What are Trip Insurance, Travel Medical Insurance, and Medical Evacuation Insurance?

Trip Insurance covers the cost of your trip in case something goes wrong. For example, if you need to cancel because you're not well. Trip Insurance may include Travel Medical. Read the policy to see if it covers what you need. Trip insurance may allow you to cancel or change your trip as needed. Check to see if coverage includes disease outbreaks where you plan to go. Look for any restrictions for the country you plan to visit.

• If you must cancel your trip because you're sick, trip insurance pays you back.

Travel Medical Insurance covers you in a medical emergency outside your home country. It covers medical care and sometimes travel back home. If you need medical care in another country, you may pay out-of-pocket. If a country has national health care, it may not cover non-citizens. For example, travel medical will pay if you have chest pain and must go to the hospital for care.

• If you need a hospital on your trip outside the country, travel medical pays for it.

Medical Evacuation Insurance covers travel to a hospital or home in a medical emergency. Not all policies cover the trip home, so read the fine print. You need med-evac insurance if you go where care is not up to your home country's standards. This may be part of your travel health insurance policy. Med-evac insurance covers emergency transport to a hospital, which can be costly. Med-evac may transport people with infectious diseases when other transport won't. Make sure the policy has a 24-hour physician support center. Med-evac insurance may cover flying to your home country if you're injured.

• If you need an ambulance to the hospital while traveling out of the country or a medical flight home, med-evac insurance pays for it.

When might I need Travel Medical Insurance?

Travel Medical Insurance will give you peace of mind if you might need medical care while on vacation. Knowing you can get treatment and medical evacuation home without paying a lot is reassuring. You should have coverage if traveling for over six months or doing adventure activities like snorkeling or horseback riding.

Travel Medical Insurance does not cover you within your own country. Your usual medical insurance may cover travel within your own country.

What should I check before buying Travel Medical Insurance?

• Check your regular health insurance to see if you will be covered while traveling. If you aren't covered, you may be able to buy a travel extension to your plan. 

• Ask if your policy has any exclusions, such as for pre-existing conditions or adventure activities. 

• If you need Travel Medical Insurance, see if your car or home insurance company sells Travel Medical. They might offer a discount. AAA, AARP, and USAA have Travel Medical and Trip Insurance plans.

• Look for a policy that will make payments to hospitals directly.

• Check with your credit card company to see if they include Trip, Travel Medical, or Med-Evac insurance. You might need to buy your trip using that card to get this coverage. You may need to sign up for these services before your trip to utilize them.

• Check to see if the Travel Medical Insurance has any exclusions for pre-existing conditions. HCM might be considered a pre-existing condition even if you have a change in your condition while traveling.

• Some online sites compare the cost and coverage of different Travel Medical Insurance plans. The HCMA does not recommend any particular site or insurance company.

• Medical care where you're going may be cheap, even for travelers. In that case, you might go without travel medical but buy evacuation insurance to cover medical travel back to your home country.

• Check whether coverage for med-evac is to your home country or just to the nearest hospital.