Travel Insurance

The summer has been uneventful. I've played golf in two leagues at Cedar Green. Leo's Handicap Index remains four or five below mine, so I haven't made the breakthroughs that my overthinking led me to imagine should have happened. Other than golf, I have had not much inclination to do anything. This is a condition I refer to as "Going Down The Rabbit Hole". I guess it is a form of depression but I have not been unhappy. Just unmotivated.

But now, with the Freedom Rally over and Interlochen fast approaching, it was time to go looking for travel medical insurance.

Our regular carrier now is TD. We buy an annual plan that allows us to be out of the country for seventeen days at a time without any questionnaires. The cost for both of us combined is $280 per year. The only requirement is that any pre-existing condition must have been stable for six months or it is not covered. Everything not associated with the pre-existing condition is still covered. And, in the event of a medical emergency, they WILL be checking with the doctors. So, since I only had the stent put in two months ago, I would not be covered for any heart issues. TD does not have any underwriting services for higher risk clients.

Next I was off to CAA where they have a new system and a new carrier. CAA has a questionnaire that is much shorter than the one they used when Manulife was their carrier. Their waiting period is only three months but I am still inside that window and they don't offer underwriting of special cases either. Their plan should be good for the Disney World trip in November, provided nothing else happens. They are more expensive, with an annual plan just for me that covers 30 days at a time costing over $500.

Next, I turned to Manulife TravelEase. This is designed to cover people with unstable pre-existing conditions. You need to provide a comprehensive medical history over the phone. She said if I had toe fungus, she wanted to know about it. One omission can invalidate the entire policy. But they will cover someone who has had a stent as little as six weeks prior. I insured myself for the Interlochen and Arkansas trips for a cost of about $20 a day. On their scale I rate as a 7 out of 10 because of the two heart conditions plus being diabetic. Two weeks in September will cost me more than our regular annual policy costs both of us. That said, I am covered so I can go.