Part 3. What is medical/evacuation coverage, and do I need it?

(This is one part of our Travel Insurance 101: The Complete Guide to Travel Insurance. For other parts, check the following links)

1. Introduction- General definitions, FAQ’s, Traveler Profiles
2. Trip Cancellation Coverage- What is it? Do I need it?
3. Travel Medical/Evacuation Coverage- What is it? Do I need it?
4. Additional Trip Insurance Coverages- What else does travel insurance cover?
5. Buying Travel Insurance- Where and how do I buy travel insurance?

 

This section will cover:

• Definition- What is travel medical/evacuation?
• What does travel medical insurance cover?
• What does emergency evacuation cover?
• Do you need travel medical/evacuation coverage?

 

Another important benefit provided by travel insurance is coverage for medical emergencies while on your trip. This can include emergency transportation to the hospital, care at the hospital, a medical evacuation back home, and more. 

Even though all travelers could benefit from the medical coverage travel insurance provides, it is primarily for travelers leaving their home country.

Examples of travelers that need travel medical/evacuation coverage:

• A US citizen traveling to Asia on vacation
• An English citizen visiting the US on a vacation
• A business person working abroad for 6 months
• Parents from India visiting their children in the US for a year
• Missionaries working overseas

 

Travel medical coverage can provide coverage for medical expenses such as:

• Transportation to the hospital
• The services of a physician
• Charges for hospital stays and operating rooms
• Charges for treatments, exams and tests
• Charges for drugs, medicines and other services and supplies

 

Travel medical coverage also provides important benefits for…

 

Emergency Medical Evacuation

An important aspect of a medical emergency benefit is evacuation coverage. Travel insurance policies with emergency medical coverage generally include evacuation coverage. 

This is often overlooked, but have you ever wondered how you get to the hospital in the event of an accident? Or how you get home after treatment?

Oftentimes, special medical flights, or “evacuations”, are required to get an injured or sick traveler back to their home country. These medical evacuations can easily cost ten’s of thousands of dollars, and in some cases upwards of $100,000.

This is an extremely important coverage to look for when buying travel insurance.

 

24/7 Emergency Assistance

When you are in a foreign country, there are several potential problems in the event of a medical emergency. You might not speak the language. You won’t know where the hospital is. You can’t communicate with the doctor. You don’t know if the hospital can provide adequate care. You’re in a foreign land with a problem that needs immediate care.

You need some sort of assistance, and good travel medical plans (or package plans) provide 24/7 emergency assistance hotlines for you to call. These call centers, often staffed with multi-lingual operators, are available to arrange medical care, transportation, and payment procedures. They can help you find a hospital, help you get there, and communicate with them so you don’t have to worry about the language barrier.

 

Do I need medical/evacuation coverage?

Here’s a simple rule of thumb: “If you are traveling outside your home country, you need emergency medical coverage”.

For example: If you are a US resident traveling within the US, your health insurance that covers you on a day-to-day basis covers you. You can go into a hospital and receive the same coverage that you have at home.

When you travel abroad, however, your health insurance from home probably doesn’t cover you. Most health insurance plans in the US only cover you while in the US, so when you leave the country you have no medical or accident coverage.

This is also true for Medicare, which does not cover you outside the US.

Many mishaps can derail your vacation. Getting sick while abroad, a slip and fall, food poisoning, heart attacks…the list goes on and on. Protect yourself with travel medical coverage while voyaging abroad.

Section Summary

• Travel medical insurance covers you while traveling outside your home country
• Evacuation coverage provides benefits for costly transportation costs
• 24/7 emergency assistance provides care and peace-of-mind while abroad
• If you’re leaving your home country, you should get emergency medical and evacuation coverage to protect you.

 

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