[MB]

For folks from the USA and countries with similar medical-care systems:

In a nutshell: is it wise to get medical insurance to cover *SHORT VISITS BACK TO* the States?

We are visiting Seattle in December, having left our jobs and health coverage in July when we moved to NZ, and it occurs to me that "all" we have is the standard Visa-card million dollars of accident insurance.

Should we spend $220 total or so for the three of us on extra travel insurance? Or does COBRA or any similar mechanism cover us as we are US citizens (doubtful)?

I'm thinking, of course, about the financial quandry we might be in if one of has an accident or unexpected medical event during our two weeks in the US.

Any tips or discussion welcome. Thanks.

[toesonthenose]

Aloha Matt! COBRA is a lengthy federal law that among other things allows you to continue to purchase health insurance from a prior employer while awaiting new insurance with a new employer. So, there is no COBRA system that will come in and bail you out. You would be much like the other 45 million Americans without health insurance, stuck with a debt, or depend upon the goodwill of others, or skip it and play the odds. Good luck, Shaun

[MB]

Thanks, Shaun!
Yes, I thought COBRA probably wouldn't meet the case.
I guess my post brings up another point which -- I'm almost certain -- must be easy to verify given a quick call to an 0800 number, which is:
exactly what *is* the deal with the Visa-card $1million accident insurance? I mean that literally, not rhetorically or sarcastically. What -- if anyone here is in the business -- does and doesn't it cover? Details? I think that that the travel in question has to be booked on the credit card, for starters... but as much as anything I'm raising the topic here because it's one of those credit-card features that a lot of us casually know we have but maybe aren't quite sure of the details!

Thanks again,
Matt.

[clg]

I thought the Visa coverage was just a sort of life insurance policy if you are on a plane that goes down and you bought the ticket with the CC. Don't think you should count on it doing much. I would/will buy travel insurance.

Chris

[Park City Partner]

Great question! I will be in that situation in the future as well. I think that unless you buy travel insurance you won't be covered. American Express may have it as a feature on the card or at least an option you can purchase but I'm not sure how they will react if you are "traveling to the US". There could be a loop hole coming back this way. Did you keep a US address for your Visa card or is it a Kiwi one?

[selchie]

There was a column about travel insurance in this weekend's SF Chronicle: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/27/INGH2FPHUF1.DTL&hw=travel+insurance&sn=001&sc=1000
It was mostly one person's account of a MIL who had a stroke while traveling in France, but it does give an example of the usefulness of traveler's health insurance. We've tended to check with our standard health insurance company to see if they would cover us while we travel. Otherwise, the $100 or so that one spends on traveler's could be well worth it if one gets hurt or seriously ill.