What is Travel Health Insurance? – ValuePenguin

After living through a pandemic, people may be more cautious than ever when making travel plans. Even if you’ve never purchased travel health insurance before, it’s something you may want to consider when booking future international travel.

what is travel medical insurance?

People are often surprised that their regular health insurance doesn’t offer full coverage (or no coverage at all) if they travel abroad. That’s where travel medical insurance comes in.

Like other insurance, there are deductibles, limitations and other details to take into account.

Medical travel insurance can be included in a more comprehensive travel insurance plan, or you can choose to purchase only medical coverage. The main difference is that a stand-alone health plan typically does not include reimbursement for the actual cost of the trip, such as if you need to cancel for reasons other than medical in nature.

types of travel medical insurance

Buying travel medical insurance requires a bit of research because there are so many different types of plans. These are some of the factors you should consider when browsing.

The wise move is to call your current health insurance company to ask about your coverage abroad so you can find out what you’ll need. In some cases, the travel health insurance provider may require you to purchase primary insurance.

multitrip vs. single trip

Let’s say you plan to go from one country to another in Europe for two weeks. that’s still considered a one-time trip even though you’ll be visiting different countries. But if you’re someone who has several trips abroad planned over the course of a few months, and will be returning home in between, it might be easier and more cost-effective to buy a multi-trip policy that covers you for a set period of time instead. several trips.

what does travel health insurance cover?

What does travel health insurance not cover?

Most travel medical insurance does not include trip cancellation coverage that will reimburse you for the cost of the trip. Plus, all policies have a lot of fine print to read, so it’s important to understand what is and isn’t covered.

another element to investigate are the details of the medical evacuation. You’ll want to know if you’re covered for transportation to the nearest hospital (which could be inadequate at best), or if you can get transportation back to the US. uu. in many cases, you may be stuck in a foreign country while you recover.

Finally, unlike a general travel insurance plan, a travel health insurance policy will not offer comprehensive coverage for non-medical items such as canceled trips or lost luggage:

best travel medical insurance plans

Many travel insurance companies offer comprehensive plans that include medical coverage. If you’re looking for stand-alone travel medical insurance, some of the leading providers include IMG, Seven Corners, Atlas Travel Insurance, and GeoBlue. There are also other airlines that have specialized coverage, such as world nomads for adventure activities, and medjet that covers the repatriation of travelers back home in case of injury.

To provide an idea of ​​coverage and costs, we generated sample quotes from img, seven corners, atlas travel insurance, and geoblue, selecting $500,000 coverage with a $100 deductible for a couple ages 51 and 44. york and the trip is eight days:

sample quotes from leading travel health insurance providers

Do you need travel medical insurance?

Travel medical insurance is almost always a good idea if you’re leaving the US. uu. That’s because, in the event of an injury or medical emergency that requires treatment, hospitalization, or medical evacuation, the out-of-pocket costs can be exorbitant.

If you fall into any of these categories, a travel medical insurance policy or medical coverage that is part of a comprehensive travel insurance plan is recommended:

How much travel medical insurance do you need?

Most available plans start below $100,000 in medical expenses and go up from there. Because there’s usually not a huge difference in price to increase your coverage to $500,000, it’s usually worth opting for the additional coverage, as the bills can add up quickly depending on the severity of the situation. You could even go for higher coverages, but $500,000 should be enough.

when comparing plans, also look at evacuation coverage. The CDC notes that the cost of medical evacuation alone can reach $100,000 or more. a higher amount of coverage is always a good idea if it’s affordable for you, but may require upgrading to a base plan.

how to buy travel medical insurance

Buying a solid travel health insurance plan starts with assessing your needs and then doing your research. Here are some strategies to help you find the right plan:

how to use travel medical insurance

If you do eventually need to use your travel medical insurance, you’ll want to contact the provider as soon as possible. here are some tips to keep in mind: