Insurance

In addition to all the other annoying things one must do to procure a visa (reviewed by Maggie in an earlier post), there is the curious hurdle of proving insurance coverage. Quoth the Boston French Consulate website:

Makes sense - they have universal coverage in France, and want to make sure you're not taking advantage of their system by coming over without health care. And lots of companies specialize in insuring travelers, plus your regular insurer probably has a provision for overseas or "out of network" travel.

Problem: Most insurance companies do not cover "repatriation expenses" as part of your regular plan. So, in addition to your normal American health insurance, in most cases you would have to pick up traveler's insurance. Luckily there are tons of companies who can provide Medevac services - for a few hundred dollars, of course. I used www.insuremytrip.com to get quotes from a number of travel insurers, and prices ranged from $250 to $655 per person for a 9-month stint. Bummer!

Maggie and I are lucky in that, for the most part, we will be able to avoid this extra expense. As a student, Maggie's health insurance will come from the French government. (Thanks, Nanny State!) She may need to show that her current health insurance extends through the first month we'll be in Paris (before her classes start), and that may involve picking up Medevac insurance just for that month (which should be relatively inexpensive - around $150). I'll continue to pay for my Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts insurance because I'll need it when we return, and I'll avoid picking up Medevac insurance by relying on Harvard's affiliation with International SOS. ISOS is an emergency medical services provider that is free to Harvard (and many other schools') affiliates:

Summary of Harvard’s International SOS Benefits

Medical Assistance Services

·       24-hour access to I-SOS physicians who provide emergency and routine medical advice

·       24-hour access to I-SOS Alarm Centers for medical information, referrals and emergency assistance

·       Medical and dental referrals

·       Emergency medical evacuation

·       Medically supervised repatriation

·       Medical expenses guarantee and payment*

·       Arrangement of ground transportation and accommodation for accompanying family members*

·       Assistance with documentation for insurance claims

·       Dispatch of prescription medication and medical equipment*

Asterisks mean that ISOS will pay upfront, but ultimately must be reimbursed. Still, it's an amazing deal. If you're a student, staff, or faculty at any academic institution, check to see if they work with ISOS - it could save you money, and (in booming, dramatic radio announcer's voice) IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!!!