Missionaries are individuals who have dedicated their lives to helping others. Their work can be very difficult and it may require them to reside for a long period of time in a foreign country. When missionaries are living abroad, they may be exposed to all risks, including sickness and accidents. Therefore, it is essential that you take the necessary precautions to protect themselves against accidents during travel. One way to do this is to get long-term travel medical insurance.
Many travel to places that ordinary tourists do not go; these places may be small villages in very remote areas, and they do not have the modern facilities that are available in affluent cities. Life can be very difficult for missionaries, and they may experience health problems while traveling and living in subpar living conditions. There is also a chance that they may meet with accidents when they are traveling around in the remote areas, because road conditions may be bad, or they may sustain injuries while doing some outdoor activities. When serious emergencies happen and they need immediate medical attention, they may have to pay a lot of money to hire medical evacuation services. Some remote places are located very far from medical facilities, and they do not have emergency rescue services. Therefore, it may be necessary to hire rescue services from far away towns or cities, and this can cost a lot of money. Hospitals in some countries charge very high medical fees, and those who need to be hospitalized may end up having to pay thousands of dollars in medical bills.
Those who have bought travel insurance do not have to worry about having to pay high medical expenses during their travels, because their insurance companies will provide partial or full compensation for their losses. Travel medical insurance for missionaries does not only cover medical expenses; it also offers reimbursement for emergency evacuation services. The level of financial recovery that insured mission workers will get depends on the type of policy they choose. Some travel plans offer medical compensation that is as high as millions of dollars and those who purchase such policies will get full reimbursement for their medical expenses.
Certain travel policies for missionaries feature more benefits, and these can include trip cancellation, loss of personal belongings and baggage, accidental death and dismemberment, personal liability, legal expenses, and emergency medical reunion. Missionaries should choose a travel insurance policy that suits their needs. For instance, if they are traveling to a place that has a high crime rate, it is a good idea to get a policy that includes loss of belongings coverage. There are also special policies that cover maternity, high-risk activities, terrorism, and natural disasters.
For missionaries who are not traveling alone, the best thing to do may be to purchase a group missionary plan or family missionary plan. Such plans provide coverage for every member in a missionary group or every member of a missionary’s family, and they are cheaper than the combined price of a few individual policies. They should also take their places of travel into consideration when they are selecting a policy. While some policies offer coverage for worldwide travel, others only cover a certain country or continent. Those who are planning to travel to a few different countries to perform missionary work should opt for a global missionary travel insurance policy. The duration of coverage for long-term missionary travel plans is usually one year, and missionaries have to renew their policies once a year. They can renew their policies over the phone or online.
Missionaries should pay special attention to the emergency services that are offered by their insurance companies, because such services can mean the difference between life and death when serious emergencies occur. Good insurance companies can help their policyholders find the nearest emergency evacuation services, provide medical referral, give valuable advice during emergencies, and even send instant cash. Therefore, it is essential for missionaries to buy their travel medical insurance from established insurers. Other than providing excellent emergency services, these insurers also have the financial means to process compensation claims promptly.
Missionary travel insurance is a special kind of insurance, and there are not many insurance companies that offer such insurance; nonetheless, if you do some research on the Internet, you can find at least a few good insurers that offer quality insurance coverage for missionaries.