5 Things To Look For In A Travel Health Insurance Plan
Published on Wednesday, May 11, 2016
While most travelers want trip cancellation protection, some may only need travel health insurance, or travel medical insurance, to protect them on their trip. However, each medical plan has different features – do you know what your travelers need?
Here are five things to look for in a health insurance plan for your travelers.
1. Accident and Sickness Benefit Limits
How much health insurance coverage will your travelers need? It depends. If they have a robust primary health plan that will protect them while they are traveling, they may need just enough coverage to pay for out-of-pocket (and out-of-network) costs.
But your travelers may also need a comprehensive plan with high benefit limits.
This is where it’s important to keep in mind that many health insurance plans will not pay for international care, even in an emergency. Medicare is one of them. So if you have travelers who use Medicare for their primary health coverage, they’ll need
travel health insurance to supplement this coverage.
Likewise, many primary health insurance plans may cover emergency care abroad, but would require your travelers to pay directly out-of-pocket first and then submit later. Are your travelers prepared for an unexpected bill that could reach into the tens
of thousands of dollars?
When talking to your travelers about health insurance, make sure they pick the plan that has the benefit limit that gives them the most peace of mind.
2. Evacuation and Repatriation
Aside from needing care in an emergency abroad, travelers may be faced with the problem of trying to get home for extended care. At minimum, they may require a seat upgrade on a commercial flight, or an escort to help them get home. On the other hand,
they may require a complete medical evacuation via air ambulance. Costs can range greatly, and we have seen some evacuations that have reached over $100,000. A few dollars spent on insurance will be well worth it for that protection!
In addition, what would you do if one of your travelers passes away while on their trip? A good travel health insurance plan will include coverage for repatriating their remains home. Travelers shouldn’t even have to think about this worst-case scenario,
but that’s why they have you to recommend the right travel insurance plan for them.
Costs can range greatly, and we have seen some evacuations that have reached over $100,000. A few dollars spent on insurance will be well worth it for that protection!
3. Coverage For Adventure Enthusiasts
If your clients are more adventurous, you’ll want to make sure they are covered for their activities. The last thing you want is to sell someone travel insurance, only to have their medical claim denied because they broke their leg while landing from
a skydive – an activity that may not be covered. Even more common activities, like skiing or jet skiing, may not be covered by a typical travel insurance policy. Understand your traveler’s planned activities,
check them against this list, and offer them the right travel insurance plan for coverage.
4. 24/7/365 Assistance
Travel health insurance really isn’t useful unless it includes access to a 24/7/365 help center. Our assistance provider is available to guide your travelers through the world of foreign medical care – from finding a local pharmacy referral to arranging
for an air ambulance evacuation. These logistical and medical experts have contacts around the world and can help in any sort of an emergency.
The help center is also available to travelers before they even leave home. They can call to get information on required vaccinations, health risks, travel restrictions and even weather conditions. And they can even be used for conceirge services like
meet and greet services, lost luggage assistance, and legal referrals.
5. Security and Natural Disaster Evacuation Assistance
RoamRight is one of the few travel insurance companies that, in addition to health insurance, includes security and natural disaster assistance. his benefit provides coverage to evacuate a traveler from a location in situations like a natural disaster
or if the State Department recommends US travelers leave the area. This benefit offers an additional level of protection that is invaluable in today’s unpredictable world.
RoamRight plans offer all of these benefits – and more. To offer your clients travel health insurance from RoamRight, contact us.
What do you look for in a travel health insurance policy? Tell us about it in the comments below.