Medical travel & travel insurance- What's the difference? (2024)

FAQs

Medical travel & travel insurance- What's the difference? ›

Travel medical policies include benefits for medical expenses such as doctor or hospital visits, medical evacuation and repatriation. Trip insurance can cover the financial investment of an international or domestic trip.

International health insurance is designed to provide a comprehensive level of health care to those relocating from their home country for a sustained period of time, whereas travel insurance provides cover for emergency treatment while you are in another country for a shorter space of time.

Travelling against medical advice or to get medical treatment. If your doctor says it's not safe for you to travel, then you won't be covered. Similarly, if you go abroad to get planned treatment, sometimes called 'medical tourism', a standard policy will not cover this – you'll need specialist insurance instead.

It can also be expensive, difficult to file claims, and not always cover the things you thought it would — or should.

How much travel medical insurance do you need? Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison site, recommends buying at least $50,000 in emergency medical coverage for international travel. For travelers going on a cruise or to a remote destination, the site recommends at least $100,000 in coverage.

Travel medical insurance is different from your health insurance because travel medical insurance is a supplemental policy that helps protect you while you're traveling.

What type of travel insurance do I need? There are two main types of travel insurance: trip protection plans and travel medical plans.

Conditions which may not be covered

Conditions like terminal illness, the need for oxygen, pending surgery, chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease, specific types of cancer, congestive heart failure, and recurring pain are generally excluded from coverage.

According to Allianz Global Assistance, a travel insurance provider, "Trip cancellations and trip interruptions due to known, foreseeable, or expected events, epidemics, or fear of travel are generally not covered."

However, depending on your provider, travel insurance costs can range from 4%-16% of your trip cost. That means for that $1,000 trip, you might find coverage for as little as $40 or up $160 on the high end. Costs vary across providers, level of coverage and factors like your age and destination.

What is the best travel insurance company? ›

Travel insurance can pay for trip delays, lost personal items and medical emergencies. Plus, it might even reimburse prepaid expenses if you have to cancel altogether.

Trip cancellation coverage may be unnecessary if you're not on the hook for nonrefundable expenses or if your credit card provides cancellation benefits as a perk. Emergency medical coverage is not always necessary if you are traveling domestically and your health insurance covers you while you're away from home.

If all conditions are met, most of the policies will reimburse you 50% to 75% of your trip costs, unless otherwise noted.

The U.S. government does not pay overseas medical bills. The patient must pay all hospital and other expenses. You can find lists of doctors and hospitals in the country you are visiting. Check the website of the U.S. embassy in the country you are visiting.

If you have a medical emergency (they're more common than most people think), and you're uninsured, you're taking on the unnecessary financial risk of having to pay potentially enormous medical bills out of your own pocket.

So, is travel nursing worth it? Yes! With more money, flexibility, career options, travel perks, and personal growth, it's still one of the most exciting nursing opportunities in 2024.

This will depend on your situation, but if you are certain you will only travel once in the next 12 months, you should get a single trip policy for that holiday. If you are unsure of how many trips you will take, an annual policy may be more expensive, but it will give you the peace of mind of knowing you are covered.

If you're wondering when you should buy travel insurance, the simple answer is as soon as possible. Ideally, you'll buy coverage no later than 15 days prior to your trip.