GeoBlue cost me and my wife $98 for a 11 day trip to mexico. We are mid 50's. $0 deductible, $1M limit, with $250k evac.
Al
Travel Insurance for upcoming trip to Cozumel
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GeoBlue cost me and my wife $98 for a 11 day trip to mexico. We are mid 50's. $0 deductible, $1M limit, with $250k evac.
Al
I agree with outofofficebrb: dive accident insurance such as DAN is a MUST. Beyond that, though, I find the cost-benefit analysis to be difficult. I figure that I'm going to take many trips over many years, and while the cost of coverage for a single trip may seem reasonable, over the years it's going to add up to, well, perhaps more than what I might find myself out of pocket if something goes wrong on some trip years from now.
My medical insurance in the US is a high-deductible plan, so except for something like major surgery I am already accustomed to paying everything out of pocket. I can't remember the last time my plan saved me from paying for something substantial--it must be a decade or more ago. And healthcare is generally less expensive in foreign countries. The orthopedic specialist I saw in Guatemala charged me US$50. Same at the clinic in Vietnam when I was sick as a dog. Come to think of it, if I needed major surgery, I'd consider traveling outside the US where it's more affordable. Medical tourism is increasingly popular. The odds of needing major emergency surgery due to a non-accident medical event in a foreign country while on a 1-week or 2-week vacation in a resort area, while certainly not zero, are low. Averaged over years of dive trips ... I just don't know.
My medical insurance in the US is a high-deductible plan, so except for something like major surgery I am already accustomed to paying everything out of pocket. I can't remember the last time my plan saved me from paying for something substantial--it must be a decade or more ago. And healthcare is generally less expensive in foreign countries. The orthopedic specialist I saw in Guatemala charged me US$50. Same at the clinic in Vietnam when I was sick as a dog. Come to think of it, if I needed major surgery, I'd consider traveling outside the US where it's more affordable. Medical tourism is increasingly popular. The odds of needing major emergency surgery due to a non-accident medical event in a foreign country while on a 1-week or 2-week vacation in a resort area, while certainly not zero, are low. Averaged over years of dive trips ... I just don't know.
For a 50 year old, with 100k medical, 100 deductible, 1 Million evac, 250 a bag, and some accident insurance is like $39 for a week at SafeTrip International Travel Medical Insurance
Seems cheap. And my Blue Cross will pick up most of it out of network with reimbursement. Its mainly the 1 mil in evac I like.
I actually pay like 90 something a year for all year and with a lot of allowable time.
Seems cheap. And my Blue Cross will pick up most of it out of network with reimbursement. Its mainly the 1 mil in evac I like.
I actually pay like 90 something a year for all year and with a lot of allowable time.
deepsea21
Contributor
GeoBlue sounded interesting (until I checked out the policy). Same language, limits and exclusions that so many seem to have. They all love to sell insurance but when you need it and try to get claims paid you better have read the fine print.
Any claim related to diving - Bent, heart attack, anything happens while diving - You're medical benefit is capped at $10K:
"Benefits for claims resulting from downhill (alpine) skiing and scuba diving (certification by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) or the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) or other recognized national/international governing body required or diving under the supervision of a certified instructor). Reasonable Charges limited to the Trip Period Maximum or $10,000, whichever is less.
Emergency EVAC - You're going to the "nearest or most appropriate facility capable of providing adequate care":
Emergency Medical Evacuation Benefit If a Covered Person suffers a sudden accident or unforeseen illness, resulting in a life-threatening/limb-threatening medical condition, and We, or Our designee’s medical director, determines that adequate medical facilities are not available locally, We, or Our designee, will arrange for an emergency evacuation to the nearest or most appropriate provider capable of providing adequate care, without which there would be a significant risk of death or serious impairment. You must contact Us at the phone number indicated on Your identification card to begin this process.
Don't get on a plane or helicopter for emergency EVAC to that nearest facility without calling them and getting their authorization:
No payment will be made for charges for services rendered without the authorization or intervention of Us or Our designee
Repatriation - The insurance company's medical director will decide if it's necessary/covered and NOTE "Repatriation" which brings you back to the states is defined separately from (and comes AFTER) "Emergency Medical Evacuation". Bottom line you're getting treated in Mexico as they do not pay for emergency transport back to the states for treatment.
Repatriation after an Emergency Medical Evacuation Following any covered emergency evacuation, We will pay for the following if it is deemed appropriate by Our or Our designee’s medical director, in consultation with the attending physician: You will be transferred to your original location, the location from which you were evacuated from, or to Your permanent residence. If it is Medically Necessary that Your transportation needs to be medically supervised a qualified medical attendant will escort You. Additionally, if We and/or Our designee determine a mode of transport other than economy class seating on a commercial aircraft is required, We or Our designee will arrange accordingly and such will be covered by Us.
And to top it all off they say it again under General Limitations/ Exclusions for Emergency Medical Evacuation and Repatriation after an Emergency Medical Evacuation Benefits.
Transportation shall not be considered Medically Necessary if We or Our designee’s medical director determines that the Covered Person is receiving adequate care in their current location.
No more than one Emergency Medical Evacuation and/or Repatriation is allowed for any single medical condition of a Covered Member while covered under this Certificate. (You don't get an emergency EVAC to Cancun and then a second one to the states).
Any expense for medical evacuation or repatriation if the Covered Member is not suffering from a Serious Medical Condition, and/or in the opinion of Our designee’s medical director, the Covered Member can be adequately treated locally, or treatment can be reasonably delayed until the Covered Member returns to his/her Home Country or Country of Assignment.
Reading the fine print - just what does this policy pay for other than an initial emergency EVAC to the closest Mexican hospital they deem adequate and whatever your medical deductible is on your primary policy? (Excess Coverage: The Insurer will reduce the amount payable under the Policy to the extent expenses are covered under any Other Plan.)
This is the problem with virtually ALL of these policies (or at least every one I've ever read)... People think they are covered with these huge dollar amounts and private jets will be scrambled to fly them back to the states just shy of Mach 1. That just isn't the case. I guess this insurance pays for a little of this and that but is it worth purchasing? Not in my opinion.
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That is why I also have DAN insurance to cover dive accidents and Geoblue for Medical illness.
Had chikungunya a couple of years ago, lucky it hit me the day I got back from Cozumel.
If you are stuck with Dengue fever and turns hemorrhagic, I would like to think I could get back to the States. Maybe I need to checkout what chief posted.
outofofficebrb
HARRO HUNNAYYY
No one here stated the coverage was for what you described. That's just a wishlist thing that I'm sure most of us have.
A few things:
GeoBlue is not in lieu of dive accident insurance, it is in addition to. The two don't overlap in coverage much, especially since most dive accident insurance also limits their medical coverage from non-diving issues. If you read the fine print for DAN, you also have to get permission and arrangements through them for services - you can't just make them on your own or they won't be covered. As you know this by now, every insurance company has something similar to this.
At the end of the day, the coverage might not be ideal in that you might not be going to the facility or place of your choice and that is determined by someone else, not you. It isn't ideal, obviously. However, if something really did happen, I would much rather have coverage that would back me 100% financially to $1M even if it isn't my ideal coverage than to be potentially bankrupt from all the costs involved if I had to pay for the deemed-necessary-by-someone else-medical evacuation in addition to any procedures or surgeries that might be required given my state. That in itself is worth it to me. I don't want to ever have something happen and think, "darn, I should have just paid the $50". It gives me the option to be covered and to use the services should something awful happen. To each their own.
Wouldn't I rather be treated for a tropical disease in a country in which they have lots of experience treating it? And the bill would be, what, a few hundred US at most, rather than thousands at a US hospital? Foreigners paying in cash often get expedited treatment, too. Dunno about Mexico specifically (as was the original question in this thread).
Depends, there is a difference between Denge and Dengue hemorrhagic fever where you're bleeding from all your organs and have a risk of death. Depends if you want family support.
Depends what counrty you are in, some countries i visited i would be afraid for any hospital stay.
Depends.
al
I agree, but what I was getting at is that, with reference to @deepsea21 's criticism of all the exclusions, paying for insurance that liberally allows for something like repatriation by private med-evac jet to the US for treatment doesn't seem worth it. If you get sick in Southeast Asia, you could get treated at the finest expat-worthy hospital in Bangkok or Singapore for a fraction of what it would cost in the US--ironically, just the kind of hospital that US citizens are increasingly traveling to for treatment. I'm sure they are well equipped to handle dengue hemorrhagic fever or anything else. I suspect GeoBlue's criteria are fair for the premium charged. From my reading of it, they would pay enough to get you to such a regional hospital, and cover the treatment.
My family knows I travel all over, and I believe if I were on my deathbed anywhere in the world they would hop on a plane--not a concern worth insuring myself for.
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