Summer is a popular time of year to travel for a mission trip or volunteer project. School is out, families have more time to spend together, and retirees can take advantage of better weather and summer airfare sales. Organizers often purchase travel medical insurance for their volunteers to support their work and provide peace of mind. However, like most health care insurance, travel insurance policies can vary greatly. If you’re planning a mission trip or volunteer trip, make sure you have travel medical insurance and review the policy details. If the policy doesn’t meet your needs, you may need to purchase additional coverage.
What is travel medical insurance?
Travel medical insurance isn’t the same as health insurance. Health insurance doesn’t typically cover the cost of emergency care or medical transport outside the United States. If you have a medical emergency while traveling outside of the United States, travel medical insurance can cover medical expenses upfront or reimburse you upon your return home, depending on your policy.
Of course, not all policies are the same, so make sure you know what you’re purchasing. For example, basic travel insurance policies may offer reimbursement for lost luggage or delayed flights but not for medical care. Or a travel insurance policy may provide reimbursement for medical care but not for medical evacuation, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
What should you look for before purchasing travel medical insurance for mission trips and volunteer travel?
Whether a policy is provided to you or you purchase your own, be sure to review the details and confirm that the coverage is adequate for your needs. Things to look for include:
- Coverage or exclusion in the country you’ll be visiting
- Limitations or exclusions for pre-existing medical conditions
- Coverage for medical evacuation if the medical care you need is not available nearby
- Coverage or exclusion for higher-risk activities you plan to do
- Reimbursement amounts are adequate for a “worst case” scenario such as an emergency medical evacuation or serious injury or illness
- The length of coverage is adequate for the duration of your mission trip
- Travel medical assistance is provided, and even better, it is available 24/7
Should you purchase additional coverage?
If the group you are traveling with provides travel insurance but not travel medical insurance, you can always purchase additional medical coverage. Supplemental policies also can provide coverage for preexisting conditions or higher-risk activities. If you travel outside the U.S. frequently, you might want to consider adding an annual travel medical insurance plan.
Is travel medical insurance worth it?
If you’re traveling to a country that provides universal medical care, travel medical insurance may seem unnecessary. But don’t forget about the cost of emergency medical transportation. If you become injured or ill while traveling, you might need to be transported by car, ambulance, or helicopter to a medical clinic.
If that medical clinic isn’t equipped to provide the care you need, you might need to be medically evacuated to another country or back to the United States. In that scenario, travel medical insurance is worth more than peace of mind. The cost of a medical evacuation can easily top $100,000. A robust travel insurance policy can ensure this expense is repaid, and that you’ll be assigned a medical case manager who’ll ensure you receive appropriate care. They’ll also handle all the arrangements and logistics involved with long-distance medical transports.
About SentinelMED
SentinelMED offers medical transport, medical repatriation, and medical escort services to people who need assistance to travel long distances. The SentinelMED team is skilled at arranging transport for patients anywhere in the world. Our logistics professionals work closely with hospital case managers, patients, their families, and travel insurance companies to provide safe and comfortable door-to-door medical transportation.
At SentinelMED, we understand the complexity of delivering exceptional care to patients who need assistance during travel. Please contact us to learn more about the services that SentinelMED offers or its staff.
