Emergency Medical Insurance for Canada cruising

thataway said:
Good luck on finding the Candian Coast Guard nearby. We have visited with a number of Canadian Coast Guard crew members and they are compitent and skilled, plus friendly enough to share a beer when off duty. However you may not find one of their facilities nearby. There were two cutters and at times they might be at opposite ends of BC (North to South). Often the Light House keepers relay a May Day call. One time we powered for 4 hours to help rescue a 27 foot I / O which had lost steering, and was anchored near a reef--there wrere other small boats nearby but none had stepped up. The boat in question had a 25 hp kicker, but had left it in their camp near the ramp. I took our Dinghy to pulle them out to where we could hook our Cal 46 up and tow them to the nearest Indian Settlement who could feed and care for them during the night--they were towed to their campsite the next day by the natives. The boat we towed sent over several very nice salmon as "payment" for our 6 hours to get to and rescue them. The call for help was relayed by the lighthouses along the coast. There was no CG cutter within 100 miles. The CG can send out their RIB's which are fast but they are not going to send them 100 miles. My take away from this experience--is you better be able to self rescue--and cell phone service may not be available, as was the case here. Even if it was available, it would have brought any help from nearby boats.

I wonder if the GeoBlue policy would cover pickup from a beach, after you got off the boat? In the one rescue we were involved in at Lake Powell, Several of us tryed VHF radio, and not much response--we went to where we could hit the VHF repeaters, and again no response. We called 911, and they put us through to the Park Service, who sent a ranger, and the ranger was able to get a helicopter for rescue off the beach, where a number of C Dorys were moored (When the medivac Chopper lands and takes off, You are going to get one heck of a dust storm, and any loose articles need to be strapped down very well! There was not room for the wife of the victum in the chopper, so the ranger took her to Waweep and the lodge. She was able to get to get a rental car in page, and drove to Flagstaff where the Medivac chopper had taken her husband. Eventually the man was transfered to a Hospital in San Diego, where they lived. Their insurance (Throught Family Motor Coach Association) also paid to have their RV, towing their boat to San Diego and their home, as well as paying for the evacuation. Technically the patient was on his boat--but the boat was tied up to the beach and so the paramedics could get to him easily and take the stretcher to the chopper.
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I reread my earlier GeoBlue policy, and not sure the gal telling me they never covered a medevac off a watercraft was correct, as I saw no exclusions for this, and knowing me, I more than likely asked at the time if it was covered. Rereading the policy sure makes it sound like it would have been covered. None the less, they definitely do not cover it now! Doing a little more research....googling, the AI came up with this:
For recreational boating along the BC coast,, you should carry at least $100,000 to $250,000+ for medevac (air ambulance) and at least $100,000+ for emergency medical treatment. Due to the remote nature of the BC coast, high-limit, specialized, or annual specialized boat/travel insurance policies are necessary to cover the high costs of helicopter rescues, medical teams, and hospital stays. Reviewing Medicare, if I understand, there is no coverage for out of the US, except in special circumstances, which I did not meet those shown. I do believe my supplement may cover up to $50K, but I think we all know how far that would go in today's hospitals. I looked into the Divers Alert Network (DAN) plans. For basic membership of $60 individual or $100 family, they would cover up to $150,000 for a medevac. One would have to buy their separate medical coverages for medical insurance, but the max available would be for a $100,000 plan, and that one does up the medevac coverage I believe. I may look at joining DAN just for the medevac coverage on any of my domestic boating trips. They also include some other things, I believe like retrieving your boat and getting it back home, etc.) And maybe look at how benefits can be combined with international travel insurance that would allow me to purchase a cheaper plan separately.) For now I am seriously considering the IMG Patriot International Platinum Travel Medical Insurance Plan. Specifically, up to $1,000,000 for both each, medical and medevac. And Medevac would include remote areas and/or from a boat, as long as weather and sea conditions allowed. Raising the deductible to $2500 or $5000 brings the policy premium down to a respectable price in the $300's for two months for a 68 yo from Wisconsin. Allienz has some policies that include medevac, but I believe with a maximum medical of $75,000. I keep coming back to the IMG plan when comparing what I've found.
 
Thought I would chime in on the Canadian Coast Guard question while in PLI....

There is an RCMSAR (Royal Canadian Marine Search & Rescue) station located in Pender Harbor. Station #61.
I believe that if there was an emergency medical incident in PLI and the JRCC (Joint Rescue Co-Ordination Center) was notified by VHF radio or other means, they would task a RIB from Pender Harbor to PLI. This RIB has a top speed of 45 knots. Pender Harbor to PLI is about 45nm by boat. At full speed and with a 30 minute off-the-dock response time, the RIB could potentially be on scene in 90 minutes or so.
From PLI to Egmont BC, which is accessible by road and has a government dock, the distance is about 35 nm or 47 minutes at the RIB's top speed. Emergency vehicles could meet up with the RIB to transfer a patient to the nearest hospital. Or, going through Skookumchuck narrows, to Sechelt, BC which is about 40 nm from PLI, it would take about 55 minutes, and Sechelt has a hospital.
Of course weather, tides, visibility, etc. all play a role with these estimates..
And of course, there are seaplanes that regularly fly in and out of PLI, and Coast Guard helicopters to take into consideration....
 
The RIB's rarely travel at top speed--they will be closer to somewhere in the 20 to 30 mph in good conditions. In the waters between Mainand BC and The Queen Charlotte Islands, the chop is wicked due to fetch and shallow waters. Of course that depends on the winds in PLI. The more difficult rescues are off in the remote areas of upper BC between Prince Rupert and Vancouver Island. The Lower part has better static CG and rescue facilities. There are some very isoated areas between Port Hardy and Price Rupert where even VHF signals will not travel far enough unless there there is. boat with their radio on channel 16 and are close enough to get your signal.

Interesting that Blue Geo would then not insure persons on any the of cruise liner? I had a close friend and patient who had a severe stoke on the River Rhine when on one of those cruise Boats you see advertised. He was put ashore, along with his wife. He was admitted to the local hospital. I corresponded daily with the doctors there in Germany. His wife was given a local contact from the Cruise Line, who spoke Engilish and could translate, as well as get her laundry taken care of, food and lodging. He was hospitalized for almost a month before he was stable enough to travel by jet air ambulance to his home in Sequim, Wa. (Actually to Virgina Mason Hospital in Seattle.). That trip they were able to shoe horn his wife abourd the air ambuance, but no luggage-had to be sent DHL. The cost of that trip was $125,000 in the early 90's---I would not be surprised if twice as much today. Also a US Army Atachee from the US consulate helped facilitate the ride from the hospital to the airstrip in Germany. The hospitalization in Germany was about $100,000. Ironically he appeared to recover fully, but about 20 years later developed severe dementia, had to be instutionalized and sucoumbed to the dementia. I don't know the name of the insurance company involved--but it gives you some idea of costs. I had one coronary bypass of the several bypasses I have had, where I was in the Post Op surgical ICU for 7 days and it was nip and tuck if I would make it--that hospitalization was close to $50,000 a day plus the over $100,000 for the bypass including surgeon's fees etc. The total Bill was just about a million dollars. As I arranged my future retirement, I knew that I had high risk of future cardiac surgeries. The last eight years at a California State University (plus credit for 2 years Army service), gave me the time necessary to have full Cal Pers retirement so I would have full Blue Cross / Blue Shield coverage in my retirement. Even if the Medicare would not cover foreign countries, the Blue Cross would. In the 40 years since I went back to work for a State University (first 10 years of medical practice were under UCLA Cal Pers retirement plans.), I paid zero dollars for hospitals or physicians. I accumulated the 20 years for Cal Pers Blue Cross/blue Shield--and not paid a dime in co-pay over that fourty years. I suggest if possible that every person get this type of plan for retirement. We never know what our retirement medical costs are going to be. I don't know if these "Cadilac Medical Plans" are still available in the various retirement systems today .
 
Bob, I appreciate your sharing of that information. At this time, I'm pretty much leaning on an IMG plan that has a coverage for both medical and medevac up to $1,000,000. Emails with an IMG salesman indicates that a medevac off a recreational boat would be covered, but IMG would have to be contacted first to arrange the medevac. I have found no exclusions, as I did in the recent GeoBlue policies, that specifically deny medevac off a watercraft. I decided to go with the Starlink Mini, and have received it and tried it out. Worked great here at home. Other comments I've gotten off of here and FaceBook indicate that it should work in most places. I also have a PLB and the Inreach, so don't think communication will be an issue! :-) The IMG plan I'm looking at, with a $2500 deductible should cost me around $350 for two months. I hate paying for insurance, but it does give peace of mine that I will have medical and medevac coverage, and financial protection of my retirement nest. Reviewing my regular Medicare coverages show that only in a few special circustances would it cover one outside of the US. (None of which I would fall into.) I haven't looked as closely lately at my supplement plan, but remember any foreign coverage was at or less than $50K. Most of us don't think that it can happen to us. But I do remember your story of the fellow C-Brat at Lake Powell, and my own recent fall at Dale Hollow Lake. Cut up my arm pretty good, but fortunately was able to clean it up and bandage it myself without needing stitches. (Also learned I needed to put more gauze and tape in my first aid kits!) Colby
 
colbysmith said:
Bob, I appreciate your sharing of that information. At this time, I'm pretty much leaning on an IMG plan that has a coverage for both medical and medevac up to $1,000,000. Emails with an IMG salesman indicates that a medevac off a recreational boat would be covered, but IMG would have to be contacted first to arrange the medevac. I have found no exclusions, as I did in the recent GeoBlue policies, that specifically deny medevac off a watercraft. I decided to go with the Starlink Mini, and have received it and tried it out. Worked great here at home. Other comments I've gotten off of here and FaceBook indicate that it should work in most places. I also have a PLB and the Inreach, so don't think communication will be an issue! :-) The IMG plan I'm looking at, with a $2500 deductible should cost me around $350 for two months. I hate paying for insurance, but it does give peace of mine that I will have medical and medevac coverage, and financial protection of my retirement nest. Reviewing my regular Medicare coverages show that only in a few special circustances would it cover one outside of the US. (None of which I would fall into.) I haven't looked as closely lately at my supplement plan, but remember any foreign coverage was at or less than $50K. Most of us don't think that it can happen to us. But I do remember your story of the fellow C-Brat at Lake Powell, and my own recent fall at Dale Hollow Lake. Cut up my arm pretty good, but fortunately was able to clean it up and bandage it myself without needing stitches. (Also learned I needed to put more gauze and tape in my first aid kits!) Colby
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Colby, thanks for the good information about the IMG plan. I too hate paying for insurance & have pressed my luck in avoiding it, having made 13 Alaska/Canada roadtrips & cruises with the C-Dory & another 5 road trips, some while towing a RIB & exploring remote rivers & lakes involving thousands of poor dirt/gravel road miles, reaching as far as the Arctic Ocean in Canada with many more in Alaska. Before retiring in 2010 my work would have covered medical, but not evacuations or vehicle recovery. Prior to 1995, there were many extended time periods, we didn’t have medical insurance. Since 2010 many trips through & to Canada, where we would have had no medical or evacuation coverage until the limited with In Reach. With a life lived full of risky ventures, these trips were just considered an extension of an accepted lifestyle. In all my trips to the north & while boating elsewhere, we have never had a serious accident or medical issue, but plenty closer to home involving work, snowmobiling, horses, ATV’s & skiing. Now with JoLee’s health issues & me not quite as over confident in my ability to avoid or overcome & luck maybe all used, the IMG plan is possibly looking good for hopefully another Alaska water cruise out of Skagway, by road through Canada next year.
 
Hunkydory said:
Colby, thanks for the good information about the IMG plan. I too hate paying for insurance & have pressed my luck in avoiding it, having made 13 Alaska/Canada roadtrips & cruises with the C-Dory & another 5 road trips, some while towing a RIB & exploring remote rivers & lakes involving thousands of poor dirt/gravel road miles, reaching as far as the Arctic Ocean in Canada with many more in Alaska. Before retiring in 2010 my work would have covered medical, but not evacuations or vehicle recovery. Prior to 1995, there were many extended time periods, we didn’t have medical insurance. Since 2010 many trips through & to Canada, where we would have had no medical or evacuation coverage until the limited with In Reach. With a life lived full of risky ventures, these trips were just considered an extension of an accepted lifestyle. In all my trips to the north & while boating elsewhere, we have never had a serious accident or medical issue, but plenty closer to home involving work, snowmobiling, horses, ATV’s & skiing. Now with JoLee’s health issues & me not quite as over confident in my ability to avoid or overcome & luck maybe all used, the IMG plan is possibly looking good for hopefully another Alaska water cruise out of Skagway, by road through Canada next year.
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Hi Jay,
One of those special circumstances with Medicare, is coverage in Canada, if you are on a direct routing between Alaska and the lower 48, without delay. There is one gal on the FB Inside Passage group page saying they did use a Canadian hospital, and filed for reimbursement with Medicare, and it paid. I guess it depends on how direct and without delay is defined. Both last time I did the trip after FH to PLI, and this time planning to cruise as far as Prince Rupert, our destination is British Columbia, so Medicare definitely will not cover us. Colby
 
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