Travel and Medical Insurance
Travel and Medical Insurance are an absolute must when traveling abroad. In this article, we will reveal why each is important, what they cover, and the best plan options for both Americans and Non-Americans.
Travel Insurance
Most travel insurance plans cover two main categories of risk: before-trip and during-trip problems.
- Before the Trip:
People normally have their travel itineraries well planned out in advance; therefore, reservations have already been made and tickets have already been bought. If something goes wrong before the trip causing you to cancel, the process of refunding your bookings can quickly become a serious problem due to company cancellation and refund policies.
- During the Trip:
The most common issue faced traveling abroad is when your baggage gets delayed, lost, or stolen due to factors beyond your control. Not only is this a serious issue in itself, it can also cause your entire plan to fall apart leading to the same issues mentioned above.
Another issue is rental car damage or theft. Although not recommended for a trip in Paris, travel insurance can help cover the costs accrued from these types of unexpected events.
Travel Medical Insurance
No matter how healthy you are, medical emergencies can happen to anyone at any time. You fall off a bike and get a concussion, you get hit by a car and need emergency surgery, or something as simple as picking up prescriptions from a pharmacy after coming down with a bad cold, travel medical insurance can greatly aid in reducing unnecessary costs.
Good news is, Paris has excellent medical care, plenty of hospitals, and pharmacies almost everywhere. Moreover, Paris medical expenses are much cheaper than in the United States, but that doesn’t mean it’s free. If you’re thinking that you don’t need additional health insurance because you have a policy in the states, then you are sadly mistaken. Most private health insurance policies in the United States do not cover outside of it, and neither does Medicare. Travel medical insurance is typically cost-efficient and can save a lot of time, stress, and hassle from unexpected international emergencies.
Insurance Options (Americans)
GeoBlue Voyager Choice
The best travel medical insurance for Americans traveling abroad is GeoBlue Voyager Choice.
It’s a single-trip medical plan that does require you to have primary health insurance, and in return it will not exclude pre-existing conditions. If you don’t have primary insurance, you can go for the GeoBlue Voyager Essential but it will not cover pre-existing conditions with a lookback period of 6 months. The plan lets you choose your medical limit between 50,000 to a million dollars, and a deductible of between zero and 500 dollars.
The plan also features a Direct Pay program, which will pay medical bills upfront if the appointment was made with a provider in the GeoBlue network 24-hours in advance. Also, if you need to end your trip early, the policy will pay trip interruption benefits to reimburse some of the costs of transport back home under certain ‘covered reasons’ that will be made clear in your policy.
However, the plan may not be available for residents of some states, namely New York, Maryland and Washington state, so one more alternative is HTH WorldWide.
Insurance Options (Non-Americans)
IMG Patriot International
The best travel medical insurance for non-Americans is IMG Patriot International.
The medical coverage options range from 50,000 to a million US dollars but the maximum limit for people 70 to 79 years old is 50,000 and the maximum limit for people 80 or older is 10,000, and you can choose a deductible from zero to 2500 dollars. For travelers up to age 64, there is an optional Adventure Sports Rider add-on that will give additional medical coverage for an injury during a high-risk activity such as caving, bungee jumping, or wildlife safaris to name a few.
This plan also includes 24/7 emergency assistance services that you can call in the event that there is an emergency during your trip.
For more information on your options, click the button below to get a quote.