For many seasoned travelers, the concept of travel insurance comes across as a strange idea. Is purchasing an international medical insurance the same as travel insurance? The answer is no -- and here's why:
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Width of Coverage Travel Insurance covers a wide range of possible risks like theft, cancellations, and medical expenses. Medical insurance is designed to cover just the medical costs incurred as per the policy's directives.
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Location of Treatment If you face a medical emergency in a foreign location, the travel insurance plan may necessitate only emergency care to be conducted there and all later procedures to be undertaken in your home country. International medical insurance will allow you to get the treatment you need in a foreign location, as far as it is already specified in the policy.
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Pre-Existing Medical Conditions Most travel insurance plans will not cover the pre-existing medical conditions you have. On the other hand,
international health insurance plans tend to cover the existing medical conditions and the foreseeable conditions since such risks are already priced into the premium you have been paying.
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Tenure of Coverage Travel insurance plan can give you coverage for 30, 60, 90, or more days. But, in most cases, the travel insurance plan would at best cover you across multiple trips in a year -- not the entire year. Unlike an international health insurance plan, which covers your medical expenses for the whole year or the stipulated tenure.
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Medical Emergency Before Your Trip Travel insurance plans may perhaps cover a cancellation charge, but not the medical expenses incurred during the hospital stay or recovery. Where as an international health insurance plan would cover the medical costs throughout the recovery period -- but not the cancellation charges for bookings and flights no longer used.
Traveling outside of the country and have questions about your medical coverage? Give us a call today -- our agents are ready and waiting to help!
