International Travel and Health Insurance

Embarking on Your Dream Vacationtravel.
Are your Plans Complete?According to the U.S. Department of Commerce,
Your bags are packed, passport and papers in orderapproximately 27 million travelers' board U.S. airlines
and you couldn't be in a higher state of excitementfor overseas destinations and almost 26 million
preparing for travel to that wonderful, exotic location.foreign travelers come to the U.S. each year.
This is the vacation you have planned it seemsHowever, many are not prepared for a medical
forever. As you sit on the plane, you and youremergency abroad.
partner discuss for the hundredth time the scubaMost traditional health insurance plans would not
diving you will do, the awesome rock climbing andcover an unexpected illness or injury during
hikes into the rain forest. Everything is perfect!international travel. But travelers with international
Life seldom gets better than this.medical insurance would have protection for scenarios
Despite all the excitement of travel, Americans doranging from a local ambulance trip to an emergency
have some concerns.evacuation for care at the nearest qualified medical
According to a survey by the Chubb Group, morefacility. Some even offer repatriation flights out of
than 70% of Americans surveyed said their greatestthe country where the traveler is located back to
concern when traveling is suffering a medicalthe US.
emergency...more than double the fear of beingAvailable plans can cover individuals or groups for
mugged (30.7%), three times the fear of beingspecific periods of time abroad and can be in effect
injured in a terrorist attack (23.4%).should they be stationed abroad for an extended
What happens if a medical emergency arises whenperiod of time. There are policies for corporations to
traveling overseas?insure their personnel, plans to cover missionaries
Many people assume that while they are out of thewho are on an outreach program and for those
U.S. or Canada they will be covered by their standardparticipating in extreme sports. International travel
medical plan. However, most traditional healthmedical insurance should be considered for anyone
insurance plans are not designed for internationaltraveling or living abroad.