Best Med Evac Insurance For Tours in Asia?

[DrGMIA]

Jungle drums were beating out the tale of another “rider down” today, this one crashed out on a guided tour in China. Numerous broken bones and motorcycle apparently a write off due to distance and value and possibly no insurance.

Immediately came the question from a newbie signing up for a guided tour: “What is the best med evac insurance available? Does it fly me back to the tour Start point in Thailand or back to my home country? Any policy cover the damage to the motorcycle and, if a rented one, the repairs, and for both, transport back to my Start point in Thailand or back to my home?”


The policy both he and I purchased through our national motorcycle clubs had some small print exclusions, like age, how long outside of our country and whether “off-road,” seemingly to mean off pavement, but unclear if that meant dirt/gravel/construction sections or serious “off-road” advertised tour.


The basic question was what was “best” in terms of coverage for Asia (not the cheapest price) for the short period of his guided motorcycle tour versus an extended ride through Asia going solo? After reading the exclusions he is now looking for a second policy. Recommendations specific to Asia?

 

[bsacbob]

Like most insurance we do not know how good the actual level of cover is until a claim is made, presumably the unfortunate rider had adequate insurance cover as part of the tour companies package and was able to be repatriated along with his motorcycle to his starting destination at the very least.

Ironically i was reading a post on Facebook today where a rider who was planning to visit Laos for the first time was asking about crossing procedures and insurance, he was advised by a few that insurance was not mandatory in Laos and therefore not necessary one poster replied with "I didn't buy insurance for the one month trip there but luckily nothing happened "

 

[Lone Rider]

I think I have mentioned this before but third party insurance is MANDATORY in Laos and I have been stopped by the police in Laos who wanted to see if I did have this kind of insurance.

 

[Pounce]

From Aus I use CGU Travel Insurance.
I haven't needed to claim yet, their PDS (which you should always read & understand) is well written & I always ring & ask if I'm not sure of a point.
Pretty comprehensive policy with everything I need covered.

 

[KTMphil]

The Thai registered Suzuki V-Strom 650 is in a bad way after the crash in China, will also be interesting to see if the Thai motorcycle insurance covers claims in foreign countries. Third party insurance is usually mandatory in China supplied by the Chinese tour company, the Thai first class insurance for the motorcycle will be interesting. I would assume not covered as foreign opens too many easy doors for fraud.

 

[shezasdad]

Seeing as this discussion has mentioned me I would like to give you the facts. It was me who had the crash in Shangri-la China. Prior to leaving I took out a premium travel insurance policy on-line with WorldNomads.com The policy is underwritten by Bupa Denmark. Leaving out details about the crash this is my experience. I have a broken upper right arm and a broken right shoulder blade. They offer a 24 hour emergency service. They're right about that - it takes 24 hours to get a response. I eventually was given two options: fly home to Chiang Mai and have the operation done at my expense or fly to Kunming and go to their nominated hospital where they would pay for the op. These options were given both verbally and in writing. Four days after the accident and having agreed to going to Kunming they flew me there. Five days after the crash and 20 hours before the operation they announced they were refusing to pay for the op because it wasn't an urgent operation. The hospital and my Chinese assistants argued with them. Day 6 they again refused and flew me to Chiang Mai. Today is day 7 and the op will be done in Chiang Mai at my expense. Conclusion: do not take out travel insurance with WorldNomads.com they won't even reply to my emails.
The V-Strom: the whole front end will need to be replaced. The rest appears to be ok but will have to be checked. China Police, who were fantastic and very helpful, will not allow the bike to stay in China. It must exit China at the same time and location as the rest of the tour group. I do not have insurance for the bike, and even if I did it would not be valid for crashes outside Thailand. You cannot get 1st class insurance in China for a foreign registered bike, only 3rd party insurance.
I hope the above helps anyone looking for travel insurance.

 

[KTMphil]

Wow - wont ever touch WorldNomads insurance thanks for the heads up. At least you'll be walking away from this in the end which is the most important thing, wishing you a speedy recovery.

 

[shezasdad]

Thanks Phil appreciate it.

 

[brake034]

Wish you a quick recovery shezasdad!

 

[KTMphil]

What would have been the cost differential of the same surgery in China?

 

[bsacbob]

Speedy recovery mate, hope you and your bike are reunited soon.

 

[KTMphil]

Harri msg'd me this one that looks quite resonably priced


https://www.globalrescue.com/signup/signup.xhtml

 

[shezasdad]

The price of plating and screwing my arm in China was just over 640,000 baht, which included flying in a surgeon. McCormick Hosp in Chiang Mai quoted 56,000 baht. Ridiculous difference. But Bupa said the hospital in Kunming was their prefered hospital, which to me means they knew it was going to be expensive so why tell me to go there in the first place

 

[DrGMIA]

World Nomads scored some pluses and minus' over the years based on motorcycle travel insurance research.

One PM forwarded for the newbie was a wake-up from an experienced third world motorcycle traveler commenting on motorcycle travel insurance in general:

"Before purchase I'd want an attached "rider" making it clear I am covered in ALL CONDITIONS on ALL Roads. Obviously, I would not be racing anywhere, ever, so not a problem with that exclusion.

It's called "Travel". Something many insurance companies seem clueless about, not keen to get involved with. Screws their actuarial tables and profit-loss columns. Motorcycles and insurance companies have never played well together. Always adversarial. Motorcyclists take chances, insurance people lie for a living.

Insurance: basically a criminal enterprise based on instilling crippling FEAR into the populace. Citizens then buy and think they are "covered".

But not so fast. Insurance companies have teams of high priced lawyers who will find a way NOT TO PAY your claim, or only offer partial payment. they'll find a thousand reasons.

Do the investigations yourself ... see the lawsuits and how often they get out of paying legitimate claims. C R O O K S.
Astounding."

So far no company recommendations cover the motorcycle for collision/damage/theft in China, so seemingly the customers of a tour company (on their own motorcycle or a rental from a tour company), or going solo, are on their own financially with regard to motorcycle repairs and/or getting the wrecked motorcycle out of the country, if required, or if going solo just writing it off, leaving it, and never returning to deal with what might pop-up on the computer when going through Immigration into China. If entering with a group someone has to see that the wrecked vehicle exits with the group.

For the newbie who prompted this thread, so far the only solid advice seems to be, Caveat emptor, or Buyer beware - read the small print on the policy to see what's excluded or how the insurance company or underwriter can not pay or knock down what they eventually pay.

It's a murky pool, this traveler/motorcycle/insurance business.

Mr. Shezadad, thank you for the informative posts and wishing you a most speedy recovery.

 

[KTMphil]

After hearing how this situation has developed & without reading WorldNomads.com terms and conditions, it seems WorldNomads.com have cleverly worded their insurance policy in such a way, so that ALL they really legally offer you is a flight back to "your place of residence". They seem to have worded their terms and conditions so that there is a vague reasonableness test as to the words "critical condition". Some have said that the immediate local consulting doctor should over ride WorldNomads.com's opinion of critical, but that does not seem to be the case in practice, all you get is a free flight home for medical treatment at your own expense.

 

[shezasdad]

Phil the injury part of the policy revolves around the term‘acute serious injury.’ A ‘acute serious injury’ is defined that it will be‘deemed to exist only after review and agreement by both the attending physicianand our medical consultant.’
In my case my attending physician deemed it serious and themedical consultant deemed it non-urgent. There is no provision in the policyoutlining a process when the two disagree, so the company consultant has thefinal say.
The term ‘acute serious injury’ is also used when decidingon emergency medical transport, evacuation, repatriation and travel expenses.In this instance they have admitted liability and deemed my injuries as an‘acute serious injury’ because they paid for both hospitals in China, all myexpenses and for two flights - one to their nominated hospital and one back toChiang Mai.
Or were they just being compassionate? Yeah sure!
I have lodged another claim with Bupa Denmark for a refundof the portion of the tour I missed. Unfortunately they again use the term‘acute serious injury’ in this section of the policy. It will be interesting tosee how they get out of paying up. Hopefully they will see that having a brokenarm and shoulder blade and the inability to walk due to elephant man-like legsalso made it a little difficult to ride a motorcycle - but I’m sure they willcome up with some alternate way I could have completed the tour.

 

[KTMphil]

.In this instance they have admitted liability and deemed my injuries as an'acute serious injury' because they paid for both hospitals in China

Was this a change of stance by them in the end after pressure? Or had they always agreed to this?

 

[shezasdad]

They gave both written and verbal assurances they would pay for everything including the operation whilst I was still in Shangri-La, where I crashed. I agree they have admitted liability but apparently only when it suits them.

 

[DrGMIA]

Anybody have a more recent recommendation on the "best" for this topic three years later? Good tales or bad tales?

With the numerous tour companies offering packaged/guided motorcycle tours in/out of Thailand, anybody know what medical insurance company they are recommending customers purchase?

Same question re: med evac insurance for out of Thailand tours (like into Myanmar or Laos) and travelers insurance that will cover foreigners needing medical aid after incident on a motorcycle (many companies exclude motorcycle operation, some only when "off pavement).

I've had three Americans contact me about their going to Thailand, first to rent motorbikes, then on a packaged tour, that claim they can not find travel insurance covering them while motorbiking so are opting for med evac insurance which may or may not treat them, reimburse them or fly them out of country, the coverage seemingly "gray."

Always a shame to have a motorcycle accident and needing medical attention, but they may sleep better knowing some policy coverage worked for others. Further a shame to purchase a policy only to find it excluded their adventures of two motorized wheels, that they been fooked by the carrier when it came time to pay.

'Dr G,' Chief of the World Adventure Affairs Desk, CITY BIKE, researching adventurous affairs on the road around the globe
Sole sexual survivor: www.greataroundtheworldmotorcycleadventurerally.com