Using Credit Card Travel Insurance?

[BaanOz]

Hi, we are planing much longer stays in Thailand.

 

Bit concerned at the cost of health insurance and wondering if using my card travel insurance is even worth considering.

The idea is to return back to Australia every year and this credit card covers travel for 12 months at a time. The Commbank insurance basic info is HERE.

 

The Product Disclosure Statement is there too and wondering if others do this and/or there might be any problems doing this. I'm thinking there might be a problem proving your an Australian resident after doing this a few times.

 

[tonray]

It could work but you must have the money up front to pay for any incidents. For example, if you need major hospitalization in Thailand, they will not allow you to leave hospital until the bill is paid. Only then can you file a claim for re-reimbursement to your insurance from the card.

 

A major event could cost you a lot of cash up front.

[BaanOz]

6 hours ago, tonray said:

A major event could cost you a lot of cash up front.

Thanks tonray,

 

Yep, add that to negatives!
I take it normal health insurance would pay the hospital before checkout or there is some agreement between hospitals/health insurance companies.

Also, I'm thinking it's not a great idea if you find out you have a long term problem ie: not an "emergency". Something like that I suppose (if using this travel insurance), then a trip back to Oz and use Medicare.

 

Well it was worth a thought :)

[fxe1200]

...make sure you read the fine print of your card travel insurance.

[GreasyFingers]

If you are in Oz try iTrek for insurance, they were reasonably priced when I used them. If you use the CC insurance make sure you have their emergency numbers for here and fill out a claim form with your details and take it with you.

[geisha]

All credit cards in Europe insure you for a maximum 3 months travel, so Im surprised that Australia have a year long insurance ? Best to have a proper insurance anyway I think.

[rickudon]

I would read your insurance details very carefully. I can get free insurance from my bank for 12 months, but it doesn't cover a 12 month trip. Usually there is a single trip limit of 4-6 weeks.

 

If going for longer periods, search for 'Long stay travel insurance'. This will cover for a single trip of a duration of up to a year or more. However you usually need to have been resident in the country you buy it from for at least 6 months, so doesn't work on a annual renewable basis.

[Tony125]

On 5/2/2017 at 9:52 PM, tonray said:

It could work but you must have the money up front to pay for any incidents. For example, if you need major hospitalization in Thailand, they will not allow you to leave hospital until the bill is paid. Only then can you file a claim for re-reimbursement to your insurance from the card.

 

A major event could cost you a lot of cash up front.

Was told the hospitals say you must remain till bill paid but not true. Had heart attack, I  have US Federal Employee insurance but would not pay till checked services done. Vibhavadi Hospital Bangkok said could not leave till bill paid was om weekend so could not axcess my Bank for 3 days to call for wire  transfer. My well off Thai sis in law paid and I reimbursed the following week when my insurance paid. She was told by family cousin who is high ranking Police Office next time just call local police or tourist police and explain and the hospital must release you. Holding you is kidnapping, they can make a claim against your assets and sue you but  cannot hold you against your will.

[tonray]

4 hours ago, Tony125 said:

Was told the hospitals say you must remain till bill paid but not true. Had heart attack, I  have US Federal Employee insurance but would not pay till checked services done. Vibhavadi Hospital Bangkok said could not leave till bill paid was om weekend so could not axcess my Bank for 3 days to call for wire  transfer. My well off Thai sis in law paid and I reimbursed the following week when my insurance paid. She was told by family cousin who is high ranking Police Office next time just call local police or tourist police and explain and the hospital must release you. Holding you is kidnapping, they can make a claim against your assets and sue you but  cannot hold you against your will.

If they initiate a law suit, you will not be able to leave the country until it is settled.  Either way it's pay or stay. 

[scubascuba3]

Often annual travel insurance only covers 60 or 90 days abroad a year. Instead i get backpacker insurance which is just continuous insurance. My last 6 months was £90, a year when i checked was £300-£400 but often you have to be in your home country for the previous 6 months. So you can't do it every year. Read the small print.

[Ulic]

In Canada credit card insurance covers you for 30 days at a time. Travel insurance is for the most

part a complete scam. Insurance companies do not make a fortune paying claims but denying claims.

It is really important to read the fine print and understand what is covered. Emergency coverage only.

Pre approval of treatment unless you are incapacitated and then ASAP. Pre existing conditions

are not covered. IE. if you have high blood pressure you are not covered for heart attacks or stroke.

(You can still be asked to pay a hefty premium surcharge and are still not covered for the condition)

Use an insurance broker who understands the difference between a pre existing condition controlled

by medication versus one that is not. Insurance forms can be very confusing, even misleading.

[Tony125]

6 hours ago, tonray said:

If they initiate a law suit, you will not be able to leave the country until it is settled.  Either way it's pay or stay. 

If they initiate a law suit true you may not be able to leave the country but I live here so would not be a problem and as stated my and others insurance would pay the bill after being billed by hospital but would take some time. At least you would not have to be detained at hospital running up more bill for staying there.

[tonray]

1 minute ago, Tony125 said:

If they initiate a law suit true you may not be able to leave the country but I live here so would not be a problem and as stated my and others insurance would pay the bill after being billed by hospital but would take some time. At least you would not have to be detained at hospital running up more bill for staying there.

Yes...but the last thing you want to think about while recovering from a heart attack, stroke, accident, etc etc is calling the police and fighting your way out of the Intensive Care ward. :) 

 

Also if you want to go back to your home country for further treatment after initial stabilization here, now you must wait for lawsuit and insurance funds to settle ? What a joy that would be....

 

Make life easy on your self, buy a local insurance policy instead of gambling with fate.

[Ahab]

3 hours ago, Ulic said:

Travel insurance is for the most part a complete scam. Insurance companies do not make a fortune paying claims but denying claims.

It is really important to read the fine print and understand what is covered. 

Completely agree that most (if not all) travel insurance is a complete rip off.  They make you jump through so many hoops to get a claim that eventually they hope you will just quietly give up and go away, or they just deny the claim based on fine print that no one but lawyers read.

[scubascuba3]

Completely agree that most (if not all) travel insurance is a complete rip off.  They make you jump through so many hoops to get a claim that eventually they hope you will just quietly give up and go away, or they just deny the claim based on fine print that no one but lawyers read.

Such as what? What small print was used to deny a claim?

The only dubious part is pre-existing medical conditions. I checked a few quotes last week it asked if i had symptoms within last 2 years. 2 years is ok, others didn't have a cut off so i had asthma as a child may count...not sure.

[Ahab]

4 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Such as what? What small print was used to deny a claim?

The only dubious part is pre-existing medical conditions. I checked a few quotes last week it asked if i had symptoms within last 2 years. 2 years is ok, others didn't have a cut off so i had asthma as a child may count...not sure.

So basically I had to use travel insurance to cover a five day stay in the hospital during a previous trip to Thailand. This was due to an Internal infection likely caused from eating contaminated food ( not pre-existing). I submitted my claim, and was then told that before being able to use the travel insurance I had to claim it on my insurance first (I had two separate health insurances at the time). It was not covered by either. After two or three months of getting the runaround it was less stressful to just eat the bill ($600 USD) than deal with damn travel insurance company. An expensive lesson, but one that will be remembered for the rest of my life, Travel insurance is a rip-off, read the fine print.

[hawker9000]

On 5/2/2017 at 9:52 PM, tonray said:

It could work but you must have the money up front to pay for any incidents. For example, if you need major hospitalization in Thailand, they will not allow you to leave hospital until the bill is paid. Only then can you file a claim for re-reimbursement to your insurance from the card.

 

A major event could cost you a lot of cash up front.

They won't "allow you to leave"?  Anywhere else they'd call that kidnapping.

 

There's no excuse for not paying IMO, but it would be fun watching them just try to keep me prisoner.

[scubascuba3]

So basically I had to use travel insurance to cover a five day stay in the hospital during a previous trip to Thailand. This was due to an Internal infection likely caused from eating contaminated food ( not pre-existing). I submitted my claim, and was then told that before being able to use the travel insurance I had to claim it on my insurance first (I had two separate health insurances at the time). It was not covered by either. After two or three months of getting the runaround it was less stressful to just eat the bill ($600 USD) than deal with damn travel insurance company. An expensive lesson, but one that will be remembered for the rest of my life, Travel insurance is a rip-off, read the fine print.

I've read that before about insurer's not paying because you already have some kind of cover. Seems reasonable to me but just proves you have to get into the detail when getting insurance.

 

You just need to cover all bases so when they try to decline, you are covered.

 

[Ahab]

10 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

I've read that before about insurer's not paying because you already have some kind of cover. Seems reasonable to me but just proves you have to get into the detail when getting insurance.

 

You just need to cover all bases so when they try to decline, you are covered.

 

Agree 100%, in my case it was easier and less stressful to eat the cost of the hospital stay. What is the point of buying travel insurance if they don't pay for things that occur while traveling. Instead they make you engage the bureaucracies of two other insurance companies before even beginning to consider your claim. I'm my opinion, based on my experience, I am very unlikely to ever buy it again. I bought the insurance through one of the online travel websites (i.e. Expedia, Orbitz) based on what the insurance covered, I did not read through the claim procedures (and I am likely not the only person that did not read that far into the fine print).

 

If it makes you feel good buy travel insurance, I will likely not.

[BaanOz]

On 03/05/2017 at 8:10 PM, rickudon said:

I would read your insurance details very carefully. I can get free insurance from my bank for 12 months, but it doesn't cover a 12 month trip. Usually there is a single trip limit of 4-6 weeks.

 

If going for longer periods, search for 'Long stay travel insurance'. This will cover for a single trip of a duration of up to a year or more. However you usually need to have been resident in the country you buy it from for at least 6 months, so doesn't work on a annual renewable basis.

Thanks, I had a good look at the PDS and the bit that covers the length of time is below. It's 12 months for a Diamond cardholder...
 

Quote

The journey ends when the first of the following occurs:
a] for Base Cover, 3 months after the date of departure shown on a Gold personal and business
cardholder’sreturn overseas travel ticket, (6 months for Platinum personal and business cardholders,
or 12 months for Diamond cardholders)

 

What I think is the fly in the ointment for long term is this:
 

Quote

You  must co-operate at all times in relation to providing supporting evidence and such other information that may  reasonably be required. Depending on the insurance cover  you  are claiming under, this might include (but is not limited to)  any of the following:
– proof of your  residential status;

I know in Australia you can be classed a non-resident after 183 days if you have no house/accounts etc in Australia. I'm thinking we would get away with this (credit card insurance)  just once as later we would probably become be non-residents. Maybe use this insurance for a year (we have no pre-existing problems) then research and get local heath insurance after a year.

About travel insurance and claiming that is mentioned above. The only experience with that is once in over 25 years I made a claim and it was paid no worries. Dropped a mobile phone while in Thailand. Busted and and it was replaced, no problems.

Edited May 5, 2017 by BaanOz

[gk10002000]

credit card insurance is usually not much for medical.  They may cover some accident health coverage, but unless there are special provisions, none of the cards I am familiar with do much for standard non accidental health coverage.  And I doubt any do any sort of direct payment in any case.