International health insurance is not always the first thing on your mind when you are planning a move abroad, it is however an important thing to consider. The cost of healthcare abroad can be extremely expensive and without a comprehensive expatriate health plan in place, you may find that you are out of pocket if you require any medical treatment.
People often believe that standard travel insurance will cover them when they are abroad, but this is not always the case. Travel insurance is designed to give holidaymakers cover for medical emergencies and travel specific incidents. The medical cover limits are therefore often lower and trips are usually limited to a certain amount of time, meaning they are not appropriate for long term expats. It is specifically designed for those living in a foreign country.
Many private companies, as well as Medicare and Medicaid programs, do not cover emergency treatment outside of the country; should an emergency occur, you and your family could incur medical bills that you need to pay for out of your own pocket. There are many companies that offer short-term medical coverage for travelers.
Even the best-planned international trip can go awry, sometimes at no fault of your own. If you suddenly fall ill or become seriously injured and need medical evacuation back to North America, you can easily find yourself spending $50,000 or more, warns the U.S. Department of State. Travel insurance can help cover such costs, as well as other traveling costs that you incur abroad, such as lost luggage. With dozens of international travel insurance options on the market, educate yourself on what to look for so you can determine what plan is best for you.
In most cases, travel health insurance is a short-term policy bought for a specific time period, unlike most policies, which tend to be longer-term products. Travel insurance might even provide better coverage than your regular insurance policy because the window of risk to the company is limited to such a shorter time frame. This might be a good reason to consider a supplemental international travel health insurance policy, even if your normal carrier provides travel-related benefits.
Companies might offer several types of international travel, designed to meet your specific situation. In addition to normal policies for vacationers and business travelers, policies also are available for students and those spending extended time abroad.
Travel health insurance is not much different from normal health insurance, but you should keep some things in mind. You can choose a policy with or without a deductible in many cases, and with or without co-pays. Some companies might be willing to package trip insurance to make your overall costs cheaper.
To summarize, Traveling abroad can be an exciting experience and anything can happen while you're away from home - whether visiting short-term or living abroad indefinitely. It's important to be prepared for any unexpected illness, injury or medical emergency. If you have travel health insurance, many of the costs could be covered, based on the policy you choose. Keep Safe. Keep Healthy. Keep Traveling.
People often believe that standard travel insurance will cover them when they are abroad, but this is not always the case. Travel insurance is designed to give holidaymakers cover for medical emergencies and travel specific incidents. The medical cover limits are therefore often lower and trips are usually limited to a certain amount of time, meaning they are not appropriate for long term expats. It is specifically designed for those living in a foreign country.
Many private companies, as well as Medicare and Medicaid programs, do not cover emergency treatment outside of the country; should an emergency occur, you and your family could incur medical bills that you need to pay for out of your own pocket. There are many companies that offer short-term medical coverage for travelers.
Even the best-planned international trip can go awry, sometimes at no fault of your own. If you suddenly fall ill or become seriously injured and need medical evacuation back to North America, you can easily find yourself spending $50,000 or more, warns the U.S. Department of State. Travel insurance can help cover such costs, as well as other traveling costs that you incur abroad, such as lost luggage. With dozens of international travel insurance options on the market, educate yourself on what to look for so you can determine what plan is best for you.
In most cases, travel health insurance is a short-term policy bought for a specific time period, unlike most policies, which tend to be longer-term products. Travel insurance might even provide better coverage than your regular insurance policy because the window of risk to the company is limited to such a shorter time frame. This might be a good reason to consider a supplemental international travel health insurance policy, even if your normal carrier provides travel-related benefits.
Companies might offer several types of international travel, designed to meet your specific situation. In addition to normal policies for vacationers and business travelers, policies also are available for students and those spending extended time abroad.
Travel health insurance is not much different from normal health insurance, but you should keep some things in mind. You can choose a policy with or without a deductible in many cases, and with or without co-pays. Some companies might be willing to package trip insurance to make your overall costs cheaper.
To summarize, Traveling abroad can be an exciting experience and anything can happen while you're away from home - whether visiting short-term or living abroad indefinitely. It's important to be prepared for any unexpected illness, injury or medical emergency. If you have travel health insurance, many of the costs could be covered, based on the policy you choose. Keep Safe. Keep Healthy. Keep Traveling.