The next time you set sail on a luxury cruise, consider what you would do in case of a medical emergency. In particular, consider if your medical insurance will cover your expenses.
Will your medical insurance cover the cost of medical evacuation, emergency treatment and a hospital stay? Well, in the case of cruises and other overseas trips, don’t bet on it.
In fact, as soon as you exit a U.S. port, you are more than likely considered to in overseas waters, which means that your U.S. medical insurance won’t get you very far.
Planning Ahead
Take a recent example of an older couple (in their mid 70s) who were traveling abroad when the husband became seriously sick with a perforated colon. After the initial emergency room visit, the couple decided to arrange for a medical evacuation from their cruise ship to a United States hospital. The total cost of their out-of-pocket expenses was just $300. However, if they didn’t think ahead and purchase comprehensive travel insurance they could have wound up paying a medical bill of over $20,000.
A good, comprehensive travel insurance policy should include medical services and hospitalization, particularly when traveling abroad. These additional medical services are designed to reimburse any expenses that your standard medical insurance does not. Comprehensive travel insurance is also designed to cover the cost of your trip or part of your trip if you are not able to enjoy it due to an illness or injury.
If you plan to travel abroad and you don’t need full travel insurance, you may also secure a stand-alone policy that covers medical care and medical evacuation. It is important to realize that standard travel insurance policies do not cover the cost of medical evacuation, so consider adding this practical policy onto your travel insurance policy.
Before departing on your next overseas holiday, remember the following:
- Contact your health insurer and ask about their coverage while traveling abroad. Once you have this information you can then determine how much coverage and which type of coverage you will need.
- Check travel insurance websites and compare policy prices and coverage. There are also several websites that allow you to compare a variety of travel insurance policies, side by side, according to prices and benefits.
- Once you have purchased travel insurance, keep all information related to your policy, as well as important phone number of the company, close at hand while traveling.
