Rhoy the Bhoy

"Hilary" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
[snip]
    >> Interesting how you English equate "drinking" and "get drunk"
    >English? Never mind.

Sorry if that's an insult - no offence intended.

    >As far as insurance can be concerned, even *1* drink can invalidate
your
    >claim if you then do something stupid (fall over a balcony, fall off
a
    >moped, etc.) which can be considered at least partially a result of
the
    >alcohol.

IMHO, not legitimately it can't. But of course insurers will try ...

    >(I was also replying to a previous poster talking about holidays in
Ibiza
    >- not particularly known for its family alcohol-free holidays...)


Fairy nuff

(uk.legal added)

Frank F. Matthews

Travel Guard is one such.

Roland Perry wrote:

    > In message <[email protected]>, at 18:30:56 on Sun,
    > 3 Oct 2004, Frank F. Matthews <[email protected]> remarked:
    >
    >> Much simpler to get a policy that will cover preexisting conditions.
    >
    >
    > Available from the Porcine Aviator Insurance Co?

Frank F. Matthews

Of course with employer medical insurance in the US there are legal
restrictions on coverage limitations. Basically if you were covered for
something on your previous policy and if the problem is covered on the
new policy then there is no claim of a pre existing condition.

For travel policies there are a number of ones which cover preexisting
conditions when purchased from 1-2 weeks of purchasing the trip.

Roland Perry wrote:

    > In message <[email protected]>, at 10:23:58 on Mon, 4 Oct 2004,
    > anonymous <[email protected]> remarked:
    >
    >> my insurance (through my employer, the State Medical School) convers
    >> pre-existing conditions from day 1.
    >
    >
    > That's a huge corporate scheme, and doesn't count. We are talking about
    > individuals buying on the spot market.
    >
    > But sounds like a good place to get a job if you have a long term illness.

Frank F. Matthews

Hilary wrote:

    >>>>so next time i go on a summer ibizia holiday it dont really matter
    >>if i have
    >>>>insurance or not....... if it get invalidated then i may as well
    >>save my £40
    >>>>and not buy it.
    >>>If you get drunk and
    >>[snip]
    >>>Just try not to injure yourself or lose anything while
    >>>drinking.
    >>[snip]
    >>Interesting how you English equate "drinking" and "get drunk"

    > English? Never mind.
    >
    > As far as insurance can be concerned, even *1* drink can invalidate your
    > claim if you then do something stupid (fall over a balcony, fall off a
    > moped, etc.) which can be considered at least partially a result of the
    > alcohol.
    >
    > (I was also replying to a previous poster talking about holidays in Ibiza
    > - not particularly known for its family alcohol-free holidays...)
    > Hilary

The terms that I've see refer to "abuse". I doubt that 1 drink would
ever qualify for the exclusion.

Roland Perry

In message <[email protected]>, at 01:52:40 on Tue, 5
Oct 2004, Frank F. Matthews <[email protected]> remarked:
    >Travel Guard is one such.
    >Roland Perry wrote:
    >> In message <[email protected]>, at 18:30:56 on
    >>Sun, 3 Oct 2004, Frank F. Matthews <[email protected]>
    >>remarked:
    >>> Much simpler to get a policy that will cover preexisting conditions.
    >> Available from the Porcine Aviator Insurance Co?

Only up to a point. Their conditions for pre-existing conditions are:

Worldwide Health Extended - $2,500 limit;
Worldwide Health - For U.S. Citizens Traveling Abroad - $1,000 Limit;
Worldwide Health - For Non-U.S. Citizens Traveling Outside Their Home
Country - No Coverage

And in common with other American-based health insurance they have high
"excess" (deductible) [you get to choose from $100 to $2500] and then
pay only the first 80% of the next $5000 within the USA.

Europeans are more familiar with policies with zero excess for health,
and 100% payments.

And the premiums will reflect the choice of excess, so it might be very
expensive to have lower than $500, and so an American abroad with a
pre-existing condition will get a maximum payment of $500, or if
travelling inside the USA, 80% of $2,000.

These amounts won't cover much more than an initial consultation should
you fall ill on holiday, and are nothing like the $20M that a typical
European policy will pay.

The fees section also has stealth conditions. For example if you are
aged 70-80 US citizen travelling abroad, you can only buy up to $50K of
cover, not $1M. That's $480 for a $500 deductible, a huge premium to
European eyes, and for such small coverage.

There are other exclusions that sound odd to European ears, such as:
"Charges for use of Emergency Room for treatment of Illness unless the
patient is directly admitted to the Hospital as Inpatient for further
treatment of that Illness." So if the visit to the emergency room cures
the condition, you don't get paid! Perhaps this reflects an American
culture that the hospital will admit you as a lucrative in-patient if
you have more than a scratched fingernail, but it's surprising how many
minor injuries a British Emergency room will provide full treatment for
(ahead of you returning home for a follow-up).

Finally (and this is the really crucial one in the context of the
current discussion) there appears to be *no* coverage whatsoever for
cancelling a trip because one of the group, or a close relative, falls
ill. (Only for aborting a trip once it's started).
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry

In message <[email protected]>, at 14:38:22 on Tue,
5 Oct 2004, Frank F. Matthews <[email protected]> remarked:
    >First consideration of pre-existing conditions.
    >PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITION EXCLUSION WAIVER:
    >The Pre-Existing Medical Condition Exclusion will be waived if the
    >insurance is purchased within fifteen calendar days of the "initial
    >trip payment." (Day one is the date the “initial trip paymentâ€? is
    >received.) This exclusion applies to all coverages.

Fair enough. Their website does them few favours, when it comes to
finding information :-(
--
Roland Perry

Frank F. Matthews

Roland Perry wrote:
    > In message <[email protected]>, at 14:38:22 on Tue,
    > 5 Oct 2004, Frank F. Matthews <[email protected]> remarked:
    >
    >> First consideration of pre-existing conditions.
    >> PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITION EXCLUSION WAIVER:
    >> The Pre-Existing Medical Condition Exclusion will be waived if the
    >> insurance is purchased within fifteen calendar days of the "initial
    >> trip payment." (Day one is the date the “initial trip paymentâ€? is
    >> received.) This exclusion applies to all coverages.

    > Fair enough. Their website does them few favours, when it comes to
    > finding information :-(

And, as with most US insurance, the policy is state specific. In my
case the price & conditions are specific to Texas.

I must admit that when I tried "International" for a residence things
cratered. Perhaps they only work with US & Canada although the
international choice is on the list.

Rak

"Frank F. Matthews" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Roland Perry wrote:
    >> In message <[email protected]>, at 14:38:22 on Tue,
    >> 5 Oct 2004, Frank F. Matthews <[email protected]> remarked:
    >>> First consideration of pre-existing conditions.
    >>> PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITION EXCLUSION WAIVER:
    >>> The Pre-Existing Medical Condition Exclusion will be waived if the
    >>> insurance is purchased within fifteen calendar days of the "initial trip
    >>> payment." (Day one is the date the “initial trip paymentâ€? is
    >>> received.) This exclusion applies to all coverages.
    >> Fair enough. Their website does them few favours, when it comes to
    >> finding information :-(
    > And, as with most US insurance, the policy is state specific. In my case
    > the price & conditions are specific to Texas.
    > I must admit that when I tried "International" for a residence things
    > cratered. Perhaps they only work with US & Canada although the
    > international choice is on the list.
I thought the US was international for Texans. ;)

Thomas

    > But, of course, I am speculating.
    > I wonder how much she drank - Or more importantly how much the insurance
    > companies let you drink before they deny liability.

I'm curious how insurers would react if for example there was a fire at the
Munich Oktobrefest.