Every day, it seems another traveler goes off to explore the world for themselves, and a GoFundMe pops up to cover medical bills. It’s common these days, and it’s not just Americans who do this; people across the world find out just how risky it is to travel internationally without travel insurance.
Became, while it might not seem you need it, if the worst were to happen, can you afford to cover the cost out of pocket? Medical bills can run into the hundreds of thousands, depending on where you need treatment and the extent of your medical care.
Still on the fence? Let’s take a look at some reasons why you need travel insurance before you even leave the country.
Emergency Air Evacuation Is Expensive
There are numerous scenarios in which you might find you need an emergency evaluation, from antiviral disasters to falling into a more remote location and needing to be extracted, or you need to be flown across the country for specialist care. And when you add this into the equation, costs skyrocket and fast. A dedicated air ambulance to get you to the hospital can be costly, depending on the country you’re in, but if you need one to bring you home, this can run anywhere from $50,000 to $200,000 or more, depending on the care distance and complexity of your condition. No insurance means you foot the bill for every single cent.
Hospital Cover is Billed With No Insurance Negotiation
In the US, all your medical care rates are already negotiated with providers. This does not occur internationally. Nor will your domestic medical insurance cover you anywhere outside of the United States. A hospital in a different country will bill you first with the full price list. There’s no prospective negotiations here either. The price you’re given is the price you need to pay. The gap here isn’t always marginal either, and if you don’t have travel insurance, then you are liable to pay the full cost.
Repatriation After a Death
Again, as with a medical emergency for if you need medical assistance during a flight home, repatriation post-death is expensive and a specialist service. If a traveler dies outside the US, the government is not required to handle or fund their return home. There needs to be a funeral in the home country of the deceased, and there is a specific embalming process that needs to be followed. You need customs documentation and international freight carriers. Again, costs for this type of service vary, but it can exceed $10,000, and in some cases it can reach six figures. Your insurance provider will have details on exactly how they help or cover you in these circumstances.
Non-Refundable Booking and Cancellation
If you have a booking that is suddenly canceled, your airline might not always afford you the courtesy of refunding your flight, meaning you’ve lost the full cost of your entire trip. What happens then? Providers such as Generali have rules in place for what happens here. If you have a trip cancellation under a policy already in place prior to the cancellation occurring, you might be able to make a claim to receive a full or partial refund on your losses.
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