What Does Travel Health Insurance Cover and What Are the Exclusions?
Traveling overseas presents wonderful opportunities, but it also comes with health risks that can scuttle your plans. Whether you’re walking the trails of the Swiss Alps or wandering through the streets of Tokyo, a good travel health insurance package is essential. But not all travel insurance packages are equal, so learning what’s included and what’s not can make all the difference. In this guide, we will break down what type of benefits travel insurance provides and what the common exclusions are, so you have all the information before starting your journey.
What Does Travel Health Insurance Cover?
Travel health insurance covers various medical problems when you travel. It should go without saying that it’s important to know precisely what you’re covered for under your policy, given how much this can vary between providers.
Key Coverage Areas:
- Emergency Medical Treatment: This ranges from a doctor’s visit, emergency surgeries for unexpected illness or injuries, and hospital stays.
- Emergency Medical Evacuation: In a distant area where you do not have many choices with respect to healthcare, your policy might pay for your medical evacuation back to a nearby hospital or your country.
- Hospitalization: Hospitalization charges including surgeries, diagnostic checks, and other treatments.
- Prescription Medications: Some of the plans also cover charges for prescribed medications in emergency medical situations.
- Ambulance Services: Temporary transportation to a medical facility in case of accidents or health emergencies.
- Medical Repatriation: If, due to illness or injury, you are unable to travel, your insurance may cover your cost of return.
What’s Not Covered by Travel Health Insurance?
Although travel health insurance offers extensive coverage, there are always restrictions that need to be known. Knowing these exclusions will help you avoid nasty surprises when you want to make a claim.
Common Exclusions:
- Pre-existing Conditions: Travel health insurance policies typically don’t cover medical conditions that pre-existed the commencement of the trip. Certain providers might only cover a portion of the pre-existing conditions, but conditions and requirements will apply.
- Non-Emergency Treatments: Most routine check-ups, elective surgeries, and other non-urgent medical treatments are not covered by travel health insurance.
- High-Risk Activities: If you’re participating in high-risk activities such as bungee jumping, skydiving, or scuba diving, many standard travel health insurance plans will not provide compensation for injuries sustained from these activities.
- Mental Health Disorders: Certain policies do not cover mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, or any other mental illnesses, unless it’s an emergency.
- War and Terrorism: If, due to war, terrorism, or civil unrest, you are injured, your standard travel health insurance policy may not cover you.
- Natural Disasters: Although some plans will cover evacuation, medical coverage associated with such a disaster is often not included.
Understanding Limits and Deductibles
Apart from exclusions, it’s important to understand your policy’s limits and deductibles because they also determine the cost and coverage you get.
Coverage Limits:
Every plan has a maximum amount they can pay for certain expenses (e.g., hospital, medical care). Make sure that the coverage limit is adequate for the country you are going to and your health needs.
Deductibles:
The deductible is how much you will pay out of pocket before your insurance starts paying. You need to make sure to understand what your deductible amount is because the higher the deductible, the lower the premium, but your out-of-pocket expenses will be higher.
Ways to Fill the Gaps in Coverage
Where there are gaps in your travel health insurance, for example, if there are exclusions for pre-existing conditions or involvement in risky activities, you can supplement your policy with supplemental insurance or a series of riders. A few possibilities to consider include:
- Travel Accident Insurance: This includes injuries that occur accidentally during your trip, including high-risk activities.
- Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance: If you have to cut your trip short due to a medical emergency, this insurance will cover the costs for you to return home.
- Dental and Vision Coverage: Some policies offer add-ons related to dental or vision emergencies, which may come in handy if you’re traveling for a long time.
- Evacuation Coverage: If you’re heading to an area where healthcare options are scarce, extra evacuation coverage will ensure that you get evacuated to a place with better healthcare facilities.
FAQ Section
1. What exactly does travel health insurance cover?
Travel health insurance usually covers emergency medical treatment, hospitalization, medical evacuation, and prescription medications if you become ill or are injured during your trip.
2. Are pre-existing conditions covered by travel health insurance policies?
Most policies exclude pre-existing conditions, but some may offer limited coverage or optional add-ons. It’s important to read the policy details before buying.
3. Are routine check-ups covered under travel health insurance?
Typically, routine medical care, including checkups, vaccinations, and elective surgeries, are not covered under travel health insurance.
4. Is skydiving and scuba diving covered under travel health insurance?
Standard policies do not cover injuries caused by high-risk activities such as skydiving, skiing, or scuba diving. However, specialized policies for adventure travelers can cover such activities.
5. How can I be sure if my travel health insurance includes evacuation?
Review the policy’s terms to ensure it includes emergency evacuation, especially if you will be traveling in remote areas or places with low healthcare standards.
