If You Aren’t Already Considering Travel Medical Insurance, You Should
Travel Insurance
It’s likely that your health insurance will not cover any medical expenses incurred when you are traveling outside the U.S.
Therefore, Travel Medical insurance is a must for Americans traveling abroad. But what should you look for when purchasing Travel Medical insurance?
Travel Protection for Individuals and Groups
Select from a variety of Trip Protection and Travel Medical plans and MedJet Global Medical Transport memberships.
Look for key benefits
In the event there’s a medical problem while you’re abroad, you want to make sure emergency room treatments, hospitalizations, and prescription medications are covered. Are you traveling somewhere remote? Be sure to check if medical evacuations are covered.
Determine how much coverage you need
The amount of coverage you need depends on where you are going and what you are doing. Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is probably riskier than a beach vacation in Bali. When determining your coverage, you should consider how far you are from the U.S. in the case of an emergency evacuation. A $30,000-50,000 evacuation policy might cover nearby destinations, but more distant destinations might require policies of $150,000 or more.1
Make note of exclusions
Some Travel Medical insurance policies exclude pre-existing conditions. Our Travel Medical partner, GeoBlue offers pre-existing condition coverage.2 Learn more about Travel Medical plans before you plan for your next vacation.
Some destinations may require Travel Medical insurance
When planning your next trip, check your destination’s entry requirements to see if Travel Medical insurance is required. For example, if you are traveling to a country such as Cuba, medical insurance is required.3 Soon, Japan may require tourists to provide proof of health insurance coverage.4
Traveling can be exciting, but unpredictable accidents or illnesses can happen. Explore your options and don’t leave yourself vulnerable to unexpected medical bills.
1What to Know About Medical Insurance When Traveling Abroad. NY Times. July 29, 2025. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/29/travel/travel-medical-insurance.html
2Select plans that provide coverage for pre-existing conditions require the applicant to have an existing domestic health insurance plan.
3Medical Assistance – US. Citizens. U.S. Embassy in Cuba. Accessed August 7, 2025. cu.usembassy.gov/services/medical-assistance/
4New Travel Alert: Japan Set To Mandate Health Insurance For All Foreign Tourists. Travel and Tour World. June 21, 2025. travelandtourworld.com/news/article/new-travel-alert-japan-set-to-mandate-health-insurance-for-all-foreign-tourists/
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