Travel Insurance for Non-US Destinations
Posted date : Nov 7, 2017.
Dear Bird Talk,
I was really pleased to see “Cuba a new option for seniors” which will now permit me to enjoy winter sun, provided I can get travel health insurance which I can afford.
It would seem to me that your present insurance premiums are based exclusively for those that winter in the U.S. where medical or hospital costs are probably ten times those of Cuba and many other places.
I would appreciate very much your recommending or, if possible, establishing an insurance program for those of us who cannot afford the U.S.A. and hence opt for more reasonable areas. The premiums really should reflect the low cost to an insurance company.
Yours truly,
David Luck
Response:
This is a tricky area to address in a short note. While basic medical costs are inexpensive in Cuba and in several other destinations, the need for advanced medical procedures often requires a full medical evacuation to a different country (back to the high costs again) for the best medical outcomes. When you factor in these additional costs and two hospital bills, the savings are not as great as they might seem. We are continuing to review a premium discount for places such as Cuba, parts of the Carribean, Europe and other lower medical cost environments. The insurance companies are reluctant to bend on this issue as they have lost much money in giving these discounts in the past, and approximately 80% of claims dollars are spent on these high-care claims. Medipac believes that there is a difference and we believe we have the statistical data to back it up. We will continue to seek fairness in insurance pricing. Thank You.
