please
You forgot to mention insurance policy brands 😢. Which ones have you tried and which ones are good??
That was on purpose. All insurance companies have resulted in good experiences for some people, and bad experiences for others. That said, I do recommend some companies in the description and the first pinned comment.
I loved your video! Kudos to the effort made. Every time you were talking about travel insurance I was thinking about this insurance I came across , Sitata travel insurance, it kinda had medical benefits too. World nomads to is a great one !
Thanks for the suggestions!
My friend and I went on a cruise to Alaska and bought the insurance the cruise line offered at time of booking. The company is called AON and they are the worst. Its been a year and a half and still waiting for reimbursement. Anyone I speak to and the higher up I go the company's answer is "your claim is being processed" Be careful who you choose and read the fine print~!
You should’ve gotten GeoBlue
I'm sorry you're still in the midst of an ugly claim.
I've only made use of the trip cancellation for any reason portion of my travel insurance. It made it slightly less heartbreaking to cancel my trip to England.
Thanks for sharing, Karyn! I hope you made in on that trip eventually.
@@NoraDunn Not yet, but hopefully spring of 2025! 2024 has been on the books for about 2 years but 2025 is open!
@@KarynHill Woohoo!
Thx very informative. What I have heard that every travel insurance company has to have an underwriter. Living in Canada I have heard they are only three underwriters. Be interesting to hear from traveller’s which underwriters they have had claims denied unreasonably and which underwriters are better to deal with when making claims. Thx
I believe most insurance companies list which underwriters they work with. That would indeed be an interesting exploration!
can you address pre-existing condition waiver? I was traveling internationally 2 months after total knee replacement surgery. I had no complications and was recovering well. When I asked a travel insurance comparison site, who works with multiple insurance companies, if any new complications arising from the surgery during my trip would be covered under a waiver of pre-existing condition clause, told me they would not be covered. They told me those waivers cover ongoing conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.
I don't know for sure, but I would suspect complications arising from the surgery might fall under the Acute Onset of a pre-existing condition clause. So if you had a policy with that, you might get coverage.
My sister in Australia, who has medical issues, could get insurance to travel to anywhere in the world, albeit a little expensive, except the USA because of the cost of healthcare.
Yes! There are often two different plans & prices for insurance; one including the USA, and one excluding it. The one including the USA is often double the cost.
thank you for your advice - you should be commended for your comprehensive advice and your patience and persistence in getting reimbursed.
Thank you!
Great video. Perhaps you are in Canada? The one thing I would add, for US residents, is why they need Travel Insurance, specifically the Emergency medical insurance. Most US employer provided medical insurance plans do NOT cover you outside the US, neither does Medicare or Medicare Supplement plans. Many Americans do not realize this! Credit card benefits are meager and most do not cover cruises. I was on a cruise last November when a fellow passenger found this out. We work for the fourth largest purchaser of health insurance in the US and our plans do not cover us outside the US. We bought an annual policy from Allianz. I was on a tour in the Holy Land when a woman fell and broke her leg. She did get needed care, but had to cut her trip short, and rebook her flights. None of this was cheap and she had no insurance. Thank you.
Great advice for Americans, especially about credit card insurance not covering cruises - thank you Christian!
I had a very similar experience, I caught the fever of Dengue, which is a virus, transmitted from a mosquito bite. I thought that my Insurance Aetna would have covered at the end it covers you in the United States it will only cover you if it's a life and death situation, which it was.
By submitting all the medical bills, thank God I was reimbursed.
Lesson learned for me I will definitely get travel insurance when I'm traveling out of the country and, of course, pack a good mosquito repellent cream.
I said cream because it protects you for a lot longer.
Good suggestion about the mosquito repellent cream! Super important in places where mosquitoes carry diseases and illnesses.
True about the cream. I had a nurse in Suburban Africa say that creams are much more effective than liquids or sprays.
Which country did you get the Dengue fever from?
@@stevebalestreri7427 A year ago at Dominican Republic
We learned that some Medicare Advantage plans will cover you if you are out of the country for 6 months or under. You need to come back to the US every 6 months and it was recommended to check in with you doctor to prove you were back in the US, or just use your insurance some how. If you are out of the country it will cost 150 dollars at the emergency room but then full coverage after that. We also have travel insurance and Medijet just incase.
Great tips!
is it automatic, or do you have to notify meedicare before your trip? is it an add on extra?
@@marinahuizar6067 Good question! I don't know. Hopefully another viewer can weigh in here...
@@marinahuizar6067 Medicare Advantage plans are between you and the insurance company; Medicare just pays your premiums. So any required communication would be between you and your insurance plan, not you and Medicare.
Can you do a video about insurance of your personal effects, such as cameras, computers, phones tuxedos etc...
Great suggestion - thanks!
For me the most important concern is medical coverage, because I do have preexisting conditions. I always buy a policy that has a preexisting condition waiver which is available from some companies if you purchase within a few weeks of your first deposit. I look for the larger amount of evacuation coverage. I’m from the US and will soon be on Medicare which does cover medical costs in other countries (which my private insurance does not) but I will continue to purchase travel insurance with evacuation since it does not cover that. And I’d rather get home ASAP!
I also have medicare; but I always think medicare does not cover in other countries. If it does, thanks for the tip.
I always purchase travel insurance and the evacuation is the detail I need to know if it covers.
Great tip about the preexisting condition waiver Cindy - thanks!
I have traditional Medicare with a gap plan. Only some of the gap plans (C,D, F, G, M & N cover SOME travel abroad emergency help (with no evacuation). That is definitely not comprehensive in scope!
Read my reply above-Medicare coverage out of the U.S. is very limited (and with only some of the gap plans). Medicare Advantage would be as equally or more limited.
@@ellengriffith2561 Thank you so much for the info Ellen! Very helpful.
Where did you get that pendant? It's wonderful. Thanks Nora
THanks! You can get it here: www.amazon.com/shop/theprofessionalhobo/list/2H88L1AJASF08?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_aipsftheprofessionalhobo_YB311KYBCCCGXC74NQ24
This was interesting timing. I was literally reading the T&Cs for my travel insurance for my upcoming trip to nepal. I get insurance with my credit card. It's a really good policy and it covers everything we normally need,,, but it doesn't cover hiking above 3,000 metres. I have one day at 3,300. I think I'm going to have to look another policy. I know if i don't that one day will be the day we get hurt 🤕😭
Good on you for reading the fine print and learning about this clause! It's at these higher altitudes that complications can arise. Make sure you have evacuation insurance too! You'll need it if you get hurt on the mountain.
What credit card do you use?
Great video! I know you're Canadian but FYI for any Americans: your health insurance might already cover you abroad (mine does). I guess thats one "benefit" to not having a rational healthcare system 🙄
Great to know! Does is cover all medical emergencies abroad, including evacuation where necessary?
Hi Laura, Genki only covers up 2 age 69. Researching now. Thanks.
Yes! But Genki Resident covers all ages - that said it's an international health plan, which is considerably more comprehensive (and expensive).
Ive reached a point where i avoid going to drs to avoid pre existing condition
Wow - that's a strategy LOL
Hi dear it was a wonderful video , I am 65 years old living in Niagara Falls Canada , never had travel insurance before , please let me know which insurane to get for medical emergency . just subscribed to your channel . Thanks
Hi there! Please check the description and the first comment for my insurance recommendations.
Hi thanks for your reply, anyone in particular you recommend? Sorry I am an old fashioned man with low knowledge about these stuff.
@@sediqullahmohmand1337 It depends on your residency, destination, age, and length of travel. I always suggest getting multiple quotes. So you could get a quote from each of the insurance recommendations I give.
For reference, here they are:
TRAVEL INSURANCE RECOMMENDATIONS
Visitors Coverage (great for shopping the market for regular travel insurance. You'll get quotes from all the top insurers and you can filter the results according to your preferences/needs) - www.visitorscoverage.com/?affid=806036ae052f1
Travelex (I haven't used this insurance as it's only for Americans. I'm suggesting it here because unlike many/most travel insurance that cuts off at age 65, this one has no age limit!) - www.kqzyfj.com/click-100713654-11485720
MONTHLY RENEWABLE INSURANCE FOR LONGER TRIPS
Genki Explorer (this is the policy I'm using on this trip that has excellent sports coverage and unlimited coverage limits) - genki.world/?with=theprofessionalhobo
Safety Wing Nomad Insurance (I used them for many trips, and I still get a quote when shopping for policies) - safetywing.com/nomad-insurance/?referenceID=theprofessionalhobo&campaign=youtube&Ambassador
EVACUATION COVERAGE
If your policy doesn't have beefy evacuation coverage, you'll want it from one of these companies. They get you home with no questions asked.
Medjet - www.awin1.com/awclick.php?gid=394388&mid=20001&awinaffid=202003&linkid=2688337&clickref=
Global Rescue - partner.globalrescue.com/theprofessionalhobo/index.html
GLOBAL HEALTH PLANS FOR EXPATS AND FULL-TIME TRAVELERS
These are full health plans that cover not only medical emergencies, but also routine healthcare needs around the world.
Genki Resident (with no age limits! And other perks like Air Doctor for direct billing and ease of locating medical help) - genki.world/products/resident?with=theprofessionalhobo
Safety Wing Nomad Health (up to age 74) - www.safetywing.com/nomad-health?referenceID=theprofessionalhobo
Nora, please keep your passport copy AND travel insurance copy on a separate paper, NOT IN YOUR PURSE/WALLET. This will avoid a problem if your purse/wallet goes missing.
Keep Hotel address and your medications list on that paper also. I travel regularly Australia to Indonesia and always carry such ID separately from my wallet.
Does this make sense to an experienced traveller like you? I enjoy your video content every time. Be well.....John Murray in Australia
I'll do you one better, John - I keep a copy in my wallet (so that I know I have it on me all the time, because as a woman I don't always have pockets to put anything), PLUS I keep copies in other bags, that are at my accommodation etc.
I thought I had done everything right, but when I got food poisoning in Egypt I should have seen a doctor! Because I didn’t see a doctor my claim was denied! Lesson learned!
Oh no! Sorry that happened. What did you do instead of seeing a doctor?
This video is very extremely helpful❤
Glad it was helpful!
I have a personal articles policy that covers my camera gear against damage. My camera gear is covered for theft under my homeowner's policy. I wanted to add coverage in case something happened like equipment being dropped. I hike a lot with my equipment and was concerned about repairing or replacing my equipment If I fell down a hill or something. It's got all of my gear listed by serial number. But it does have limits.
That's a great strategy - complementing your homeowner's policy (theft) with a personal articles policy for damage!
Do not get sick in Canada. No beds available ... "free health care" ...
@@Skwarek-wp8dc I live in a very affluent Southern California community and there are no beds available in our hospitals either. We also wait two-to-nine months to see medical specialists and for tests like MRIs. My relatives and friends living in the urban Puget Sound of the Pacific Northwest are having the same experience. It took one of my relatives several months to see a specialist and be tested for a cancer and by the time he was, the cancer had spread so that the outcome is worse for him. However, we Americans are paying through the nose, the highest prices in the world, for the privilege of long waits for medical appointments and for no hospital beds/rooms available while we wait in the ED for two-to-four days for a room to open up. What’s our medical system’s excuse?
Amazing video. Can you please guide me regarding which is the best travel health insurance for Usa. I have heard that you can purchase insurance from local provider in my country or you can purchase from insurance provider in Usa. Which option is better?
It depends on where you're from and how long you're visiting for I think! I don't know the best travel insurance company for the USA in particular; I've had to make a few claims in the USA with different companies and they all went relatively smoothly.
I had a trip scheduled to New Zealand in October 2023, and three days before my trip, I'm in the Emergency Room so I had to cancel my trip.
The one thing I learned in processing my first ever travel insurance claim, was documentation, documentation, documentation. The insurance company wanted to see my original booking confirmations with the cost; my communications to the vendors cancelling their services; emails showing partial refunds; bank or credit card statements showing that I had actually received partial refunds; and, of course, documentation about the medical emergency from my doctor.
One thing that I found odd, was that they wanted a copy of communications from the tour operator cancelling the trip. I had to remind them that, 1) I booked the entire trip on my own, so there was no tour operator (like a cruise) that cancelled the trip and, 2) that it was my medical emergency days before the trip that cause ME to cancel the trip. Fortunately, the light bulb went off and they got it.
Like you, I organized the documents in a manner that made it easy for them to understand exactly what happened, and I had my claim check about 5 weeks after starting the claim.
Thank you so much for sharing what happened! Glad you got the claim through (eventually!) and I hope you've fully recovered.
Hey Nora, thank you so much for making this video! I'm finding out the hard way about travel insurance coverages this year so i appreciate your content! I also have a question for you since you are so knowledgeable and I'm traveling to Europe for the first time: How do i find out regulations they have for liquid allowances, etc.?! Like, we have the TSA standards here in the USA but i'm sure they are different in what is allowed. Many thanks in advance! :)
Thanks Sara! For the most part, liquid restrictions are the same. If you comply with US standards you will likely be fine everywhere else. Here's a video I made about it: ruclips.net/video/M-q2OKPq9Y4/видео.htmlsi=-SqJXakmdCs22XRI
@@NoraDunn oh great, thank you!!! i hadnt found your video yet!
@@sarapugh6700 My pleasure!
Very informative, well presented information!!
Thank you, Javier!
The whole idea of having to pay everything upfront even if you’re getting it back terrifies me, I don’t have an extra $5K dollars to spend on medical bills. Do any companies pay up front?
It all depends on the expense, more so than the insurance company. It's more about whether the institution is set up for direct billing.
Thank you, Nora, for this video. I do have another question..... Do you have a spreadsheet of travel costs? I am planning my Germany-Italy trip this year. I want to make sure I have considered all costs. Easy to remember is flight costs, accommodation costs, food costs. But what am I forgetting? Maybe a spreadsheet or checklist? Thanks.
You are forgetting costs to enter attractions, museums, and galleries. You should also consider that costs for hotels and food increase significantly in Italy during the tourist season. You may also incur additional costs if you try to fly on the budget airlines in Europe and have more than 1 bag or an oversized bag - they charge for extra or oversized bags on every flight.
Great question, Eric - and awesome answer @vanisle! I don't keep spreadsheets of travel budgets, but I do track my expenses. But since travel budgets are all unique and I live on the road, mine wouldn't be helpful for you.
READ the insurance policy before you accept! I thought that since we had two trips planned, a yearly policy would be advantageous. True, EXCEPT, (for this company) you must purchase the insurance before you book your travel. Had I not read the insurance document, I would not have known. I tried to tell someone this and she said that since the insurance company allowed her to purchase the policy, she would be covered (not).
Ooh - that's good to know! I wouldn't have thought an annual policy would have that clause.
@@NoraDunn I failed to say that the rule does not apply if the policy is continuing from a previous year. The point is, we need to read the documents, not just the bold print (which I'm guilty of).
@@caroleanne8529 It's such a slog to get through the fine print....I've also been guilty of scanning at times...
Hi Nora
What company did you have your insurance with when husband became ill? TY
It was World Nomads. But to be honest I wouldn't blacklist the company from this experience; all insurance companies have stories of smooth claims and rough ones. It boils down to the claims adjustor, the specific situation, and more.
I just double -up in my insurance. That doesn't even include the insurance that comes embedded in my credit card. It is a small price to pay , but better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.
Interesting strategy, Angie. Do you do this in case one insurance company denies your claim?
@NoraDunn Yes, I do it for that reason too. But my first reason is to make sure everything is covered at 100% +. 😊
My Chase Reserve card only covers $2,500 medical (if I'm reading the literature correctly) - it also doesn't seem to cover medical evacuation. Though I may rely on the credit card insurance for trip cancellation, interruption insurance etc (prepaid items). I get a comprehensive policy for medical and medical evaluation insurance - there will be some overlap with the credit card insurance. It's reasonable in cost since I'm not including all the -paid items that should be covered under the credit card. Hope all that is clear... If someone else has a different strategy I'd love to hear about it
@@jjmm5878 I think that's a good strategy, Jim. You don't want to leave things to chance, especially with things like evacuation.
What travel insurance do you suggest to travel in Southwest Asia and Europe?
It depends on your residency, age, and length of travel. I suggest getting quotes from the different companies I recommend in the description (and first pinned comment). These are the exact ones I use to find the best policy for each trip.
Hi Laura. You left out special circumstances concerning people over 65! The premiums get higher and so do EXCLUSIONS and DEDUCTIBLES. Then when it comes to preexisting conditions, the company may cover the preexisting conditions but events CAUSED by the preexisting condition. For example if a person has high blood pressure the insurance will want to determine whether a heart attack was a result traced to high blood pressure. If so, they won't cover the heart attack. Finally, If you cancel the policy after submitting claims they may require you to keep paying the premiums until the end of a full year!
Thank you for the extra intel! I do provide insurance options for people aged 65+ in the description, but you're right, I didn't discuss these points in the video. I appreciate your input!
@@NoraDunnI look forward to your video on our calendar-challenged demographic!
@@dovygoodguy1296 "Calendar-challenged" - ha ha!
Why didn’t you pay for the travel and medical with credit card? Are the Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore primarily cash based countries?
Would you use the same travel insurance company again?
I believe I did use credit cards at the time, but the insurance company required original receipts, not credit card statements.
As for the insurance company, I did indeed use them again. I haven't used them for the last 5+ years however, because their rates and coverage aren't as competitive as they once were.
I have to say, when I was younger, our trips were short, week or two, trips in or close to the US. I thought that if I lost luggage or my trip got delayed or cancelled, it wouldn't be a big deal. As we aged, I realized it was the medical portion that would be the real problem/expense on a trip. We are both reasonably healthy, but things can happen to anyone at any age. Fortunately we haven't had to use our insurance, but are glad it is there. On a recent two week cruise, there were at least 4 medical evacuations and while we were hovering off the coast of the US and Canada, I imagine they were pretty pricey!
Indeed - medical evacuations from a cruise are incredibly expensive! Glad you haven't needed to use your insurance, but that you still rest assured that you have it.
Traveling is a luxury.
I agree!
Not if it is for business
If one lives in the EU get the free European health insurance card. This gives public healthcare in the EU country you are visiting, on the same basis as a local.
Often this will reduce the travel insurance policy excess, if you also use the EHIC card.
Interesting! Thanks for the tip.