If you open your passport to page two, you will see a warning that says that anyone who is considering foreign travel should find out what travel medical health insurance coverage, they will require while they are outside the United States. For any US citizen going abroad, Medicare does not cover the medical care costs outside the US and US territories, except in rare cases in Canada and Mexico.
In fact, it might surprise you to learn that many international travelers travel without appropriate and adequate insurance protection. US Government sponsored health insurance programs, like Medicare, are highly unlikely to cover any emergency medical care that you may have to receive in a foreign country.
Even employer sponsored plans usually have limited overseas coverage, for emergency care only, provided you can prove the emergency. Whether you are traveling on business or for pleasure, you probably have gaps in your travel medical coverage that you are not even aware of.
Always remember that adequate travel medical insurance is critical for any international travel. Getting good healthcare may be a tricky business in itself in some parts of the world.
Some hospitals, the world over do not provide treatment or allow a discharge until they receive a guarantee of payment. In most cases, such a guarantee can most easily be provided by your travel medical insurer.
So, if you don’t have adequate cover, you may have to pay in thousands of dollars advance, with your credit card, provided the hospital accepts a foreign credit card, which many don’t.
In addition, in that pinch situation, your card must also have a large enough credit limit to cover the estimated cost of medical care.
Also, getting sudden medical evacuation, to return to the US, where the healthcare is of a known level and your regular insurance is good enough, can be even trickier.
Local authorities usually have tie-ups with certain evacuation companies, which may not recognize either your credit card or your domestic insurance.
Most of the travel medical insurance plans, however, include medical assistance benefit giving you 24/7 access to a creditable evacuation company or will actually arrange for an evacuation through their own medical personnel.
If you have medical insurance cover in the US, assess the plan that you have. Check with your insurance provider and determine exactly what kind of coverage you have, under the existing policy.
If you feel that the provided cover is not enough, have your travel medical insurance cover increased before you ever leave home. If you don’t already have insurance, you know how difficult things can sometimes get. Think about how much worse it can be in a foreign and unfamiliar country.
There are three major types of travel medical insurance coverage to be considered before you leave. Most reputed travel insurance products will offer either all three of these, or, at least two of them:
- Supplemental medical and accident insurance pays for the doctor and the hospital bills. May sometimes include dental care as well as medications. Does not cover preventive care, including annual physicals.
- Medical Evacuation plans take care of expensive evacuations which can cost as much as $50,000. In addition to the insurance cover, they should provide assistance in arranging the evacuation.
- Trip cancellation or interruption plans cover you financially in case you suddenly need to cancel or interrupt your trip for a medical reason. If you can’t take the vacation because of a personal or family illness, the insurance will reimburse you for the non-refundable parts of the trip.
Find and purchase a comprehensive, secure and worldwide travel medical insurance plan. Don’t leave home without it.
By: Will Moore
Posts Tagged ‘Emergency Medical Care’
Does Your Health Insurance Go The Extra Mile When You Travel
December 2nd, 2009
International travel can be an exciting adventure, provided you are aware of the need for travel health insurance. You need to be aware that travel can, and does throw up any number of unpredictable situations.
Probably the most serious risk is the chance of an accident or illness occurring while you are overseas. Requiring emergency medical care, while in another country can be not only inconvenient but extremely problematic as well, if you do not have the right cover.
First of all, there is an unfamiliarity associated with being in a foreign country, with a completely different culture and a different medical system, which can intensify the already problematic issue of being in an accident or requiring any other kind of emergency medical help.
Trying to communicate with people in a different language is enough of an effort, without factoring in the currency conversions, international claims administration of the country of travel, and the time difference. If this is to be further complicated by a lack of insurance cover, one might find oneself totally lost, and “at sea”.
Whether you are residing in or visiting the US, your travel may throw up challenges for your existing healthcare cover. Both brief trips and extended vacations and relocation expose you to health risks not covered by your existing, domestic medical insurance.
Sometimes, tourists and immigrants, even regular business travelers, overlook the need for travel health insurance, simply assuming that their medical plan provides enough coverage. However, as a rule, never leave home without extra, supplementary travel health insurance.
Ask the travel agent who does your bookings, the financial institution you deal with regularly, or your doctor for references and suggestions. Supplemental travel health insurance is a must.
It is not wise to rely on your domestic health plan to cover sicknesses or injuries while you are in the US. In the worst case scenario, the policy might be useless in the US, in the best; it may only cover a small portion of the expenses.
Some international credit card companies now make it a part of their services to offer travel health insurance to their cardholders. Check with your card company; don’t just assume that coverage is included.
The card alone may not provide adequate health coverage. Some of these companies will charge a fee for travel insurance coverage; others may require you to pay for your travel using that particular credit card. In any case, make sure you know the conditions, requirements, and limitations of the provided cover before you leave for the US.
Available travel health insurance policies include short and long-term plans, as well as individual & group plans for international travelers, international students to the US, traveling business executives and even foreign missionaries.
Always carry the proof of insurance cover with you, and leave a copy with someone at home, in case of emergencies. Tell your travel agent, or a friend or family member, as well as your traveling companion how to get in touch with your insurer, in case you are incapacitated.
Anyone traveling outside their country of citizenship needs to be adequately covered by ample travel health insurance, regardless of where you are traveling to, and this is especially true of foreign nationals who are traveling to the USA.
From the basic set of vaccinations to emergency medical care, whatever the situation is, a good travel health insurance policy can give you complete peace of mind, on your trip to the US.
By: Will Moore
Finding Travel Insurance for Pre-Existing Medical Conditions
November 13th, 2009
What would happen if you had a month’s trip to America booked – departing in six months time – and were unexpectedly diagnosed with lung cancer? Suppose you had to cancel your holiday and go in for immediate surgery. If you had been smart and taken out travel insurance – effective from the date you booked the trip – you should be able to recover costs associated with the cancellation of the trip (after any excess payable). However, if you had waited until the day before departure to purchase travel insurance your cancellation costs would not be covered. Some people try to squeeze extra mileage out of their annual travel insurance policy by making the start date of the policy the date of the first departure. This is a risky thing to do because there will be no cover for cancellation costs if anything should go wrong prior to the departure date.
Just suppose you’d been having tests and investigations within the last year for lung-related problems but failed to declare this fact when purchasing travel insurance. During your scuba diving holiday in California, you start coughing up blood all over the dive boat. You have to seek emergency medical care and a diagnosis of lung cancer is confirmed. Would you be covered for the high emergency medical costs or curtailment of your trip? Probably not.
Anyone with a serious pre-existing medical condition will already know that obtaining travel insurance can be tricky, but not impossible. Some travel insurance companies exclude all claims related to pre-existing medical conditions. Some insurers will cover for pre-existing conditions without any additional premium. Other travel insurance companies may have a medical screening system, usually carried out over the telephone or online. A series of questions is asked to assess the risk and determine whether insurance can be issued. If approved, there may be a choice to either pay an additional premium to cover the pre-existing condition – or elect not to pay the extra premium and exclude claims relating to the risk.
Common conditions such as hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes and asthma can all cause problems when trying to obtain travel insurance – especially if combined with other conditions, so never neglect to disclose something as common as high cholesterol thinking that it is insignificant! All questions must be answered fully and honestly.
As with any type of insurance, there are always exclusions. Some insurers will refuse to insure those with pre-existing conditions involving cancer, serious kidney problems (requiring dialysis), serious heart conditions, strokes and HIV, AIDS, or any AIDS-related problems. They also do not cover for suicide or suicide attempts – in case you’re thinking of jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge!
Most travel insurance policies will carry similar wording and it is wise to read and understand the terms and conditions. For instance, there might be clauses stating that you should never travel against the advice of a medical practitioner, or to obtain medical treatment abroad (unless already disclosed and pre-approved). The same goes for those on waiting lists for surgery or procedures, or awaiting the results of medical tests. There are specialist travel insurers who will often cover terminal illnesses.
During the medical screening, you may be asked specific questions, such as: have you been a hospital inpatient or had any medical condition that requires ongoing medication, or referral to a specialist within the past twelve months? Have you ever suffered from, been diagnosed with, or treated for cancer (or other malignant disease), a heart or lung condition (excluding well-controlled asthma), high blood pressure or any psychiatric disorder?
Any claims you make which relate directly or indirectly to the types of conditions listed above will normally be excluded – unless you declared the condition and it was accepted by the underwriter, subject to any conditions or additional premiums imposed. Whether or not a particular travel insurance company is willing to offer insurance will depend upon different factors, depending on the underwriter, so it is wise to shop around and obtain quotes.
The biggest mistake is taking the risk of failing to disclose a condition to obtain the insurance. You might get away with it if there are no problems and you have no reason to make a claim. However, if the worst should happen, the insurance company has ways to find out – and they will find out – about any pre-existing conditions! You could find yourself with huge medical bills and your insurance claims denied. With the high cost of medical treatment in some countries (the USA especially) it simply is not worth it. Always be completely honest so that you can have peace of mind and enjoy your holiday without worrying about every twinge!
By: Jean Andrews
