Many residents of the United States who are over 65 have chosen Medicare A & B and probably C, and many also have a Medicare Supplement plan.  But you may not know that none of these plans give the kind of insurance you need when traveling outside the USA. The truth is that no Medicare plan will provide medical coverage or medical evacuation coverage outside the United States.

As we age it gets harder to get international travel and health insurance. But there is good news. There are several insurance plans that have no age limitations whatsoever. But which supplemental medical insurance plan is best for you and your loved ones? 

Before you speak with your insurance broker, find out what your current health insurance covers. From there you can determine what travel insurance you will need.

Is there an age limit on the plan? Some plans have no age limit while others require that you cannot be over 74 or 84 years of age.

Is there a reduction in benefits due to age? Some plans carry limited coverage for those 80 years of age or older. Check to see how much coverage they allow for.

How long does coverage last? One insurance plan covers only a month of travel while another insures you for six months.

Does it cover pre-existing health conditions? There is one plan that will cover all pre-existing medical conditions but it requires travelers to have US underwritten health plan or Medicare A, B and C.

What types of coverage do you want?  For example, do you want a plan that will insure you in cases of coma, felonious assault, political evacuation, or a sports injury?  A lot of this depends on the nature of your trip and upon what countries you will travel through.

How much Medical Evacuation is covered? One plan covers you for up to $250,000 while another $300,000.

Is the policy renewable?  You may want to take multiple trips during the next several years.  So you will want to know whether or not the plan is renewable. If it is, this will save you time and energy looking for another plan the next time you travel internationally.

The best thing to do is to speak with an insurance broker. Travel insurance is inexpensive and in the long run worth it. Click here for international travel insurance for those over 65.

First, travel insurance will protect you from losing your money should an emergency crop up which forces you to cancel your holiday. This is especially true in cases where you are booking your holiday well in advance as you cannot know what may happen in the weeks or months leading up to your trip. Having said this, emergencies have a habit of appearing at any time and without notice and so this is one form of protection that should not be considered in terms of time.

It is human nature to think that nothing will ever happen to us however a vacation can often involve a significant up-front payment and the loss of this money might well mean that you are unable to re-book your holiday later on.

Second, travel insurance allows you to pay for medical treatment while you are traveling and at your destination and, in the event of a major accident or illness, will meet the cost of bringing you back home if necessary.

Medical treatment might well be very good abroad and it may even be very much cheaper than it is at home. However, a week in hospital may still result in a substantial bill that will eat deeply into your vacations spending money. You might also find that medical treatment abroad leaves a lot to be desired and you may well have to cut your vacation short and head back home for the treatment you require.

Third, travel insurance will provide protection for your possessions while you are traveling and at your destination so that you will be compensated in the event of loss or damage.

If you are a regular traveler then you will probably have experienced the loss of your luggage at some time and will know only too well just how annoying and costly it is. I shall not forget stopping off for a bite to eat on my way to the airport on one holiday and very carefully locking my bag in the trunk of my hire car. When I got back roughly half an hour later I found that someone had forced the lock on the passenger door and folded the back seat down to gain acces to the boot and steal my suitcase.

I also remember only too well waiting at a road junction one hot and sunny day when a motorcycle drew up beside the car and a man reached through the open passenger side window and snatched my mother’s handbag which was by her feet on the floor.

Traveling overseas is expensive enough but traveling without adequate insurance cover can lead to bills that you simply do not have the money to pay. So, whenever you are making plans for a trip remember to add travel medical insurance to your vacation list.

Worry-Free Traveling

Travel insurance packages were designed to specifically address the untoward incidents that commonly happen to passengers. Cancelled flights, for example, are the bane of many a traveler’s existence, and even more so if accommodations were already planned ahead. A travel insurance policy would cover such an event and the insurance company will reimburse you for the tickets and the money lost as a result of the delay. The same will be true as well should you decide to cancel your flight because of an urgent matter.

A travel insurance policy often covers more than just you and your ticket. Insurance companies know that you’ll most probably rent a car once you get to your destination. You can have that rental car insured under your travel insurance policy as well. It saves you from the repair costs should the car get damaged, as well as from the higher rates of rental company insurance.

Safe Traveling

Travel medical insurance is one of the more major components of any travel insurance package. The medical insurance component is the one that will pay for the medical expenses should you fall ill, get injured or require treatment abroad. In the case of a medical emergency where you need immediate treatment in a foreign hospital, the insurance policy will also shoulder a significant part of the costs. Even the direst of situations are covered by travel insurance. Supposing your condition requires you to be transported or airlifted to another facility – an expensive step, mind you – the insurance company will cover the expense.

More than that, a travel medical insurance policy will almost certainly get you medical attention of the same caliber as what you get back home. When your health is at stake, the quality of the care and the treatment is a big issue. Getting the same standard of medical attention in another country could run up to some big bills. However, a travel insurance policy will make that kind of quality care a whole lot easier to get, even on short notice.

Travel insurance gives you a very handy safety net while you’re traveling abroad. An insurance policy is all the more important if you’re visiting a totally unfamiliar region. It takes the burden of worrying about emergencies and untoward incidents off your shoulders, allowing you to enjoy more of your trip.