Travel medical insurance is coverage for medical and dental emergencies that happen while you are on your trip. And happen those emergencies do!
While all travelers could probably benefit from the medical coverage provided by travel insurance, the coverage is essentially written for travelers leaving their home countries. The coverage includes emergency transportation to a hospital, care at that facility, medical evacuation back home and more.
Here are some travelers that could really use travel medical/evacuation coverage:
- An English citizen visiting the US on holiday
- An US citizen traveling to Thailand on vacation
- A business person working abroad for 6 months
- Parents from India visiting their children in various US cities for a year
- Missionaries working overseas
Travel medical coverage can provide coverage for medical expenses such as:
- The services of a physician
- Transportation to a hospital
- Charges for hospital stays
- Charges for hospital operating rooms
- Charges for treatments, exams and tests
- Charges for drugs, medicines and other services and supplies
Emergency medical evacuation is an important aspect of a medical emergency benefit and is generally included in the policies – but check to be sure. You must have wondered how you would get to a hospital if you were injured, or how you would get home after treatment. Special medical flights or ‘evacuations’ are required to return an ill or injured traveler to their home country. These trips can be extremely, extremely expensive. This coverage is important to include in a travel insurance policy.
The 24/7 emergency assistance hotlines are also great features. Should something go wrong, you may well find yourself panicked and overwhelmed: where is the nearest hospital? How do I say ‘allergic reaction to peanuts’ in Flemish? How do I know the doctor is qualified?
These and other challenges are exactly what those emergency call centers are designed to handle. They will help with translating, arranging medical care, transportation, payment procedures, and more.
Do you need medical/evacuation coverage? Generally, yes. Your health insurance from home most likely will not cover you while you travel abroad. Nor does Medicare cover you when you are outside the States.
Next time, we will go over the application process and help you find a good carrier.
The Right Policy 