Medical insurance is after the passport the most important travel document when traveling. It is a mandatory requirement required in many countries that protects you from eventualities that may occur during a flight abroad.
In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about how to choose international health insurance, so that you are calm in your destination country and your only concern is to have fun.
What is international health insurance?
An ordinary medical insurance covers the health incidents of the affiliated person in their country of residence. A policy with a private insurer or one of social prevention such as the Mexican Institute of Social Security or the Institute of Social Security and Services of State Workers, does not extend abroad.
In these cases the person is left unprotected and would have to pay out of pocket for any health incident abroad.
An international health insurance eliminates the border requirement and the insurance company is responsible for providing coverage in many countries of the world.
The most common international medical insurance is travel insurance.
What is international travel health insurance?
An international travel medical insurance is an insurance contract that covers the health incidents of a person, during the time of his trip abroad.
These policies can cover other medical expenses such as:
- An emergency return due to the death of family members.
- The suspension or untimely delay of the trip for reasons not attributable to the traveler.
- The transfer, lodging and maintenance of a relative, to provide accompaniment in a hospital.
- The costs of replacing documents and personal effects stolen during the stay abroad (passport, cards, mobile phone, laptop and others).
Why buy international travel health insurance?
Although many people believe that inpatient health insurance is unnecessary because they assume that they are unlikely to require it on a 2, 3 or 4 week trip, they are wrong.
The following are good reasons to buy international travel health insurance:
Travel increases risks
When you travel you are more exposed than when you develop your routine in the city, because the use of land, air and sea transport is intensified, which increases the chances of accidents.
The safety guidelines with which you work in your city lose effectiveness when you are in another location.
During your trips, you may practice adventure entertainment in places that you are seeing for the first time.
Jet lag will upset you a bit and you may be out of your usual condition for a few days. You will eat and drink novel things that could harm you. You will breathe another air and it may not feel good.
Travel definitely increases risk and it is better to be covered.
You are not invulnerable
The recipe that skeptics apply with travel insurance includes two assumptions: it is very few days of travel and I never get sick.
Although you may be in very good health, you cannot fully control the possibility of an accident occurring, because accidents cannot be predicted. Rather, the danger is increased in healthy people because they are willing to take more risks.
The Internet is full of stories of travelers who managed to get out safely from unexpected situations abroad, because they had travel insurance.
You should not be a burden to your family
Parents are always willing to do everything for their children, but it is not fair that you put them in a traumatic situation due to an emergency that you have abroad, without having coverage insurance.
Parents are known to have had to make collections or sell part of their assets to repatriate an injured or deceased child during a trip abroad.
You must be responsible and take precautions in case something happens to you outside your country, a situation that can be resolved without affecting other people more than necessary.
Travel plans may change
It is possible that the main reason for you to dispense with travel insurance is that you are going to be in a very safe city and that you do not plan to carry out risky activities. However, plans can change and being at your destination you may want to do something that was not on the itinerary.
For example, many Asian cities are better known by motorcycle, what if being in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) or Bangkok (Thailand) causes you to rent a motorcycle? What if you want to rent a car in a country where you drive on the left? The risks will increase unexpectedly.
It is a requirement to enter many countries
Many countries in the world require travel insurance to grant entry to the passenger. Although immigration officials usually do not request it, they have the power to prevent you from entering if you do not have it.
What does international travel health insurance cover?
An international travel insurance that costs an average € 124 for a couple who stays 3 weeks in Spain, includes:
- Medical assistance abroad: € 40,000.
- Personal injury in motor vehicle accident: included.
- Repatriation and transportation, sick / deceased: 100%.
- Accompanying person repatriation: 100%.
- Displacement of a relative: 100%.
- Expenses for stay abroad: € 750.
- Early return due to hospitalization or family death: 100%.
- Damage and theft of luggage: € 1,000.
- Delay in the delivery of checked luggage: € 120.
- Advance of funds: € 1,000.
- Private civil liability: € 60,000.
- Defense for criminal liability abroad: € 3,000.
- Guarantee of accidents due to death / disability: € 2 / 6,000.
- Delay in the departure of the means of transport: € 180.
How to choose the best international health insurance?
The risks when traveling abroad depend on the time of year, the activities to be carried out and of course, the destination country.
It is not the same to go to Norway than to a Latin American country with a high crime rate, where there are greater risks of robbery. Nor is it the same to go to the Antillean islands during hurricanes than outside of that period.
Traveling to Europe to see cathedrals is different than taking a bungee jumping tour or running behind the bulls at the San Fermín Fair in Pamplona, Spain.
Even looking at quiet cathedrals there are risks of accidents. A tourist died in the 1980s when he was hit by a suicide bomber who threw himself into the void, while he was admiring the Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris.
No one would buy insurance to protect themselves from such an eventuality, but if the trip is to skydive or mountaineering, conditions change.
Each trip involves a package of risks and the insurance you choose should be one that gives you the best possible coverage, at a reasonable cost.
International medical insurance price
Price tends to be the most important variable in choosing international travel health insurance.
The global price of this type of insurance may seem high, but you really end up paying on average between 3 to 4 dollars a day. A backup that is not so expensive after all.
The daily cost of the insurance is equivalent to what you would spend on a couple of beers or a candy. Don't you think it's worth sacrificing your piece of cake for insurance?
Having travel insurance will allow you to sleep more peacefully.
Can I travel with the travel insurance included in my credit card?
Yes, but it depends on many variables. There are 2 things you should be clear about before taking the risk of traveling by relying on cardholder travel insurance:
1. Conditions to be entitled: Are you entitled to insurance just because you are a card holder or are you obliged to pay for air tickets, hotels and other expenses with the card? Is it applicable to the country you are going to?
2. What is included and what is not included: before leaving you should know if your card insurance covers medical expenses and if so, what types of medical expenses it covers; if it covers lost luggage, etc.
Usually the amounts for medical expenses of the insurance of the cards are very low and do not cover much beyond a minor emergency.
More important is to know what it does not include. For example, if you are going to travel to practice adventure sports, there is little use for cardholder insurance that does not have accident coverage or that establishes that there is no coverage for accidents occurring in high-risk activities.
It would be a bad experience to travel believing that your credit card insurance covers an eventuality, to realize that it does not when you have the need.
What should you look for that includes travel medical insurance?
At the very least, it should include good coverage for medical treatment and the possibility of an emergency evacuation or repatriation of remains.
Good coverage for medical treatment
There are countries where medical treatment can cost several thousand dollars a day, so you must verify that your travel insurance has good coverage for health expenses and that it does not have conditions that conflict with your activity plan.
Although there is very cheap international travel insurance of less than $ 30 for a trip of 3 weeks, depending on the health problem, your medical coverage probably does not cover even two days in a clinic.
Cheap insurance or low medical coverage won't do you any good if emergency surgery is necessary.
Emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains
The issue of how to choose international health insurance forces you to have to talk about these unpleasant issues that have nothing to do with the excitement associated with travel; but an emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains are not ruled out.
Repatriating a dead body can be expensive, which is why coverage for repatriation of remains in travel insurance is a must.
Emergency evacuations can also be crucial, depending on the destination and the activity plan.
With these coverages at appropriate levels, you could say that you have decent travel health insurance.
Additional coverage
There are other eventualities that you will want to have covered in travel insurance; if you can afford them, much better:
- Theft of cash.
- Emergency dental treatment.
- Delay, cancellation or interruption of the trip.
- Theft of passport or travel documents.
- Loss of an air connection caused by the airline.
- Theft of luggage or loss due to a natural disaster.
Be sure to read the fine print of the insurance contract so that you understand the conditions of each coverage and know what to expect.
Keep in mind that most policies do not cover alcohol and substance use accidents, nor do they cover pre-existing conditions.
What happens if I have an accident or get sick while traveling?
The most responsible thing is that you have at hand the telephone and other means of contact of the emergency care center provided by the insurance, during the trip.
It must be a center capable of receiving calls in different languages 24 hours a day. You can recover the amount of the call through insurance.
The center staff will tell you how to proceed. If it is not possible for you to contact the insurance or you do not want to because it is a minor emergency, you can solve the problem on your own and then pass the bill to the insurer.
If you have managed payments of this type before, you will know that to collect you must save all the diagnoses, exams, vouchers and papers generated during the process.
Keep all the papers physically and scan them to have a backup and make electronic shipments.
Another variable to take into account is the deductible or amount that will be borne by the insured in a claim.
If your medical bill was $ 2,000 and the deductible is $ 200, the insurance will reimburse you for a maximum of $ 1,800.
MAPFRE international medical insurance
MAPFRE BHD International Health Insurance is a product designed to offer protection abroad, through a wide network of global providers that provide careful and advanced medical care.
MAPFRE BHD has different coverage plans with different deductible options, which include:
- Major medical expenses.
- Hospitalization and maternity.
- Congenital diseases.
- Mental and nervous diseases.
- Organ transplantation.
- Residential health care.
- Outpatient services.
- Chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment.
- Repatriation of mortal remains.
- Death and accidental death insurance.
- Travel assistance.
What are the best medical insurance with international coverage?
Cigna and Bupa Global are two of the best options in terms of medical insurance reputation abroad, in addition to MAPFRE.
Cigna
American company in the fifth position of the best insurers in the world, with more than 20 million members.
It provides its medical services through Cigna Expat Health Insurance, with very flexible individual and family international medical assistance plans, adapted to the client's needs.
Through the Cigna network, the insured has access to excellent professionals and medical facilities around the world and in the unlikely event that they have to pay for their treatment directly, they will have their money back within 5 days, with a choice among more than 135 currencies.
Bupa Global
One of the most important British insurers in the world that provides quick access to the best international medical services.
Your insurance plan, Worldwide Health Options, allows you to select the personal and family coverage that best suits the client, with access to the best treatments anywhere in the world.
Bupa Global also provides 24-hour medical advice in multiple languages, including Spanish and English.
What is the best travel insurance for Europe?
A medical insurance to travel to Europe must meet 3 requirements:
1. Repatriation.
2. Insured sum.
3. Coverage in time and territory.
Coverage in time and territory
Although it seems obvious that international medical insurance should cover the beneficiary during their stay abroad, it is not so, because some companies exclude certain countries to make their products cheaper. You must verify that all your destinations are covered.
Sum assured
If you travel to Europe, the sum must be at least € 30,000.
Repatriation
Travel insurance must include eventual repatriation, living or deceased. In addition to being expensive, the transfer of the sick, injured and mortal remains, means an emotional and financial burden for the family of the affected person, if they do not have insurance to cover it.
All valid travel insurance contracts in Europe must meet these conditions. From then on, you should buy the one that has the best coverage and fits your needs at a reasonable cost.
How to buy cheap travel insurance in Europe?
Go Schengen offers policies from € 17 and 10 days to travel through the Schengen Area, an area of the European Union made up of 26 countries that in 1985 signed in the Luxembourg city of Schengen, the agreement to abolish controls at the internal borders, transferring them to external borders.
These countries are Spain, Italy, Portugal, Austria, Germany, France, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Slovenia, Estonia, Finland, Holland, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Poland, Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, Switzerland , Sweden, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein.
Go Schengen policy of € 17 and 10 days, valid in the Schengen Area
It includes:
- Medical and health expenses: up to € 30,000.
- Dental expenses: up to € 100.
- Repatriation or medical transport of the wounded or sick: unlimited.
- Repatriation or transportation of the deceased insured: unlimited.
Go Schengen policy of € 47 and 9 days, valid in the Schengen Area and in the rest of the world
This international traveler insurance includes:
- Medical and health expenses: up to € 65,000.
- Dental expenses: up to € 120.
- Repatriation or medical transport of the wounded or sick: unlimited.
- Repatriation or transportation of the deceased insured: unlimited.
- Luggage location service.
- Civil Liability Insurance: up to € 65,000.
- Family travel due to hospitalization of the insured: unlimited.
- Theft, loss or damage of luggage: up to € 2,200.
- Extension of stay in hotel due to illness or accident: up to € 850.
- Compensation for travel accident: up to € 40,000.
What is the best international travel insurance for Mexicans?
InsuranceMexico has travel assistance plans through Atravelaid.com. Among its products are:
Atravelaid GALA
Includes coverage of 10,000, 35,000, 60,000 and 150,000 dollars (medical and dental coverage without deductible).
- 24-hour emergency telephone service in several languages.
- Medical and health repatriation.
- Civil liability, legal assistance and bonds.
- Disability and accidental death.
- Baggage insurance.
- No age restriction up to 70 years (from 70 the rate changes).
Atravelaid Euro Pax
This insurance applies to travel to the European Schengen area for people under 70 years of age. It includes the possibility of contracting coverage between 1 and 90 days, coverage of € 30,000 for medical expenses without deductible, medical and health repatriation, civil liability, legal and financial assistance and disability and accidental death.
How to buy medical insurance with international coverage in Mexico?
You can enter the portal of MAPFRE, Cigna or any other insurer of your interest and obtain an online quote in a few minutes.
In Mexico, MAPFRE has offices in Mexico City (Col. San Pedro de los Pinos, Col. Cuauhtémoc, Col. Copilico El Bajo, Col. Chapultepec Morales), State of Mexico (Tlalnepantla, Col. Fracc San Andrés Atenco), Nuevo León (San Pedro Garza García, Col. del Valle), Querétaro (Santiago de Querétaro, Col. Centro Sur), Baja California (Tijuana, Col. Zona Río), Jalisco (Guadalajara, Col. Americana), Puebla (Puebla, Col. . La Paz) and Yucatán (Mérida, Col. Alcalá Martín).
Choosing International Health Insurance: Final Reminders
Regardless of the company you select to buy your insurance, never forget the following:
1. Make sure you provide good coverage for the main risks you are going to run.
2. Know in detail what your insurance does not include and the conditions to receive the benefits of what it does cover.
3. Take a good look at the sum insured. The cheapest insurance takes these amounts to figures that seem like a lot of money in Latin America, but are little for medical care in Europe and other destinations.
4. Don't delay in buying insurance. If you buy it at the last minute and if the policy establishes an initial period of "no coverage", you could be unprotected during the first days of travel.
5. Remember that cheap is expensive. There are many ways to save costs on a trip, but insurance is not a good idea.
This has been the information you should know about how to choose an international travel health insurance. We trust that it will be very useful to you, so we invite you to share it with your friends on social networks.
