Travel Medical Insurance: Emergency Coverage While You Travel Internationally
Stand-alone travel medical insurance may be able to cover unexpected costs that your health insurance won't.
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Updated · 8 min read
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Nerdy takeaways
- Travel medical insurance provides protection against unexpected illnesses or injuries during travel abroad.
- Premium travel credit cards may offer limited coverage, making stand-alone travel medical insurance necessary.
- In case of a medical emergency, contact the insurer, pay expenses and file a reimbursement claim.
- Primary vs. secondary coverage: Primary allows direct claims, secondary requires filing with primary first.
If you’re looking for a policy that protects you in the event of an unexpected illness or injury while traveling abroad, you should consider standalone travel medical insurance. While certain premium travel credit cards provide some coverage, it can be both limiting and low in value.
Emergency medical coverage is included in many comprehensive travel insurance policies but can also be purchased on its own. Even if you have a primary U.S. insurance plan, including Medicare or Medicaid, it will likely provide little to no coverage while out of the country.
Sorting through all the coverage options can be confusing, especially when trying to figure out which type of medical insurance you have and what you still need to purchase. Here’s everything you need to know about travel medical insurance so you can choose the best option for your trip.
What is travel health insurance?
Travel medical insurance provides reimbursement for emergency medical expenses, including medical evacuations, while you’re traveling. While these policies don’t cover routine care like physicals, they can cover hospital stays, lab work and even prescriptions.
For example, if you break your leg while you're on vacation internationally, emergency medical coverage will protect you. However, if you decide to get a teeth cleaning while you’re abroad, you will not be covered. Travel medical insurance is meant to protect you in case of an emergency.
Expats, frequent business travelers or individuals who spend significant time living outside the U.S. can purchase a comprehensive travel health insurance policy designed for long-term travelers (more on this below). These policies offer routine medical coverage for those living abroad (generally for one year or longer) rather than vacationers. Long-term international travel health insurance policies should not be confused with travel medical insurance.
Travel medical insurance may also cover family members traveling with you or pay for a family member to travel to you if you’re hospitalized. The definition of "family" can vary, but it commonly includes your spouse, children, siblings, parents, grandparents and more. So if your travel companion gets sick or injured during the trip, trip cancellation benefits may kick in. Or if you are hospitalized in a foreign country, the insurer could pay for a flight and hotel accommodations for a designated family member to visit you.
Although natural disasters that impact your plans are usually covered, travel medical insurance policies may exclude pandemics from coverage. U.S. citizens traveling to countries that have a ‘Level 4: Do Not Travel’ advisory issued by the U.S. Department of State are often excluded from coverage as well. It's important to check the fine print of your policy to determine what may or may not be covered.
Travel insurance vs. travel medical insurance
A comprehensive travel insurance policy will include more protections than stand-alone travel medical insurance.
Travel medical insurance plans will have protections related to emergency medical events, while comprehensive trip insurance policies cover everything from medical care to trip cancellations.
Here are how those differences generally shake out.
| Coverage Type | Travel Medical Insurance | Comprehensive Travel Insurance |
| Trip cancellation | ✗ | ✓ |
| Trip interruption and delay | Limited | ✓ |
| Emergency medical evacuation/repatriation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lost luggage | Limited | ✓ |
| 24-hour assistance services | ✓ | ✓ |
| Accidental death and dismemberment | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rental car coverage | ✗ | ✓ |
With travel medical insurance, there are no trip cancellation benefits, so the cost of the trip is irrelevant. This makes the policy less expensive than comprehensive travel insurance, where you’ll need to include the entire nonrefundable cost of your vacation when calculating your quote.
Although travel medical plans can include coverage for benefits like trip interruption, the coverage amounts may be limited.
» Learn more: How to find the best travel insurance
What does travel medical insurance cover?
Travel medical insurance covers unplanned, emergency medical costs that you incur during your trip. We reviewed several travel medical insurance plans on InsureMyTrip and found that they offer the following protections:
| Coverage Type | Examples | Coverage Amounts |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency medical expenses | Needing hospital X-rays after suffering a bad fall. | $25,000 to $2,000,000. |
| Emergency dental expenses | Visiting a dentist if you’ve chipped your tooth and you're in pain. | $100 to $750. In certain instances it can be part of the medical expense total. |
| Medical evacuation | You've suffered a head injury and need to be airlifted to a medical facility in a nearby town. The evacuation must be ordered by a doctor. | $150,000 to unlimited. |
| Accidental death or dismemberment | You die or lose a limb while on vacation. | Up to $1,000,000. |
| 24-hour emergency assistance | You're in a foreign country, do not speak the language and need to find a doctor. If you call the emergency assistance line, your insurer will help you find a doctor. | 24/7. |
| Trip interruption | You were airlifted to a hospital in a nearby town for medical coverage. The medical care has concluded and you now need to be flown back to where you were evacuated from or back home. | $0 to $10,000. |
| Baggage loss | Your luggage was lost by the airline and you need to purchase toiletries and clothes. Usually there is a monetary cap on each item purchased. | $0 to $3,000. |
Since we reviewed several policies in the chart above, these limits show a wide range.
» Learn more: How to find the best travel insurance
Different types of travel medical insurance plans
Both the type of trip and type of coverage determine which travel medical policy makes the most sense. You’ll need to become familiar with four terms: primary coverage, secondary coverage, single trip and multi-trip.
Travel medical insurance plans will refer to medical coverage as primary or secondary.
- Primary means that you can submit a claim to your travel medical insurance company before submitting to any other insurer.
- When the policy is secondary, you will need to submit your claim to your primary insurance provider before you can submit a claim to the travel insurance provider.
For example, say you break your leg on vacation and have to go to the emergency room right away. If your travel health insurance is primary, you can pay your medical bill with your credit card and then submit a claim directly to the travel insurer.
However, if your travel medical coverage is secondary, you will first have to submit this claim to your U.S.-based medical insurer even though they may deny the claim (because the policies limit coverage abroad). You may even be required to include the refusal notice from your primary insurance along with your claim to your secondary travel health insurer.
Single-trip vs. multi-trip
Whether you’re a frequent traveler or go on vacation only once a year, you can choose a policy that is tailored to your travel needs. You can purchase either single- or multi-trip coverage, and it's important to know the difference between the two types.
- Single-trip travel medical insurance: You leave home, travel internationally and return home. You can visit as many countries as you like while traveling, but when you return home, the coverage ends. These plans are purchased for each trip, whether you’re traveling for four days or four weeks.
- Multi-trip coverage: You can travel internationally as many times as you want during the coverage period. You can, for example, leave home, travel to France for a week, return home for a month, travel to Panama for three weeks and return home. The coverage continues no matter how many times you return home as long as each trip does not exceed the allowable period (usually 30 to 90 days). These plans must be purchased on an annual basis, and they require you to have health insurance in the United States.
Multi-trip coverage makes sense (and is usually more cost effective) if you travel frequently and do not want to purchase a single policy each time you go on an international trip. However, if you do not have medical insurance in the U.S., you will not be covered under multi-trip plans.
Do I need to have primary health insurance in the U.S. to be eligible for travel medical insurance?
The answer to this question is: maybe. It depends on the type of coverage you have. If your single-trip plan refers to your medical coverage as primary, you don’t need another health insurance policy. However, if the coverage provided under your single-trip plan is secondary, then you must have primary health insurance.
As noted above, all multi-trip plans require that you have primary medical insurance coverage in the U.S.
How to purchase travel medical insurance
You can search for travel medical policies on insurance comparison sites like Squaremouth (a NerdWallet partner), InsureMyTrip or Travel Guard. Policies differ by state, which is why you’re asked to enter your state of residence when purchasing travel insurance.
Credit cards with travel medical insurance
You might already have some travel medical insurance coverage thanks to a credit card in your wallet. If your limits are sufficient for your risk tolerance, you might forego purchasing a separate travel medical insurance policy or plan.
Let's take a look at the Chase Sapphire Reserve® coverage, for example. It offers emergency medical coverage up to $2,500 with a $50 deductible. This card has an annual fee of $795.
In contrast, the policies we've discussed above, offer medical coverage from $50,000 to $2,000,000. That's significantly more coverage from the third-party option.
So if you want a higher limit — even if you have a premium travel credit card with existing medical coverage — purchasing a complementary plan may make sense.
This can be especially true if you are traveling in a country with expensive healthcare, will be traveling in remote or rural areas, or will be participating in higher-risk adventures.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
Credit card travel medical insurance coverage doesn't always include pre-existing conditions. Check your terms. Who needs travel health insurance?
If you plan on traveling and your existing medical insurance will not cover you in the country you are traveling to, buying a travel medical insurance plan could make sense. You could either purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy or one that only provides medical coverage.
Purchasing a policy strictly for travel medical insurance is a good idea for those who want emergency coverage while traveling but:
- Have a premium travel card that already provides trip cancellation and trip delay coverage the individual deems sufficient.
- Do not need trip cancellation, trip delay or some of the other benefits provided by a comprehensive policy because the traveler will remain in one location for a while and is not worried about a canceled trip.
If you do not have a travel card with trip cancellation benefits and you also want emergency medical coverage, then you’re better off with a comprehensive travel insurance policy.
How much does travel medical insurance cost?
The cost of the policy varies based on a number of factors including:
- The country you’re visiting.
- Your age.
- Your state of residence.
- Coverage provided.
NerdWallet conducted a full analysis of travel medical insurance costs and found that it’s typically 7% of your overall trip cost. For example, travel insurance will cost you an additional $140 (roughly) for a $2,000 trip.
Medical only travel insurance
Here's a closer look at medical benefits provided by some standalone travel insurance providers. Note that these plans typically include other non-medical travel insurance benefits as well.
Travelex: Travel Select
The Travel Select plan from Travelex medical travel insurance includes:
- Emergency medical expense: $50,000 (with a dental coverage sublimit of $500).
- Emergency medical evacuation and repatriation of remains: $500,000.
If you purchase the plan within 15 days of the initial trip payment, your coverage will also include a pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver.
Seven Corners Trip Protection Choice
The Seven Corners Trip Protection Choice plan includes:
- Emergency accident and sickness medical expense: Up to $500,000 Primary Coverage.
- Emergency dental: Up to $750.
- Medical evacuation and repatriation of remains: Up to $1 million.
How do I use my travel health insurance?
If you encounter a medical emergency while traveling, contact your travel insurance provider about how to proceed.
You will likely need to pay for your medical expenses using your credit card and subsequently file a claim for reimbursement with the insurer.
Some coverage (e.g., emergency evacuation) may need to be arranged by your travel medical insurance provider to be eligible for reimbursement.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
In all instances, it's best to contact your insurance provider before making any arrangements or paying any bills. What else you need to know
Terminology
Similar to your regular health insurance, travel medical coverage also comes with limits, exclusions and deductibles.
Exclusions are specific events that are excluded from coverage. For example, some plans may exclude coverage for activities (e.g., skydiving) that are deemed risky. Check the policy to make sure that the activities you plan to partake in are not excluded.
Limits are monetary caps on coverage. For example, the policy may cover emergency dental treatment but only up to $500. Anything over that amount you would be responsible for paying.
A deductible is an amount you need to pay before your policy will reimburse. For example, if you have a policy with a $250 deductible and you submit claims for eligible expenses totaling $400, the insurer will reimburse you for $150. Policies can often be customized to increase or decrease the deductible.
Long-term travel medical insurance options for expats
Individuals who live or work abroad and spend a considerable portion of the year living outside the U.S. are eligible for a travel health insurance plan that provides coverage for routine medical care. These policies are different from travel medical insurance, which is meant to cover only emergencies.
Long-term international travel health insurance plans usually have higher limits than travel medical insurance policies and are only available on a long-term basis.
The policies are available for one year, or longer, and have high maximum limits of $1,000,000 to $8,000,000. The plans are customizable and allow you to receive worldwide medical care.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have health insurance in the U.S. Do I need to purchase a standalone medical plan for international travel?
For the most part, U.S.-based medical insurance providers dol not cover medical treatment when you’re abroad. If you want peace of mind while you’re on a trip away from your home country, a travel medical insurance plan is your best bet.
When should I purchase travel medical insurance?
Anytime before your trip begins, including the day of departure.
I have a premium travel credit card. Do I still need travel medical insurance?
Generally, the emergency medical insurance coverage on credit cards offers fewer protections and lower limits than a stand-alone policy. As mentioned earlier, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers emergency medical coverage up to $2,500 with a $50 deductible. The policies we looked at above offered medical coverage from $50,000 to $2,000,000. If you want a higher limit, you may want to purchase a travel medical insurance policy.
Should I buy a comprehensive travel insurance policy, or is a stand-alone travel medical insurance plan enough?
It depends on the type of coverage you’re looking for. Generally, if you’re only concerned with emergency medical benefits and don’t need trip cancellation, trip delay, rental car coverage or any of the other benefits provided by a comprehensive travel insurance plan, a medical plan should be enough for you. There is no one-size-fits-all answer, and your particular circumstances determine which policy is most suitable.
Can I just get medical travel insurance?
Yes. Travelers can purchase medical-only travel insurance coverage, and on the bright side, this type of plan is often more affordable than comprehensive policies. According to Squaremouth, its customers spend an average of $92 per policy on medical-only travel insurance for trips that last about 20 days, compared to more than $400 for comprehensive plans.
Final thoughts on international medical insurance plans
Travel health insurance can protect you if you experience an unexpected medical emergency during a trip. Although this is a topic no one wants to think about, it's important to know your options.
Depending on the coverage you’re looking for, you can either pick a stand-alone medical policy or get a comprehensive travel insurance plan. Deciding which policy is best depends on your situation and any additional protections you may already have through your premium travel credit card.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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