international health insurance?

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jim99

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Before I was married, I just sailed or flew off and if I got sick, I got sick, my tough luck.

Funny how your views change when you are married and hair starts growing in your ears.

We are in Thailand, both working, and both have health ins. covered by employer. We are planning to sail off soon for the Far East and North Pacific.

Does anyone know of a good, reasonably priced international health insurance policy that is suitable for sailors. The packages we hear about tend to be very expensive.

I am Canadian, wife is Irish if that makes a difference.

Sorry if this is not the correct forum area for this question.

cheers
 
A couple of years ago I bought annual travel insurance with the same insurer as my boat. It was for sailing holidays and the like.
 
International medical insurance for World wide cover 365 days a year is a real nightmare - frighteningly expensive - many 1000s a year - and if you consider what medical cover at home paid for privately costs - then one can understand why!

I sailed into Phuket and ended up having a major op in the international hospital on new years eve... My Travel Insurance paid for it without problem.

You can find Annual Travel Insurance that will accommodate as many 'holidays' in a year as you want and the most useful do 90 duration of any one holiday. (most offer only 60 days) The cost of these is around UK£150-200 per annum and provide world wide cover. Now assuming you 'go home' every 3 months then you are covered. You do of course need a 'home' land address... If you are so unlucky to be ill then the question the insurance co will ask is :- When did you arrive in the country? My experience is that they did not ask 'When did you leave home?' Now this is not a perfect solution but it is affordable? Better than nothing?

Michael
 
[ QUOTE ]

You can find Annual Travel Insurance that will accommodate as many 'holidays' in a year as you want and the most useful do 90 duration of any one holiday. (most offer only 60 days) The cost of these is around UK£150-200 per annum and provide world wide cover.

Michael

[/ QUOTE ]

Michael,

which companies do annual cover with a maximum trip of 90 days? I use Snowcard for sailing and scuba diving, but have to pay extra for trips over 31 days.

Cheers

Richard
 
Normal travel insurances simply won't cover you for what you, like us, are doing.

I looked into this long and hard and there is a solution: get in touch with Catherine Lodge at Pantaneius Insurance in Plymouth, uk. her email is catherine@pantaenius.co.uk

They have a package tailored <u>specifically</u> for those who are away sailing. It is a one-year single trip policy (ie you can't break the trip for more than a month I believe) and you can choose which bits of the policy you want. We have only taken up the medical parts of the policy (medical cover and repatriation) and a one year cover cost us about 750 gbp for 2 adults both 40 yrs old and 3 kids aged 7, 5 and 2.

Hope this helps!

Gerard

www.clarabella.net
 
[ QUOTE ]
AXA who I hate do and so do SAGA
Michael

[/ QUOTE ]

MM! Why do you hate Axa, (My boat insurance is with them!!)

I dont quite qualify for Saga.... only 4 years though <g>

Richard
 
Saga will insure anyone - even the youthfully challenged!!...

Axa own Sun-Life who tried to rip off my ageing mum - did a bit till I found out... I decided to never let Sun-life have a penny more of my money - did travel insurance via AXA to find out they now own Sun Life...

I think most insurance companies are in it for themselves -- entirely for themselves but some have less moral compunction about ripping off old age pensioners than others......

Michael

The Panteneus medical insurance sounds wonderful - brilliant - if it works for you please post it here... When I go again I might try it..
 
[ QUOTE ]
Saga will insure anyone - even the youthfully challenged!!...


I think most insurance companies are in it for themselves -- entirely for themselves but some have less moral compunction about ripping off old age pensioners than others......



[/ QUOTE ]

Whether they will insure me or not, I'm not sure I'm ready to actually buy anything from Saga yet <g>

Agreed on the morals of insurance companies. Hopefully, Axa will have a better attitude than Sun Life.

Cheers

Richard
 
Bishop Skinner do a worldwide travel insurance policy aimed at yotties. Maximum standard cover is 60 days for £105. When I took one of these policies out for my son, they were quite happy to extend the winter sports cover for an extra tenner. Might be worth contacting them to see how much it would cost to extend to 90 days maximum trip.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I sailed into Phuket and ended up having a major op in the international hospital on new years eve... My Travel Insurance paid for it without problem.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's similar to the reason I'm still in Thailand... Few years ago, I was in a motorcycle accident in Phuket, ended up in an international hospital. Was in intensive care for a month... that's were the similarity ends. Couldn't work for six months. Had no insurance. I had been working somewhat under the table, but employer did not offer it anyway. I've just finished paying the bills off. Never risk that again.

Anyway, thanks to all for the suggestions. Will start investigating.
 
Try GH Yachtsman's Gold, it is a multi trip insurance and you decide on how many months you want to have. We usually opt for 6 months. With the Pantaenius policy if you return during the 12 months your insurance is then invalid.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Axa own Sun-Life who tried to rip off my ageing mum - did a bit till I found out... Michael

[/ QUOTE ] Not with their dreadful no-medical funeral expenses plan? I researched an "isn't this dreadful value for money" article back in 1997 about them. My pensioner mother still gets bumf from them.
 
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