For US Divers on Medicare: Do You Purchase Health Insurance for Trips to Coz?

[dflaher]

Struggled whether this belongs on a diving forum, but we have lots of great threads about beer and food so here goes .

I recently turned 65 and am now among the Medicare ranks; as such I do not have health insurance outside of the US. For those of you in a similar situation, do you pick up a policy before coming down, or roll the dice, or...?

Obviously I will have DAN insurance to cover the diving stuff. I'm in good health and I limit non-diving activities to walking about town to restaurants/ATMs etc.

 

[ggunn]

I know DAN insurance covers dive accidents, but I am uncertain if they cover the myriad of non-diving medical issues that might arise. For example, if you do a two tank dive at Coz, and then have a heart attack at 2AM, who covers that? For safety sake, I always purchase trip insurance with a large medical and evacuation coverage in addition to my DAN dive insurance. I am 77 so I may be more at risk than you, but I urge you to diligently know if you can cover major medical issues, or you need the insurance. Trying to figure out that answer might be too late if you are laying in a hospital.

Thanks for starting this discussion. I will be leaving the 40 hour/week workforce soon, and, like you, I do not want Medicare to lapse or otherwise leave me vulnerable. After I make the transition any time I leave the US I will check this out thoroughly ahead of time.

 

[bcaderunr]

Struggled whether this belongs on a diving forum, but we have lots of great threads about beer and food so here goes .

I recently turned 65 and am now among the Medicare ranks; as such I do not have health insurance outside of the US. For those of you in a similar situation, do you pick up a policy before coming down, or roll the dice, or...?

Obviously I will have DAN insurance to cover the diving stuff. I'm in good health and I limit non-diving activities to walking about town to restaurants/ATMs etc.

Specifically for folks on Medicare. Affordable. I've had it for 2 years now, but no claims filed.
GlobeHopper Senior Travel Medical Insurance - IMG

 

[Scubagolf]

Some Medigap policies provide coverage for travel abroad. Check with your policy for specific coverage rules.

Medicare Advantage Plans may also cover emergency care abroad. Contact your plan for more information about its costs and coverage rules.

 

[Zane]

I always purchase good trip insurance when leaving the country.

Who do you use/recommend?

 

[DandyDon]

Who do you use/recommend?

I am no authority. DAN offers a pretty good Trip Insurance product. It's actually provided by Generali Global Insurance so I looked at their plans last trip and like their rates better using their Preferred or Premium plans for good maximum medical coverage - not their cheapest!

Mediumone suggested Squaremouth as a good shopping site...

There a several comprehensive on-line brokers, but I find SquareMouth to be the most user friendly.

​

 

[GameChanger]

I use GeoBlue Voyager Choice from Blue Cross.
Zero deductible. Easy peasy sign-up. Great rates too!
GeoBlue

 

[dflaher]

Many policies offer their medical coverage as primary coverage. I don't want primary coverage, but rather secondary coverage. Let my Advantage Plan be the primary, and the trip insurance will cover what the pricks at Blue Cross won't.

So at the time of service, do you/would you present your Medicare Advantage card and evidence of your secondary plan? Or just the MA card? If your MA plan doesn't pay in full, do you have the burden of getting reimbursed from your secondary?

Some Medigap policies provide coverage for travel abroad. Check with your policy for specific coverage rules.

I looked into mine (Plan G with AARP/UHC) and it will cover 80% of emergency medical procedures abroad, up to a $50K lifetime maximum, after a $250 deductible.

 

[mediumone]

I looked into mine (Plan G with AARP/UHC) and it will cover 80% of emergency medical procedures abroad, up to a $50K lifetime maximum, after $250 deductible.

That's why I buy a policy that offers secondary medical insurance rather than primary. The secondary will cover what your primary does not. Your oop will be next to nothing.

 

[mediumone]

So at the time of service, do you/would you present your Medicare Advantage card and evidence of your secondary plan? Or just the MA card? If your MA plan doesn't pay in full, do you have the burden of getting reimbursed from your secondary?

Would present both.
The policy that I referenced earlier will wire funds to secure my admission to a hospital.
I suppose that it's conceivable that I'd need to get reimbursed, but I wouldn't anticipate that that would be terribly onerous. It would be bad advertising for an insurer to yank you around. I think that they'd' have every reason to offer excellent service, and essentially no reason to again, yank you around.

I keep a file with a copy of my Blue Cross card and the trip insurance policy in the condo. I give the dive shop a copy of the card and a copy of the medical coverage and insurer's claims department phone numbers. The claims department is likely subcontracted out, but someone is reachable 24/7.

 

[DandyDon]

I looked into mine (Plan G with AARP/UHC) and it will cover 80% of emergency medical procedures abroad, up to a $50K lifetime maximum, after a $250 deductible.

The same supplement I use, and they have certainly paid well on a number of procedures. Their rates were higher than some, and all plan Gs are the same, but they don't increase each year like others. I'd want more than 50K coverage tho, and I figured Generali Global Trip Insurance would be more likely to be accepted for admission. If plan G was all I had, I'd expect to max all of my cards for 50K in coverage and file for refunds later.

I use GeoBlue Voyager Choice from Blue Cross.
Zero deductible. Easy peasy sign-up. Great rates too!
GeoBlue

If you're happy with them, great - your call, but I think their rates suck. You & I are both Texans, so I guess we'd be on similar rate plans. I priced a nine-day single trip and it would be $266 at my age of 75. Generali Global Insurance gives me $150K medical coverage with no deductible for a nine-day trip to Cozumel for $97 plus comprehensive trip insurance coverage. Now your plan includes a full million in coverage, but my call is that my $200K coverage with Generali Global Insurance plus my plan G should be enough to keep me alive and treated until I can be flown to Houston where Medicare and plan G will take over expenses.