How to Get Travel Health Insurance and How it Works

A vacation is a time to take a break from everyday life — but life doesn't stop while you're on vacation. It can still lob curve balls, meaning your week of relaxing at an exotic resort could end with a stay in a foreign hospital while you get treated for an injury or a medical emergency. That's anything but relaxing, especially if your health insurance doesn't cover medical expenses that occur outside of your home state. That's where short-term travel medical insurance comes in.

What is Travel Health Insurance?

Travel medical insurance reimburses you for costs associated with medical emergencies that occur while you're traveling.¹ This typically includes the cost of emergency medical evacuations, and depending on the policy, it might also cover travel expenses for a family member who needs to come and visit you in the hospital while abroad.¹

How it works

So how does travel medical insurance work? If you find yourself in need of emergency medical care while on your trip, you would call a number provided by your travel insurance company, which would then work with local medical authorities to coordinate your care.³ Most likely, you'd need to pay upfront for any care you receive, then file a claim with the insurance company for reimbursement.¹

Emergency vs. comprehensive travel health insurance

Emergency travel medical insurance provides short-term coverage for short-term travel. It differs from comprehensive travel medical insurance, which is for long-term travel, or for those who live or work abroad and need coverage for routine healthcare. This means your short-term travel policy should cover things like injuries or sudden illness, but it won't cover routine checkups.¹

It also differs from trip insurance, which reimburses you for non-refundable expenses like airfare if your trip has to be canceled or cut short because of unforeseen circumstances beyond your control — although some trip insurance policies also include emergency medical coverage.²

What Happens if You Don't Have Travel Medical Insurance?

You may not need travel medical insurance if you're traveling to a location where you'll be covered by your regular health insurance provider. But if you travel outside their coverage area, especially if you leave the country, this type of emergency medical coverage could save you from having to pay hundreds or even thousands out of pocket for any medical emergencies you or covered family members might encounter.

Here are some common scenarios that might occur during your trip:³

• Falls resulting in breaks or fractures
• Motor vehicle collisions
• Severe respiratory issues
• Heart attacks

Natural disasters are also commonly covered.¹ Without travel medical insurance, you would be on the hook for all medical, hospitalization and evacuation costs for these or other types of medical emergencies.

Types of Travel Health Insurance Coverage

Not all travel medical insurance policies are created equal. Here are the different types of coverage:

• Primary coverage — Your travel insurance company is your first line of defense when you encounter an emergency while traveling. You would submit your claim directly to them for reimbursement.¹
• Secondary coverage — Your travel insurance policy is supplemental to your primary health coverage. You would first have to submit any medical care claims to your primary insurer, even if you know they'll refuse the claim. You would then submit the refusal, along with the claim, to your travel insurance provider.¹
• Single-trip coverage — This is for travelers who are not planning on an extended stay, whether going on vacation or taking a short trip for work or to visit family. Coverage would last for the duration of your trip, from the moment you leave home to the moment you return.³
• Multi-trip coverage — This is for frequent travelers who take more than three trips per year. Policies may be purchased annually instead of on a per-trip basis.³
• Emergency-medical only — This would only cover costs relating to a medical emergency encountered during your trip.⁴
• Trip-cancellation coverage — This type of policy typically reimburses you for non-refundable expenses in the event that you need to cancel your trip or cut it short due to unforeseen circumstances beyond your control. This type of coverage sometimes includes emergency health coverage during your trip, so if you purchase this type of insurance, examine your policy closely before purchasing additional emergency medical coverage.⁴
• Comprehensive travel health insurance — This type of coverage is for those who spend a significant amount of time living abroad, rather than just visiting. It provides routine healthcare coverage in addition to emergency care.¹

What Is Covered by Travel Medical Insurance?

Here's what's commonly covered by a travel medical insurance plan:¹

• Emergency medical expenses — includes hospitalization, x-rays, medications, and other forms of treatment.
• Emergency dental expenses — visiting a dentist for emergency dental surgery or tooth repair.
• Medical evacuation — needing to be removed from your travel location to another city or country for treatment.
• Trip interruption — costs involved with either returning to your travel location to resume your trip, or with being sent home.
• Accidental death or dismemberment — a payout to your designated beneficiary if you're killed on your trip, or a payout to yourself if you lose a limb.
• 24-hour emergency hotline — assistance with filing claims, coordinating care or evacuations or locating a translator, among other services.
• Lost luggage — reimbursement for clothing and toiletries if your baggage gets lost because of your emergency.

And here's what's typically exempted from coverage:³

• Routine checkups or care
• Conditions for which you're traveling to receive treatment
• Medical costs pertaining to intoxication or drug use
• High-risk activities, such as mountain climbing or skydiving

Pre-existing conditions may be covered under certain conditions. For example, you may have a certain window of time between making a deposit on your trip and purchasing your policy to lock in a pre-existing condition exclusion waiver.³ Keep in mind that each provider may have a different definition of a pre-existing condition, so as you shop for coverage, read the fine print to make sure your condition would be covered.

Pandemics that occur while you're traveling are typically not covered.¹ This includes COVID-19, although some providers will let you purchase extra COVID coverage.³ You may also not be covered if traveling to a country with a Level Four travel advisory from the U.S. Department of State,¹ so be sure to check travel advisories both before purchasing your insurance and before your trip.

How Much Does Travel Medical Insurance Cost?

The cost of travel medical insurance depends on a number of factors, including what's covered in your policy, your destination, how many people you're covering, their ages and the length of your stay, as well as any deductibles included in your policy.³

Emergency-medical only plans for two people 40 years of age departing from New York for a one-month stay in Japan during the summer of 2022 range from $114 to $345.⁵ The same couple planning a two-week stay in the Bahamas can expect to pay from $50 to $282 for the same type of coverage.⁵

Comprehensive travel coverage runs significantly higher. For the trip to Japan, policies range in price from $506 to $1,443.⁵ Comprehensive coverage for the shorter trip to the Bahamas runs from $304.50 to $722.⁵

How to Get Coverage

Before you obtain travel medical insurance, first check your existing health insurance policy to find out whether the coverage area includes your travel destination, and what, if anything, is covered if you travel out of state or leave the country. It's also a good idea to check any travel credit cards you'll be using to see if they offer any emergency travel benefits. And if you purchase separate trip cancellation or interruption insurance, find out whether your policy includes emergency medical coverage while you're traveling.

If you're sure you need travel medical insurance, shop around and obtain quotes from different insurers for the type of coverage you're seeking. A simple internet search for travel health insurance will lead you to websites that can provide you with multiple quotes from different providers after answering a few questions about your trip. From there, it's simply a matter of choosing which policy and provider you prefer and following a link to purchase your policy.

If emergencies didn't happen when you least expect them, then they wouldn't be emergencies. Knowing you and your travel partners will be covered in the event of a health emergency can provide peace of mind that's worth any price tag.

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Author Bio

Jean Marie Bauhaus is a freelance writer and novelist with eight years of experience. Her work has appeared on Hill's Pet, Chewy and AKC.org, and more.