We recently talked to someone, without travel insurance, that was charged over $1,000 for a visit to the ship’s doctor on an international cruise. A travel plan would have cost less than $100 for their entire family, but they did not purchase one because they did not want to spend money.
We receive a variety of responses when we recommend travel health insurance to clients traveling out of the country. Thankfully, most of the time we hear, “Send me a quote!” and the client takes our advice to sign up for a plan for their international vacation. Unfortunately, there are plenty of times when we hear, “It’s just too expensive!” or “I doubt I’ll need it because I hardly ever get sick” or even “What I have will take care of emergencies. That’s good enough.”
Let’s look at some of these common reasons for not purchasing travel health insurance and why maybe you should rethink purchasing a travel health plan.
Travel Insurance is Too Expensive
Costs will vary based on age and destination. However, it is usually very affordable considering that the cost of medical evacuation without insurance can typically range from $25,000 to $100,000. For example, the price for a 50-year-old woman to have travel health insurance to the Dominican Republic with a trip length of 5 days is less than $40. Would you like to check out the cost of your travel insurance for an upcoming trip? You can click here to be directed to our IMG quoting page.
Vacation Sickness? Don’t Let Medical Bills Ruin Your Trip
Remember that while your body may be used to allergens and diseases here in the U.S., that is no guarantee that it will be able to handle it once you’ve landed in your vacation destination. Consider this statistic from a recent article from the National Institiute of Health: “between 10% and 42% of travelers to any destination and 15% to 70% of travelers to tropical settings experience illness, either during their travels or upon return to their home country.” Having travel health insurance and not needing to use it, is always much better than needing travel health insurance and not having it.
Protect Yourself from Unexpected Medical Emergencies Abroad
Remember that this is emergency medical coverage, which usually translates to life and limb. If you have a simple sinus infection or a bout of gastrointestinal discomfort caused by food you’re not used to, your stateside insurance isn’t going to cover you seeing a medical practitioner out of the country. Also, consider the worst case. What if an emergency results in your death? The U.S. Department of State reports that in 2022, 15 Americans died in the Bahamas. 12 of those died from drowning. As much as we don’t want to think about it, having coverage that will cover the repatriation of remains is necessary.
In Closing
Traveling is all about creating memories, and unexpected medical emergencies shouldn’t be one of them. While travel insurance might seem like an extra cost upfront, it’s a small investment that can provide significant peace of mind. Don’t let the fear of a little expense turn a dream vacation into a financial nightmare. Get a quote today and travel smart, knowing you’re covered for the unexpected!