Traveling abroad is an amazing experience, but unpredictable accidents or illnesses can occur. And the resulting medical expenses can be very overwhelming. This is where travel health insurance coverage comes in. Travel health, or medical insurance, is a type of insurance that helps you cover the cost of your medical expenses abroad. It helps you provide important medical benefits in case of any unforeseen situations. The medical coverage provided by your domestic insurer can vary depending on the plan and country.
So, you may not have coverage at all or have very limited coverage. With the help of a travel health insurance plan, you can get the coverage you need. This medical insurance plan is typically sold as part of a large travel insurance plan or as standalone coverage. When you bundle it with your standard travel insurance policy, you will get to enjoy benefits such as compensation for delayed baggage. Some plans include 24/7 assistance services that can enable you to communicate with medical staff and organize care payments.
It’s smart to think about travel medical coverage if your regular health insurance doesn’t cover you when you’re abroad. For instance, some health plans might cover you overseas, but not all do. If your regular insurance has high deductibles or costs, you might want to get a limited travel medical plan for extra protection. Just remember, with travel medical coverage, you usually pay first and get reimbursed later, so it’s crucial to keep all your medical receipts safe during your trip.
Travel Insurance vs. Travel Health Insurance
With a medical-only travel policy, you will get a limited range of benefits that can help cover costs in the event of emergency medical bills while abroad. They are more affordable than the full policy but won’t provide you with interruption and trip delay benefits. For instance, if you get sick abroad and must go back home, the health-only insurance will not compensate for hotel costs or non-refundable costs. The medical-only insurance may cover dental coverage benefits, 24-hour assistance services, accidental death and dismemberment, and emergency medical evacuation.
Who needs a Travel Health Insurance Plan?
Travel medical insurance might be more useful for some travelers than others. If you have a health issue already, you might need medical help while you’re away. Also, if you’re into adventurous sports like bungee jumping or scuba diving, it’s worth considering. Some insurance plans don’t cover injuries from these sports, so it’s essential to check before you buy. Others who could benefit are frequent flyers with credit cards offering travel coverage. Or those mainly worried about medical costs overseas rather than trip disruptions
When is it required?
It is required or strongly recommended when you travel outside your home country. Many countries require travelers to have enough travel insurance before allowing entry or issuing a visa. You can use the U.S. Department of State website to verify whether the plan is required when traveling. It is advisable to shop for coverage at least a month before the trip to make sure the documentation arrives before you travel.
However, this depends on the country’s entry requirements. Also, your current health insurer’s primary plan may qualify as enough coverage for your visa entry. Even if medical insurance is not required, it is advisable to invest in some coverage. Even with the standard health insurance plan, you may not have enough or any coverage when traveling abroad. This means a minor injury can leave you with bills when you get back home.
What Does Travel Health Insurance Cover?
This plan is designed to help you cover various medical bills that occur during your travels abroad. Just as the standard plan helps to cover emergencies at home, the travel coverage helps to pay for your healthcare expenses while traveling. Just so you know, some travel health plans also include additional benefits that go beyond hospital bill coverage.
Travel insurance often includes emergency medical evacuation coverage, which pays for your evacuation if you’re injured in a place without nearby medical care. Medical transport can be very costly, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars, so this coverage can save you from paying for life-saving services out of your pocket. It may also cover benefits for accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) and the repatriation of remains if you pass away abroad.
When choosing a plan, consider the coverage levels and deductibles. Each plan has a maximum amount the insurer will pay in case of an accident, sometimes as low as $5,000. Compare the included coverage and limitations to the price to ensure you’re getting good value.
Most travel plans don’t cover medical bills from sports injuries. If you plan on hiking, skiing, or other outdoor activities, look for a provider offering a sports extension. This add-on extends your medical benefits to cover recreational accidents.
How much does Travel Medical Insurance Cost?
Insurers sell the travel health insurance plan as a package alongside other travel insurance protections such as emergency evacuation and trip cancellation plans. When you purchase this plan as part of the whole package, you are expected to pay between 5% and 6% of the total cost of the trip in coverage. Many factors may influence the cost, such as trip duration, age, destination, group size, and coverage level.
How to Purchase Travel Health Insurance
Purchasing this plan is very straightforward across most providers. If you know you are ready, you can purchase a plan by following the below steps.
- Locate the medical insurance providers of your choice. Some include Travel Insured International, Worldwide Trip Protector, WorldTrips, or TravelSafe.
- Most providers make it very easy for you to check out their available options online.
- Choose the plan of your choice.
- You will need to provide the insurance companies with your trip information to provide them with a quote. Companies will ask you questions about the number of travelers, total trip cost, travel dates, destinations, and many more.
- We advise you to get quotes from multiple providers and compare similar levels of coverage before choosing a policy.
- Once you have decided on a plan and company, you can then provide some additional information to the company so they can purchase the policy online. You can also contact them to purchase the plan. This may include your first trip payment date, your home address, and many more. Insurers may also ask you if you want to purchase additional add-ons to your policy. You can then provide a form of payment and finish up your purchase.
Most travel health insurers follow the above process. Make sure you have the traveler and trip information at hand before starting the purchasing process.
Is Travel Health Insurance worth it?
Considering travel health insurance? It’s a smart move if your regular health insurance doesn’t extend to cover medical expenses overseas. While some domestic plans may offer limited coverage abroad, many do not.
Travel health insurance steps in to fill this gap, providing coverage for injuries and illnesses sustained while traveling. Whether you’re exploring remote destinations or simply seeking peace of mind during your trip, travel health insurance can offer valuable protection against unexpected medical expenses.