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Medical and Travel Insurance Update

IMG denied my application for their Global Medical Insurance plan because of my recent knee condition and treatment.

I have a much better understanding of why so many people are frustrated and uninsured in America as a result.

It seems unfair that insurers will deny coverage for people who are (or were recently) sick or injured – in short, the people who need the coverage the most – because they might have to pay $$$ after any pre-existing condition clauses expire (IMG Global Gold is 24 months – not that I'd still be with them that long). 

As a result, tens of millions of Americans are without health insurance coverage.

I've had employees who had to choose whether to take their children to the doctor, or themselves, yet I didn't really get the rub until now.

The underwriter said I could reapply in 6 months if the knee problem doesn't persist, nor do I seek treatment for it.

Of course, there's no guarantee they'll cover me then either!

So on to Plan B, paying COBRA premiums month-to-month to maintain my employer-based plan.

It's 3-4 times as expensive as the IMG policy, however, it also covers a lot more, and I have the added security of knowing if my knee problem recurs, and self-treatment doesn't help, I don't have to assume the whole cost of further treatment myself.

I still intend to reapply for an IMG policy after 6 months.

Luckily, I obtained all the necessary medical records myself rather than having them sent to the company.

I can scan them all, e-mail them to myself, and have them readily available to forward next May. Just don't tell IMG – I'm still mad at them.

While I have access to the BlueCard Worldwide network outside of the United States, it's geared more toward trying to ensure I'm using an “in-network” provider or facility, versus emergency evacuation support.

For that reason, I just paid for 6 months worth of travel insurance through World Nomads at a cost of $238.

It still surprises me how many people seem to rely on travel insurance alone.

I was recently reminded by a wise man that if I ended up in a worst-case scenario (such as a cancer diagnosis) without medical insurance, it's not just me that'd be financially impacted, it'd be my parents as well.

Despite the unforeseen (and souring) cost of insurance for this trip, I'm so close to leaving it's hard to be upset.

I quickly passed the anger phase and moved on to acceptance.

There are still a few ways I can make up for it along the way:

  • Dares! – I know readers are hard at work coming up with weird and embarrassing things for me to do, such as pick my nose in front of the Sky Tower in Auckland.
  • Couchsurf – I'm batting 0 for 8 in Tahiti and Auckland, however, I know there's a couch out there with my name on it!
  • Advertising – I constantly run a full inventory of 10 Text Link Ads, so contact me directly if you'd like to advertise on this popular PR 4 travel blog.
  • Donations – While Dares are interactive, I'm fully prepared for a no-strings donation or two! :)

Planning a trip? Go Backpacking recommends:

Aaron

Friday 22nd of January 2010

Thanks James, I appreciate the offer for help but I think I understand the policy quite clearly...coverage ends when I'm within 100 miles of my home.

James

Friday 22nd of January 2010

Hi there, this is James from worldnomads.com here. Thanks for the mention. Thought to drop you a line to say that we are here if you have any questions about your policy benefits. Simply send us an email at [email protected]

Aaron

Thursday 21st of January 2010

Thanks James, I appreciate the offer for help but I think I understand the policy quite clearly...coverage ends when I'm within 100 miles of my home.

James

Thursday 21st of January 2010

Hi there, this is James from worldnomads.com here. Thanks for the mention. Thought to drop you a line to say that we are here if you have any questions about your policy benefits. Simply send us an email at [email protected]

Dave

Thursday 24th of December 2009

I bought the IMG Global Gold plan (they offer 3 levels of coverage perplan). While they expect you to be abroad 6 months of the year, when itcame time for me to renew, and I couldn't be sure if I'd spend 6 monthsabroad in 2009 as well, the response I got back was that it really onlymatters during the first year, and that they don't have any real way toverify your whereabouts.

But if you're only going to be gone for 2 months, that is different. Willyou have a job to come back to....or will you be looking for a new one?

You can always buy emergency coverage through a company like World Nomads for less. It's a very popular option, but it won't help you if you getdiagnosed with cancer! Again, a 0.000001% chance of that happening, butthat was what was on my mind (and that of my Dad's) when I was deciding oncoverage after quitting my job.

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