Vacation time conjures up thoughts of rest, relaxation, sightseeing and gathering lots of happy memories. The last thing we want to think about when planning a vacation is the possibility of getting sick or perhaps falling and breaking a bone. However, these things do happen and it is best to be prepared.
If you are under 65 years of age and have excellent health insurance, chances are your policy will cover you no matter where in the world you happen to be. When planning your vacation, be sure to review your health insurance booklet to determine what your benefits are if you are out of the area or out of the country. If you have adequate coverage, you need read no further.
For those of you who are on Medicare, you probably know that Medicare only pays when you are in the United States. Most of the Medicare supplement policies have a foreign travel emergency benefit. Plans C through J have this benefit and some of the old plans that were written prior to 1992 also may have a very limited travel benefit. The travel benefit with plans C through J have a $250 deductible and then the policy will pay 80 per cent up to a lifetime maximum of $50,000. If you have secondary insurance to Medicare other than a Medicare supplement, be sure to check the details of your secondary insurance to make sure you will be adequately insured if you leave the country.
We have recently learned about a wonderful new travel medical insurance policy written by John Alden Life Insurance Company. This coverage is even available for non-United States citizens who are traveling outside of their country of citizenship.
For United States citizens, you can purchase travel insurance that will provide you with a benefit up to one full year. A policy of this type will not pay you if you are planning to go abroad to seek treatment for a medical condition. It is strictly for sudden illness or injury. It is also important to know that pre-existing conditions are not covered under this travel insurance. However, if you have a condition that has been dormant for a long time and you suddenly experience a recurrence of symptoms when you are out of the country, there will be a limited benefit for you. This policy will also pay for dental emergency treatment. Travel insurance offers limited protection, but one of the most important reasons for having travel insurance when you are leaving the country is the fact that you can get coverage for emergency medical evacuation. Picture yourself skiing in the Alps and falling near the top. Or, picture yourself in a remote jungle location and suddenly experiencing acute appendicitis. A helicopter evacuation is very expensive. It will be covered by this policy. This emergency evacuation benefit will pay for reasonable travel and accommodations resulting from the evacuation. The evacuation will be to the nearest qualified medical facility.
I am quite enthused about this new product, as it is relatively inexpensive and it includes such coverage as trip cancellation, and lost luggage insurance in addition to some of the other features I already mentioned. The premium is based on your age and the amount of coverage you desire. For example, if you are going to be away for one month and you are between the ages of 60 and 64, you can receive $100,000 worth of coverage for $144. Better yet, for $170 you will receive up to $500,000 in maximum benefits. Suffice it to say, the younger you are, the less expensive the coverage.
If you would like additional information about John Alden’s travel insurance, you are welcome to call this office and we will send you a brochure.
Irene Card & Betsy Chandler share the responsibilities of running Medical Insurance
Claims, Inc. a health insurance services company. If you have questions relative to this
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