Health Insurance for Long Term Cruising

[melandnick]

Hi, we are soon to be live aboards leaving in May to do the Altantic circuit over about 18 months. Does anyone know of a good value health insurance provider who will insure us whilst cruising? Many thanks, Nick and Mel

 

[Tranona]

This subject comes up regularly here and the general consensus is that is difficult to find such insurance, or at least at a sensible price. The risks are simply too great and the restrictions extensive, both in time and geographical coverage. Within the EU the EHIC provides adequate cover, but the US is difficult. Most people self insure, but it is possible to get some cover using travel policies. This is what I did in my longer Med trip with a 90 day policy with Insure and Go, but coverage was limited to 12 miles offshore.

Suggest you try Pantaenius as they specialise in this area and Lonely Planet who do longer term travellers insurance. Try a search here because others have been suggested in the past - and no doubt more knowledgeable folks will respond to your request. Suggest you also join the Cruising Association for all sorts of advice on long distance cruising.

 

[Pincoya]

Health Insurance

Is the twelve mile, or whatever, limit really an issue?

My view is that most medical issues are not potentially life threatening and will present a reasonable opportunity to seek out appropriate care. Something that is serious and in need of immediate response is not going to get it at sea, even 5 miles out, without resorting to the emergency services available, wherever you are. Heart attack, serious injury and other traumas at sea would almost always require specialist rescue services and I have never heard of one that requires to see medical insurance of proof of ability to pay before responding.

Anything not requiring immediate evacuation could only ever be dealt with by returning to land, at which point the insurer would resume cover.

Paul

 

[Appleyard]

Is the twelve mile, or whatever, limit really an issue?

My view is that most medical issues are not potentially life threatening and will present a reasonable opportunity to seek out appropriate care. Something that is serious and in need of immediate response is not going to get it at sea, even 5 miles out, without resorting to the emergency services available, wherever you are. Heart attack, serious injury and other traumas at sea would almost always require specialist rescue services and I have never heard of one that requires to see medical insurance of proof of ability to pay before responding.

Anything not requiring immediate evacuation could only ever be dealt with by returning to land, at which point the insurer would resume cover.

Paul

It would probably be an issue if at any time during the period of insurance,you had been more than 12 miles offshore.The 12 mile limit is applied in order to determine the type of sailing you are doing.
So for instance, if you took out the insurance in the UK and sailed to Scandinavia,or even over the pond,and made a claim in that country,your claim would be thrown out,as you obviously had been over the limit.

I did check this out.

 

[DaveRo]

It would probably be an issue if at any time during the period of insurance,you had been more than 12 miles offshore.The 12 mile limit is applied in order to determine the type of sailing you are doing.
So for instance, if you took out the insurance in the UK and sailed to Scandinavia,or even over the pond,and made a claim in that country,your claim would be thrown out,as you obviously had been over the limit.

I did check this out.

How authoritative is your check?

It seems unreasonable. If you went on holiday and did not take out extra insurance for ski-ing, but went ski-ing, would that mean that you would not be covered for an accident on the beach later in the holiday?

When sailing from Sicily to Greece we were outside the territorial limit of the policy for a few hours but it seemed a reasonable assumption, based on a close reading of the policy, that we were covered once we arrived.

 

[Tranona]

I think the significance of the 12 miles is that it defines the insurance as covering sailing ancillary to holiday travel as opposed to voyaging in a small yacht. If you get into severe trouble at sea and need evacuating, the emergency services or another vessel will be needed - and I am not sure where they stand with regard to claining from you or your insurance.

 

[Ubergeekian]

I think the significance of the 12 miles is that it defines the insurance as covering sailing ancillary to holiday travel as opposed to voyaging in a small yacht. If you get into severe trouble at sea and need evacuating, the emergency services or another vessel will be needed - and I am not sure where they stand with regard to claining from you or your insurance.

Isn't that boat insurance rather than health insurance?

 

[Tranona]

Isn't that boat insurance rather than health insurance?

No. Boat insurance is less of a problem. I had mine insured for the Med at a basic premium and then a supplement for going out into the Atlantic. However it does get expensive (for obvious reasons) the longer you are away and the more remote your cruising grounds.

Travel insurance (which incudes defined health cover) limits the sort of activities you can undertake - and sailing more than 12 miles offshore is one of the common restrictions.

 

[Appleyard]

How authoritative is your check?

It seems unreasonable. If you went on holiday and did not take out extra insurance for ski-ing, but went ski-ing, would that mean that you would not be covered for an accident on the beach later in the holiday?

When sailing from Sicily to Greece we were outside the territorial limit of the policy for a few hours but it seemed a reasonable assumption, based on a close reading of the policy, that we were covered once we arrived.

Hi Dave
If in the course of your claim it came to light that you had been skiing during the period of the insurance cover and had not included that activity in your policy, then they would be within their rights to disallow any claim you made subsequently.

As far as sailing from Sicily to Greece is concerned,again it would be obvious that at some point you were outwith the territorial limit of the policy during the trip,and this could affect any subsequent claim,no matter if it was made for an incident which occurred after you were inside the limit.
It's just a chance you have to take

AS for "how authoritative is your check" I was given this info by a friend who is a member of the Chartered Institute of Insurance.

( I would imagine that he knows a bit about the business.)

Insurance Companies will use every dodge to try to wriggle out of payment.

I totally agree that it does seem unreasonable ,however that is how it works.

 

[GrahamM376]

It would probably be an issue if at any time during the period of insurance,you had been more than 12 miles offshore.The 12 mile limit is applied in order to determine the type of sailing you are doing.
So for instance, if you took out the insurance in the UK and sailed to Scandinavia,or even over the pond,and made a claim in that country,your claim would be thrown out,as you obviously had been over the limit.

I did check this out.

I checked this out with Insure and Go a couple of years ago. Their reply was the opposite in that they said we are covered whenever we are coastal sailing but not when over 12 miles unless we had taken offshore cover for that period.

The beginning and end of an offshore trip (the coastal bits) was seen as a grey area and most likely not covered as the purpose of the entire trip would be "offshore sailing".

Another point to consider in many travel policies is that "search and rescue" isn't covered but medical evacuation is so, be sure to give accurate position.