SanDiegogirl

Did the policy cover the pre-conditions?

scrubbedexpat099

World First are a Broker so what will be available will depend on what the Insurers they deal with are offering, and that changes. They could be excellent this year and not next year or vice versa.

They say they specialize in the difficult over 65 and people with medical issues, where things get really difficult is when you combine age/pre existing conditions/long trip, for very obvious reasons.

robin1234

That is why Medicare is a good choice - after five years as a resident.

scrubbedexpat099

They are a UK based travel insurance broker

Winston_the_Great_Dane

Yes. I also have a chronic condition which I used them for and it was also covered. Their questions on which they base the premium are pragmatic and insightful to the conditions declared.

Winston_the_Great_Dane

They managed to get a suitable policy for a 94 YO with multiple pre-existing conditions (covered). We've used them multiple times across multiple years and been good.

tht

Used them to buy a policy or used them to claim? That’s the only time you can really tell if insurnace is good…

Winston_the_Great_Dane

I didn't claim, so can't vouch for that side of it. However, it's one of the few brokers who actually have a good questionnaire to work out the extent of pre-existing conditions.

And at this point I'm bored of justifying World First. You pays your money and you makes your choice. YMMV

scrubbedexpat099

I see nothing wrong with World First, I would certainly try for them for Travel Insurance, especially where there may be issues.

I did look them up, they are an offshoot of a small Lloyd's Broker. Historically the big boys were not that interested in the lets say specialist risks, they obviously saw an opportunity. The way it normally works is that they have delegated underwriting authority, sales pitch to the Insurer is their specific skill set in putting together a book of business and rating it to produce a profit. Sounds like their forte is medical underwriting. Claims handling is outsourced.

As far as this situation is concerned:

For travellers aged 69 or below, we can cover up to 186 days per trip. However we can provide cover for people aged up to 100 for up to 31 days or more – depending on your specific age.

penguinsix

We were in this situation and it was a nightmare. Some serious coin and that was only if we could find a company that was interested in doing this. Travel insurance (when we looked at it) had some restrictions about you being on a tourist visa and not immigrating. That might have changed by now but not sure.

In the end, we were able to get, through our employer's insurance company, a "dependent parent" insurance plan added as a rider to our insurance plan. This is a very rare thing though, but some companies do offer it as a benefit to their employee health plans. You can try reaching out to your employer to see if this is something they might have built into their plan. Still going to cost a bunch, but cheaper than buying on your own direct from an exchange or something.

huacheetah

Thanks for all the info!

We'll look to see if my husband's employer will let him add her to his health insurance.

And I'll look into world first traveler's insurance. I think traveler's insurance may be the place to start because I'm not sure my MIL will even like it here. I think it's best we start with a long tourist stay to see if she likes the weather and culture, and us

robin1234

Sounds good! Just remember that if she decides to become a resident, she’ll be eligible for Medicare after five years. She’ll pay a monthly premium, but it’s good coverage.