Whether you’re planning a cross-country road trip or going to visit family halfway around the world, you want to ensure that you’re covered in case of a medical emergency. Your regular health insurance likely has restrictions about what it will cover if you travel outside of your home county if it covers anything at all. Rather than guess what it will pay for, you can get a short-term travel health insurance plan. Finding the right plan, however, isn’t that easy unless you work with an insurance broker.
Travel Insurance and Travel Medical Insurance Are Different
First, be aware that the travel insurance you get from, say, paying for a flight with a credit card is not the same as travel medical insurance. The first type covers things like canceled flights or reservations. But what you want to find is a policy that will cover at least emergency medical care if something happens to you or your family while you’re on your trip.
Many regular health insurance policies offer some out-of-network protection for emergencies. However, the coverage can be bare-bones and usually does not work outside the U.S. Travel medical policies are made specifically to fill these gaps, especially for international travel.
Other Countries’ Systems May Not Cover You
Not only can your regular insurance not cover you in other countries, but you can’t count on other countries’ health systems to cover you, either. They will still help you medically, of course. But you may end up with charges as you’re not eligible for their standard health coverage for citizens and residents. If you have a travel medical insurance plan that covers or reimburses you for anything you’re charged in the other country, though, then you don’t have to think about potential adverse financial effects. A health insurance broker in Nassau County can walk you through the process of making claims in case you need to use the policy.
A Broker Knows More
Finding travel medical insurance in NYC that will work in your destination country is much easier when you contact a broker. An insurance broker knows what types of policies work in different travel scenarios, and they can point you toward appropriate coverage. For example, if you and your kids are traveling to several different countries, the broker can find a policy that offers as much coverage as possible and that will work with the health systems in the countries you plan to be in. You might not be able to find these policies on your own if you don’t know which companies offer them.
Make This a Simple Process
Instead of spending weeks searching and comparing insurance companies and policies, contact a professional insurance broker at Margolis & Associates. Tell the broker where you’re going and what you need, and let them find the perfect travel medical policy for you.