Medical Insurance

Unless you are an EU citizen, yes. Even if you are, yes. Evacuation and repatriation cover too. As to where will depend on where you are from and what insurers are available to you. That info will help members advise.

As a retired US citizen on Medicare with supplemental UHC's Plan N, I can tell you that your coverage will be totally lacking during a 2 month trip to the Eurozone. There are companies that sell coverage to individuals for travel overseas and you can get coverage with your airline company.

For US: American insurance does not prove compressive coverage overseas. When I travel I use https://www.squaremouth.com/ To cost/services compare among different companies

Explore this thread https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/medical-insurance-for-us-peregrinos.51959/

First - I prepare for camino and volunteering each year by arranging all my annual or semi-annual medical, optical and dental preventative exams in the few months before my travel. This minimizes the need for insurance cover in Europe, absent emergencies. I also arrange my prescription medications with my doctors so I have more than enough on hand to take on my travels.

Second - To provide for acute medical care and possible evacuation back to my home, I stack insurance covers:

1. The credit card I use to buy my airfare provides some coverage. You must read the fine print in your credit card benefits language.

2. I always purchase trip insurance form the airline I use to travel to and from Spain. This insurance provides some coverage while I am in Spain / Europe between the flying dates.

3. My personal insurance cover in the US (Blue Cross - Blue Shield) provides some overseas coverage. They have an alliance with a global firm to identify and provide services to their insured customers. I can access a web page to locate a hospital or doctor in almost any major city. Santiago is included.

If I stack all these resources on top of each other, I am fairly well provided for.

Third - For medical needs that are lesser, I simply pay out of pocket. In 2013, on my first Camino, I had infected calluses on both heels and paid a total of €75, over two visits, to a podiatrist in Burgos to perform surgery on my feet. I was happy to pay.

Hope this helps.

Sunita Moonka said:

Good Point.
I live in the US and US citizen with medical coverage from my husbands employer, retired ( United Health). Also wondering if anyone has had any experience with the medical facilities on the Portuguese route?

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We did the Portuguese last year, we took out comprehensive medical insurance which is compulsory to obtain a visa from the Spanish and Portuguese embasy in Namibia. My wife needed to be hospitalised in Tomar. We had to pay the bill ourselves and claimed back from the insurance company as the hospital told us they don't eccept medical insurance from other countries. On the other hand, their medical services are tops.

For those who have insurance already (through work, or a state programme), it is advisable to get an “all clear” document of your health before you depart as well. Those of us with insurance plans have to inform our insurers of where we will be, for how long, and when. If we do not have the health clearance, and we do not inform the insurer of our travels, our “out of country” coverage can be denied. Make sure you get your bases covered, even if you already have insurance!
Buen camino everyone.