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Health Insurance

9K views 24 replies 20 participants last post by  hellosailor 
#1 ·
I am about a year from leaving and not sure I'll make the company retirement plan for Health Insurance.
What do most people who are cruising full time and out of the country a good portion of the time do for Health Insurance. Company names well apprecated
alan
P424
"UNABATED"
 
#2 ·
I'm well over a year to living abroad but since I've set up a photographic company name I'll be able to get a self-employed insurance deal. Another option I have is joining a photo association and joining their group plan.

From what I understand it's difficult for a single individual not working to get insurance - could be wrong there though. I researched the whole thing a couple of years ago. So you might want to go with your company's insurance when you retire.

I estimated ~ $400/mo for my self-employed insurance. Don't have any company names though.
 
#5 ·
What are good options for health insurance? I'm in good health so am mainly interested in some sort of high deductible plan.
Good options? I think you guys beat that horsy to death. :D

The question is more like what options are available to you, for you.

I asked a couple of out of country health insurance companies and did not get a quote but I did get replies. It appears that many do not sell to people from outside their home country, something about not wanting to compete.

So you likely have to buy locally, though I've heard of those who have insurance and did not. I think it was expensive.

All my private insurance options had a little wee bit of print, sometimes well buried in the contract, that limited their risk. Most were limiting themselves to $20G or there abouts. The ones I asked said they had never heard of that clause being used and that they regularly have claims higher than that. Yeah OK but it was still there and very clear, payments above a certain limit were optional for them. Cost of programs seemed to be about 10% of that limit per year though even that could change each year.

In fact they had so many outs I found it better to self insure. As for high deductible they didn't offer it, to them a high deductible was a couple grand.

Always keep this in mind. If you can get insurance then that company is saying, is betting (and they are experts) that you do not need insurance.
 
#6 ·
It a ***** to even keep insurance on my still in school still living at home children at 22 and 26.

For example in NY your cheep option is Healthy NY BUT it requires that you WORK and its got a stupid LOW cap on drug costs

I believe you will have issues with NON-LOCAL doctors as its been and on going nightmare for me when one child was in school in Chicago with NY insurance and even issues with say being in Buffalo NY and not Northport NY
 
#8 ·
"The ones I asked said they had never heard of that clause being used and that they regularly have claims higher than that."
Any agent who says an insurer will pay beyond the policy limits, is probably a liar who needs to have their brokerage license revoked. Those limits are the way most "cheap" policies are structured to guarantee a profit for the insurer. Policies without the cheap limits are usually sky high--for that reason.
IMIS is a good place to start. Most, if not all, conventional insurance policies in the US will run sky high ($1000/month) if you want coverage outside of the local geographic area without huge deductibles. Get sick or injured on vacation, and you'll pay through the teeth unless you come home before you get treated.
 
#11 ·
"Any idea how well a US based plan would serve me in the Caribbean? (if at all...)"
Great, if the plan provides "out of plan" coverage. (Ka-ching!)
No coverage at all, for the vast majority of plans, until a steep deductible is reached. If you look for a "major medical" plan as opposed to comprehensive health insurance, things become more reasonable again. Only because you don't have coverage for the routine little things, regular meds, and so on, until a higher dollar point is reached to begin with.
You might also want to look into medevac insurance, since Miami-Jackson's Ryder Trauma Center is apparently the only Class1 trauma center available between the US and the interior of South America. (!)
 
#12 ·
Or emigrate to Canada and then go cruising windy :) We pay 80 bucks a month for full coverage for my wife and I plus 130 per year for additional travel insurance. The travel portion is covered by ING Travel well. Used it in Thailand a few years ago with no problem and no cost. Any doctor 100% coverage we pay for our own drugs. Spend your summers cruising the PNW and the winters in the sunny Caribbean :)
 
#13 · (Edited)
EDIT:

I'm calling BS on that. I did some quick research and am being told that there is no such package avialable. Canadians are not covered outside their province, let alone country, many revoke coverage if gone for an extended time, even three months in another province can trigger that status. I could find no package that will give this great unlmited, full coverage, for $80 bucks a month in BC or elsewhere.

If the reference is being made to BC health a family of two has a monthly cost of $96 though there are assistance programs. On top of that is about 35% of all provincial taxes are collected for health care and of course many other taxes go towards health care and much is not covered. So even the BC provincial program is well over $80 a month and it is not full coverage delivered (though it is promised, it is also promised to be the best and the cheapest in the world and so on).

It also does not work for those wanting to spend the warm months sailing elsewhere unless you can stay with in these limits:

You may be eligible to receive coverage for up to 24 months during a temporary absence from B.C. Approval is limited to once in five years for absences that exceed six months in a calendar year.

Residents who spend part of every year outside B.C. must be physically present in Canada at least six months in a calendar year and continue to maintain their home in B.C. in order to retain coverage.


It would also not take effect for the first year, and BC is the province in which you will most often see the signs clearly stating "Out of Province Patients pay Cash" though I was able to use other methods they just know they do not get paid just because the person is a resident of Canada.

Nice socialist dream though. <poke>
 
#14 · (Edited)
We currently anchor in Luperon Bay, Dominican Republic & quality health care is so reasonable most people see little need for insurance here. However, if you go elsewhere and want lifeflight coverage, repatriation of remains, etc. then let me recommend Multinational Underwriters for really good reasonable coverage. Several years ago I was lifeflighted out of St. Vincent to Ft. Lauderdale for emergecy care. The flight was $16000 & I spent 21 days in the hospital for a total bill of $100,000. I paid only my $4000 deductible with no paperwork or questions asked. I believe at age 55 my annual premium was about $1600. westerly84@yahoo.com S/V Chasin' the Moon
 
#15 · (Edited)
From Alberta, Canada

If you are travelling in another Canadian province or territory and require physician services, simply show your Alberta Personal Health Card at the time of service. Medically required physician services are billed automatically to the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan. The exception to this is the province of Quebec, where it is likely you will have to pay for the services you receive. Upon returning to Alberta you may apply to the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan for reimbursement
The Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan will pay benefits for out-of-country physician services at the same rate an Alberta physician receives. You and/or your supplementary travel health insurance provider are responsible for paying the difference between what is charged and what the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan pays
Both my wife and I have supplemental health care plans through our employers that cover travel. Extended travel can be problematic.

No thread drift intended.
 
#18 ·
But DAN says:

http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/insurance/compare.asp

DAN Insurance Programs
Preferred Plan--Master Plan--Standard Plan
Medical Dive Accident Coverage
$250,000 Per Occurrence--$125,000 Lifetime Max.--$45,000 Lifetime Max.

In-water skin- and scuba diving accidents
Decompression Illness Expense Yes Yes Yes
Other Dive Injury Medical Expense Yes Yes No
Snorkeling / Skin Diving Yes Yes Yes
Coinsurance for Dive Accident Medical Coverage 100% 100% 100%
Accidental Death & Dismemberment / Diving $15,000
Principal Sum $15,000
Principal Sum N/A Resulting from a covered diving accident.
Permanent & Total Disability $15,000
Principal Sum $15,000
Principal Sum N/A Resulting from a covered diving accident.
Extra Transportation Up to
$2,000 Up to
$1,000 N/A Resulting from a covered diving accident.
Extra Accommodation Up to
$3,000 Up to
$1,500 N/A Resulting from a covered diving accident.
Lost Diving Equipment Up to
$2,500 Up to
$2,500 N/A Resulting from a covered diving accident.
Planned Maximum Depth Covered No Limit No Limit 130ft/40m
Medical Non-Dive Accident Coverage
Occurring outside home country $10,000
Lifetime Max. N/A N/A For eligible charges for treatment of non-diving accidents outside home country.
$250 deductible
Diving Vacation Cancellation $10,000
Lifetime Max. N/A N/A Coverage for losses for dive trip canceled due to injury or illness before departure.
$250 deductible
Diving Vacation Interruption $5,000
Lifetime Max. N/A N/A Coverage for losses incurred for dive trip interrupted due to injury or illness after departure.
$250 deductible
Cost Per Year $70.00 $35.00 $25.00

From their web site, it appears that the current policy is what their original policy was--next to zilch unless it is a DIVING RELATED accident.
 
#19 ·
IMIS specializes in insurance for cruisers and liveaboards, they are brokers so they don't have a vested interest in a particular company, and they offer health insurance as long as you are out of the U.S. 181 days/year. They also offer liveaboard coverage that includes your possessions as well as liability; we've used them for 9 years and been very satisfied. IMIS Home Page ~ International Marine Insurance Services
 
#20 ·
I did a bit of research before we started cruising - this is the company we got a quote from:

Worldwide Travel Insurance | Seven Corners

It was about $5000 a year for a late-forties couple, as I recall. Catastrophic, high deductible (5000, I think). The cruisers that we know either have DAN, or they have no health insurance, or they use one of the catastrophic plans like the one I cited above and they pay all medical expenses out-of-pocket. We decided against getting the insurance (big chunk of change!) but we're uneasy with the decision, so probably will revisit at some point. Would be interested to hear what other full-time cruisers have decided.
 
#21 ·
In the early days we had catastrophic coverage. Now just DAN. General health care costs very low in ASIA, so we go out of pocket for our care, not too much as we are still healthy. Anything serious and we will go back to NZ.
 
#23 ·
Medical Insurance for Blue water cruiser. We are an Australian couple making preparation for extended cruising to Indonesia from Fremantle Western Australia. We plan to take part in Sail Indonesia 2013 from Darwin to Kupang then sailing thru indonesia , finishing up in Thailand by December 2013.
Any information on taking out Medical/Health Insurance for cruising and any info on yacht Blue Water Insurance needed. Thanks
 
#25 ·
" You are an American ... and you are entitle for health insurace....."

Raven, you must be in an alternate reality. There's no such "entitlement" in US law in this one. And what is available, at what cost, last year, this year, or next year, may all be radically different as the laws change.

Most of the lower-cost plans that are available are HMO-type plans. If you are not in the physical coverage area around your residence? You're out of network, and that can mean out of coverage including out of emergency hospital care.

Obama passed a law? No, actually, Congress passes laws, the President can only sign them after the fact. And Obamacare ain't quite here yet.
 
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