Health insurance while travelling abroad

Dear forum,

well, time to go on vacation back to my european homecountry.
I have Taiwan JF-ARC and pay my NHI-premium, but of course that does
not cover me overseas.
I could apply for social-welfare back in my country and therefor be covered
by my native country, but I don’t know if I can do that and moreover it is
worth the hassle (different subject).
I have no idea, can, and if, where can I apply such a cover in Taiwan ??
My time abroad will be less than a month.
How much is the premium for this kind of insurance ?? It should cover
health issues, but also accident-issues.
I just look for a one-time deal, nothing on a yearly paid basis, as I hardly
travel outside Taiwan.
Thanks for your help !!!

MoTi,

I could be wrong, but the way I understand it is that when you buy your flight ticket using your credit card, you are automatically insured.

Assume we are talking here about medical coverage, not loss of baggage/flight changes etc

I understand we ARE covered for medical expenses overseas if holding a valid Taiwanese NHI card. I don’t know of anyone personally having done it, but we should be able to reclaim medical costs incurred abroad on production of receipts. Not bad!

One restriction relates to having been insured over 6 months. Need more details…I should have read more carefully the advert in the Chinese newspapers earlier this week, informing us all about this particular subject.

barking-deer.com

I inquired with the NHI and they said that when I could produce receipts I would be reimbursed for medical expenses overseas, but only to the amount that would be paid back in Taiwan for the same medical procedure …

And I have a travel insurance that covers me for a year, abroad and in Taiwan … costs me 3,000NT$/year

[quote=“Anubis”]MoTi,

I could be wrong, but the way I understand it is that when you buy your flight ticket using your credit card, you are automatically insured.[/quote]
That’s what my company told me when they asked me to use my CC to buy a ticket for a business trip flight, but then I figured it only insures against incidents directly related to the flight (loss of baggage, death if the plane crashes etc.).

Speaking from experience they ONLY cover emergency treatment and you have to prove that it was an emergency, i.e. you need to provide a letter from the doctor that confirms it was an emergency treatment. As well you need to provide the invoice and receipt and copy of the transaction slip (if you transferred the money rather than paying cash).
It is however correct that you only get a reimbursement of what the treatment would have cost here in Taiwan, in my case that was around 40% lower!

Yep, the OP should get a travel insurance. You can buy them at the airport (some insurance companies do have a counter there) though I don’t know if they accept foreigners.

This thread has got my mind working. I’m due a visit back to England at the end of next month. The NHS being what it is, I know I’m gonna be covered and don’t need health insurance. Does that also include Mrs.500?

[quote=“Funk500”]This thread has got my mind working. I’m due a visit back to England at the end of next month. The NHS being what it is, I know I’m gonna be covered and don’t need health insurance.[/quote]The coverage depends on how long you’ve been out of the country. I think the rule is that when you’ve been away for over three years, you count as a foreigner and so you’re only covered for emergency treatment.

I guess you haven’t read my post - only EMERGENCY treatment is covered overseas. From the NHI website:

How do insured patients apply for reimbursement of medical fees for unexpected accidents and diseases occured incurred overseas in foreign countries or in mainland China?

Clear now?

[quote=“Rascal”]I guess you haven’t read my post - only EMERGENCY treatment is covered overseas. From the NHI website:

How do insured patients apply for reimbursement of medical fees for unexpected accidents and diseases occured incurred overseas in foreign countries or in mainland China?

Clear now?[/quote]Are you replying to me? I think there might be some confusion. I was replying to Funk500, who was talking about the NHS, not the NHI.

You been out of blighty for 3 years, Funk? If so, you’re taking a big stiff one up the back passage if you think the NHS will pay for your scrofula treatment. And you can totally forget about getting those sequins implanted into your scrotum for free, too. They won’t cover it.

Ups, I thought the “S” was a typing error and he meant the NHI.

No probs there Rascal, can see how you could see that as an error.

Damn… so no ear syringing or homeopathy for me then :frowning:

but emergency stuff is covered? thats enough then for a 14 day stay…

thanx for your replies so far.

not too bad we have a cover, even if it is just for emergencies.
Make sense they just want to pay what would be paid here in Taiwan.

But I still would like to know places where to buy this kind if
traveel-insurance. I only want to insure the risks of accident and health.
Only for a 3 week trip to europe. Just for this trip.
Not a one-year package in which i can travel as much as i want, each
trip not longer than 6 weeks.
So it is a short-time travel insurance, not longtime like 6 or 12 month
in one strech.
In my country, high-priced Germany, this kind of insurance just cost
around 900 NT$. And no, I can’t buy this in Germany.

Is it really not possible to buy this here ??
Nobody has any experience with this kind of thing ??
Are you all travelling abroad not caring about this thing ??

Moti

[quote=“MoTi”]Is it really not possible to buy this here ??
Nobody has any experience with this kind of thing ??
Are you all travelling abroad not caring about this thing ??[/quote]
I suggest you contact some of the local offices of big insurance companies, like ING.

I suggest you have a look at World Nomads. It provides exactly what you need. There are probably other insurance providers that sell online too.

I’ve bought two-three week insurance from ING in the past at the airport counter, they are gone now but there are still some other companies there … had some from them too, but I prefer to buy the one year as I’m covered in Taiwan too, never know when you get wiped of the road here.

I always get travel insurance before trips. Contact the local insurance providers. You can get differing levels of coverage depending on what you want to pay.

ING has a call-in service now (0800-011-686). Once you are in their system, buying travel insurance is as easy as making a call, telling them where you are going and for how long, the coverage you want, and to bill your credit card.

I regularly do close to a month (NT$10 mln coverage) in the US and Canada for approximately NT$1600.

I wouldn’t rely on NHI too much, since medical treatment in Taiwan is very cheap. Just a consultation in Canada would cost upwards of NT$3000. Even if they did refund you based on what equivalent treatment would cost in TW, the difference would be huge.

The insurance they sell at the airport is ok. There is a cost per day but it was not too much. They covered my big white butt… And you get to sit with the nice girls who are nice to you (due to commission sale).

The time you save getting it there will be worth more the any savings buying it in the city.

That’s impressive - or is that travel as opposed to medical insurance? Who’s that with?

Thank you sir/m’lady. They seem a lot cheaper than others I’ve seen. it varies by nationality, but the site quoted me AUS$355 for 6 months (which is about US$285 or NT$9,400).