Travel Insurance

Most health insurance plans do not cover health problems when you travel internationally. Yet, medical issues do arise for travelers, such as broken bones, accidents and illnesses. This is where travelers insurance comes in to help; it will guarantee your medical needs are met when you visit a foreign country.

Medical Travel Insurance Policies

There are many types of travel insurance policies, with three plans for discussion here: medical travel, package travel, and medical evacuation. Medical travel policies are solely for medical needs that may arise and are priced according to the age of the insured person and the medical limits the person selects. Some of the policies cover a time length of one year. Some also include evacuation and trip interruption benefits, but each policy is different and requires your study of its inclusions. The insurance companies are somewhat diverse in their coverage.

Package Travel Insurance Policies

A package travel policy will help with your medical needs and much more. The 24-hour emergency number will facilitate location of reputable medical personnel and hospitals. It can also help with money transfers, lost passports, luggage, translators, possible legal issues and more, depending on each policy. The cost of a package policy is usually determined by several factors: trip costs, age of the insured, and length of the trip. Trip costs are the total of your out-of-pocket payments for the trip which are non-refundable. There are also many options that can be added to these plans which will cover any speculated needs.

Medical Evacuation Insurance Policies

Separate medical evacuation policies can be purchased as well. These provide medical transportation to the nearest suitable medical facility in the event of an accident or illness. Some additional policies will ensure you are given medical transportation to your choice of hospitals, which may include transportation back to the United States. People visit many locations that are isolated and far from medical facilities; at the time of an accident or illness, getting to the best medical providers will be expedited.

Terrorism has unfortunately become a factor in international travel. Many travelers insurance plans now allow you to cut your vacation short or will pay expenses for cancellation if there is a terrorist act. Because of the differences among all the policies relating to terrorism, be sure of the coverage you are getting.

Choosing a Health Insurance Carrier

Since travelers insurance is about 4%-8% of your travel costs, pick the insurance company that will economically provide the most coverage. This is a small price to pay for peace of mind while traveling abroad.

To summarize, when buying travelers insurance, it will help you to consider:

• What your present health insurance covers when you travel outside of the United States.
• A medical travelers policy will simplify the process of getting medical help while in a foreign country.
• Package travel policies will help you find medical help, as well as assist with money transfers, lost passports, luggage, translators, legal issues, and more.
• You may want to consider an additional medical evacuation policy if your travel plans include isolated areas or if you are concerned about the level of medical care in a country you will be visiting.
• You should consider the exact descriptions of the terrorism coverage on your travelers policy.
• The various types of travel insurance plans range in price between 4% and 8% of your travel costs, depending on your policy choice.