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(Last Updated On: 02/08/2021)

An exciting part of traveling abroad is the unpredictability of the experience. When you travel to a foreign land, you will be exposed to different cultures, settings, and experiences. Even if you do some research, you are sure to be taken by surprise by some of what you find. Unfortunately, not all of the surprises you encounter may be good ones, and just because you are on vacation does not mean you are immune to harm.

You may not want to believe that these misfortunes could happen to you, but you need to be prepared for the possibility that you, or a loved one, will require medical attention while far from home. Whether it is as simple as chipping your tooth, spraining your ankle, coming down with a fever, or having a heart attack, receiving the medical treatment you need might not be as easy as it would be in the United States.

That is because most traditional health insurance plans do not extend coverage beyond what happens on American soil. This means you could be on the hook for thousands of dollars in medical costs for the care you receive overseas. This is why no traveler should be without travel medical insurance. These specialized plans will go where your domestic coverage will not, ensuring that you will be able to enjoy your trip without worrying about the unpredictable happening.

For more information about travel medical insurance and why you should think about getting it, see the guide contained below.

 

Why Is Travel Medical Insurance A Good Idea?

• Traveling to a foreign country can introduce numerous health hazards. For example, water quality may not be the same, leading to serious infections. Different climates may strain your pre-existing conditions, such as heart disease or allergies, leaving you ill-equipped to handle the situation.

• Even if you already have health insurance, it might not cover you outside the United States. This means any illnesses or injuries you experience while traveling abroad could result in extremely high medical bills.

• If you are visiting a remote part of the world and require immediate medical attention, you may need to be evacuated to a hospital. Without proper insurance coverage, this can cost tens of thousands of dollars on top of any other related expenses.

• In some circumstances, you may be required to have travel health insurance for the duration of your trip. For example, visitors to Russia, Cuba, and nations in the Schengen Area of the EU must prove they have coverage.

• Even though travel health coverage can be extremely valuable, it typically accounts for less than 10 percent of all travel insurance products purchased by travelers, while being relatively inexpensive.

 

Brussels to Amsterdam Trains

London to Amsterdam Trains

Berlin to Amsterdam Trains

Paris to Amsterdam Trains

 

How Travel Medical Insurance Protects You


• Travel medical insurance differs from standard travel insurance policies primarily in that it does not provide coverage for costs related to cancellations, delays, or interruptions.

• With travel medical insurance, you can have coverage in the event of an unexpected health emergency. These can range from a broken tooth or bout of food poisoning to life-threatening injuries and heart attacks.

• One of the primary benefits of these policies is that they provide you with 24/7 multilingual support to help you coordinate with health care staff in a foreign country.

• These policies typically provide coverage for what is generally considered key medical expenses. These include emergency room visits, evacuation services, and transportation costs incurred to reach an appropriate medical facility.

• The most common plans cover a single trip, but they also can be purchased to cover periods as long as 12 months. Long-term medical coverage for those who travel frequently or for extended periods also can be bought in monthly increments.

 

Amsterdam To London Trains

Paris to London Trains

Berlin to London Trains

Brussels to London Trains

 

Ready to start reviewing your options? Book a train ticket now while the warm weather lasts, with the help of Save A Train!

 

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Download here the PDF for this article which was provided to Save A Train by Senior Services of Illinois