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summer33ny
Joined: 10 Aug 2006
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 Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 3:48 pm Post subject: Health insurance question--returning to the USA |
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This may be a potentially stupid question... but I have been wondering about it for some time. And haven't come up with anything on my own.
Obviously, we will be uninsured when we return home for a few months. Does anyone know if there is any company in the US that sells short-term insurance only for accidents or major medical expenses (no doctor's visits or prescriptions)? We have this covered under our trip insurance when we are traveling overseas, but we would like to know if such an insurance exists in the US. |
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mj roach
Joined: 16 Mar 2003
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| Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 5:39 pm Post subject: |
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| get it from the travel agent when you buy your plane ticket - or at the 'korean exchange bank' when you buy traveller's checks |
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OiGirl
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: Hoke-y-gun
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| Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 6:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Do these policies cover you when you are in your country of nationality? |
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summer33ny
Joined: 10 Aug 2006
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| Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 6:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Huh? No, traveler's insurance does not cover you within your home country. There is domestic traveler's insurance that will cover you if you go on a trip within your home country (100 miles of more from your residence). But what I was wondering is is there a type of emergency insurance to only cover major medical expenses is something serious were to happen (not routine care). I was wondering if this exists and if anyone knows where to get it? |
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the oak llama
Joined: 05 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 8:24 pm Post subject: |
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plans do exist in the US for basic "catastrophic / emergency " coverage. i remember looking at them a while back. couldn't tell you where but just poke around for "short term health insurance" or something like that. it'd be the kind of thing that covers your ass if you get hit by a car.
edit:
also i purchased a travel insurance plan before i left the US to cover me for vacations and so on. my plan will cover me in the US after i've been out of the country for some number of months and returned. read into the fine print. you may be able to purchase one from the US while in korea and have it cover you in the US briefly if you time it right. also a good idea to have it if you plan on doing any travelling.
Last edited by the oak llama on Thu Dec 10, 2009 8:35 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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spc525
Joined: 12 Aug 2009
Location: Seoul, Korea
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| Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 8:33 pm Post subject: |
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http://www.ehealthinsurance.com
you can get short term policies here and other policies as well
this is really all you need. |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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| Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 9:29 pm Post subject: |
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That link above looks interesting.
| summer33ny wrote: |
| Huh? No, traveler's insurance does not cover you within your home country. There is domestic traveler's insurance that will cover you if you go on a trip within your home country (100 miles of more from your residence). But what I was wondering is is there a type of emergency insurance to only cover major medical expenses is something serious were to happen (not routine care). I was wondering if this exists and if anyone knows where to get it? |
I did a podcast on this, but hagwonguy1979 found a place that he said would cover him on return trips to the USA, so I took it down.
In a nutshell...
99.9% of travelers insurances will be a waste of money! THEY DO NOT cover you in your home country... only abroad while traveling. This is so that they don't compete with local insurances, for a variety of reasons both legal and otherwise, I'd assume. BEWARE that the insurance people at airports will still sell it to you, though! They usually have no clue about this fact.
If you want to get insurance, you can get "bridge" type insurance for people directly from insurance agents in the midwest. You have to visit them in person so they can do a health assessment (ask you basic questions and see that you aren't sick and about to die or something). I purchased that type of insurance for one month when I was back home last summer. I got it from Wellmark. It's not terribly cheap, and is pretty much for serious accidents. You can get lower deductibles, but you pay a lot for them.
The one exception hagwonguy came up with is this company:
http://www.americanvisitorinsurance.com/insurance/patriot-gotravel-insurance.asp
I'm still not fully versed on whether or not it actually works for Americans coming back to the USA short-term. You'd better ask them. |
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