I imagine this topic has been brought up before, but things may have changed since then. It’s definitely a concern of mine now that I’m hitting mid-60s.
Do sitters recommend purchasing travel health insurance from their point of origin or getting it from the Country they’re visiting? Maybe your home health insurance will cover you when you travel? How about dental insurance?
Has anyone had to use health insurance when traveling? If so, what insurance did you have and were there any complications?
@Cat-ophile, for context to comments then we are full-time international housesitters that travel overseas for extended periods :).
We never buy conventional travel insurance - as most coverage is not relevant for our needs. We never check luggage. Trip coverage only for first flight. Medical coverage is often short duration and very limited.
But we always purchase emergency medical insurance prior to departing home country. We have used two services (that offer multiple levels of coverage)-
Genki that offers a flexible monthly subscription-based health insurance across many geographies
Axa Schengen that overs Schengen+UK coverage for up to 180 days
To our knowledge, Genki does permit someone to start an insurance policy after they have left home country … but it applies limited coverage for first 14 days … presumably to mitigate risk of someone starting insurance coverage only after needing medical attention.
I’m a Brit, I travel a lot outside of pet sitting, not just Europe but globally. I always, always travel with medical insurance to cover emergencies and repatriation of my body in event of my death.
As far as I’m aware UK insurers insist on taking out cover before travelling.
I want to remove as much of the burden as possible from my children. Knowing I have insurance gives them and me peace of mind.
I have made claims, a badly broken leg while in the US and another incident needing stitches, imaging etc. Without insurance I’d probably be bankrupt.
Brits have reciprocal medical coverage in many European countries and need a GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card), but it’s not global. Also, in some countries the medical care provided might be very basic and limited. I’ve also used this several times, usually it’s a matter of making payment locally and then claiming back in the home country. Sometimes it’s easier and quicker than going through an insurer.
If you’ve already left your main country of residence then we have found Safety Wing to be the most flexible and comprehensive. It’s not cheap but it is good and you can pay month by month and move your destinations around as you change plans. As a Brit who’s rarely on home turf I can never find policies that don’t say I have to start my journey from there so they rarely work. Sometimes we have a Turkish policy too as long as we touch back on home soil within 3 months. Genki and World Nomads also worth a look for global coverage. #insuranceintel
For EU nationals or residents, as well as those from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom:
Get a European Health Insurance Card. It is free of charge. Simply log in to your national health insurance provider’s website and order one. It should arrive at your place of residence within a couple of days. The card is valid for two years, after which you can order a new one.
With the card in hand, you are entitled to EMERGENCY medical care in any other EU country free of charge. You can walk into virtually any clinic that accepts national insurance in the country you are in, which is practically all of them, and get the care you need.
I happened to put it to the test just a month and a half ago when I had a dental emergency while abroad. Three visits to a dentist, first-class treatment, and not a dime out of pocket. They would only have charged me had I opted for additional procedures, which, by the way, could be worth considering for some, should those procedures turn out to be cheaper than in home country.
Last year we travelled continuously away from home 15 months. Travel insurance would only cover 12 months. Due to my husbands medical condition we would not want to be without so had to take additional insurance for the last 3 months. This was complicated and costly. And forget about dental other than maybe an emergency broken tooth.
There is a difference and they are not the same. The web page you have linked to was last updated 2.5 years ago.
The UK GHIC has replaced the existing European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). If you have an existing EHIC you can continue to use it until the expiry date on the card. Once it expires, you’ll need to apply for a UK GHIC to replace it.
The change from GHIC to EHIC was in January 2021 and the EHIC was valid for 5 years.
You may be eligible for a new UK EHIC if you meet one of the following criteria:
you’re living in the EEA or Switzerland and have been since before 1 January 2021 with a registered S1, E121, E106 or E109 form issued by the UK
you’re living in the EEA or Switzerland since before 1 January 2021 with an A1 issued by the UK
you’re a national of the EEA or Switzerland who has legally resided in the UK since before 1 January 2021 and are covered under the Withdrawal Agreement – you may not be covered if you are also a UK national or if you were born in the UK
you’re a family member or dependant of an entitled individual already listed
They both “provide access to necessary state healthcare in Europe at a reduced cost or for free,” which is what matters. Differences such as validity period, coverage destination, or a different letter in the name are minor in the grand scheme of things. In summary, the two cards serve the same purpose, emergency care, with only minor variations, and I have nothing further to add on the subject.
UK EHIC: If you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement (e.g., you are an EU national living in the UK before 31 December 2020), you can apply for the new UK EHIC using the same NHS Overseas Healthcare Services portal.
Not sure where you are from @Cat-ophile . I am a 65+ US sitter currently in Ireland for 6 weeks. I got BCBS Global travel medical insurance before I left the US. In larger cities overseas there are providers who will bill them directly, for smaller towns you would have to file the claim. It cost $470 for 6 weeks, rather pricey, but not much more than other medical insurance with lower caps that I looked into. It only covers emergency dental services.
Thank you all. Great information. Like life insurance, I hope to never have to use emergency care. However, I’m sure an intestinal bug or sore tooth will hit me at some point. Always a guarantee of something happening as you age…from experience.