After securing their temporal travel visas, having booked your flight tickets and planned your trip, there is another important document that you should get before moving abroad. This document is travel insurance or international health insurance. But the question that keeps popping up with travelers, is international health insurance the same as travel insurance?
Insurance is a method for security or protection from financial misfortune. It is a type of risk management, basically used to fence against financial loss or other adverse circumstances.
An entity which provides insurance is known as an insurer, an insurance company, an insurance carrier or an underwriter. A person or entity who buys insurance is known as a policyholder, while a person or entity covered under the policy is called an insured.
Travel insurance brokers are companies which operate online and offer travel insurance plans from different insurance companies. There are also Travel insurance companies where travelers can buy insurance packages from their home countries.
There are lots of insurance policies such as health insurance, motor insurance, home insurance, fire Insurance, travel insurance and much more that covers a person life, liability and property.
So in the circumstance of traveling, your health insurance is one of the most important things to that need to be taken seriously.
But to the confusing question, do you need travel insurance or international health insurance? What is the difference between the two? Which one should you get? Are they expensive?
What is the difference between Travel Insurance and International Health Insurance?
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is coverage designed to protect against risks and financial losses that could happen while traveling. The risks range from minor inconveniences such as missed airline connections and delayed luggage all the way to more serious issues including injuries or major illness.
Typical travel insurance benefits include coverage for trip cancellation, trip interruption, emergency medical assistance, emergency medical transportation, lost or damaged baggage, baggage delay, travel delays and more.
Travel Insurance is recommended for travelers going on holiday, a business trip, or a short visit abroad which is for a period less than six (6) months.
There are insurance companies where travelers can buy their insurance package from. With frequent travelers, they can purchase an annual plan for some of the trips to be covered.
For instance, you have an annual travel insurance plan because you travel for work a lot, but the plan covers you only for three months per trip. If a trip is longer than that, you do not have coverage for any time exceeding the three months.
The cost of your travel insurance depends on the duration of the trip, the amount of coverage you want, and your age. Plans which cover the US are more expensive than those which do not, simply because of the high costs of healthcare in the States.
International Health Insurance
International health insurance is a type of travel insurance policy that provides coverage to insured travelers against medical emergencies while traveling or during their stay abroad.
It provides financial protection against unforeseen medical emergencies, hospitalization cost, accidents. Some of the insurance companies offer coverage to the policy holder for Covid-19 while overseas.
This type of travel insurance should be obtain by travelers going abroad for studies, work, retirement, joining their spouse, and other reasons that would let the traveler stay away for more than six (6) months from their home country.
The cost of a international health insurance plan depends on how many medical procedures you wish to have covered. In-patient and out-patient treatment, medication, and emergency services are usually included on a “basic plan”, and adding other items, such as maternity, dental, etc. will bring up the price.
Just like travel insurance, an international health insurance plan which covers the USA will be more expensive than one which does not.
The table explains the products travel insurance or international travel insurance covers
| Coverage | Travel insurance | International health insurance |
| Medical emergencies | Yes | Yes |
| Non-emergency medical treatment | No | Yes |
| Prescription medication | Yes | Yes |
| Medical evacuation | Yes | Yes |
| Repatriation | Yes | Yes |
| Regular check-ups | No | Yes |
| Maternity care | No | Yes |
| Newborn care | No | Yes |
| Liability insurance | Yes | No |
| Flight delay | Yes | No |
| Trip cancellation | Yes | No |
| Non-emergency dental treatment | No | Yes |
| Loss of belongings | Yes | No |
| Pre-existing conditions | No | Yes |
| Trip interruption | Yes | No |
| Mental health care | No | Yes |
| Vision care | No | Yes |
| Cancer treatment | No | Yes |
| Dental emergencies | Yes | Yes |
| Rehabilitation | No | Yes |
What kind of insurance do I need for international travel?
You can get travel insurance to cover you for your trip even if you are moving abroad long-term and also obtain a health insurance cover.
For instance, a Ghanaian students traveling to study in the United States can enroll in a health insurance plan, but still need some coverage until they set everything up.
So they can get a travel insurance plan to cover them for that duration. In addition, foreigners employed overseas are eligible to be enrolled in the government healthcare scheme of the country they are moving to work.
Thank you for reading this article.