Travel Health Insurance Policies

Why is having travel health insurance cover so critical for international travel? Obtaining healthcare in some parts of the world can be difficult. Some hospitals won’t provide treatment or won’t allow a patient to be discharged until a guarantee of payment has been received. Such guarantees are commonly provided by travel insurers, but rarely by other types of insurers or managed care plans.

1) What a Good International Travel Health Insurance Policy Should Cover

• International health insurance (health/accident insurance) – illnesses, accidents and emergencies while traveling outside of your home country. Covers doctor and hospital bills, and sometimes dental care and medications
• Repatriation
• Trip cancellation/interruption
• Other international assistance services such as protection of baggage and travel documents, personal liability, legal costs etc.

2) What Travel Health Insurance Policies Usually Do Not Cover

• Pre-existing medical conditions, i.e. medical conditions that you have now or have had in the past (the definition varies)
• Accidents and injuries related to high-risk sports and activities, for example, skydiving. Some sports, such as skiing, may be offered limited coverage and may require higher premiums.
• Mental illnesses
• Persons traveling against the advice of a doctor
• Persons traveling for the purpose of seeking medical care

3) Types of Travel Health Insurance Policy

• Single-Trip plans cover one trip only, usually with a 3-60 day duration of coverage. Appropriate for holidays and short breaks, but not for extended travel, study or work abroad.

  

• Annual Multi-Trip plans cover all the trips you take during one year. Duration of coverage of any one trip is generally limited to 60-70 days, so again, appropriate for holidays and short breaks, but not for extended travel, study or work abroad.
• Some travel health insurers have designed special policies for backpackers and for those who are planning to work or study abroad long-term. Hunt around to find the policy that is best for you.

4) Recommended Travel Health Insurance Companies

For information abour travel health insurance, visit Insure And Go.

We’d like to hear from you. Which policy did you get? Anything else you’d like to mention? Tell us about it in our forum topic: Insurance when traveling to Peru.