The Importance of Travel Insurance for Treatment Abroad

When going abroad for medical treatment, the focus of the patient and the attendant is only on getting the right services. However, deep down inside they are also concerned about their safety and everything that could go wrong in the foreign land. That is where the need and importance of travel insurance are pivotal for any medical traveler in 2017.

It would be fair enough to say that international travel insurance is a must in case a patient is planning to fly across thousands of miles to seek medical treatment. Foreign travel insurance helps take all the worries off from the mind of the patient, who can now focus on just the medical treatment. International travel insurance offers many benefits to patients and their attendants. These benefits provide complete coverage for the entire duration of stay and during actual traveling.

There are many countries around the world that practice strict foreign travel insurance rules. They do not allow any traveler to step out of the country unless they have an appropriate international travel insurance. This is because many things may go wrong when you are not in your homeland and insurance makes sure that you have assistance when you really need it.

What Does A Travel Insurance Policy Cover?

A comprehensive travel insurance policy will provide:

• Emergency medical cover
• Losses incurred due to unforeseen cancellation or having to cut your trip short
• Death and disability cover
• Personal liability cover
• Luggage cover

Various other inconvenience benefits, like for instance costs incurred when being forced to extend your stay due to adverse weather.
From losing your luggage to important documents such as a passport, from a road injury to a mishap during hospital transfer – anything can possibly go wrong during your medical trip in a foreign land. A reliable foreign travel insurance makes sure that you are ready to deal with any bad situation.
Moreover, opting for an international travel insurance also saves you from additional expenses that may leave you financially distressed. The cost of medical treatment in case of emergency situations and accidents could be particularly high for foreign medical tourists in some countries.

Unlimited Travel Insurance Benefits To Medical Tourists

There are many benefits associated with getting a foreign travel insurance as a part of planning for medical treatment abroad. The following are some of the advantages of seeking an international medical insurance from a reliable insurance company:

Covers Flight Delays and Disruptions

International medical insurance takes care of all the things that are out of your control. It includes any flight delays and cancellations. Flight delays can not only make the patient hassled, but also delay the medical treatment.

In rare cases, the patient may have to return back home due to some kind of an emergency. They lose their money if they miss a flight or never board it. International medical insurance takes care of all these uncontrollable circumstances.

After a thorough travel insurance comparison, you can select a provided depending on your needs. Many companies offer cheap travel insurance while providing coverage for almost everything that could disrupt your medical trip.

Pays On Your Behalf For On-flight Emergencies

The patient suffers from a medical condition and for the same reason, he or she plans to travel abroad for medical treatment. But what happens if he or she requires a medical attention while they are still in flight?

In the absence of travel insurance, the patient will have to bear all the emergency medical costs if something happens. However, in the case of international travel insurance, the insurance provider will bear the cost.

Travel insurance provides you with protection from medical costs

• If you require medical attention while traveling, you may be liable for the cost of your treatment if you don’t have travel insurance.
• In many countries, medical treatment for visitors can be incredibly expensive; daily hospitalization costs in Southeast Asia regularly exceed $800; the cost of medical evacuations from the United States regularly range from $75,000 to $95,000 and, in extreme cases, up to $300,000.
• Medicare will not pay or reimburse you for any medical expenses you incur overseas.

Compensates For Loss and Additional Expenses

A medical tourist is like just another tourist in a foreign land, but with an additional purpose. Just like a leisure tourist, there are many things that could go wrong with a medical traveler as well. They could lose their baggage and important stuff at the airport or during hotel transfer.

The patient himself or herself is responsible for such losses in the absence of an international travel insurance. But if he or she has opted for a travel insurance, all these miscellaneous expenses from out-of-control situations are taken care of by the insurance provider.

The patient does not lose any money in case of such incidents if they have opted for an international travel insurance. They get fully compensated by the insurance provider.

Accidental Coverage

Conducting a thorough travel insurance comparison and finding an appropriate yet cheap travel insurance is a must. Such an insurance provides a sense of security, even when the patient is traveling alone to a foreign land. He or she knows internally that an immediate financial support is available in case anything goes wrong.

The international travel insurance coverage is not just restricted to non-medical emergencies. The patient can feel safe even in the case of medical emergencies. The foreign travel insurance may provide assistance in the case they fall ill or if you meet an accident. They make sure that you receive the highest quality of medical services and may even arrange for hospital transfer or direct transfer to home, if needed.

Importance of Travel Insurance Comparison: What To Look For?

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Conducting a thorough travel insurance comparison makes sure that the patient opts for the best option available in the market. However, the patient must evaluate all their needs and consider all possible worst-case scenarios while making the decision.

During travel insurance comparison, the patient should consider whether the plan they are planning to opt for is renewable or not. Typically, a majority of travel insurances are extendible and renewable. They also take care of all the expenses pertaining to a sudden medical emergency or illness. The importance of travel insurance may vary from country to country, and also depends on the amount covered under the insurance.

There are many insurance providers that offer cheap travel insurance. However, their coverage must be thoroughly assessed. The need to opt for a cheap travel insurance depends on what kind of coverage the patient is actually looking for. In addition, it also depends on the safety conditions in the country that they plan to travel and the estimated duration of their stay.

Opting for a cheap travel insurance does not mean that the patient will not receive an appropriate accidental coverage. Although cheap travel insurance plan can typically be upgraded as per the needs, patients can still be assured of the benefits of the original plan.

Travel Insurance Comparison: Points To Consider

During travel insurance comparison, you must look for the following factors:

• The coverage limit of foreign travel insurance
• Number of locations covered
• Flexibility in terms of coverage limit and locations
• Number of trips covered
• The extent of coverage – medical, travel, and personal assets
• Additional coverage and benefits for senior citizens
• Accidental coverage
• Other benefits – hotel to clinic transfer, dental coverage, and additional coverage for a visit to high-risk locations

By travel insurance comparison with the help of these pointers, you are most likely to arrive at a scheme that best suits your requirement. A majority of cheap travel insurance offers the main benefits and may not cover the cost of repatriation.

Typically, cheap travel insurance costs anywhere between 2 to 3 percent of your total cost of the medical trip. An international travel insurance that offers all the benefits and is completely customizable may cost anywhere between 5 to 10 percent of the total medical trip cost.

The premium for an international travel insurance further depends on the following:

• Duration of the medical trip
• The final destination>
• The age of the patient

Across Country Travel Insurance FAQs

Q: Does international travel insurance cover treatment for the pre-existing condition?

A: Typically, a foreign travel insurance covers only the cost of accidental damage and treatment of a sudden illness. It does not include the treatment expenses for any pre-existing condition or illness. Some travel insurance schemes may cover these expenses only if you have opted for it in the first place.
Q: What is the difference between the travel insurance and a health insurance?

A: An international travel insurance is much more than just a health insurance. Health insurance may cover treatment for pre-existing illness. But travel insurance provides covers the following situations:

• Mishaps
• Accidental damage
• Loss of baggage
• Anything else that could go wrong

Q: I hurt myself by mistake. Does international travel insurance cover this?

A: International travel insurance covers the expenses related to accidental damage. It also covers situations that are not in control of the patient or the attendant. You are not likely to get reimbursed for something you did foolishly or on purpose.

Q: Would travel insurance provide coverage in home country?

A: The coverage policy may vary, depending of the provider and the country. There are a few international travel insurance policies that cover home country too. Make sure to check the policy rules and regulations before opting for it or making a claim.

How MediGence Help You?

• Basic Facilities: MediGence helps in arrangement of medical visa, to and from the airport service, accommodation, meals, appointment with surgeon, lab tests etc.
• Qualified Panel: MediGence has network of the best surgeons and hospitals, providing supreme healthcare in India.
• Affordable: What is the Smile Makeover Surgery Costs in India? The expenses incurred in the entire travel for the smile makeover surgery in India are nearly 30% of that in most Western countries..
• Professionalism: We maintain highest ethics in providing the treatments and the procedures are followed with transparency.
• Other services: Our group also takes care of facilities like providing health meals as prescribed by your doctor, planning vacation in India, rejuvenation, rehab facilities.

Credit:  www.nerdgraph.com