Traveling while pregnant! Health insurance???

[Fedina]

We are off to Italy in one month and one traveler is in the early stages of pregnancy! She'll be just three months along, when we leave, and is nervous about the possibility of needing medical attention while in Italy. She is a healthy and very physically fit young woman. Any recommendations or advice? I have read older threads on emergency medical care, but wonder if anyone has newer information on purchasing health insurance. This family trip was planned last year and the pregnancy is big, and very recent, news! Thanks.

 

[Jeanne W.]

I hope some of the folks who have had the unfortunate experience of needing medical attention in Italy will chime in here. Bottom line is to check to see how portable her health insurance is. Now that we are on Medicare we include health insurance as part of our trip insurance package. Sometimes it is worth paying for coverage for peace of mind. She is not likely to need any expensive medical attention due to her pregnancy but being sure she is covered can decrease her worries. Any trip insurance company should be able to provide medical insurance if needed.

Have a great trip, we're soon to sleeping over the Brunello (the little Tuscan agriturismo apartment we are renting is one floor above a room full of giant oak casks).

Jeanne

 

[Rome Addict]

I had pneumonia in 2013 but my experience is unique because the head of St. Peter and Paul Hospital ICU is a personal friend. The care I got was phenomenal. I have had several other friends who also had unfortunate accidents and they also felt the care was excellent. It is very different from the USA. Family does a lot of the care (bed pans, etc) and you must provide your own toiletries. There isn't a lot of "discussion" regarding the course of treatment. The doctor rules.

Italy's national health care rated among the top 5 in Europe.

I would recommend she get travel health insurance. AAA (the auto club) has cheap health insurance particularly for younger people. Even at 60 our coverage for a month ran less than our USA co-payments to our employers. Just make sure it doesn't exclude pre-existing conditions like pregnancy.

 

[Ian Sutton]

I'm sorry I can't offer anything other than reassurance that our sole experience with an Italian hospital was very good indeed, not just the helpful staff, but also the general consideration of other patients whom I suspect weren't expecting to encounter foreigners, but were going to do their bit for the deserved reputation of Italian hospitality.

I will however offer an *amusing alternative way of thinking about pregnancy. "I'm a body-builder".

regards
Ian

*well it tickled my sense of humour, which rather enjoys puns.

 

[Fedina]

Thank you Ian for the pun! Love it. And thanks to Jeanne and Rome Addict for your thoughts and suggestions!

 

[Colo]

I did require some medical attention in Florence and it was nothing less than excellent.

My daughter and husband took a babymoon to Italy two years ago, whilst she was with child. I will be with her this weekend in so I will check with her on advice/lessons learned.

 

[Sojourner]

Travelling while pregnant and travel medical insurance coverage is a somewhat complicated issue.

Travel insurance companies all have their own specific terms of WHEN they cover someone who is pregnant. ie. in which trimesters.

A big issue is what happens IF there is a pre-mature birth. In many cases, people have ended up with huge medical bills because while the mother was covered during travel, the baby is NOT covered. So any care of the baby must be paid by the parents.

The other major issue when travelling while pregnant is the availability of the right kind of medical facilites and equipment in the place you will be visiting.