Medical Costs in China/Travel Insurance
Apr 13, 2011, 4:52 am
#47
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Southeast USA
Programs: various
Posts: 6,710
Trooper, it is NOT viable to provide travel medical insurance covering everything, everywhere for Euro 8 or 10. NOT VIABLE as a self-financing business product. Not even for the Germans. So, something critical is missing in the explanation we are being given by other FT'ers.
Since this part of the discussion has taken this thread completely off on a tangent that is completely useless to the OP as well as to a majority of FT readers, I suggest we all just drop it and move on. If you're German (or in the EU), more power to you, but everyone else is stuck and has to choose from options that cost more than Euro 8 or 10, if they want travel medical insurance. That's a fact.
Since this part of the discussion has taken this thread completely off on a tangent that is completely useless to the OP as well as to a majority of FT readers, I suggest we all just drop it and move on. If you're German (or in the EU), more power to you, but everyone else is stuck and has to choose from options that cost more than Euro 8 or 10, if they want travel medical insurance. That's a fact.
Apr 13, 2011, 5:34 am
#48
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Germany
Posts: 1,244
Trooper, it is NOT viable to provide travel medical insurance covering everything, everywhere for Euro 8 or 10. NOT VIABLE as a self-financing business product. Not even for the Germans. So, something critical is missing in the explanation we are being given by other FT'ers.
The only small limitation is that each stay can't be longer than 6 weeks in the most insurances (I have one with 90 days coverage for free over my creditcard). You can fly home than and go on trip again the next day, so you have coverage for 6 weeks again.
And its a stand alone police, you dont have to buy anything more from the insurance company than this police.
Apr 13, 2011, 5:59 am
#49
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 4
Travel Insurance
A couple of points:
1. If you are interested in the travel insurance but want to minimize the cost than consider buying the insurance with a 0 (zero) trip cost. By using a zero trip cost you eliminate the trip cancellation and interruption coverages but you retain all of the other coverages including the medical and emergency medical evacuation coverages. It also substantially reduces the cost of the insurance. The only draw back is that you will not be eligible for any of the time sensitive benefits.
2. The Travelex Lite plan does not offer a "cancel for any reason" option. It is really titled "cancel for all events" which has some basic differences than "cancel for any reason".
1. If you are interested in the travel insurance but want to minimize the cost than consider buying the insurance with a 0 (zero) trip cost. By using a zero trip cost you eliminate the trip cancellation and interruption coverages but you retain all of the other coverages including the medical and emergency medical evacuation coverages. It also substantially reduces the cost of the insurance. The only draw back is that you will not be eligible for any of the time sensitive benefits.
2. The Travelex Lite plan does not offer a "cancel for any reason" option. It is really titled "cancel for all events" which has some basic differences than "cancel for any reason".
Apr 13, 2011, 4:58 pm
#50
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,413
I have personally witnessed the father of a friend who had a massive stroke. We went with her to the hospital. The Chinese medical system is so blatently unfair that it was amazing. Money or foreign insurance makes a HUGE difference on quality of care. The emergency doctor is so upfront, I was personally offended for our friend's sake. Doctor wanted a red envelope with cash. He actually said, "ATM machine is across the street". Every nurse, care aide and EVEN the cleaning staff all came over with their hand out. The local I was with said, "nurses get about 500 rmb or they will not care for your father and nursing assistant should get about 200 rmb or they will not feed or wash your father and the janitor should get about 100 rmb or the bed area will not be cleaned"
As we were waiting, nurse comes up to us and says, "your father needs his head shaved so that doctor can cut a hole in his head to relieve the pressure - I need a razor to shave a part of his hair off, give me 20 rmb now"
The 12 or so hours we waited in the waiting room, at least once a hour somebody will come by demanding cash for everything and anything.
If I couldn't speak Chinese, this would be a frighting experience.
Why I feel basic travel medical insurance is not necessarily a bad thing to purchase.
As we were waiting, nurse comes up to us and says, "your father needs his head shaved so that doctor can cut a hole in his head to relieve the pressure - I need a razor to shave a part of his hair off, give me 20 rmb now"
The 12 or so hours we waited in the waiting room, at least once a hour somebody will come by demanding cash for everything and anything.
If I couldn't speak Chinese, this would be a frighting experience.
Why I feel basic travel medical insurance is not necessarily a bad thing to purchase.
Apr 13, 2011, 7:13 pm
#51
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: KIX, ITM, UKB, YVR
Programs: Star Alliance - AC
Posts: 2,356
If you have insurance, red envelopes are not necessary. They just choose or charge for the most expensive (money making) procedure to the insurance company.
One ER doctor we are getting to know a bit said the best travel insurance from their perspective is Japanese and Korean travel insurance. He said "they never question the bills and just pay" then he laughed.
One ER doctor we are getting to know a bit said the best travel insurance from their perspective is Japanese and Korean travel insurance. He said "they never question the bills and just pay" then he laughed.
Apr 13, 2011, 10:50 pm
#52
FlyerTalk Evangelist & Ambassador: China
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: DL DM/MM, UA 1K, AA Exp, HH Dia, WOH Glob, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold, NA EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 17,423
Apr 13, 2011, 11:17 pm
#53
Ambassador: China
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Malibu Inferno Ground Zero
Programs: UA AA CO
Posts: 4,836
Apr 14, 2011, 12:21 am
#54
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: KIX, ITM, UKB, YVR
Programs: Star Alliance - AC
Posts: 2,356
They don't. They do expect that money sprouts out of our butts and they can charge for what ever they deem necessary. Its not that they do unnecessary medical procedures (this has also been done but that is another story) they assume that we want the very best care and this is the premium price and usually we don't blink at the cost because generally speaking, medical costs are not that expensive in relative comparision to home wherever home is.
Apr 14, 2011, 4:23 am
#56
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Germany
Posts: 1,244
I'am not a insurance, can't tell you. Maybe because everyone have this insurance, some 2 or 3 of it. And who really use this? 0,01%? I think less than this.
Apr 14, 2011, 5:01 am
#57
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 6,338
Everyone?
You mean everyone who travels.. which is a relatively small % of the population anywhere I would think...
I can't imagine the "pool" being anywhere near big enough at those rates... must be some factor not yet apparent....
You mean everyone who travels.. which is a relatively small % of the population anywhere I would think...
I can't imagine the "pool" being anywhere near big enough at those rates... must be some factor not yet apparent....
Apr 14, 2011, 6:32 am
#58
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Germany
Posts: 1,244
You get it with your creditcard, if your want or not. If you are in a automobile club, like AAA you get it if you want or not. My standard health insurance also included a private abroad health care insurance. So its included in a lot of products we pay for, so you will pay for it even if you dont travel.
Last edited by 31570324; Apr 14, 2011 at 7:47 am
Apr 14, 2011, 9:51 am
#59
Ambassador: China
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Malibu Inferno Ground Zero
Programs: UA AA CO
Posts: 4,836
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjU2ODY4NDIw.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_RDBCGm5ls
Last edited by anacapamalibu; Apr 14, 2011 at 9:00 pm
Apr 14, 2011, 11:20 pm
#60
FlyerTalk Evangelist & Ambassador: China
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: DL DM/MM, UA 1K, AA Exp, HH Dia, WOH Glob, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold, NA EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 17,423
They don't. They do expect that money sprouts out of our butts and they can charge for what ever they deem necessary. Its not that they do unnecessary medical procedures (this has also been done but that is another story) they assume that we want the very best care and this is the premium price and usually we don't blink at the cost because generally speaking, medical costs are not that expensive in relative comparision to home wherever home is.