A couple of months ago, I wrote about the 4 biggest risks you need to avoid when traveling. In that article, I talked briefly about the need to buy travel insurance. As I said then, you really do not want to end up being stranded somewhere without your phone, money and other stuff.
But, while browsing the https://www.uhcsafetrip.com/ website I realised that I had not mentioned an even more serious risk in my original article. Falling sick in a foreign country and not being able to pay for good quality medical treatment is something that happens to a lot of travellers.
Now, I know that some of you are saying I am not worried, that will never happen to me. I am a healthy person, so I will be OK. Hopefully, that will be the case, but the truth is that you never know. Medical conditions can come on very quickly. Or, you could have an accident and end up with an injury that needs medical attention.
You may also be thinking that you can easily cover the cost of most medical emergencies. After all, if you are an American, and were at home at the time you would have to cover the bill yourself anyway. This way of looking at things is understandable.
But, it is important to bear in mind that in some countries, the cost of medical procedures and drugs is far higher than it is in the USA. Add in sundry costs like paying for a translator, changing your flights or paying for your spouse to stay a couple of extra weeks and you can soon end up with a huge bill.
Things get a lot worse if it turns out that you need to be flown back to the USA on a medical flight. Costs vary, but if you end up stranded in Europe the bill can easily top $25,000.
Plus, in some cases, you may have to pay for internal transport too. In most countries, ambulances are not free to use. If you break your leg on a remote hiking trail you may have to cover the cost of having a helicopter pick you up and fly hundreds of miles to a treatment facility.
Just one medical emergency can end up landing you with a debt that you will still be paying off decades later. So, you have to ask yourself is it really worth taking the risk? For the price of a nice meal, all of the above can be fully covered by the right medical travel insurance policy.
However, you do need to take your time when buying one. Not all policies cover all of the above or offer an adequate level of coverage.
If you are a US citizen who is planning a trip abroad and wants to make sure they buy a decent travel insurance plan that includes medical coverage, I suggest that you click here. When you do, you will be taken to a consumer report that explains everything you need to know to buy the correct policy for you.
