9 Most Important Things to Know About Travel Medical Insurance

As a nurse, one thing that drives me crazy is when people choose to travel without purchasing travel medical insurance before their trip.  Not only does travel medical insurance cover any major accidents or health emergencies, but it also covers a variety of travel related issues.  Flight significantly delayed?  You’ll be glad you have insurance!  A visit to the hospital?  Thank goodness for insurance!  Seriously, if you’re wondering whether or not insurance is worth the investment – I promise you, it is.  This is everything you need to know about travel medical insurance.

 

GET YOUR TRAVEL MEDICAL INSURANCE HERE!

 

1.  What is Travel Medical Insurance?

Travel medical insurance is insurance that covers you for both travel related issues and medical related issues – while traveling.  It does not replace your health insurance in your home country.  Instead, it’s for emergencies that arrive while traveling.  This could include a doctors visit, a visit to the ER, needing prescription medicine, as well as an array of travel related issues like flight delays, lost luggage, etc.

 

2.  Do You Really Need Travel Medical Insurance While Traveling?

From a nurse’s perspective – yes, you really need travel medical insurance while traveling.  The way I like to think about it, is that the cost is small compared to what you could lose if you were to find yourself in an emergency.  And of course, nothing could happen, and you could’ve purchased the insurance and never used it – but it would be better than the alternative of something happening and not having insurance to cover it.

 

READY TO PURCHASE?  GET YOUR TRAVEL MEDICAL INSURANCE HERE!

 

3.  Where Can You Purchase Travel Medical Insurance?

There are many companies that offer travel medical insurance, however the one that I personally use and recommend is SafetyWing.  Purchasing a policy is straightforward and you’re able to pay month to month (if you’re taking an extended trip like the 8-month trip I took to Southeast Asia) or you’re able to put a stop date to your trip.  (If you don’t put a stop date, your policy will auto-renew every 28 days for continuous travel up to 364 days).

When you purchase SafetyWing Nomad Insurance 2.0, you also have the option to include extra coverage for adventure sports or electronics theft.  Both add-ons will cost more money.

 

4.  How Much Does Travel Medical Insurance Cost?

When you purchase travel medical insurance through SafetyWing, the cost does vary depending on what coverage you’re looking for.  If you’re only looking for simple travel medical insurance without electronic theft coverage or adventure sports coverage, the cost is around $56 for a 28-day period.

If you choose to add on electronic theft coverage OR adventure sports, the cost increases to about $66 for a 28-day period.  And if you choose to add on both electronic theft coverage and adventure sports coverage, the cost increases to about $76 for a 28-day period.

 

Please note:  These costs are for Americans traveling abroad.  Depending on what country you’re from, this might vary.

 

5.  What Does SafetyWing Nomad Insurance 2.0 Cover?

Another thing that I love about using SafetyWing is that they are always looking for ways to improve.  Recently, they updated their nomad insurance plan (to 2.0) by ensuring that making a claim is easier than ever with reimbursement coming in about 2.7 days from time of filing.  And they’ve added on the options of adventure sports and electronic theft coverage.

 

ADVENTURE SPORTS COVERAGE

Something new to SafetyWing Nomad Insurance 2.0 is the ability to add on adventure sports coverage up to $100,000 (lifetime max).  Activities include…

• Kitesurfing
• Parachuting
• Paragliding
• Skydiving
• Scuba Diving
• & more – see full list of coverage here

Please note, you are not covered for professional, organized, or rewarded sports, or for expeditions.

 

ELECTRONIC THEFT COVERAGE

Another thing that has improved with SafetyWing Nomad Insurance 2.0 is the ability to cover your electronics if they were to be stolen.  When you add on electronic theft coverage, you can expect to be insured for up to $1,000 per item for policies > 28 days.  Please note that you must have proof of purchase (such as a receipt) to be insured.

 

Other things that SafetyWing Nomad Insurance 2.0 covers includes…

• Medical treatment
• Evacuation to a better hospital (if needed)
• Lost checked luggage
• Insurance from leisure sports/activities (see full list of approved/non-approved activities here)
• Motor accidents
• Flights home (if something bad happens)
• Meals & accommodations for > 12-hour travel delay
• Medical coverage for visits home (only applicable if insured by SafetyWing for > 90 abroad and covers 15 days at home for US citizens; applies for incidentals not pre-planned or scheduled visits)
• Body transportation in case of death

If you want to read a full description of coverage, check out this post.

 

6.  Does Having Travel Medical Insurance Ensure that All Pre-Existing Conditions are Covered?

Unfortunately, no.  If you have a pre-existing condition, you may not be covered if something goes wrong abroad.  For example, if you have diabetes and you experience diabetic ketoacidosis and need to be hospitalized, there is no guarantee that SafetyWing will cover your expenses for this.

If you’re unsure about what is or isn’t covered or have questions about any pre-existing medical conditions you may have, you can always contact the team at SafetyWing to ask about coverage.

 

7.  What Happens if You Need Medical Attention Abroad?

As a nurse, and avid traveler, this is something that is on my mind every time I travel.  And for good reason!  I’ve now had two separate doctor’s visits while abroad (luckily, for non-emergent medical issues), and feel pretty comfortable navigating foreign healthcare.  Here are a few quick tips I have for seeking medical attention abroad…

• Let a loved one know what’s going on – always make sure someone is informed about where you are and what’s happening
• Make sure you have a translator app available to use (you might also want to ensure you have a SIM or eSIM so that you have service)
• If your condition is non-emergent, simply Google something along the lines of, “nearby clinic” or you could even search for your specific need – “nearby ENT”
• Let your hotel/hostel know what’s going on and see if they can offer any advice or assistance
• Purchase travel medical insurance before departing on your trip
• Make sure to save receipts to submit a claim
• Know the number of emergency services for the country you’re traveling to (in case your injury is more severe and you need to get to the hospital)
• See an infectious disease provider before departing on your trip to stock up on any medications he/she advises and to make sure your vaccinations are up to date

 

8.  If Something Happens or You Have an Emergency, How Do You Get Reimbursed?

SafetyWing Nomad Insurance 2.0 makes filing a claim and getting reimbursed easier than ever!  All you have to do is login to your dashboard, select “submit a claim” on the righthand side, fill out the required paperwork (your bank information, etc), upload your medical receipts, and submit.  This should only take about 5 minutes. and a majority of claims will be reimbursed in about 2.7 days.

 

9.  Does SafetyWing Nomad Insurance 2.0 Work in Every Country?

SafetyWing Nomad Insurance 2.0 works in 180+ countries.  The countries that are not covered are countries that have been sanctioned by the UK, EU, or UN.  Also, if you’re from a country outside of the USA and you’re purchasing SafetyWing Nomad Insurance 2.0 for a visit for the USA, your plan will cost more.

 

If you’re traveling abroad, I hope that this post helps inform your decision on whether to purchase travel medical insurance before departure.  If you have any questions about SafetyWing or travel medical insurance in general, let me know in a comment below!

 

READY TO BOOK?  GET YOUR TRAVEL MEDICAL INSURANCE HERE!

 

If you need more information on insurance, don’t miss…

• Why You Need Travel Insurance – From a Nurse’s Perspective

 

A huge thank you to SafetyWing for sponsoring this post.  As always, all views and opinions are my own.

 

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Disclosure:  This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my link, at no cost to you.