Travel insurance that covers the possibility of a hurricane may be a take-it-or-leave-it option for many people, but medical travel insurance is another story. In many cases, for Americans traveling abroad, it is — or should be — a must.
Most U.S. health care plans do not insure you when you’re traveling outside the country, making international travelers responsible for medical bills in the case of an emergency. A recent survey by the insurance agency eHealth found that 54% of respondents believed incorrectly that most health insurance plans help pay for care out of the country.
After checking your plan to determine whether you are covered abroad, the following are considerations when purchasing travel medical insurance.
Look for Plans With Protection and Support
There are two key benefits bundled in travel medical insurance policies. The first covers expenses such as emergency room treatments, hospitalization and medications. The second extends to medical evacuation to the nearest suitable medical facility or one in your home country.
Angela Adto Tepper, a travel adviser with AZA Luxury Travel, based in Scarsdale, New York, counsels clients to look for plans with emergency coverage; evacuation and repatriation; preexisting-condition waivers, if applicable; and a 24/7 assistance hotline.
“I always recommend travelers carry dedicated travel medical insurance, especially when heading to remote areas or places with less-developed health care,” Adto Tepper said.
Scott Fleming, the president of the Aon Affinity Travel Practice, which works with cruise lines, online travel agencies and tour operators to create custom travel insurance programs, stresses the value of 24-hour medical assistance, especially when you don’t speak the language.
“When you’re abroad and have an unexpected illness that’s severe, the 24-hour medical assistance is your lifeline back home,” Fleming said.
Determine How Much Coverage You Need
Travel medical plans tend to include separate coverage caps for medical expenses and emergency evacuation. The amount of coverage depends on where you’re going and what you plan on doing. A week at the beach in Spain may expose you to fewer risks than a hiking trip in Nepal.
“If you’re doing adventure travel or visiting remote regions, higher coverage and evacuation protection are key,” Adto Tepper said.
For the average 16-day international trip, SquareMouth, a travel insurance marketplace, recommends a plan that covers expenses up to $50,000 a person.
When it comes to emergency evacuation limits, Fleming of Aon Affinity advises calculating coverage based on your destination and what it would cost to fly home in an emergency.
“If it’s Mexico, the Caribbean and Canada, you’re reasonably close to the U.S.A., so if something goes horribly wrong, you’re looking at tens of thousands of dollars but probably not as much as Europe or Asia,” Fleming said.
He estimated a $30,000 to $50,000 evacuation policy would cover nearby destinations, whereas more distant ones might require policies of $150,000 and up.
Buy Medical Insurance Bundled, or a la Carte
Travel medical insurance is one part of a comprehensive travel insurance plan, which also includes coverage for unexpected events that may occur before departure or during your trip — like the death of a family member or loss of a job. Travel medical insurance covers health emergencies post-departure. Comprehensive plans generally cost 4% to 10% of your trip total.
Michael Kahan, a New York City-based travel adviser with the Travel Edge Network and the founder of Kahan Travel Group, tells clients that the first part of a prepackaged plan — the predeparture benefits — are a personal choice based on risk assessment, but that medical coverage “should be mandatory,” he said.
Buying travel medical insurance alone is less expensive. Pricing variables include age, trip length and destination. At InsureMyTrip, an online platform for travel insurance, a recent search for a medical-only policy covering a weeklong trip to France for a couple in their 50s revealed policies that started around $66 total.
State laws govern travel medical insurance, so where you live can limit which plans you can buy. Suzanne Morrow, CEO of InsureMyTrip, noted that New York bars the sale of policies underwritten by foreign insurers.
Stormy Barbara, an adviser with the Travel Edge Network in New York, has experienced the frustration of trying to find travel medical insurance that complies with state regulations. “You may have to dig deeper to find a plan that works, but they do exist,” she said.
Some Trips Require Medical Insurance
In some cases, medical insurance is mandatory. For example, tour operators may require travelers joining their multiday trips to show proof of medical insurance that is valid in the foreign country.
Cuba is among destinations requiring medical insurance, which is often included as a fee with your airline ticket.
Japan is reportedly considering a mandate that foreign visitors have medical coverage. The country’s tourism office encourages it by detailing the costs of treatment after a bike accident, including a 7.5-million-yen bill (about $52,000) for surgery and a flight home.
“Always check the entry requirements before you fly,” Barbara said. “No one wants to get turned away at the border because they didn’t check the fine print.”
Beware of Exclusions
When it comes to what is not covered, policies vary but often exclude preexisting conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
“Preexisting conditions are typically time-sensitive,” Morrow of InsureMyTrip said, referring to a specified period in the past — also called a look-back period — within which any medical treatment would disqualify that issue from coverage. This can range from 60 to 180 days. Because policies vary and preexisting-condition waivers are available, she recommends that anyone who has been treated for an illness or injury within the last six months call an insurance dealer to discuss options.
Most policies do not cover normal pregnancies and childbirth. Standard policies also commonly exclude adventure activities such as scuba diving (though there are scuba-specific policies available).
Travelers on wine- or spirits-tasting trips also risk losing coverage in the event of an injury while under the influence, as most policies exclude intoxication.
Save Your Receipts
In most cases, travelers seeking medical treatment abroad will pay out of pocket, then seek reimbursement through their policy.
“In the event of a claim, travel insurance is reimbursement-based, so keeping medical records and physician notes and receipts is required,” said Steven Benna, the senior manager of marketing for SquareMouth.
c.2025 The New York Times Company. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
