Travel Medical Insurance
From LoveToKnow Insurance
Travel medical insurance can help allay the risks of accident and illness while traveling out of the country.
Types of Travel Medical Insurance
For travelers who live and work abroad, comprehensive travel medical insurance can provide coverage similar to what is available in one’s country of residence. If you work overseas and your company does not provide insurance, you can purchase it through a carrier who specializes in this type of product.
This type of health insurance may include the following benefits:
- Hospital room and board
- Intensive care
- Surgery
- Prescriptions
- Lab tests and x-rays
- Physical therapy
- Hospice care
- Doctor’s visits
Travel insurance should provide virtually all of the benefits that a standard health insurance policy can provide, especially if you plan to reside abroad for a significant length of time. Travel insurance may be purchased individually or at a family rate.
Emergency travel medical insurance is another type of available coverage. This type of insurance is meant to supplement your standard policy by providing coverage of any emergency medical costs incurred abroad. Emergency travel insurance is recommended for short-term travelers, particularly those entering dangerous or politically unstable areas. Upon return to your country of residence, you would resume care under your regular health insurance policy.
Similarly, medical evacuation insurance is a contingency plan for the same type of unexpected circumstances as emergency travel medical insurance. Should you become injured or unable to return home, medical evacuation insurance will cover the cost of the air ambulance and attending medical staff. However, unless you plan to engage in an extremely risky venture (like bungee jumping, cliff diving or deep sea diving), emergency travel medical insurance should be sufficient.
Where to Purchase Travel Medical Insurance
You may be able to purchase travel coverage from your current insurance carrier. It may be cheaper to supplement your current health insurance policy than to purchase an entirely separate policy. Be sure to talk with your insurance broker or agent about what you can do to make sure you have medical coverage abroad. Additionally, travel agents may offer travel insurance packages as part of their services. For limited travel, it may be worth speaking with your travel agent about a short-term policy.
For long-term or serial travelers, there are several carriers which specialize in travel health insurance. A few notable carriers include World Nomads and Travelex. World Nomads caters to adventure-seeking travelers who participate in extreme sports such as snowboarding, surfing, canyoning and white water rafting. This company focuses on emergency care and medical evacuation insurance. Travelex provides emergency travel medical insurance, medical evacuation insurance and bundled packages that include coverage for lost luggage, supplier default and coverage for acts of terrorism. IM Global, another travel health insurance carrier, provides comprehensive insurance and emergency medical coverage in over 150 countries.
Tips for Staying Healthy Abroad
Purchasing travel medical coverage is a great way to ensure your health while making your way through unfamiliar territory. Here are some additional tips to help you safeguard your well-being:
- Be advised of the local water conditions. When in doubt, drink bottled water.
- Take care to inform yourself of the current political situation and avoid unstable or dangerous areas.
- Keep a list of common phrases handy, so that you can communicate in the event of a medical emergency. If you have a pre-existing medical condition, like diabetes or high blood pressure, consider getting a medical tag in the native language of the country where you are traveling.
- Seek advice regarding the local terrain and weather conditions. If participating in physical sports, stock up on the appropriate gear.
Following these few common sense precautions, coupled with the added security of purchasing medical insurance can help to make your trip memorable for all of the right reasons.
Related Insurance Links
Comments
Hi Tired of Looking,
Your travel agent can quickly get you in touch with an insurance company that provides travel insurance. You can also contact World Nomads, Travelex or IM Global. All three provide travel insurance and could quickly give you a quote. There are links to the websites of all three companies in the above article. Their websites would give you details on their programs as well contact information.
Thank you for your question and for visiting LoveToKnow Insurance.
-- Contributed by: SusanWeberThis page has been accessed 1,527 times. This page was last modified 13:52, 9 October 2006.
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