Eight Reason to Have Medical Insurance Traveling Abroad

Traveling comes with risk, be ready with Medical Insurance Traveling Abroad 

Medical Insurance Traveling Abroad

Reason 8: Your domestic insurance does nothing in other countries

This is a common misconception many people have. When you are abroad your insurance from your home country may not protect you. It may not cover you in the case of an emergency. If you break your ankle at the scenic cliff jumping spot at Kamari Beach in Santorini, Greece, or get food poisoning while climbing the pyramids at Pachuca Mexico, you may not have coverage.  Anyone on medicare is not covered.  Some group insurance plans will cover you and some will not.  Most individual plans will not offer coverage abroad.

Reason 7: You may be required to purchase it

Many countries are beginning to require that you have insurance if you are visiting. This protects you as the traveler from the bill you cannot pay and the country from delinquents who don’t pay bills. Some visas require that you have insurance before you are cleared to travel.

Reason 6: Things go wrong when you’re the least prepared

If you have been traveling with travel medical insurance and have not used it, you may be tempted to save the money and not buy insurance. This seems like a rational choice until something unexpected happens and you have to foot the medical bills. In some situations medical treatment may be critical, don’t hesitate to seek treatment because you did not buy insurance.

Reason 5: Many places don’t have safe water

Travelers coming from developed countries don’t consider the risks associated with drinking water. Water in many parts of the world can get you sick with diarrhea, giardia, hepatitis A, typhoid, cholera or any other water born illness. This means there is a risk with brushing your teeth, showering and even eating vegetables. These risks are important to consider when you leave your health insurance in your home country.

Reason 4: Changes in altitude can make you sick

If your travels take you to places with an altitude you’re not used to you can get sick. You get altitude sickness because your body does not have enough time to adjust to the lack of oxygen in the air. It can happen to anyone and when extreme can be deadly. Early symptoms include headache, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue.

Reason 3: In many places you need to pay before you receive care

If you are uninsured, you are putting yourself at risk of paying extraordinary bills, before you receive the required care. In most of the world payment for medical care (even emergency care) is required before you are helped unless you have insurance.  What would you do if you were having a medical emergency and were told you needed to pay $10,000 before the medical providers would help you?

Reason 2: Repatriation of remains

This is not a comfortable subject for most people but it’s necessary to address. If for any reason you die on foreign soil, you are leaving your loved ones exposed to extraordinary bills just to bring home your remains. Repatriation of remains is something that only international policies will cover.

International shipping of human remains is a huge unexpected cost.  Cost is likely to be $5,000 – $10,000 depending on where you are visiting and where you live.  It’s also complicated to figure out how to send your loved one’s body home.  Travel Medical Insurance plans know how to navigate the process and take that burden off your hands.  It’s a great help if you are in the unfortunate situation of needing the services.

Over 10,000 world travelers die outside of their home country each year

Reason 1: There are unique risks associated with traveling

When you are outside your home country you’re likely to be eating new foods and doing activities you don’t normally do.  You also may be experiencing a culture you don’t fully understand.  Each of these factors leads to new and unknown risks to your your health.  With coverage starting at about $1 a day, traveling without insurance is a big and unnecessary risk. Just because you are healthy does not make you immune to these risk. 

Some Travel Medical plans cover COVID-19 same as any illness, some do not.  To find a plan that covers COVID-19 same as any illness see this post: Covid-19 Travel Medical

For more information on specific medical insurance traveling abroad check out our International travel insurance or contact us to speak to one of our trained insurance experts.

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