A majority of the health insurance policies in the United States do not include the annual checkups and care usually required in other countries. This means that if you require prescription medicine while on a trip, or if you fall ill and require doctor attention for a condition that does not necessarily require urgent attention your health insurance will not cover you.
Furthermore, a large percentage of individual health insurance policies in the United States exclude a variety of emergency care complications that may occur internationally. If one does not have this protection then chances of gaining some big medical bills such as a broken leg, a companion’s heart attack, etc. If you want to know exactly what is and is not covered by your plan, you should contact your health insurance company today for a complete explanation.
Can Medicare be Used for Travel in Other Countries?
If you have Medicare, the health care protection when traveling abroad is usually quite limited. The U.S. Department of State says that, in general, Medicare does not pay for the costs you have when traveling outside of the United States. However, Medicare has some special situations that entitle inpatient hospital stays, doctor’s visits, ambulance services, or dialysis in foreign countries. These include:
- One day you are in the U.S. during an emergency and the only hospital equipped to handle your situation is located in another country.
- You are on a nonstop flight across the border but over American Canadian territory, and you develop a medical complication that needs a hospital immediately.
- It is not about only living in the U.S. but it is about the fact that, for example, the hospital where your condition should be treated is situated in another country – no matter it was a medical emergency or not.
In any of these settings, Medicare will pay for what it customarily pays for if you were in the United States. It means that it can often be challenging to understand what services are reflexive for coverage before you receive treatment, especially about emergencies because time is critical.
How to Get some Health Coverage for Traveling across the Globe
When traveling to another country, nothing is more important than ensuring that there is sufficient health coverage. Travelers typically have two primary options: acquiring travel insurance or utilizing a travel credit card with limited health care insurance coverage.
Consider an International Travel Insurance Policy
When deciding whether to purchase health insurance for your overseas trip, it’s essential to explore the top international travel insurance options and their offerings in several key areas:
- Medical Coverage: To get medical treatment when you are in a foreign country, you can only imagine the importance of having a travel medical insurance plan. This kind of insurance allows you to get necessary emergency medical treatment any time you need it and you are not to be left facing sky-high medical bills back at home having been treated while on tour. Group travel medical insurance needs to be compared for each member to have a sufficient coverage limit in case of an accident. There is Allianz Travel Insurance, GeoBlue, Seven Corners, Trawick International, and WorldTrips among the most popular ones. For instance, the Travel Medical Plus plan of Seven Corners provides access to medical services to international clients with up to $5 million to spend.
- Coverage for Preexisting Conditions: The insurance companies may provide for travelers with medical conditions before the trip. Usually, you have to buy your insurance within a specified period after paying your initial trip deposit to qualify for this insurance cover. For instance, in the case of the Allianz OneTrip Emergency Medical Plan, preexisting conditions are formulated to be bought within 14 days after the initial payment was made on the trip. You have to remember to look for supplementary information since additional rules may exist.
- Medical Evacuation Coverage: Remember that even in case when your U.S. health insurance plan provides for some level of emergency care while you are abroad cannot count on medical evacuation. The U.S. Department of State also indicates that medical evacuation costs may be as high as or more than $50, 000 depending on the kind of medical attention required and one’s location. Fortunately, nearly all the organizations offering travel insurance policies encompass emergency medical advancements and burial services. This coverage depends on the insurance company and the kind of insurance plan you have to take.
- Cancel for Any Reason Coverage: As if immigration medical coverage is an absolute need, extensive travel medical insurance plans are available. Such plans often comprise, trip accident/t statement and insurance, cancellation and interruption insurance, flight delay or cancellation insurance, baggage insurance/personal liability insurance, and others. You can also choose a plan with ‘cancel for any reason’ (CFAR) which lets you cancel your trip for any reason and get some percent of the money spent on a trip back. Regardless of which form of travel insurance to choose – one-way or return, multi-trip or annual traveling insurance can offer more convenience and protection.
Do a Credit Card with Travel Insurance.
Newly issued travel credit cards come with certain insurance benefits which may include health insurance, but they sort of come with limitations and conditions. For example, Chase Sapphire Reserve offers up to $100,000 if you are required to be evacuated for medical reasons, but this coverage is available only if you make your travel arrangements with the card. But one thing to note is that it costs $550 per year for this premium credit card so you’ll need to weigh the gains against the losses such as waiving out health charges.
