3 things you need to know about international health insurance: Do you live in the United States and travel to other countries often? If so, you’re likely to be frequently asked one question by your friends and family back home: How does international health insurance work? While it’s easy to answer this question when you know what to say, there are still plenty of details that are worth covering. In this guide, we cover three things you need to know about international health insurance.
1) What is medical evacuation?
It’s an expensive, rarely-used benefit that may save your life. Find out what it is and how it can help you travel abroad. Medical evacuation is a rarely used but incredibly important coverage that every traveler should have when they’re abroad. This can be one of those rare instances in which buying a policy from an overseas company might be worth it—but not all companies offer evacuation services, so make sure yours does before purchasing.
2) What is worldwide travel coverage?
Worldwide travel coverage includes medical coverage and emergency medical evacuation from wherever you are in case of illness or injury. Many overseas visitors assume that since they have comprehensive medical coverage through their U.S.-based insurer, they’re set everywhere else in the world, too. The truth is more complicated: Unless your policy is truly worldwide with emergency and evacuation benefits, chances are it will provide limited or no coverage at all while traveling abroad. The only way to ensure that your worldwide travel needs are met is by purchasing a separate global-trip policy with emergency and evacuation benefits; otherwise, if something bad happens while you’re away from home—and it probably will—you may find yourself on your own without adequate financial protection…
3) How much does it cost?
Before purchasing an international health insurance plan, it’s important to consider how much it will cost. This is because, like any product or service, several factors influence pricing—from where you live and what coverage levels you choose (as well as provider networks) to your age and medical history. To get a clear picture of your costs, answer these questions: How much coverage do I want? Where am I traveling? What services does my plan cover? What are my out-of-pocket expenses? Are my services covered in-network or out-of-network?
