How to buy emergency travel medical insurance for a family trip

Written by special contributor, Julia Marshall

Regardless of where you are planning to take your family. you have to think about travel insurance. Even if you are only planning a domestic trip you may still need to buy some sort of policy. Most people’s regular health coverage provides treatment across the country. But, you need to check who would pay if a member of the family needed to be transported home in an ambulance. Domestic travel insurance is usually not expensive, so it may be worth buying some.

Travel insurance for international trips is essential

If you are planning to take your family further afield buying a full emergency travel medical insurance policy is definitely a good idea. If one of your children falls ill the last thing you need is to be worrying about whether you can afford to pay for their treatment.

The costs involved can be astronomical. Many countries do not have state medical systems. Even those that do, typically, will not treat visitors for free.

If you do not have proper medical travel insurance you may end up facing a substantial bill. A visit to a doctor may cost less than $100. But, just one night in the hospital will cost several hundred dollars, sometimes thousands. Each blood test, operation, pill and consultant visit will be on the final bill. Add in the fact that medical repatriation usually costs thousands and you can see the wisdom of buying a good-quality policy.

Make sure everyone is covered

When buying your policy, you need to make sure every member of your family is fully covered. That means checking age restrictions. Some firms do not insure the elderly or the very young.

Pay particular attention to the pre-existing conditions clause. Be clear about how the firm you are considering buying from defines a pre-existing condition. Then make sure you understand the coverage they are offering for someone who has been ill in the past or has ongoing medical issues.

Be sure to buy adequate coverage

It is very important to make sure that you have bought enough coverage. There is usually a limit to how much a company will pay out for a single claim. Find out what that is and ask yourself if it is adequate.

Make sure that transport to the nearest hospital is included. In some countries, ambulance fees are surprisingly high.

If one of you falls ill you may not want the rest of the family to travel home and leave them on their own. Some firms will pay for accommodation and cover the cost of changing flights for the entire family. Others will only do that for the person who falls ill. You want a policy that makes it possible to stay near your child or partner should they fall ill.

Be prepared

Before you travel, photograph your policy. Add the emergency contact details to everyone’s phones and find out how you can get treatment should you need to. Knowing what to do should someone falls sick will make the whole situation a little less stressful. This article will help you to understand what you need to do to quickly get the assistance you need to handle the situation.