Travel Health Insurance Plans for Travelers

[Oskar]

What a boring subject line, you're probably thinking. I know that's how I feel about it. I generally feel more or less immortal, and am always in good health (through staying fit, eating right, avoiding taking unnecessary risks, etc), but the people around me who have been in this world for longer than me say that it's important to have solid health insurance. To me it seems like a massive racket, but I can't see a solid way to not play their game. Chances are that at some point I will need a doctor to fix something broken or treat a medical problem I'm having, and if I don't have healthcare when that occurs it's basically "Here, hope you feel better! Enjoy your massive debt and/or bankruptcy!" If you don't have it and something happens, chances are you're fucked. And yeah, that could kind of put a damper on achieving my other goals. Abject poverty tends to do that.

I'm currently paying at the edge of my parents plan (United Healthcare) but in two years I'll have to get my own, and, more immediately, there is a $100 a month boost if I want international insurance (and I'm planning some extended international travel). I don't know much about ObamaCare, except that there's a lot of propaganda surrounding it trying to get people who are plugged into the matrix to care about it and that supposedly it is supposed to help poor people get fucked less hard (or perhaps it's just switching up the thrust angle? Hard to tell. Once again, I'm no expert on insurance.).

To get to the point, I'm wondering if any of you know of an inexpensive yet solid healthcare plan that is not related to one's profession (I'm a freelancer and have no interest in joining an agency), that covers international travel (and not just emergencies).

-Oskar

 

[Chase]

Oskar-

If you're American (sounds like you are, since you mention Obamacare), IMG supposedly is the best - I had them recommended to me by USAA, which is usually pretty in the know and straightforward about who has the best coverage if it isn't them. I've been with IMG for several years, though never had to use the insurance so can't tell you how well it works.

Here's the site: http://www.imglobal.com/index.aspx

Chase

 

[Oskar]

Awesome, thanks Chase!

Right now I've decided to just use an International Emergency Insurance plan with United Healthcare, as if it's not an emergency I figure, since I'm only going to Montreal, I could just cross the border and get whatever non-emergency things dealt with back in the States. When I do become a more regular international traveler though, I will sign up for an IMG plan, like you recommend -- as I looked into it some more and it looks like one of the more solid plans out there.

Cheers,
Oskar