JohnnyO Posted October 31, 2014 Posted October 31, 2014 Some of you have asked me about medical insurance while in Cuba. So I decided to look into it. As Rob mentioned many have this fixed into the price of the ticket some do not. You have to verify this with your travel agent that sold you the ticket. In the case of US travelers, if you are going on a direct flight from the US you do not need to buy insurance as you are paying for 30 days insurance when you buy your ticket. About $50 of your ticket price goes to medical insurance. Your return ticket that is given to you at check-in is stamped on the back noting that you are insured. This is what you have to show at Cira Garcia Hospital (along with your passport). Some airlines don't bother with the medical insurance. In this case you can buy the insurance while in Cuba from the Havantur Rep. This can be done before you go through immigration as the rep is usually nearby. The rates are $3 for Cubans and $2 for foreign nationals per day. Immigration may or may not require for you to have it. A while ago I went through Nassau with no insurance. The immigration officer insisted I have insurance to clear immigration. I was only there for two days. A supervisor came around and said, "We don't need to bother with him for $4, send him through." John 2
shlomo Posted October 31, 2014 Posted October 31, 2014 They just waved you through? They have been very particular about medical over the past 2 years or so with me and friends.
AlohaStyle Posted October 31, 2014 Posted October 31, 2014 When I went 2 years ago November, no one asked me. It's probably money well spent though for an American traveling "under the radar"... what's $14 for a weeks stay in case something happens?
JustinThyme Posted November 1, 2014 Posted November 1, 2014 Only one issue for US travelers, there are no direct flights from the US to Cuba and US citizens are forbidden to travel there although not everyone listens and just flies into DR and buys a ticket for the rest of the journey there. Personally I would never do such a thing......
Habana Mike Posted November 1, 2014 Posted November 1, 2014 Only one issue for US travelers, there are no direct flights from the US to Cuba and US citizens are forbidden to travel there although not everyone listens and just flies into DR and buys a ticket for the rest of the journey there. Personally I would never do such a thing...... Actually there are direct charter flights from US to Cuba for those with General or Specific licenses from OFAC and those tickets do include insurance, or so I've heard......
Maplepie Posted November 2, 2014 Posted November 2, 2014 One thing to consider if your work/bank/CC/etc offers insurance. May be in a hidden clause somewhere. My work offers me $2500 insurance when not on the job ANYWHERE in the world - not nearly enough for anything, though. Visa Canada gives me travel insurance free for 15 days in Cuba. Weird considering they have blocked my CC down there on numerous occasions.
stogieluver Posted November 2, 2014 Posted November 2, 2014 Only one issue for US travelers, there are no direct flights from the US to Cuba and US citizens are forbidden to travel there although not everyone listens and just flies into DR and buys a ticket for the rest of the journey there. Personally I would never do such a thing...... What's this? And it was legal! As for the topic, one of the ladies in our group fell and broke her leg. The members of the group who went to the hospital with her said they couldn't breath the air in the local hospital (Santa Clara) and the conditions were pretty bad as was the treatment. They set her leg, but did it incorrectly and she had to fly home to the US for proper treatment.
JohnnyO Posted November 4, 2014 Author Posted November 4, 2014 OFAC (the US Treasury Department governing body that oversees Cuba travel) authorizes a A-4 (general license) to a US resident/citizen that has family in Cuba, to go on a direct flight. No forms to fill, no questions to answer. Miami has 8-10 flights daily to Havana depending on the season. You can also go there from the US on a direct flight for religious, journalistic, scholastic purposes. Many are going lately on what is called a "People to People" trip. These are considered cultural exchange trips and can be pricey. All of these besides the A-4 require a specific license. That is to say you need paperwork from the US. John 1
JohnnyO Posted November 4, 2014 Author Posted November 4, 2014 BTW....to me DR is not a good option as it requires an overnight stay both ways and is pricey. John
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now