I quit my job last December – yeah, I know, I am the only person that I know who’s quit a job in the past year, too.
My old employer offered me COBRA, even though I quit. I’m not sure if this is standard practice but it was a cool move in my book, a nice gesture for a decade of work. Two things kept me from staying with my old policy: 1) Reading the fine print - my insurance company did a pretty shitty job of covering me outside of the USA. 2) $800 a month? You have to be kidding. Where was I going to get $800 a month?
So, I spent a few nights in my underwear, searching online for a travel policy (I do my best work in my underwear – I don’t know why). Insuremytrip.com seemed to be the best place to cross-compare and ultimately I booked through them. I opted for a policy that was less about travel - most travel policies SOUND a lot better than they really are (especially if your electronics are only covered up to $500 and you’re carrying a $2,000 laptop). Instead, I found a generous medical policy that would save my ass from almost anything, including some of the adventure sports that aren’t covered by the travel policies. $80 a month.
I’m going back to the USA on November 23rd. My current policy will cover me for 15 days in my home country, then…guess what? I have nothing. My COBRA’s expired and the concept of paying for USA policy is just…well, presidents have been elected on how ridiculous an idea that is.
The long and the short: I can afford $80 a month for travel insurance and in order to be a happy American…I have to leave America, dumping what money I have in another nation's pockets. Neat, huh?
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