Mandatory Travel Insurance by end of Year

TRAVEL INSURANCE SCHEME

I find the use of the word "Scheme" interesting. Supposedly it will even cover evacuation.

Yes, it will.

The formal announcement will detail this, but data we've already seen at SXM Weekly News says evacuations will go only to Miami. After that you're on your own. Again, full details are TBA.

It will be interesting to know if this is in addition to the medical insurance already purchased by individuals that would already cover what this "scheme" covers

scheme
/skēm/
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noun
1.
BRITISH
a large-scale systematic plan or arrangement for attaining a particular object or putting a particular idea into effect.

Thanks. Correct, different meanings as a noun or verb and British. I looked it up as it is usually not used in a positive way.

The cost is to be $30, but it is not clear if that's per day or per stay. Hard to believe that $30 per stay will pay for it but I sure hope it's not per day. The would be a huge deterrent for those of us that comes for multiple weeks.

The article states it's valid for up to 180 days.

It's another irritant, but at least the cost is fairly low.

Right - so I’m curious if you come and go several times during that 180 days do you pay each time? I was guess probably. But who knows

Yes.

And where is this purchased? Upon arrival?

I believe the Minister in her address yesterday said it will become part of the already in place EHAS system

They said details to be worked out.

Minister was responding to questions from Dr Soc asking for updates on the insurance plan. Listen to her response at 56:00 on this video of the press conference

https://www.facebook.com/SXMGOV/videos/4143283332351965

If it helps SXM $30.00 for 180 days in hardly a deal stopper for us. Many countries now require insurance to enter. Now how about the USA do the same thing and make foreigners provide insurance before entering the USA and stop having its citizens pay for everyone else too. How wonderful would that be! Whats good for the goose is good for the gander .

As far as multiple trips within the 180 days, when you refer to her comments at 56:00, she said that it was 180 days if the person did not leave the island.

Correct. If you leave and come back, the clock starts again

30 for 180 days is great. Not a deal breaker.

OK Today is the 14th and they are changing the requirements on 14 days notice? How will this be administered? How are travelers who have already made all their arrangements going to be informed? Do you think they will actually have this ready to go by the first of the month? I'm arriving on the 3rd ( testing gods and snow gods permitting ) and now I'm expecting one more hoop of chaos. But you can't discourage me Saint Martin = I AM COMING!

My understanding is that it will be part of the current website where you go to get your approval to fly, so you won't get your approval unless you pay for the insurance, at that time. As to whether it will actually be ready to go by the first of the month, who knows? The Tourism Minister has been working on requiring this, since all the way back in the summer.. She is finally getting her way.

The approval form already has a page set up for "payment", so I'm assuming that was done in preparation for this insurance. As it stands now, when you complete the form and attach the test results, you submit the form without being taken to the payment page. My thought is that once this insurance is required, you'll be taken to the payment page before you submit.

No idea myself. It is something the SXM government is doing so who knows what to expect or when to expect it. As always, island time and subject to change at any time. Good luck.

I would think that if the payment page is live when you fill out your form then that would be the answer. If it is not then you should be approved without it....but I bet it will be live before Jan 1

This sounds like a pretty reasonable deal. We paid way more than $30 to get our insurance that would cover quarantine expenses under trip delay. I guess the value also depends on what coverage actually means in terms of dollars per day you’re quarantined.

If people are reading it right, and it covers six months worth of coverage INCLUDING evacuation to the states if needed, quarantine costs, medical and hospitization then Thirty bucks/person is an absolute NO BRAINER!! I hate insurances, but this one is probably the best I have seen at any time. Knowing, God forbid, we get sick down there, it's very reasurring to know we won't go broke trying to get home, hospitalized, or sick.

So you will have to pay before you know whether or not you have been accepted? What if you are turned down?

I did read on one of the releases, that you would be reimbursed if you did not travel

I wonder if you have to take their insurance if you already have travel insurance. We get ours automatically with our credit card.

The answer is "yes". Regardless, your travel insurance with your credit card is probably NOT going to cover anything that this insurance covers. This insurance covers the cost of medical treatment on island, quarantine on island and COVID medical evac. Travel insurance through your credit card would not cover quarantine and COVID medical evac, which is EXTREMELY expensive.

Out of idle curiosity on my part, which credit card covers travel insurance and is there a high annual fee for it? It sounds like this might possibly be a card worth having. TIA

Actually mine does cover evacuation, though I'm not sure about quarantine.

We have the Chase Sapphire Reserve. It is expensive ($550/year) but it comes with a $300/year travel credit and that includes not just airlines, cruise ships and trains, but tolls, parking (including meters). You also get a 50% premium if you book your travel through their portal. For example, if you book a $1500 airline ticket using their points, it costs you only $1000 worth of points (100000pts). You get a $100 credit every time you renew your global entry card, free travel insurance, lost luggage insurance, airport lounge access and some other benefits. So if you take away the $300/ year credit and take into consideration the travel insurance, it basically comes out to no fee at least that's how I look at it. Here's a link... https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/credit-cards/benefits-chase-sapphire-reserve

Aha! Thank you. I think this is the card my daughter has been telling me about for a few years now. Sounds like I should look more seriously at it.

Thank you for your response.

You're welcome.

weeks--I doubt extremely seriously that it will cover medical evac for COVID, because there are a bunch of other factors for covering a COVID evac, versus a regular medical evac. And I doubt your insurance would cover quarantine either. Also most regular travel insurance does NOT cover COVID at all, for regular medical bills, let alone for an evac. You should check on that with the travel insurance to confirm whether you are covered for COVID at all with that policy.

While it's an annoyance, $30 isn't a bad cost. I have been looking at some policies of travel insurance that specifically cover COVID expenses and there aren't a lot of them out there, but they would be more expensive than $30 a person, regardless.

I'm sure about the evacuation for medical reasons. I'm not sure about quarantine being covered though. While I'm 98% sure that I would be covered for covid, since it's a medical issue, I will check on that.

I will be interested to hear what the response is. As I said most travel insurance specifically excludes Covid.

We always get travel insurance through SOS International. It cover medical evacuation, medical expenses, repatriation of remains, lost luggage, canceled trip, and life insurance. If we already have insurance, do we have to buy theirs?

My guess, yes.

Yes. They are going to require it, regardless of what you have.

We have Chase Sapphire Reserve Card and were told the would NOT cover COVID related expenses (we were in Barcelona when travel ban was implemented in March) because pandemics are an exception, like acts of God are also.

Proper British term for plan, Americanized as to something sneaky.

lhbsurf-thanks for the note. Things could have changed since then, but as I said, most travel insurance states specifically that they don't cover COVID.

Payment page for the Mandatory insurance should be going live soon. If anyone is arriving January 1st and forward let us know how the EHAS application and payment went

I wonder if it IS going to be required as of the 1st, as I thought they had to work out some more details?

Inquiring minds want to know

This government page

has not been updated since September 15 and the requirement for SXM issued travel insurance is not there.

It's not listed on this page either. Link

Again, it is now 12-29, and no changes to either of the above websites. Is it going to be required by 1/1/21 or not??

They will post it when it goes into effect. Just like all the others.

But shouldn't it say NOW, that it is effective as of January 1?? It's only a couple of days away. When they changed to allow the rapid tests, they said they were allowed as of "x" date, which was several days in the future. If someone is only looking at the official website, as of now, you wouldn't know anything about it.

Have they mentioned anything about how much is going to be covered for all of these things? Comparisons were initially made to the insurance in Aruba (link to that coverage), and the limits on those policies may not always cover everything. For example, quarantine is $125/day, and it doesn't extend to anyone you're traveling with unless they also test positive.

If the insurance required in St. Maarten is similar, it may not completely eliminate the need for additional coverage or eventual out-of-pocket expenses. It certainly would help, but $125/day for lodging and food during the high season could still leave a lot to cover, especially if members of a family or others in a group are also not able to fly home due to direct exposure (but they aren't covered since they aren't sick).

I spent a good amount of time on the phone with travel insurance companies and my credit card to determine what options exist when it comes to quarantine coverage. What I found is that the language you use is important. For example, "quarantine" wasn't always covered because it was grouped together with forced quarantine upon arrival regardless of if you're sick, and this was deemed foreseeable. On the other hand, if you ask about an illness (even COVID) that might prevent you from traveling home, that could be covered under "trip delay." You just can't call it quarantine. It was a very confusing process, and the insurance companies are very reluctant to answer specific questions in writing.

Exactly Carol. A tennis friend of mine will be arriving on Jan 3rd and had no idea about the insurance requirement AND cannot find anything that refers to it. So it will be a test case to see if she needs it

I just checked again and still no mention on the page. If they are going to require it, they will need to have it in place when people check in, I would think, so that will be starting tomorrow, for people who are spending overnight on the way down. It will be interesting.

It might be a suprise airival fee. Pay or don't get in.

It's supposed to be part of the pre-approval process, that if you don't have the pre-approval, you don't get on the plane.

Yep, but the island is constantly changing the requirements and how they implement them. Will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

Which is NOT a good thing to me, to be constantly changing the rules.

It sounds to me like they hoped to be able to implement it by the first of the year, but didn't get everything lined up in time. It would be in their best interest to give people adequate notice, and I'm sure they know that.

small price to pay!!!!!!!!!!! whenever it is adopted/required

Correct, IF in fact one is really getting something they can use if needed. Until one sees it used and how it works, it is all speculation at this point. Hopefully it would not have to be used but if needed, would it work?

The original info said that the SXM insurance was similar to the one in Aruba and was the same cost ($30)...but....the SXM variant includes, supposedly, transport back to the USA whereas the Aruba policy does not (total of $350 for "transportation costs")

I wonder if this is the issue holding it up....or it could just be Island Time at work

Minister TEATT just said January 11th.

No idea but there seems to be little urgency with regard to it.

Thanks for the update.

Also said ehas system will go live 5 days before with insurance module.

OK, thanks for the update. Didn't think there was any way it could be live by January 1 at this point.