Hey everyone.

I agree with ncriwhd that there should be such a card, even if it’s travel health insurance (not intl.).

(An Apple Wallet card is also on our to-do list.)

It did’t happen yet because we have to prioritize. We’ve had almost no requests or issues regarding that so far, compared to other topics that are much more frequent and important. We’d love to improve a huge amount of things but are already beyond capacity. Priorities are critical right now. Every feedback is welcome to help prioritize.

We also need to work on business goals related to fundraising in order to survive the early startup phases and actually make a big dent in insurance, health & customer experience. (No worries, the policies remain intact whatever happens).

Regarding direct billing our partner is already working on obtaining access to a network where direct billing is possible for outpatient visits too. Stay tuned 😉

I have SafetyWing for international medical insurance. No complaints so far. But I recently did a chat with a support representative who was able to confirm the following Let's say I am perfectly healthy, and then I get medical treatment for some type of condition during my plan term. Let's say it turns out that this is going to be some type of chronic condition. When my plan renews for the following plan year, that would then be considered a "pre-existing condition" and would not be covered. Which sort of sucks.

It seems that the plan I have now through SafetyWing is good at doing exactly what insurance is supposed to do Insure you against some sort of unforeseen, extremely expensive situation. But I am wondering if there are any international health insurance providers that don't have the caveat I described above.

I.e. something I can start paying into now, while I'm young and relatively healthy, and will cover me for any conditions I get as I get older, with premium increases moreso a reflection of the inflation rate than based on my current health.

Hey there :wave:

What you describe (pre-existing conditions on renewal) is the case for all _travel health insurance_. If you renew yourself, conditions from the previous period often become excluded as pre-existing conditions.

If you want long-term cover then what you’re looking for is _international health insurance_. Have a look at Allianz Care and Foyer Global Health.

We plan to launch one soon too, but it’ll still take a while 😉

you can't expect real insurance like that at this price point, no matter how young and healthy you are

Are on the trip plan or the full health plan?

Yeah, Safety Wing is just travel insurance. Unfortunately, a legit plan is about $200 or so but offers full coverage. Even some of those exclude pre-existing conditions prior to enrollment but not after enrollment. I think the peace of mind is worth it though. It just depends on your risk tolerance. For many, a simple emergency plan works because they're comfortable with that and could get coverage in their home country if really needed. I have Cigna Global and like it so far.

If you rely on travel insurance for health emergencies and pay out of pocket for routine checkups and non-emergency care, what has your experience been like? Is it usually pretty affordable to do so? What countries have you done this in?

Travel insurance is not going to help you if you end up with cancer or some non travel related emergency. So if you are fully nomading for a while and don’t have any other insurance, then international insurance is the way to go. Travel insurance is just gap insurance when you are briefly out of your country and break your leg, or something.

Ok great. Yeah I wasn't expecting it to be as cheap as Safety Wing. If I'm committed to insuring against the contingency of having to move back to the US, $200/month could be worth it. Although then I'd presumably be locked into whatever company I choose if I develop a pre-existing condition.

Thanks for this distinction, that's helpful

my travel insurance has a 30day "away from main home" cap, so it wouldnt be a long term option anyway, or am I missing something?

Some can do policies for a year or more (like safety wing) but they are still limited in what they actually cover. Its not meant to be your main policy. Most people from developed nations will have government coverage at home, so they just need something to conver them when they are away until they return. As an american myself i need my own international policy. And that has the advantage of also converting me as I travel. Ironically, it only provides 30 days coverage in the USA. 😂

So far, I've only done international nomading in Peru and Ecuador. I have safetywing. I went to a clinic in Peru for a non-emergency (but also not something routine), it ended up being about $160 for an appointment and some medications the clinic gave me. I submitted a claim with SafetyWing, and SafetyWing applied it toward my deductible, so would have covered it if my deductible had been met. Then, in Ecuador, I went to an appointment and got an exam and diagnostic test, and ended up paying a total of $100. I also submitted a claim with SafetyWing, and I'm presuming it will be covered / go toward my deductible, but I don't know this for a fact. That said, this out of pocket pricing is similar to the kind of copays I've had previously with certain (lousy) insurance plans in the US. If I had to pay $100 for things that come up, it wouldn't be a big deal. Also, in Peru, I bought some medications from the pharmacy, and they were much cheaper than they would have been out of pocket in the US.

mmmm yeah i'm leaning toward primary insurance at this point. i'm already in the weeds of a long covid recovery, things still feel too precarious out in the world and with my own health

eteziiexitbc Slightly off-topic, but can I ask some critical questions about Genki?

1. I love Genki’s UX, but I do wonder What cold, hard value does Genki actually offer over Dr Walter’s "Protrip World" plan?
It seems to me that the product Genki is offering is exactly that plan and you guys are basically sprinkling some service (and waaay better web design :smile:) on top and add a small fee to make money. That’s all fine and I respect the business smarts here, but I wonder:

2. Will the improvements you talk about – like direct billing, a network of doctors, cards – be "Genki-Improvements" or "Dr. Walter improvements"? And how much of a different experience will I have when I file a claim with Genki vs when I were to file a claim with Dr Walter directly?

Hey there, thanks for the questions :slightly_smiling_face:

1. At the moment the plans are almost identical.
There are slight changes around home country and limited USA/Canada cover (6 weeks cover per half year instead of per maximum of 2 years). And the emergency assistance is also available in the home country. We’re very quite flexible in how people can cancel. We’ll become even more flexible in the future. And customers can pay monthly using credit/debit card which isn’t possible with DR-WALTER.

2. The improvements you’ve mentioned are added by DR-WALTER and our customers will get them as well.
The claims experience will diverge at some point when we digitize the forms on our side. At some point we’ll likely take over some or all of claims handling ourselves.

We’re still early in our business. Taking over the position that DR-WALTER currently has would cost millions of Euro, requires lots of experienced people and great relationships with risk carriers. That takes time to build 😉 We’re happy to work together with great partners and improve on all fronts over time given experience, time & capital.

We also plan to go well beyond health insurance to offer health & healthcare services relevant for nomads by ourselves or by involving more relevant partners. That takes time though.

Great answers, thank you! Very interested to see what you’ll come up with in the future. A smoother, digitalized experience for filing claims sounds very good.

Hello, everyone, how does insurance while traveling abroad work?
Companies I’m considering:
• Allianz
• Cigna Global
• Safetywing
• GeoBlue
• Xplorer?
Does anyone have any recommendations?

Reviews/experiences stemming from filing a claim or not being accepted are of greatest interest to me.

I’ll be mostly in Poland/Europe

These seem like very different products with very different costs and coverage. I guess first step is to research the difference between travel insurance and international health insurance (look at previous posts in this slack or Google) and then decide which category of insurance you need

1. Has anyone tried getting a 4th COVID booster in a country where they aren't a resident? Specifically, I'm currently in Austria and was wondering whether I can get a booster shot here.
2. Does Genki insurance cover the cost for a booster shot? cc wftbvkznxwgp

:wave:

1. I’m at the 3rd shot. Difficult to get the 4th one in Germany but I’m in no hurry anyway. Do any countries require having a recent booster that in turn requires a 4th shot?
2. Vaccines are not covered by our travel health insurance (or any other travel health insurance). An international health insurance _might_ cover it.

Understood, thanks for the prompt reply for (2).

I see that Austria is now rolling out the 4th booster to residents, I might inquire to see whether tourists can get it (even if there is a cost).

My understanding was there isn't really any evidence that a 4th booster has much benefits for young healthy people? Or is there any better data now? www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2202542|https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2202542

Since I’ve gotten my shots in various countries it’s been pretty easy. Just don’t call it 4th shot but 3rd. Germany and US don’t require health insurance, it just goes on the big government bill if you don’t have one.

regarding “non-resident” shots, depends on the country Spain and Portugal directly refused, while 3rd shot was super easy in France, any pharmacy could do it for ~free. Same with Croatia.
Czech republic also vaccinates non-residents, they had a paid program (~$60 / shot)

U.K. has no restrictions

It's for emergencies. I have a chronic condition, and it takes months before I actually need to go to an ER, which is highly unlikely. A lot of chronic illnesses, I imagine, are similar. While the travel insurance might not cover an emergency that arises due to the chronic condition, it would still cover emergencies like car accidents etc..

Im trying to get info on 3rd shot (Booster). Got my first two shots early last year. And in Jan this year I even got Covid. Its been almost 11 months now. Is a booster shot still worth it now?

vwodtfztimoc sounds like something you wanna ask a doctor, not a random group of nomads 😜 (although probably there are no studies that would give conclusive evidence for your specific situation, so doctors would also just be guessing...)

ljywzjbkdscf There are many variants now that measures are down, and you can get reinfected with them, no matter how many doses. Getting a different vaccine as a booster makes it more effective. Source WHO www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/covid-19-vaccines/advice

An update regarding international health insurance I got a quote from Cigna Global for their three options (silver/gold/platinum). There's a big "gotcha" that is making me reconsider wanting to get international health insurance at all For both the silver and gold plans, there is a limit in terms of coverage. For example, looking at outpatient, Silver has a maximum of $15,000, and Gold has a maximum of $35,000. Or specifically looking at outpatient "consultations with medical practionioners and specialists," the limit is $2,500 for Silver and $5,000 for Gold. So the plan would only cover up to that amount.

This, in my opinion, is the opposite of the way "insurance" is supposed to work. Like, insurance should insure you against some sort of unforeseen, catastrophic eventuality. You buy flood insurance in the off chance a flood destroys your home, not for routine work on your home. But the plans I described above seem to have the exact problem most dental insurance (which is a scam IMO) has Something routine is covered (after the deductible is met), but for something truly catastrophic, you're out of luck once the plan has paid for a certain amount.

Specifically looking at outpatient, you'd be better off putting $15,000 or $35,000 in a high yield savings account and self-insuring, in my opinion. The inpatient limit is much higher, however, that would be something travel insurance would cover (provided it's not due to a pre-existing condition), and also, your travel insurance should cover transferring you to a hospital back home (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

Cigna's Platinum plan does not have a limit in terms of the amount that's covered. It's also roughly an additional $300/month - it ends up being roughly $600/month total for me. At a price like that, I'm extremely hesitant to want to go forward.

I'm wondering if some of the other providers do not have this problem. But I also think the fallback plan of going back home isn't terrible. Hopefully you go home, you get the treatment you need, then you go back to nomading.

I think that something that is important to note is outside of USA, healthcare is cheap. I was in ER Colombia, 2 hours, 75 cad. A doctor appointment in KL, $20. Getting a prescription in Dublin at a travel clinic, $40.

I mean if you actually have a home country where you have great health insurance, it seems like a no-brainer to me to go with a travel insurance. I thought nomads who get it are more in situations where that's not the case

Well I have a home country with good coverage if I pay for the coverage or if my job pays for it. 😂 A second passport to a country with universal healthcare would be nice, but i plan on having US coverage through a US employer for the foreseeable future. So that's my fallback.

It’s a US company so of course their “insurance” offering is crap

Yea if you have home coverage that will, say, cover chemo if you end up with a cancer diagnosis after being on the road for 3yrs, that’s probably the best option. But I’d just want to carefully read the fine print in my policy about what happens if you technically don’t meet residency requirements anymore in your home country or are away for X months etc…

For example if Ontarian you lose that health coverage after being away for too long, etc…

Ontario has a vacation absence and work absence, and you can get private insurance to cover the 2 month gap if you do lose it. Though I am curious how that would work with chemo

Genkio versus safety wing? Which has better coverage? Easy to use interface- responsive representatives? Quick reimbursement times? Care in home country?

Are there any insurancez that cover age old Counselling or therapy?

Hi there, I'm moving to Thailand for 3 months before going back home, then going nomad again. I'm looking for a 3-month trip insurance, do you have specific advice? Nomad/international insurance does not seem to be the best fit

So 2 types of insurance:
• travel/trip insurance - covers you for local stuff - minor to mid level incidents, and flys you home if it's critical/expensive. Limited scope generally. Think WorldNomads, SafetyWing basic stuff etc.
• International health insurance - more like a full health care policy that covers ongoing treatments, some cancers and critical illnesses etc.
If you're young, in decent health and have a full public/private health care package back in your home country - option 1 usually will do what you need.

Any tips on insurance for somebody over 70? SafetyWing stops there.

> Nomad/international insurance does not seem to be the best fit
Why is that? What are you looking for?

Do you have local cover in your home country while you are traveling?

Travel

honestly, i wouldn’t trust any insurance who provides a cheap option for old (and with that, highly health risky) persons 🤷‍♂️

obgvewlhxg was this with nomad insurnae or remote health?

Is the home country USA?

I literally just came here to ask about this, I am investigating my parents retiring to Colombia and a lot of the local private insurance has cut offs.

Hey folks, anyone used PassportCard Nomad for travel/health insurance? Thoughts?

Nomad insurance nuadiivx

Because I am traveling to Thailand only for a limited period of time, not visiting multiple destinations. But I found a great travel in insurance, thank you to you two!

Hello everyone! Has anyone used Safetywings insurance? I'm going to travel across the Asian countries (Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand, etc) and I'm interested in applicability of this insurance there.

Used it in Bali and Thailand, no problem and all my claims were paid back within 3 weeks.

same for me in Poland using their “Remote Health” insurance, good experience

I am looking for a global personal liability insurance for when I am travelling, which is most of the year. I can get this type of insurance in my country of residency, but it won’t apply for when I am on the road. I would be looking for $1 to $2 million USD of coverage.

Here is a clause defining what I am looking for.

“We will insure You for all sums which You become personally legally liable to pay for accidents occurring which result in:

a. accidental bodily injury, death or illness of any person.
b. accidental loss of or Damage to property.”

I appreciate your thoughts and suggestions.

Hello! Does anyone use laptop insurance? I was looking for some insurance that have a worldwide cover, but I'm not finding.

Anything that’s not life ruining I’m self insuring.

Yeah, just pay the money into a savings account instead, chances are you'll never need to use it 🤷‍♂️

If you have travel insurance there is option to include devices. I have annual travel insurance with Allianz and it covers devices up to 1500 I believe.

Are there any good therapy recommendations for nomads that take travel insurance?

ooh, good question, I’m curious about this too

Usually the price of the insurances are 10% or less of the laptop. It'll take around 7-8 years to have the money if I save the same amount. I got robbed 7 times in my life. Also I meet 3-4 travelers that had their laptops stolen. I don't think that is so simple.

I guess if you get robbed a lot more than the average person, it is indeed a good deal 😔

+1

From what I recall, Safety Wing covers you under their general cover.

Thanks. I'll check it

I just use a private pay therapist that works remotely---if you have insurance in your home state- u can use that for a tele therapy

wztxkhzygw Just curious what do you mean by ‘home state’?

mvwjkhkzhs like if you have american insurance for ex.

I see - I’d love to know options that are global (not limited to america)

USA international insurance is insanely expensive. I’m looking into international insurance that’s based in Spain that would cover me in the us as well

Cigna Global Health has some additional packages counselling/wellness. Haven’t used!

I use Superscript for my business insurance and it covers my laptop worldwide for theft/accidental damage.

May be a stupid question but should I keep my (super expensive) US health insurance plan going, on top of travel insurance? Or does that not make sense? Also a UK national.

lol i cancelled mine but not sure if it was the right decision or not - from my understanding, travel insurance doesn't cover like basic visits to the doctor/dentist so if you are healthy and only using travel insurance in case of emergency you should be fine

In addition to travel health insurance you should have health insurance in your designated home country.

In case of an accident you’d be brought there. In case you get seriously ill with a long-term disease your travel insurance will run out eventually and you need healthcare (health insurance) that doesn’t deny you because of pre-existing conditions (or will be super expensive then).

I guess it depends on whether you're willing to move to UK if you get seriously ill?

thanks folks - going to keep my LA Care plan going just in case, and then chuck some travel insurance on top of that

I have expat insurance (good for 5 years at a time) that includes the US. way cheaper and better than US insurance. I’m sure something like that exists in the UK as well

Is the U.S. your home country in that insurance? Often expat insurance is terminated if you have a medical transport back to your home country. Cover in home country is usually meant just for visits.

My home country in this case is Germany and yea, I’m only covered there for three months a year. More than enough for me.

Yes, that’s for visits and makes sense.
What about a medical return transport?

that’d be covered and I can also just chose to go to Germany to get treatment even if not “medically necessary”. did that when I broke my heel in Italy and didn’t like the local hospital

That’s great!

I mean would a medical return transport end the insurance?

no

Perfect 👍