What is Travel Medical Insurance?
Certain FEHB, Medicare, and other health plans may have some international health coverage; however, that coverage can be limited. If you plan on traveling outside of the United States, you may want to consider purchasing a travel health insurance policy. If you require medical attention in another country, you could run into various requirements for payment. Your foreign doctor or hospital may not be willing to accept US-based insurance plans, may require payment in full before being discharged, or other payment nuances that may not be covered or handled quickly by your regular health plan.
Travel medical insurance policies are designed to pick up where your primary US health plan leaves off and fill in these gaps. A US-based health plan will have to go through a normal claims process, which can take weeks and even months, leaving you with the responsibility of handling your international medical bills and waiting for reimbursement from your insurance carrier. Comprehensive travel plans will cover pre-existing conditions and provide coverage for surgeries, hospitalizations, ambulance services, doctor bills, medications, x-rays, labs, anesthetics, and even dental coverage. In addition to normal medical coverage, it will also provide coverage for medical evacuation back to the US, translation services, family transportation, and even transportation of your remains in the event of death. The seamless billing between the healthcare provider and the insurer that travel medical policies offer gives peace of mind to you as you travel, rather than worrying about high medical costs and then needing to go through a claims process to get reimbursed for your expenses.
Who Needs Travel Medical Insurance?
Anyone traveling outside of the US should consider travel medical insurance. Even healthy people should consider it as an unexpected illness or accident that can occur at any time. Some unexpected medical expenses can include fractures and other injuries from falls, respiratory problems, motor vehicle accidents, heart attacks, infections, and more. If you are not properly insured, you may need to pay a large amount out-of-pocket and have to wait to file a claim with your insurance company, if they even offer any kind of international coverage. Even in countries that provide socialized medical coverage, US citizens may be required to pay for services as the government-run system may only cover citizens or those residing in that country with a visa or other form of residency status.
Does Travel Medical Insurance Cover Covid-19?
Even though the Covid pandemic has lessened, it is still a concern and a pandemic across the world. Travel medical insurance may cover Covid-related medical expenses. This can include treatment, testing, doctor bills, and medication. Certain plans may also cover extra costs associated with Covid while traveling, such as quarantining expenses, if that is a need based on the country you are traveling to. Some countries may require travelers to extend their stay to quarantine for a specific duration if the traveler is diagnosed with Covid. Travel medical insurance can even help with the cost of additional nights in a hotel and adjusting flights or other travel arrangements.
What are the Types of Travel Medical Insurance?
Travel medical insurance can be purchased for a single trip or for multiple trips at one time. Deciding which type of plan to purchase will depend on how frequently you plan to travel.
Single Trip Coverage
Single trip coverage is for one single trip. It is time bound by when you leave for your trip and when you return home. This only covers the duration of the trip. It can cover multiple countries in one trip. For example, one single trip plan for two weeks could cover you if you are visiting multiple countries during a Caribbean cruise.
Multi-trip Coverage
Multi-trip coverage will cover you for a full year and is designed for travelers who take three or more trips in one year. This will cover you for each trip as you travel throughout the year.
How Do You Purchase Travel Medical Insurance?
Purchasing a travel medical insurance policy is easy. You can either self-quote and enroll through our exclusive link or you can contact us via the form below answer any questions and help with enrollment.