Travelling abroad is an enriching experience, but it must be complemented by a comprehensive health insurance policy to make it enjoyable as well. The policy should provide you with complete coverage in case of medical emergencies. A comprehensive health insurance plan covers all your specific needs, including unexpected medical treatment expenses while travelling. Most important of all, insurance ensures peace of mind.
Does Health Insurance Provide Coverage Overseas?
“Does my health insurance cover international travel?” This is a question that haunts anybody who travels abroad frequently for work or other purposes. Travel duration and the destination country are the two things that are important to know the answer to this question. If we talk about health insurance policies in India, most policies do not provide coverage for medical treatment abroad. They cover hospitalisation and related expenses within the country. However, a few policies may offer coverage for medical expenses abroad, especially in the US/Canada, the Asia-Pacific region, or in Europe.
Hence, whenever purchasing a health insurance policy, check carefully to ascertain, “Does my health insurance cover me abroad?” In case a policy does not cover medical treatment abroad or if the coverage offered does not meet your requirements, you must purchase a travel insurance policy that provides you with comprehensive coverage for medical emergencies abroad.
Travel insurance policies have an additional advantage in that they are low-cost than health insurance policies. Moreover, they can be customised according to your travel plans and provide coverage for hospitalisation, evacuation, surgery, dental treatment, etc. These policies offer you some amount of flexibility by giving you the option of covering your specific needs.
Now, you know the answer to, “Does my health insurance cover me overseas?” In case you have to purchase travel insurance because your health insurance does not cover overseas travel, ensure your travel insurance covers all your planned excursion areas. If you travel frequently, it is always wise to invest in multi-trip insurance. The policy coverage should be adequate to accommodate your medical expenses in the country of travel; hence, look carefully at the associated limits, including deductibles. Also, carefully evaluate the conditions excluded from coverage, which usually comprise pre-existing health conditions, injuries during adventure sports, etc.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can say that most health insurance policies do not provide adequate coverage for international travel abroad. Thus, in such cases, you must purchase a travel insurance policy to meet your requirements. Travel insurance ensures your protection in the event of medical emergencies and offers a much-welcome relief from the stress that usually accompanies a medical emergency.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for educational and informational purposes only. It may contain outdated data and information regarding the Insurance industry and products. It is advised to verify the currency and relevance of the data and information before taking any major steps. ICICI Lombard is not liable for any inaccuracies or consequences resulting from the use of this outdated information.