international travel insurance that covers pregnancy through 33 weeks?

[taurustheta]

Hi all,

I'm an American who's 30 weeks' pregnant, living in South America and wanting to take a weeklong trip to the U.S. next week. I would be nearly 32 weeks when I begin travel and barely 33 weeks when I return to South America. My concern is not how uncomfortable I'm likely to be on the flight (I know), but that I can't seem to find a travel insurance policy that will cover any pregnancy-related complications-- should they come up-- in someone as far along in the pregnancy as I'll be. (Many cover up to 20 weeks only.) My local health insurance won't cover me while I'm abroad, either. My doctor is fine with my going, and I'm not at risk for preterm labor; however, the what-ifs are starting to freak me out (possibly because I've been having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions lately). Giving birth so early wouldn't be a great thing anywhere...and even less so if afterward I were saddled with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills!

Anyone know of any travel insurance policies that cover third-trimester pregnancy?? I'm guessing the chances are next to nil, but thought I'd ask...

[JudiAU]

I think you might be looking for an impossible policy. Most American doctors don't recommend travel at all in the third trimester either because of preterm labor risks or swelling, with serious swelling being the more likely issue. I've done it with a waiver and it was a miserable experience. The swelling never went away.

[amyng]

Hi!

I was doing a search for the Waldorf school in Montevideo and came across your profile.  It looks like you still live in Uruguay. We moved here a month ago, but are also from San Francisco, so thought I'd just contact you. :)

Amy

[AllisonRH]

I looked into this with my last pregnancy. I live in Canada but have a lot of family in the US and was looking for insurance that would cover me and my unborn child if I were to go into labour. From what I found (and I don't know if anything has changed in the last 2 years) is that no insurance I could find would cover an unborn child since they don't have a name, birthdate, etc. They can't cover a person who hasn't been born yet. Most of the policies also don't cover pregnancy in the 3rd trimester as others have said. I kept seeing clauses saying that they would cover you as long as it wasn't something related to pregnance - and I would bet a lot of $$ that no matter what happened they would find a way to tie it back to your pregnancy.

I'm sorry this isn't any good news or help, but that's what I found. I know here our CAA (AAA) travel insurance used to cover pregnancy but they changed their policy a few months before I needed it.

Good luck and I'm hoping you find something!