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.

 

[dflaher]

As an update I purchased a medical insurance policy from Seven Corners, through the SquareMouth aggregation site. I ended up with $100K of secondary medical coverage with no deductible, and $250K of medical evacuation insurance for $33.

Thanks to all who responded, esp @mediumone. As he pointed out the policy includes scuba coverage for certified divers up to 40m/131ft. I'll still keep my DAN coverage for the expertise they provide and the ability to call with questions, so the medical policy I purchased will likely be secondary to DAN for dive insurance.

 

[Scubagolf]

You can't just book a plane and bill them; either one has to be requested by the doctor and booked thru the insurance company or thru Dan.

In 2014, we had a two week dive trip with week #1 on a Palau liveaboard, and week #2 at the Manta Ray Bay Hotel on Yap. My wife (dive buddy) suffered a severe compound fracture of her left ankle the first night of the second week. The Yap based doctor advised DAN that my wife needed to be repatriated immediately for medical treatment in the USA. DAN then made all of the arrangements for our travel back to the US (Yap > Guam > Honolulu > San Francisco) with airline agents and wheelchairs meeting us every step of the way.

 

[NDL_Diver]

What is difference between Primary insurance and secondary insurance???
What happens if you have secondary insurance policy without a primary?

When does the insurance pay? Are you on the hook for the bill and you get reimbursed?

Sorry, not 65 yet but getting close. Lucky I get to keep my BCBS insurance that includes international coverage and not take part b.

 

[DandyDon]

What is difference between Primary insurance and secondary insurance???

If you have both, then Primary is on the hook to pay its full benefits (say 80%), then Secondary pays the rest. Except these days many Primary plans have added a clause allowing them to split costs with over coverages. You really have to ask each one of yours.

What happens if you have secondary insurance policy without a primary?

Then it's Primary as your only.

When does the insurance pay? Are you on the hook for the bill and you get reimbursed?

That's up to the provider. Many will bill your Primary and Secondary, then bill you for the remainder. That may not always be the case, especially out of the US, so you have to ask the provider, hospital, doctor's office, etc.

Sorry, not 65 yet but getting close. Lucky I get to keep my BCBS insurance that includes international coverage and not take part b.

How much does it cost? Plan B may be cheaper, and plan B plus a good supplement may pay the vast majority of your expenses after a small annual deductible, this year being $226.

 

[NDL_Diver]

Around 300. My employer (Government) must continue to pay their share even though I retired as long as I don't cancel policy (and US does not default). So I only will have Part A and BCBS(as part B and D).

BCBS covers my international travel health. I had an accident (non motor) and spent 3 days in hospital (5 fractured ribs) in Bonaire. BCBS sent a letter of guarantee payment, walked out door 3 days later, $0. They paid 100% (hospital, CT scan, ambulance....). Got the BCBS and hospital statment next month, everything was paid.

DAN arranged my travel home for me and wife since I had to stay an extra week. They flew me home in 1st (extra room) wife was in back. DAN got my return 100% and were great.

 

[ggunn]

What is difference between Primary insurance and secondary insurance???
What happens if you have secondary insurance policy without a primary?

You can't have secondary insurance without a primary. It's the fact that you have double coverage that makes one primary and the other secondary. The primary covers what it does and the secondary addresses whatever the primary does not cover.

 

[dflaher]

You can't have secondary insurance without a primary. It's the fact that you have double coverage that makes one primary and the other secondary. The primary covers what it does and the secondary addresses whatever the primary does not cover.

Exactly. Most if not all secondary policies require a primary to be in force. That's why the secondaries are cheaper, per dollar of coverage. In my case, I'll need to use my Medicare-provided coverage first, then the policy I purchased for the trip will kick in.

ETA: if my medical needs are diving-related then I assume DAN becomes primary, and my trip medical insurance would be secondary.

 

[DandyDon]

Around 300. My employer (Government) must continue to pay their share even though I retired as long as I don't cancel policy (and US does not default). So I only will have Part A and BCBS(as part B and D).

Ok, well, my B & D are less than that, but I did take a cheaper D. It's nice that BCBS covers your international so well. My experiences back when I was in the biz were difficult, but that's a small study long ago. Nice that Dan came thru for you too.

 

[mediumone]

ETA: if my medical needs are diving-related then I assume DAN becomes primary, and my trip medical insurance would be secondary.

I think that my Medicare Advantage would remain my primary, and whatever they did not cover or allow, the Seven Corners policy would kick in. They would not have an issue with scuba activities as it is a covered activity. I see no reason to double up with coverage from DAN.

 

[DandyDon]

I see no reason to double up with coverage from DAN.

Infamous last words. Keep membership in Dan at least.