Whether you’re going away on a short trip or an extended vacation, you need to make sure you are well-protected and safe during your time away. One of the most important things to consider before you head off on your exciting vacation is medical travel insurance.
In this article, we’re going to discuss what medical travel insurance is and why it’s important that you get it before you go abroad for a vacation.
What is Medical Travel Insurance?
Medical travel insurance combines health and travel insurance. You might see it referred to as travel health insurance for this reason. It’s a specialized form of insurance that protects you financially if you require medical treatment or experience unexpected disruptions while traveling internationally.
What Does Medical Travel Insurance Cover?
There are various types of medical travel insurance, each covering slightly different circumstances and scenarios. However, most international travel health insurance policies will offer coverage in the following situations:
- You need medical attention, whether emergency or routine, while abroad
- You require prescription medications, treatments, and surgeries while in a foreign country
- You need to access treatments, and medications for a chronic health condition
- You require hospitalization for an emergency event while abroad
- You need emergency dental care
- You need to cancel your trip due to a serious illness
- You experience travel disruptions due to canceled or extremely delayed flights
- You’re unable to travel on your chosen date due to a natural disaster
- Your luggage gets damaged, lost, or stolen while you’re traveling internationally
Most medical travel insurance providers also offer expert guidance on a 24/7 basis so you can get the help and support you need at any time during your international trip. The insurance advisors can help you find your nearest hospital and communicate with healthcare providers if you need medical attention.
Is Medical Travel Insurance Necessary?
Both health insurance and travel insurance are essential when you’re going abroad, whether you have a long flight, or your chosen destination is next door to your home country. Choosing a combined medical travel insurance plan ensures you have full coverage for all of your medical and travel needs for the duration of your vacation.
What Are the Benefits of Getting Medical Travel Insurance?
So, why is medical travel insurance a necessity? Here are some of the many benefits of getting health and travel insurance coverage when you’re traveling abroad.
Financial Protection
One of the main reasons why people get travel health insurance is for financial protection while abroad. You can never predict an illness, injury, or travel disruption, and having insurance coverage means you won’t fork hefty bills if you run into trouble when you’re traveling.
Medical treatments and hospitalizations can be costly when you are abroad. However, when you have valid health insurance coverage, your insurer will cover some (if not all) of your medical bills. In turn, you can budget more effectively, avoid financial worries, and enjoy your trip as much as possible.
Coverage for unexpected emergencies
You can’t predict injuries, illnesses, and natural disasters. If any of these situations occur during your travels, you will be thankful that you chose to get medical travel insurance.
With adequate coverage, you have financial protection during expected events. Your insurance provider will cover some or all of the bills associated with resolving a medical emergency or rearranging your trip to avoid putting yourself in an unsafe position during a natural disaster.
Your insurance provider will also enable you to access emergency medical services if you require them while traveling abroad. In many countries, you would be unable to access any healthcare facilities or medical treatments as a foreigner if you don’t have health insurance coverage.
Access to top-quality healthcare facilities and specialized medical treatments
Often, travel health insurance provides you with access to better healthcare facilities that you wouldn’t be able to enter without coverage.
Healthcare standards can vary drastically from one facility to another. Insurers know which hospitals and primary care practices are the most trustworthy and reputable. So, obtaining insurance ensures you receive the best possible care for your medical needs.
If you require specialized medical treatments for a rare health condition, you can contact your insurance provider and ask them where the nearest facility offering these treatments is located. They can also negotiate with various facilities to ensure you can access the very best treatments and therapies without difficulty.
Peace of mind
Having medical travel insurance gives you peace of mind. You can enjoy your vacation to the max without worrying about whether or not you’ll be able to access a doctor, get medications, or rearrange your trip if needed.
You can also reduce your financial worries with a great travel health insurance plan, as you can rest assured knowing that you won’t be paying endless bills out of your own pocket if you end up in the middle of a medical or travel emergency.