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Travel Health Insurance?

sxstarkey

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Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Frances
I will be traveling from the United States to France and Spain in the summer to hike the Camino Frances. My health insurance doesn't provide international coverage? Will I need to purchase travel health insurance? If so, I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who has already looked into this. Thank you for your feedback.
 
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I will be traveling from the United States to France and Spain in the summer to hike the Camino Frances. My health insurance doesn't provide international coverage? Will I need to purchase travel health insurance? If so, I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who has already looked into this. Thank you for your feedback.
We always get travel health insurance. Check the travel insurance offering when you buy your ticket. Ours included health and Covid coverage this year. Other years we have used Travel Guard or other carrier.
 
I would highly recommend it! Cost of treatment, whilst not at the USA level, not cheap! Don’t think USA has reciprocal health agreement with Spain or France!

Some countries require covid coverage as a condition of entry but don’t think Spain and France fall into that category!
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Oh check the small print too. Travel insurance used to be a 5 min pice of work for me but changes in circumstances mean it is not quite a big piece of work!
 
Also much cheaper to buy when you get your ticket. If you wait and get it later there is an added cost. Age also plays a role. Now my husband is in his 70's we had more difficulty finding coverage with some companies.
 
Yes, definitely buy travel insurance and it is best to buy when or close to when you purchase your plane ticket. There are generally pre-existing clauses that apply if you wait more than 14 days. Most people tend to think of travel insurance for lost luggage or delayed flights. I don't care about those. I care about major medical, or having to be taken home in the case of a major medical crisis. Over the years I have met many a pilgrim that was injured and had to go home; sometimes in a cast requiring a first class seat. You should look at the coverage levels before purchasing. I travel enough that I have found it economical to purchase annual travel insurance and no longer purchase trip by trip.
 
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Yes, definitely buy travel insurance and it is best to buy when or close to when you purchase your plane ticket. There are generally pre-existing clauses that apply if you wait more than 14 days. Most people tend to think of travel insurance for lost luggage or delayed flights. I don't care about those. I care about major medical, or having to be taken home in the case of a major medical crisis. Over the years I have met many a pilgrim that was injured and had to go home; sometimes in a cast requiring a first class seat. You should look at the coverage levels before purchasing. I travel enough that I have found it economical to purchase annual travel insurance and no longer purchase trip by trip.
All good advice! Ignorance is bliss when it come to travel insurance! But potentially costly! I had need to delve right into it recently and I reckon lots of trips I have taken previously I may have been uncovered despite having a policy!
 
For Americans who are on Medicare it is important to know that Medicare does not not cover overseas medical expenses. You want repatriation coverage in case you die, hospital coverage in case you're admitted and then beyond that you can decide whether you want to pay an individual doctor, but make sure it has a covid coverage to the policy.
 
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I bought my policy from Squaremouth.com, a travel insurance comparison and purchase site. I didn't care about covering my trip costs so I put the amount as zero, which made insurance for my 6 week trip very affordable.

Screenshot_20220428-081239_Firefox.jpg

 
I bought my policy from Squaremouth.com, a travel insurance comparison and purchase site. I didn't care about covering my trip costs so I put the amount as zero, which made insurance for my 6 week trip very affordable.

View attachment 123855

Be careful with this. They usually require you to include all non-refundable cost to be covered.
 
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Some credit cards provide some coverage. Chase sapphire provides $50,000 in reimbursement and repatriation costs. It costs $550 per year but provides $300 in travel credit to offset this high annual fee. It’s a card!!
Also look at existing health insurance. I have Mutual of Omaha and it provides $50,000 in additional coverage.
Good luck with your search!
 
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This is a sometimes overlooked aspect of a Camino and you get a pat on the back for dealing with this.
Knock on wood, I’ve never needed true medical care when on the CF, but I have known many, many who have.

One thing to keep in mind is that, in Europe, pharmacists are much more able to diagnose and dispense medications than they are in the US. As an American traveling in Spain, this was a pleasant surprise. A pharmacy could definitely be your first line of defense in case of illness or injury.

Train, use hiking poles, go slower than your spirit wants you to go during that critical first week, and pay close attention to the signals your body gives you as you walk.

It would be a GOOD thing to look back on your Camino and say, “ Darn, I paid all that money on health insurance and never even used it!”
 
We always get travel health insurance. Check the travel insurance offering when you buy your ticket. Ours included health and Covid coverage this year. Other years we have used Travel Guard or other carrier.
I am 73 and I bought medical/travel insurance for 6 weeks from Allianz for the Camino I am planning for in May. The insurance covers medical as well as covid. I used them for the other 2 caminos that I went on and didn't have any issues. I will say cost went up with my age. Current policy was $300 but I think we'll worth it if I need to use it.
 
When I did Camino in 2017 I checked with my health plan before booking. No coverage. So when I booked flight I purchased the Allianz coverage, not overly expensive at the time., about 10 % of flight cost
As others have said I would rather pay and never have to use then need it and not have it.
i thought my blisters were infected so got seen. It was only about 50 euros so I never submitted receipts. Had I not had coverage I might not have gotten seen and the situation could have gotten worse. But …….
 
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I will be traveling from the United States to France and Spain in the summer to hike the Camino Frances. My health insurance doesn't provide international coverage? Will I need to purchase travel health insurance? If so, I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who has already looked into this. Thank you for your feedback.
I got a very inexpensive plan just for my trip through Allianz - it was also the company that my airline suggested.
 
This is a sometimes overlooked aspect of a Camino and you get a pat on the back for dealing with this.
Knock on wood, I’ve never needed true medical care when on the CF, but I have known many, many who have.

One thing to keep in mind is that, in Europe, pharmacists are much more able to diagnose and dispense medications than they are in the US. As an American traveling in Spain, this was a pleasant surprise. A pharmacy could definitely be your first line of defense in case of illness or injury.

Train, use hiking poles, go slower than your spirit wants you to go during that critical first week, and pay close attention to the signals your body gives you as you walk.

It would be a GOOD thing to look back on your Camino and say, “ Darn, I paid all that money on health insurance and never even used it!”
That’s a good point about medication in Spain. You can certainly get medication in Spain over the counter which would require prescription in UK. Great news if you run out or lose medication! If you do take regular medication worth checking the beans name of that medication in Spain!
 
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I'm 84, with some health issues, and in 2018, the last travel insurance I took out took a lot of finding and cost as much as my return airfares from Sydney to Spain. More health issues and other increasing years mean increased insurance costs preclude returning to do another Camino. 😢
 
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I'm 84, with some health issues, and in 2018, the last travel insurance I took out took a lot of finding and cost as much as my return airfares from Sydney to Spain. More health issues and other increasing years mean increased insurance costs preclude returning to do another Camino. 😢
That’s a shame Bob, though i hope I am
Still that active at 84. Sure you are aware that Australia has quite a few reciprocal health agreement with European countries including UK and Italy but sadly not Spain.
 
I've been researching medical insurance for my upcoming Camino trip and have received quotes from ALL of the companies listed above as well as some others. I am 61. Lowest quote I've received is around $350 and it goes up from there.

If anyone thinks there is a less expense option I'm missing I'd certainly like to hear about it.

(yes, I have coverage through the credit card I bought travel from which does not include medical...)
 
I've been researching medical insurance for my upcoming Camino trip and have received quotes from ALL of the companies listed above as well as some others. I am 61. Lowest quote I've received is around $350 and it goes up from there.

If anyone thinks there is a less expense option I'm missing I'd certainly like to hear about it.

(yes, I have coverage through the credit card I bought travel from which does not include medical...)
Can’t comment on USA quotes but all depends if you have 1) undiagnosed symptoms, 2) pre existing conditions and 3 l) anything else such as residency issues!
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I've been researching medical insurance for my upcoming Camino trip and have received quotes from ALL of the companies listed above as well as some others. I am 61. Lowest quote I've received is around $350 and it goes up from there.

If anyone thinks there is a less expense option I'm missing I'd certainly like to hear about it.

(yes, I have coverage through the credit card I bought travel from which does not include medical...)
I'm older than you, and bought my AXA insurance from Squaremouth.com as mentioned above.
 
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I am definitely not planning on passing away when I hike the Camino,
but you never know what will happen. There are many examples
of when it's your time to go, the lord will take you.

That being said, have any of you made plans for such an occurrence.
Taking a body back to your home country especially if you live overseas
can be an expensive process. Did any of you get some sort of insurance
for that? Is there Travel Insurance that covers it?

Or should I just tell my sister to cremate me
 
I have moved the last couple of posts on repatriation insurance from another thread, to be included in this discussion of insurance for travelers from the US to Spain. If anyone has useful information about this type of coverage, please post here.
 
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It also seems to me that you need medical travel insurance. Especially considering the current situation with covid and monkeypox, it is better to worry that you may get sick during the trip in advance.
You need medical insurance full stop. Whilst Covid and Monkeypox are ‘box office’ they are well down the list of serious medical issues you can get. Major hassle of course but unlikely to kill you off unless you are ill in first place.

Sadly a number of folks have died on Camino this year, often quite young from things like heart attacks and so on. Unexpected. That’s the key to insure against. Treatment and/or repatriation. Whilst repatriation tends to be thought of as a thing once people have passed away there are a few stories of say insurance companies insisting that folks are repatriated from USA to UK due cheaper medical costs. Also things like broken legs can be costly.

The more issues you have the less choice you have. Existing medical conditions can be relatively easy and cheap but ‘undiagnosed’ symptoms can be a nightmare! So shop around and don’t take chances! UK lady recently broke arm in USA and bill was USD16k

The above is a UK view but think holds good for USA! UK folks can of course get the GHIC which cover treatment in 33 European countries and we have reciprocal arrangements with about 10-20 countries. Repatriation and private facilities not included!
 
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You should totally buy a travel insurance. My family and I have used it for years. My cousin used to get sick very often, and traveling with him was so tough, having to buy so many pills for him. Travel insurance was the best decision as we did not have so much pain when it came to this topic. That's why I recommend you buying it. You never know what could happen and how lucky you could get to save some money. I know for sure that the company which is always helping us could answer your questions as well. You can find them on their website by searching The Finity Group. They have always been receptive.
 
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I am definitely not planning on passing away when I hike the Camino,
but you never know what will happen. There are many examples
of when it's your time to go, the lord will take you.

That being said, have any of you made plans for such an occurrence.
Taking a body back to your home country especially if you live overseas
can be an expensive process. Did any of you get some sort of insurance
for that? Is there Travel Insurance that covers it?

Or should I just tell my sister to cremate me
Out of interest do folks from North America and Australasian folks buy a ‘Europe wide’ plan or specific countries. I.e Spain/ France. Is there a standard geographical offering across most insurers.
 
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No, I chose the option to not cover my non-refundable costs. That's why I have no trip cancellation coverage.
Me too from a UK standpoint. Not looking to cover luggage , delays, and so on. Just the medical stuff!
 
The ones I see most are for domestic travel in Australia and New Zealand, the US, and then rest of the world. The premium difference is substantial for any travel insurance including the US!
Thank you! Yes same for UK folks. Anything including USA is by far the most expensive!
 
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Thank you! Yes same for UK folks. Anything including USA is by far the most expensive!
A Brit here. I met an American doctor on a Camino. The subject of travel insurance came up in conversation. He found it hard to believe that the cost of my annual travel policy (Worldwide excluding USA and Canada) was about 10% of the price he had paid for a single journey policy to cover his visit to Spain. A huge price difference. Though he had the grace to acknowledge that his profession bore a lot of the blame for that! :cool:
 
A Brit here. I met an American doctor on a Camino. The subject of travel insurance came up in conversation. He found it hard to believe that the cost of my annual travel policy (Worldwide excluding USA and Canada) was about 10% of the price he had paid for a single journey policy to cover his visit to Spain. A huge price difference. Though he had the grace to acknowledge that his profession bore a lot of the blame for that! :cool:
Yes I can imagine. That said for various reasons I am having to do ‘trip by trip’ policies at the moment after years of annual policies and can be quite pricey even from UK! How I miss those £60 a year worldwide days!
 
I bought my policy from Squaremouth.com, a travel insurance comparison and purchase site. I didn't care about covering my trip costs so I put the amount as zero, which made insurance for my 6 week trip very affordable.

Be careful with this. They usually require you to include all non-refundable cost to be covered.

A little follow up - the policy that I bought was from AXA and cost me $105 for my 6 week trip, and was primary for health coverage.

I broke my arm in Portugal and I was reimbursed 100% by AXA for my claim.
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Bit of good news here. I traveled from the US to Spain last April to walk from Burgos to Astorga. Had a wonderful Camino walk across the Meseta. Saw a Semana Santa procession. Stayed in hostels, hotels and albergues. When I return to Madrid to fly back to the US I tested positivo for the Covid. (double vaxxed and boosted). I immediately checked out of my Madrid hostel and booked an AirBnb studio apartment with kitchen facilities for 11 days. Changed my return ticket. Called my travel insurance company: Travel Insured International. I had bought the high end medical insurance policy because I have heart problems. They said file a claim when you return. I did, in June. I had tried to read all the fine print in the policy, but I am no lawyer. I claimed my travel interruption costs: Airbnb, changed ticket fee, numerous taxis to testing sites, some food and meals, etc. I did not claim actual medical expenses because I would have had to first file a claim with my health insurance. The medical expenses were only for tests, less than $100, not worth the paper work and delay. This week I received a check for $2320 from Travel Insured International. The exact amount I claimed. Buen Camino
 
Bit of good news here. I traveled from the US to Spain last April to walk from Burgos to Astorga. Had a wonderful Camino walk across the Meseta. Saw a Semana Santa procession. Stayed in hostels, hotels and albergues. When I return to Madrid to fly back to the US I tested positivo for the Covid. (double vaxxed and boosted). I immediately checked out of my Madrid hostel and booked an AirBnb studio apartment with kitchen facilities for 11 days. Changed my return ticket. Called my travel insurance company: Travel Insured International. I had bought the high end medical insurance policy because I have heart problems. They said file a claim when you return. I did, in June. I had tried to read all the fine print in the policy, but I am no lawyer. I claimed my travel interruption costs: Airbnb, changed ticket fee, numerous taxis to testing sites, some food and meals, etc. I did not claim actual medical expenses because I would have had to first file a claim with my health insurance. The medical expenses were only for tests, less than $100, not worth the paper work and delay. This week I received a check for $2320 from Travel Insured International. The exact amount I claimed. Buen Camino
I'm glad you recovered and were able to get reimbursed.
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
No, I chose the option to not cover my non-refundable costs. That's why I have no trip cancellation coverage.
Well you are clever! I am too linear a thinker to have come up with that one! Do all such insurances give one the option not to cover such costs?
 
Well you are clever! I am too linear a thinker to have come up with that one! Do all such insurances give one the option not to cover such costs?
I suppose so. I used the SquareMouth.com travel insurance comparison website, and that was an option. In the past I just put zero as my trip costs.
 
I suppose so. I used the SquareMouth.com travel insurance comparison website, and that was an option. In the past I just put zero as my trip costs.
I also only cover medical insurance. Don’t bother with anything else. I don’t think all insurance sites offer ‘medical costs only’ but assume comparisons sites do.I don’t cover trip cancellation costs for example, as I don’t tend to have any costs if cancelled.
 
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I also only cover medical insurance. Don’t bother with anything else. I don’t think all insurance sites offer ‘medical costs only’ but assume comparisons sites do.I don’t cover trip cancellation costs for example, as I don’t tend to have any costs if cancelled.
Do you mean that you don't worry about the cost of a plane ticket or are you talking about the cost something like a tour?
 
Do you mean that you don't worry about the cost of a plane ticket or are you talking about the cost something like a tour?
This wasn't my post, but I don't worry about the costs of my flights. I usually book with airline points, which I can redeposit if I need to cancel. Or, if I have paid actual money I can get a credit for another flight.
 
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