Insurance for Travel Medical Emergencies
Travel medical insurance provides coverage for emergency medical expenses incurred while traveling. Get your quote for travel medical insurance.
Why Do I Need Travel Medical Insurance?
If you already have health insurance, why would you need travel medical insurance, too?
Because your insurance may not travel with you.
In general, many medical insurance plans do not cover care received outside the United States. This includes standard Medicare and Medicaid plans. Travelers on these plans may want to consider a travel medical insurance policy.
Additionally, many traditional health plans may not cover care received in other states. So even domestic travelers may need to consider purchasing a travel medical insurance policy.
How Travel Medical Insurance May Save Your Trip
If your health insurance doesn't provide coverage when traveling, if there is an emergency, you could end up paying expensive medical bills out of pocket. Medical emergencies are costly, and expenses can add up quickly.
How quickly? One man had a medical emergency in Europe and required an air ambulance flight back to the United States. His expenses included a hospital stay and an air ambulance flight home. The total bill was $117,000. Fortunately, he had a travel medical
insurance plan from Arch RoamRight. Read his story.
Difference between Other Insurance and Travel Medical Insurance
Travel medical insurance is designed to be a supplement for your everyday health insurance.
When traveling, travel medical insurance provides coverage for:
- Medical emergencies;
- Occurring while traveling more than 100 miles from home; and
- On trips 180 days in length or less.
Travel medical insurance plans, like the ones offered by Arch RoamRight, are not designed to replace your everyday health insurance.
Difference between Travel Medical and Travel Health Insurance
While travel medical insurance is designed to provide emergency medical coverage for short-term trips out of the country – such as a vacation – travel health insurance is a long-term alternative for those who plan to spend an extended period of time outside
of their home country.
Travel medical insurance plans, like those offered by Arch RoamRight, only cover trips of a maximum of 180 days and can provide coverage for medical emergencies, such as broken bones or emergency surgeries.
Travel health insurance is for trips longer than 180 days and usually provides coverage for preventative care, doctor visits, and elective surgeries. Arch RoamRight does not offer travel health insurance.
Types of Travel Medical Insurance
Travel medical insurance is designed to cover emergency medical bills that arise when you’re far from home. Arch RoamRight offers several plans, depending on your travel medical insurance needs.
Reasons You Need Travel Medical Insurance
Travel is unpredictable, and so is your health.
These scenarios and more are just some of the reasons why you should consider a travel medical insurance plan for your travels:
- Your everyday health insurance plan may not cover you when you travel overseas or out of state, including common plans like Medicaid and Medicare;
- Medical emergencies experienced far from home or in remote areas can sometimes require an evacuation, which is often a costly expense;
- Common injuries such as broken bones may require a seat upgrade on return flights or a nurse escort;
- You may be traveling by yourself and hospitalized due to an accident or illness and want a loved one to be with you during this time;
- In the event of a tragedy, your remains will be returned home to your loved ones;
These incidents can happen to anyone, even a healthy, prepared traveler.
Countries That Require Travel Medical Insurance
Some countries actually require visiting United States citizens to have a travel medical insurance plan before being allowed to enter:
- Cuba: All U.S. citizens visiting must show proof of travel medical insurance before entering
- Antarctica: All visitors must have travel medical insurance because of the high cost of hospitalization and evacuation in the continent (How high? Read this case study.)
- Ecuador: Effective May 1, 2018, all visitors to Ecuador – including the Galapagos Islands – must show proof of travel medical insurance
- United Arab Emirates: Short-term visitors are not required to have travel medical insurance, but anyone planning to visit for more than 30 days are required to have a plan
- Countries covered by the Schengen visa: 26 European countries in that allow you travel between them without border control. If you require a Schengen visa to visit these countries, you'll need travel medical insurance.
Other countries may have other requirements for travel medical insurance based on your country of citizenship or length of stay. To stay up to date on this information, it is best to consult the State Department’s official website.
Concerned about Pre-Existing Medical Conditions?
If you have a pre-existing condition, you may want to consider one of Arch RoamRight’s travel insurance plans. These plans can include a waiver of the pre-existing conditions exclusion
if the following conditions are met:
- Purchase your travel insurance plan within 21 days of making your first trip payment;
- Insure the entire non-refundable cost of your trip;
- Must not be disabled† from travel at the time your premium is paid; and
- This must be your first and only booking for this same time period and destination.
†For definitions, please refer to the policy.
Rest Easy with Arch RoamRight’s Money-Back Guarantee
All RoamRight plans come with a 14-day money-back guarantee, so you can feel confident with your purchase.
Start your quote for travel medical insurance, or call 1-800-699-3845 to speak with a representative.
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