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Protect Yourself Abroad: Best Medical Evacuation Insurance [2024]

Jessica Merritt

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Protect Yourself Abroad: Best Medical Evacuation Insurance [2024]

The 5 best medical evacuation travel insurance plans, what is medical evacuation travel insurance, is medical evacuation travel insurance worth it, what medical evacuation travel insurance costs, what medical evacuation travel insurance covers, types of medical evacuation travel insurance, what to look for in a medical evacuation travel insurance policy, how to get medical evacuation travel insurance, final thoughts.

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Leaving your destination in a medevac helicopter probably isn’t in your travel plans. But if you need emergency medical evacuation, it will be costly and may be difficult to coordinate without help. A medical evacuation travel insurance plan can cover some or all of the costs of emergency medical evacuation and help you get the medical care you need when it matters most.

If you’re considering a medical evacuation travel insurance policy, read this guide to learn how this type of travel insurance coverage can help you, when it’s worth it, what it costs, and how to choose the best plan for your needs.

Many travel insurance policies offer emergency medical evacuation benefits, so you have many options to compare. We considered travel insurance plans with at least $500,000 in emergency medical evacuation benefits and coverage for emergency medical care, trip cancellation, and trip interruption.

Consider these medical evacuation travel insurance plans with a good value for the coverage provided:

Best Medical Evacuation Travel Insurance for Europe: IMG

With IMG’s iTravelInsured Travel SE , your medical evacuation benefits are up to $500,000 if a local attending physician and IMG’s travel assistance services provider determine your condition is acute, severe, or life-threatening and medically necessary treatment isn’t available where you are. IMG will pay to return you to your point of origin, your primary residence, or a hospital or medical facility closest to your home.

If applicable, costs covered include air and land transportation, including an air ambulance and medical escort. IMG pays covered expenses directly to the service provider if payment is required upfront — so you don’t have to think about paying a huge bill before getting home safely.

In addition to medical evacuation coverage, you’ll get trip cancellation and interruption insurance. The $250,000 medical benefits offer primary coverage, so you don’t have to go through regular insurance first. For this plan, we got a $53.49 quote for a 35-year-old visiting Switzerland .

Best Medical Evacuation Travel Insurance for Antarctica: Aegis

The Aegis Go Ready Choice plan offers medical evacuation coverage even when traveling to far-flung Antarctica with limited services. This plan offers evacuation to the nearest adequate medical facility if you experience a medical emergency during your trip.

It covers medically appropriate transportation and medical care en route to the nearest suitable hospital if the on-site attending physician certifies that you’re medically able to travel and there is no suitable local care available. Aegis will also fly 1 person of your choice — subject to a maximum of $3,000 — to your place of hospitalization and provide lodging and meals up to $300 per day for 15 days.

On top of medical evacuation coverage, this plan covers 100% of your costs for trip cancellation and 150% for trip interruption. Emergency medical coverage is for up to $500,000, though it’s secondary coverage, so you’ll have to exhaust other available insurance options first. This plan was quoted to us for $100.57 for a 35-year-old visiting Antarctica.

Best Medical Evacuation Travel Insurance for Costa Rica: WorldTrips

Using the WorldTrips Atlas Journey Economy plan, you’ll get up to $500,000 in medical evacuation benefits if you need a physician-ordered medical evacuation. That includes medically appropriate transportation and necessary medical care en route to the nearest suitable hospital.

The coverage applies if you’re critically ill or injured and no suitable local care is available. It also covers non-emergency repatriation to get you to your home or hospital in the U.S. for proper care, plus transportation, hotel, meals, phone calls, and local transportation for 1 person of your choice if you’re hospitalized for 24 hours or more.

While the medical evacuation coverage is comprehensive, emergency medical coverage is limited to only $10,000 of secondary coverage. But you also will be covered for up to 100% of your total cost with trip cancellation and interruption benefits. Our quote for a 35-year-old visiting Costa Rica came to $114.

Best Medical Evacuation Travel Insurance for $1 Million Coverage: TravelSafe

If you need up to $1 million in medical evacuation coverage, you can get it from TravelSafe’s Classic plan. You can use this benefit to get to the nearest suitable medical facility if your condition is acute, severe, or life-threatening, and adequate medically necessary treatment isn’t available in your immediate area. It also covers medical evacuation expenses to return you to your point of origin or a medical facility closest to your primary residence.

This plan also includes up to $25,000 for non-medical evacuation, which applies if you need transportation due to natural disasters or civil or political unrest. And emergency medical coverage offers up to $100,000 per person.

Trip cancellation covers up to 100% of your trip cost and trip interruption up to 150%. For a 35-year-old visiting Costa Rica, this plan came out to $122.

Read our Travelsafe insurance review for more information on all of their plans.

Best Medical Evacuation Travel Insurance for Cruises: Seven Corners

On a Seven Corners Trip Protection Choice plan, you’ll get up to $1 million in medical evacuation coverage. It applies if you have a severe, acute, or life-threatening condition and can’t get medically necessary treatment in your immediate area. It can include a medical escort who can provide medical care during transportation. You can also get transportation back to your point of origin, primary residence, or a hospital or medical facility closest to your primary residence.

If you’re traveling alone and will be hospitalized for more than 7 consecutive days or unable to travel after your evacuation, Seven Corners will pay airfare for a person of your choice to support you. Or, you can get reimbursed for a traveling companion’s expenses if you’re hospitalized for at least 3 days.

Emergency medical coverage offers up to $500,000 in primary coverage benefits with no medical deductible. Trip cancellation benefits cover up to 100% of your trip cost, and trip interruption covers up to 150%. Our quote for this plan came to $139 for a 35-year-old cruising Mexico.

Medical Evacuation Travel Medical Insurance

Medical evacuation travel insurance is a type of travel insurance that can cover the costs of medically necessary emergency evacuation . It applies if you become seriously injured or ill on your trip and there are no appropriate medical facilities where you are.

With medical evacuation coverage, your insurance generally pays for transportation costs to get to a medical facility with adequate care, which may include land and air ambulance . It also covers the price of a medical escort and may provide coverage for a companion to help you during a hospitalization. Medical evacuation policies frequently offer repatriation benefits, which can get you home after emergency medical treatment.

Medical evacuation travel insurance is crucial if you plan to visit a remote destination or an area with limited medical facilities. With this coverage, you can travel confidently, knowing you can be transported to appropriate medical care without overwhelming costs.

Medical evacuation travel insurance could save your life, and that’s priceless. Prompt medical care from a capable medical facility could be a matter of life and death, particularly if you’ve experienced trauma and need critical care as soon as possible .

Getting medical evacuation travel insurance is often worth it compared to the out-of-pocket cost of medical evacuation. Sure, you might travel your entire life and never need an emergency medical evacuation. But if you do need medical evacuation, the costs can be catastrophic.

Don’t overlook the value of the support offered by an insurance company’s assistance hotline. If you’re seriously injured or ill, you may struggle to coordinate care and may face language barriers or unfamiliarity with local and regional medical care. An assistance hotline to coordinate care could be crucial in getting the lifesaving medical care you need.

How much medical evacuation travel insurance is worth to you depends on your health conditions, where you plan to travel, and what you plan to do when you travel. If you travel domestically or to locations with robust healthcare facilities, medical evacuation travel insurance might not be beneficial to you.

On the other hand, if you plan to visit remote locations or destinations with limited access to medical care, medical evacuation travel insurance is probably worth getting. It’s also a good idea if you plan to engage in activities with a high risk of accidents or injuries, such as backcountry skiing or mountaineering.

Consider these factors as you determine whether medical evacuation travel insurance is worth it for you:

Your destination and its medical infrastructure
Planned travel activities
Preexisting health conditions
Your financial ability to pay for evacuation expenses
How far you’re traveling from home

Medical Evacuation Is Costly

If you need medical evacuation, you should expect it to cost at least $20,000 just for transportation , according to Allianz Travel Insurance . That number can increase exponentially to $200,000 or more if evacuation is complicated, such as needing a medevac from a remote mountain.

Emergency transportation can also cover the cost of getting you home once you’re stable. That might be more complicated than you’d think. You may need to ride home on a stretcher with a medical escort who can monitor your condition and administer care. This type of flight generally costs about $25,000 to $30,000, and an air ambulance may cost up to $50,000.

These costs are only for transporting you to and from the hospital , as evacuation is just part of the cost of emergency medical treatment. It’s also best to get medical evacuation coverage as part of a comprehensive travel insurance plan with emergency medical coverage.

Don’t count on Medicare to cover medical evacuation on a cruise ship or while traveling abroad. Medicare medical evacuation coverage is limited to particular circumstances. For example, Medicare may pay when you have a medical emergency in the U.S., and a foreign hospital that can treat you is closer than any hospital in the U.S.

Credit Card Travel Insurance May Limit Medical Evacuation Coverage

Credit cards with travel insurance coverage may provide medical evacuation benefits, but not all do. Check the limits on your medical evacuation benefit and understand that actual medical evacuation costs could exceed your benefits.

For example, Chase Sapphire Reserve ® covers up to $100,000 in emergency evacuation and transportation costs . That might be enough if you’re not too far from adequate medical care, but it’s probably not enough coverage to get you out of a remote area with a severe injury.

Some credit cards offer medical evacuation coverage with no limit. The Platinum Card ® from American Express is one of the best travel cards and offers emergency evacuation with no specified limit under its Premium Global Assistance coverage.

If your credit card’s emergency medical evacuation coverage isn’t adequate for your needs, travel insurance with medical evacuation benefits may be worth it.

Medical evacuation travel insurance is often part of a comprehensive travel insurance policy. All of the quotes we got were about $50 to $140. You should expect comprehensive travel insurance with medical evacuation coverage costs of about 5% to 10% of your trip.

Your cost of medical evacuation travel insurance may vary depending on factors including:

Age: Your age is a significant factor in medical evacuation travel insurance costs, as older travelers are considered more at high risk for travel insurance coverage.
Health Conditions: You may pay more for your policy if you need coverage for preexisting conditions.
Destination: Traveling to a location with limited medical facilities, high health care costs, or travel advisories may require paying a higher premium for medical evacuation travel insurance.
Travel Duration: The longer you plan to travel, the greater the risk, so you’ll pay more to insure an extended travel period.
Activities: The activities you plan on your trip, such as adventure sports, can increase the cost of your medical evacuation travel insurance premium.
Policy Details: Your policy’s coverage limits, deductibles, copayments, and features, such as emergency assistance services, will influence how much you pay to carry a medical evacuation travel insurance policy.

Adventure travel insurance policies may cost more but deliver the coverage you need if risky activities are in your travel plans.

Your coverage with a medical evacuation travel insurance policy depends on the travel insurance company, plan, coverage selections, and other policy details. Still, you can generally expect a medical evacuation travel insurance policy to at least cover emergency medical evacuation along with medical treatment, monitoring, and coordination.

Let’s look at some of the coverages common among medical evacuation travel insurance policies:

Emergency Medical Evacuation: This coverage covers the cost of transportation to the nearest suitable medical facility, which could require air, land, or sea emergency transportation with ambulance services.
Medical Escort: Medical escort coverage provides medical care and monitoring while you’re en route to a medical facility. For example, you may be escorted and treated by doctors and nurses on a medevac helicopter to a hospital.
Care Coordination: Travel insurance companies generally offer an emergency assistance line and coordination that can help you find and coordinate with local healthcare providers, monitor your situation, and communicate between you, the medical staff, and your family. They may facilitate admission to hospitals with financial guarantees.
Support Travel: Whether you’re traveling alone and need a support person to meet you or you have a traveling companion who needs to come with you, medical evacuation travel insurance may pay for transportation and other costs for a support person so you don’t have to be hospitalized without a trusted friend or family member.
Repatriation: Emergency medical evacuation travel insurance may pay to get you home or to a medical facility near your home after you’re stable.

Comprehensive travel insurance plans are the most common type with emergency medical evacuation coverage. However, you may have access to specialized plans that focus mainly on emergency medical treatment and evacuation. These plans may offer higher coverage limits and more specialized services.

You can also look for specialized travel insurance policies. For example, you’d want adventure travel insurance with medical evacuation if you plan to climb a remote mountain or cruise travel insurance with medical evacuation coverage if you’re concerned you may need medical evacuation from a cruise ship.

It’s also worth considering an annual travel insurance policy or multi-trip coverage, which can cover all your travel within a year.

Read our travel insurance introductory guide to learn more about travel insurance options, which frequently include emergency medical evacuation coverage.

As you compare emergency medical evacuation travel insurance policies, consider these factors:

Cost: While the price of a medical evacuation travel insurance policy may pale compared to actual evacuation costs, you still want to be mindful of how much you pay for coverage. Consider adjusting coverage levels, deductibles, and copays to get the right coverage at a reasonable price.
Coverage Limits: Compare how much coverage you get from one policy to another. A policy may be more expensive but offer greater coverage. You should also look at the emergency medical coverage limits of each policy.
Covered Benefits: The features of medical evacuation travel insurance policies vary between companies and plans. Confirm that the plans you’re considering offer the benefits you want, such as transportation for a support person to join you in the hospital.
Policy Limitations: Make sure your policy doesn’t place limitations that would restrict key coverage, such as not covering the region or country you’re visiting, your trip exceeding the allowed duration, or your age or preexisting conditions excluding you from receiving full benefits.
Additional Coverage: Medical evacuation coverage may be a major consideration, but consider the complete package when choosing a travel insurance policy. Trip interruption and cancellation, emergency hotlines, and other coverage can be valuable features for protecting your trip.
Customer Service and Claims: Read customer reviews to learn about the claims process, how well the company delivers on claims and services, and what you can expect if you buy a policy.

You can usually get medical evacuation travel insurance as part of a comprehensive travel insurance plan . Start by getting quotes from travel insurance companies directly, or use a travel insurance comparison website such as Squaremouth to get quotes for multiple policies simultaneously.

Another option is looking at the coverage offered when you book travel. For example, an airline or online travel agency may allow you to add travel insurance to your booking. Read the fine print to find out if it covers medical evacuation and learn about the coverage details. It makes sense to compare policies offered at booking to the quotes you can get independently from travel insurance companies.

You may have travel protection, including medical evacuation coverage, available with your credit card. Check your benefits guide to see what’s covered, how much coverage you get, and when it applies.

Emergency medical evacuation travel insurance can be critical coverage if you experience a medical emergency while traveling. Getting a travel insurance policy with medical evacuation coverage can offer a financial safety net and the assurance of lifesaving support in case of a medical crisis. While medical evacuation insurance can add to your travel costs, the savings can be exponential if you need to use your coverage.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card ® from American Express, click here .

Frequently Asked Questions

Does insurance cover medical evacuation.

Regular health insurance and Medicare may cover medical evacuation under limited circumstances, but in most cases, your plan won’t cover it. Comprehensive travel insurance policies commonly offer medical evacuation coverage.

How much medical evacuation insurance should I get?

You should get at least $100,000 in medical evacuation insurance. If you’re traveling to a particularly remote or dangerous location, you may opt for medical evacuation insurance of up to $1 million.

How much does it cost to be medically evacuated?

Medical evacuation costs vary depending on the complexity of your evacuation but generally range from $20,000 to $200,000 just for transportation costs.

What is the difference between medical evacuation and repatriation?

Medical evacuation gets you to the closest medical facility that can treat you effectively, while repatriation brings you home. For example, you may get a medical evacuation to a regional hospital for critical care, then repatriation to a medical facility near your home once your condition is stable enough for travel.

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About Jessica Merritt

A long-time points and miles student, Jessica is the former Personal Finance Managing Editor at U.S. News and World Report and is passionate about helping consumers fund their travels for as little cash as possible.

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Travel Insurance

What is medical evacuation insurance?

Jennifer Simonson

Jennifer Lobb

“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.

Updated 9:22 a.m. UTC Nov. 13, 2023

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Medical evacuation insurance provides coverage for emergency medical transportation to the nearest adequate treatment center if you become seriously injured or ill while traveling.
If your attending physician determines you should be transported home for care, the cost of emergency medical transportation could be hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Medical evacuation insurance can pay to transport your children home if you require a lengthy hospital stay.

Imagine you are on your dream vacation skiing through the Swiss Alps and you take a serious tumble that shatters your femur. To make matters worse, the healthcare facility in the remote town you are visiting doesn’t have adequate doctors, equipment or supplies to treat you. What do you do?

To pay out of pocket to be transported to a proper medical facility could potentially cost you tens of thousands of dollars. That is where a comprehensive travel insurance plan with emergency medical evacuation benefits comes into play.

While every plan is different, buying enough medical evacuation insurance coverage can give you peace of mind that you will be taken care of no matter what happens when you are away from home. And that an outrageous medical bill isn’t one of the souvenirs you bring home.

Compare the best travel insurance offers

Travel insured.

Via TravelInsurance.com’s website

Top-scoring plan

Worldwide Trip Protector

Covers COVID?

Medical & evacuation limits per person

$100,000/$1 million

Atlas Journey Preferred

Seven Corners

RoundTrip Basic

$500,000/$1 million

What is medical evacuation insurance?

Medical evacuation insurance is often found in comprehensive travel insurance policies in the form of a benefit called emergency medical evacuation, medical evacuation or repatriation insurance. This benefit covers the cost of emergency medical transportation to the nearest adequate treatment center if you become seriously injured or ill while traveling. If a qualified facility is not available, it may even cover the cost of transporting you back home.

A physician generally certifies that the severity of the accidental injury or illness warrants the move. The ultimate objective is to save your life, arm, or leg by ensuring you receive the emergency treatment you require.

Do I need medical evacuation insurance?

If you’re traveling in a location not covered by your domestic health care plan and are not prepared to pay for medical bills out of pocket, travel insurance that includes emergency medical coverage is crucial, says Daniel Durazo, director of external communications at Allianz Partners.

Emergency medical treatment overseas can be challenging to navigate. Most providers do not accept U.S. health insurance plans, Medicare or Medicaid. Travel insurance companies can help by coordinating with doctors, providing translation services, arranging emergency transportation and handling billing, says Durazo.

How much does medical evacuation cost?

Medical evacuation charges are not cheap, especially in remote locations.

“The cost of emergency medical transportation can run into the tens of thousands of dollars or more, and varies based on the traveler’s health condition, care required and their location,” Durazo said.

Medical evacuations are logistically challenging to coordinate leading to the high cost of transportation. According to Durazo, if you need emergency medical transportation back to the U.S., it can cost the following.

How much medical evacuation insurance do I need?

Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison site, recommends at least $100,000 in medical evacuation insurance if you are traveling internationally. If traveling to a remote location or going on a cruise, Squaremouth recommends $250,000 in coverage.

You can buy medical evacuation insurance coverage for up to $1 million, depending on the travel insurance plan you buy.

What does medical evacuation insurance cover?

Medical evacuation insurance typically covers emergency transportation, medical escorts, the cost of a companion to be by your side and the cost to send your children home if there is no one available to care for them.

Emergency transportation

If you become seriously ill or injured while traveling, medical evacuation insurance can cover the cost of transportation to the nearest adequate facility for treatment. If medically necessary, it may even cover the cost of your flight back home.

Should emergency medical transportation be deemed necessary, options may include air ambulance or commercial carrier, Durazo said.

While some might assume an air ambulance is the best mode of transportation, most patients report a better experience on a commercial carrier. Commercial airlines not only offer more options for direct flights, better overall flight quality and more room for medical staff and travel companions, but they also allow patients to travel in either first or business class where they can lay flat if medically necessary.

Medical escort

Medical evacuation insurance can pay for the cost of medical escort services should you need a medical professional to assist you on the trip home. In-flight medical teams could include nurses, paramedics or doctors that monitor vital signs, manage pain and assist with medication administration.

Transport to bedside

If you become seriously ill or injured or develop a medical condition while on your trip requiring hospitalization for more than a predetermined amount of time, the insurance might arrange and pay for round-trip transportation for a family member or friend to stay with you.

Some plans also provide compensation for food, hotel and other expenses your bedside companion incurs while remaining close to you is also available on certain plans.

Return of dependents

Insurance companies may also pay for the transportation of traveling companions who are under the age of 18 to their primary residence or a location of your choice if you do not have an adult family member traveling with you who can care for them.

You typically need to be told by the treating doctor that you will be in the hospital for a minimum number of days before you can claim this benefit.

What does medical evacuation not cover?

While medical evacuation insurance covers most illnesses and accidents, be aware that injuries resulting from extreme, high-risk sports and activities like bungee jumping, skiing in areas accessed by helicopter, free climbing and skydiving are often excluded from coverage.

If you are planning risky activities, look into a travel insurance plan that offers an adventure bundle. The Travel Guard Deluxe plan, for example, comes with up to $1 million in coverage for emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains and offers an Adventure Sports upgrade that removes the exclusions for adventure and extreme activities.

Other exclusions to medical evacuation coverage may include:

Transportation not pre-approved by the travel insurance company.
Transportation that goes against the advice of your physician.
Pre-existing medical conditions.
Mental or psychological disorder.
Normal pregnancy or childbirth (complications are generally not excluded).
Intentional injury, suicide or attempted suicide.
Loss that occurs within 100 miles of your home.

Make sure you read and understand the exclusions listed in your travel insurance policy. Travel insurance companies typically offer 14 or 15 days to review your plan. During this “free look” period, you can request a refund if you’re not satisfied with the coverage.

When would I need medical evacuation insurance?

While it is always a good idea to travel with medical evacuation insurance, it is even more important to do so when you are traveling off the beaten path such as on safaris, Antarctic expeditions or car trips through remote countryside.

“Slips and falls that result in broken legs, broken hips and head injuries are some of the most frequent things we transport for,” said John Gobbels, chief operating officer of air medical transport company Medjet. “We also see a lot of cardiovascular episodes such as heart attacks and strokes as well as infections that have progressed to sepsis.”

Other medical transport options

Most medical evacuation insurance plans stipulate that you are flown to the nearest adequate facility for treatment. Once you reach that “acceptable facility,” you are often required to stay there until you’ve recovered to the fullest extent possible before being flown home via a commercial carrier. If you are unhappy with that facility because the most modern equipment is not available, the language barrier is frustrating or simply because you do not want to have corrective surgery so far from home, you are often out of luck.

“People need to understand what the ‘acceptable facility’ and ‘medically necessary’ terms in their coverage really mean. When you read about people with very good travel insurance ‘stuck’ in foreign hospitals, it’s usually because of those terms,” said Gobbels. “The insurance company gets to decide what’s acceptable and whether it’s medically necessary to move you.”

That’s where “medical transport memberships” like Medjet can help. They pick up where insurance leaves off. With a medical transport membership, you can choose the hospital where you are treated even if it is not the same one deemed the closest adequate hospital by the insurance company.

“We move you just because you want to be moved home. It doesn’t have to be “medically necessary” to move you,” he said about medical transport memberships. “You get to choose whether you want to go home or not. That’s the difference.”

What if I am traveling within the United States?

If you are traveling within the United States or to U.S. territories like Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, the need for medical evacuation insurance is less dire.

If you are traveling to a remote location like the Rocky Mountain backcountry or an adventure-oriented trip like hiking the Grand Canyon, purchasing a travel insurance plan that includes medical evacuation might still be the smart choice.

While your domestic health care plan likely covers transportation to a hospital within the U.S., it probably does not cover a flight home requiring medical equipment and a medical escort. In addition, you would still be responsible for copays and deductions.

How do I buy medical evacuation insurance?

Medical evacuation insurance is often included in comprehensive travel insurance plans, but you can also buy a stand-alone travel medical plan.

One such option is the OneTrip Emergency Medical plan from Allianz, which includes up to $250,000 in emergency medical transportation, $50,000 for medical and dental emergencies and $10,000 in travel accident coverage.

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy . The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Jennifer Simonson covers everything from business to the wine industry to international travel. Outdoor adventure, water parks and all things Texas are by far her favorite beats. Her work has appeared in Forbes, Travel + Leisure, Texas Monthly, Smithsonian Magazine, Fodor's, Lonely Planet, Slate and more. You can follow her on Instagram at @storiestoldwell.

Jennifer Lobb is deputy editor at USA TODAY Blueprint and is an experienced insurance and personal finance writer. Jennifer served as an insurance staff writer and editor at U.S. News and World Report and deputy editor of insurance at Forbes Advisor. She also spent several years covering finance and insurance for various financial media sites, including LendingTree and Investopedia. For nearly a decade, she’s helped consumers make educated decisions about the products that protect their finances, families and homes.

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Medical Evacuation Insurance – an Overview of Medevac Plans

Medical evacuation insurance plans, often called Medevac plans, are focused on emergency medical evacuations, international security evacuations and repatriation.

What is Medical Evacuation Coverage

Just because you get injured and require medical transportation doesn’t mean you will be sent all the way back to your home. When a well-planned trip goes awry and you, or someone you love, desperately needs immediate medical attention, this is where medical evacuation coverage comes through.

Most travel insurance policies cover transportation to the nearest facility and leave you there for treatment. They decide where you go, not you. They decide what is considered an acceptable medical facility for your care, not you. Once they get you to the hospital, their obligation is finished. You will then be liable to cover the cost of getting home or getting transported to a hospital at home that can complete your treatment.

Medical evacuation coverage gets you transported to the hospital of your choice and then, after you are well enough to be repatriated, it transports you to your hospital at home.

How does Medical Evacuation Insurance Work?

Most travel insurance plans include basic coverage for medical evacuation. According to the terms of your contract with them, they take you to the nearest facility that can handle your emergency.

This means you have:

No choice in where you go
No guarantee of going to the best medical facility
No one to walk you through the process or translate the language for you

Medical evacuation insurance is important because each year over 10 million travelers are hospitalized abroad and over two million require emergency medical transportation. And medical transport is not cheap.

When you need a medical evacuation, you will contact your plan provider and they will coordinate your medical evacuation, handle family communications, provide translation services, and provide support every step of the way. When you’re well enough to travel home, they will arrange for medical transportation to your choice of hospital back home.

Different types of Evacuation Coverage

There are essentially two types of evacuation coverage:

Medical evacuation coverage (also called medevac)
Security/political evacuation coverage

Medical evacuation covers the coordination and cost of transportation to a medical facility. Depending on your need for treatment, it will also transport you either to your home or to a medical facility at home that can continue your care.

Security and political evacuation covers your transportation away from an unsafe place to a safe one. Depending on how the situation develops, you and your dependents can be returned to your trip destination or back home.

What makes Medical Evacuation unique?

A medical evacuation insurance plan provides coverage for evacuations and repatriation for individuals who travel either internationally and/or for business reasons on a regular basis.

Focuses on all types of evacuations

Medevac plans focus on emergency medical evacuations, international security evacuations, and repatriation. The travel insurance company must handle the coordination of these efforts and they usually take care of payments to the rescue team as well. Evacuations are covered up to the policy limits and only for covered reasons listed in the policy document.

Care for the important people in your life

Medevac plans often include emergency medical reunion benefits and return of minor children benefits, so you can care for the people who are important to you as well.

Often includes AD&D or term life benefits

Many medevac plans include AD&D and/or term life benefits as well. These are paid regardless of whether the insured has other AD&D or life insurance benefits to the beneficiary(ies) listed on the application form.

May include extra benefits

A few medical evacuation plans include some package-like benefits, including:

Trip interruption
Lost baggage
Optional adventure sports coverage

Why do you need a Medical Evacuation Coverage Plan?

You are working on a volunteer project in the middle of the jungle and have a heart attack.
Your teenage son has an accident with a jet ski while on a family cruise and suffers a severe concussion at sea.
On a hike to a waterfall in Costa Rica, your wife slips off the trail and breaks her leg.
Your parents are traveling with you to Rome when your father experiences a stroke.
Your daughter’s graduation trip ends in a horrific traffic accident miles from home.

What coverage is included?

The following coverage is typically found in a Medical Evacuation travel insurance plan.

Coordination and payment for emergency medical transportation to get you to a medical facility or return you home where you can obtain medical care.
Language translation services when you are traveling in a foreign country and don’t understand what the local medical team is saying.
Communication to family members and business partners back home who are worried about you.
Repatriation arrangements, including proper handling, negotiations and payments necessary to return your body to your home or a nearby funeral home if you are killed or die on your trip.

Who should buy Medical Evacuation travel insurance?

Travelers like these should purchase medical evacuation travel insurance:

Individuals and families on a cruise. The medical facilities on a cruise ship are limited and if you experience a medical emergency, you’ll want coverage to coordinate and pay for your evacuation to obtain proper medical care.
Travelers headed to remote destinations. If you are planning to travel to remote regions of the globe, where medical care may be non existent, you’ll want assistance if you are severely ill or injured.
Missionaries and foreign aid workers. Often missionaries and foreign aid workers travel to politically dangerous areas or regions that are damaged by natural disasters. Be sure you can save yourself if something happens to you so you can continue doing important work.
Business travelers working abroad. When you work in a foreign country, you may have access to your own health care or universal health care, but you won’t have coverage to be returned home if something truly terrible happens without medical evacuation insurance.

How much does Medical Evacuation cost?

The factors that affect the cost of a medical evacuation plan include:

The age of the travelers
Individual or family plan
Annual or single-trip
The length of the trip
Optional coverage

An annual medical evacuation plan will cost a traveler around $200.00 and cover all the trips taken during the year. A single-trip medevac plan will cost a traveler between $45 and $68 (depending on the factors above).

4 Steps to 100% confidence in your travel insurance plan

Where should you buy your Medical Evacuation travel insurance?

You have two options for buying travel insurance – the best option is to compare plans from all companies, get quotes, and purchase your travel insurance plan online:

Compare plans from all companies: Compare travel insurance plans from all companies, get quotes, and buy online.
Quote and buy direct: Review the travel insurance companies and plans and purchase directly from the company.

All travel insurance companies include a free look period with a refund that lets you review the plan documentation. If you decide you need something a little different, you can make changes to your policy or cancel it for a refund (minus a small fee).

Which companies offer Medical Evacuation travel insurance plans?

Medevac plans focus on all types of evacuations – emergency medical, security, etc.
Often includes coverage for emergency medical reunion and return of minor children if you are hospitalized
Sometimes includes coverage for medical expenses and package-like benefits
Use a travel insurance comparison tool to find medevac plans and compare prices

Damian Tysdal is the founder of CoverTrip, and is a licensed agent for travel insurance (MA 1883287). He believes travel insurance should be easier to understand, and started the first travel insurance blog in 2006.

Travel with peace-of-mind... Compare quotes for free

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Best Medical Evacuation Insurance Plans 2024

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Key takeaways

What is emergency medical evacuation insurance?

Medical evacuation insurance vs. travel medical insurance, our top picks for the best medical evacuation insurance plans, do i need medical evacuation insurance, what does emergency medical evacuation insurance cover, how much does a medical evacuation cost without insurance, how much emergency evacuation insurance coverage should you have, when is medical evacuation coverage recommended, tips for choosing the best medevac insurance, how to use emergency medical evacuation insurance, air ambulance insurance and other alternatives, medical evacuation insurance faq.

Recommended articles

Best Medical Evacuation Membership

Medjetassist, why we like it.

Editor's take

MedJet Assist is a membership plan that ensures individuals get the medical evacuation help they need when they need it. Paying for membership ensures travelers get help arranging medical transfers regardless of medical necessity, and it lets members determine which medical facility they want to be moved to. This plan works for medical evacuation within the United States and abroad, and it can be purchased for short-term travel or longer trips.

While the traditional MedJet Assist plan includes coverage for medical evacuation, the upgraded MedJetHorizon plan also adds in worldwide travel security, crisis response, and evacuation services powered by FocusPoint International. This add-on coverage can help pay for evacuation in the event of terrorism, natural disasters, and violent crime.

Read our full review

Available for short-term or long-term travel
Can cover pricey evacuation expenses when you need medical care
Covers both personal and business travel
Membership covers each trip you take during its term
Short-term memberships start at just $99
Does not include traditional travel insurance benefits
Does not cover transportation from the site of an accident (medical facility transfers only)
Covers up to two transport events per year

Best for Budget Friendly Travelers

The Tin Leg Gold plan is one of the top-selling plans offered by the acclaimed budget insurance provider Tin Leg. Despite being one of the most affordable insurance providers on the market, Tin Leg is renowned for its high-quality travel insurance coverage at competitive and reasonable prices. The gold plan is an ideal plan for medical evacuation thanks to its extremely high limits and the complementary medical coverage it offers for accidents and illnesses while traveling.

The Gold plan provides up to $500,000 in coverage for emergency medical evacuation & medically necessary repatriation, guaranteeing a safe return in case of emergencies.

Here’s a look at the coverage:

Expenses for evacuation to a medical facility – including medically necessary transportation, related medical services, and supplies.
Cost to send one person (chosen by you) to come and accompany you in the hospital if you are hospitalized for an extended time.
Return transportation costs for dependent children, domestic partner, or spouse.
Return transportation costs for you once you are healed and can leave the medical facility.
Medical escort to accompany you back home if you are disabled during your trip.
Escort to return your dependent children back home if you’re incapacitated or deceased.
Repatriation of remains in case of death. This can include embalming or cremation before sending, temporary storage costs, shipping of the remains, necessary documentation, consular proceedings, transfer to final destination.

Apart from the extensive medical evacuation coverage, this plan offers up to $500,000 in primary emergency medical treatment coverage, ensuring you receive emergency medical care without deductibles or out-of-pocket expenses. The plan’s medical coverage includes COVID-19 sickness.

Tin Leg Gold also covers pre-existing conditions when purchased within 14 days of booking your trip and insuring the full trip cost. This feature is valuable for older travelers or those with pre-existing health concerns.

This plan also includes comprehensive travel protection in the form of trip cancellation and interruption coverage for various circumstances, including COVID-19.

The plan includes other essential benefits such as coverage for accidental death and dismemberment, as well as sports and adventure activities (with some exclusions). Additionally, it offers coverage for travel delays, missed connections, baggage delays, damage, loss, and sports gear or equipment issues.

While this plan has slightly lower limits for travel delay and baggage coverage compared to other plans, its outstanding medical coverage at an affordable price makes it a compelling choice. With a 14-day money-back guarantee and 24-hour travel assistance service, Tin Leg Gold prioritizes customer satisfaction and support, making it a top pick for travelers who value their well-being and seek comprehensive coverage for their trips.

Excellent primary coverage for medical expenses
High limit for emergency evacuation coverage
Optional cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage available
Comes with coverage for hurricanes and inclement weather
Coverage for pre-existing conditions is available if purchased within 14 days of the trip deposit
Baggage delay coverage requires a 24-hour waiting period
Low coverage limits for baggage and personal effects

Best for Premium Comprehensive Coverage

Axa assistance usa.

AXA Assistance USA is a highly-rated travel insurance company that offers comprehensive travel insurance plans with a ton of benefits. This means the coverage you purchase from them includes medical evacuation protection as well as baggage insurance, trip cancellation insurance, trip interruption coverage, travel delay coverage, and more. The company also offers three tiers of coverage you can choose from based on your needs and your budget.

We recommend the Platinum plan from AXA Assistance USA due to its superior medical evacuation coverage and robust limits in other categories. This plan comes with up to $1 million in protection for emergency medical evacuation and repatriation of remains, up to $250,000 in coverage for emergency medical expenses, $300 per day (maximum of $1,250) in trip delay coverage, $3,000 in insurance for baggage and personal effects, and more. Optional cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage is also available as an add-on with this plan.

High coverage limits in every category. Extremely comprehensive
Includes identity theft coverage & non-medical evacuation coverage
CFAR coverage reimburses 75% of prepaid travel expenses
Coverage cannot be extended unlike other plans
Medical limit is lower than other cheaper plans, but still sufficient

Seven Corners

The Trip Protection Choice plan from Seven Corners is an excellent choice for a comprehensive plan and offers robust coverage at a great price. In fact, the Trip Protection Choice plan is our top-selling travel insurance policy thanks to its high coverage limits, customizable add-ons, excellent 24-hour customer service, and a 14-day money-back guarantee. This plan is neither the cheapest nor the most expensive, but it offers solid coverage for an affordable price.

Regarding medical coverage, Seven Corners’ Trip Protection Choice plan offers $500,000 for emergency medical coverage and $1m in medical evacuation and repatriation coverage per person. It also covers medical expenses related to Covid-19. The plan’s primary medical coverage also means there is no deductible, and you won’t have to pay out of pocket if any medical emergencies occur during your trip.

The Trip Protection Choice offers extensive medical evacuation and repatriation coverage. Here is what it includes at a glance:

Emergency Medical Evacuation: Covers transportation expenses for evacuating you to the nearest suitable hospital or medical facility for necessary treatment.
Medical Repatriation: Covers expenses for sending you back home or to a hospital or medical facility closest to your home for continued treatment.
Medical Escort: Covers expenses for a medical professional to escort you back to the U.S. and provide medical care during the trip, if necessary.
Repatriation of Remains: If you die while on the trip this will cover expenses for sending your body back home and can include embalming or local cremation before sending, temporary storage costs, transportation of the remains, and necessary documentation.
Transportation of Children/Child: Covers the cost of returning your dependent children or minors left unattended due to your hospitalization for 7+ consecutive days or death during the trip. It also ensures they are accompanied and attended to until they arrive home.
Transportation to Join You: Covers the cost of someone you know to visit your bedside if you are hospitalized for 7+ consecutive days. A daily benefit of up to $1,000 is available for bedside traveling companions.

Apart from this, the Trip Protection Choice plan can easily cover and reimburse you for things like:

Overall trip cost
Travel delays & stipends
Baggage & equipment loss/damage
Accidental death or dismemberment

You will also be covered for trip cancellations (up to 100%) and interruptions (up to 150%) including a wide range of valid reasons for claiming trip cancellation and interruption benefits. Optional add-ons include coverage for Cancel for Any Reason, Interruption for Any Reason, rental car damage, sports equipment rental, and event ticket protection.

Offers coverage for pre-existing conditions
Money-back guarantee
Cancellation & Interruption coverage standard
Covers action sports & equipment
Cancel for any reason not included standard
Must meet waiver for pre-existing conditions to be covered

Best for Affordable Comprehensive Coverage

Cat 70 offers affordable comprehensive travel coverage with high limits for emergency medical evacuation. This plan is exclusively available through platforms like LA Times Compare.

The Cat 70 Travel Plan is a solid and affordable option for comprehensive travel insurance that also includes ample coverage for medical evacuation. In fact, this plan comes with $500,000 in coverage for emergency medical expenses and up to $500,000 in insurance for emergency medical evacuation. Other benefits include trip cancellation coverage, baggage insurance, travel delay coverage, protection for missed connections, and more.

High limits for emergency medical expenses
Affordable travel insurance with high limits for medical evacuation
Includes extras like trip cancellation coverage & baggage insurance
Not available in all destinations

The US Government’s travel.state.gov website highlights that most traditional health insurance plans will not cover repatriation costs back to the U.S. making evacuation insurance all the more useful to travelers.

Travelex travel insurance reports that medical evacuation costs can average close to $25,000 in North America, or as much as $100,000 in Europe or $250,000 on a global level.

These two factors alone are enough to warrant travel insurance that includes medevac coverage. Without emergency medical evacuation insurance, you could be forced to bear the brunt of these costs by paying out-of-pocket if you needed to be transported by a medevac helicopter, plane, or ambulance for medical treatment.

You should consider opting for medical evacuation coverage if:

You plan to travel to a remote area where medical facilities may be far away or inadequate
You have pre-existing health conditions that could flare up and require hospitalization
You have special healthcare needs that certain facilities may not be able to adequately treat
There is a higher-than-average risk of you dying or falling seriously ill while away
You cannot afford to pay the out-of-pocket costs associated with an unexpected medical evacuation

Medical evacuation travel insurance will pay for a range of non-medical and even non-emergency services that can help you overcome an injury or illness when you travel.

The following services are typically covered with emergency medevac coverage:

Emergency transportation to a hospital of your choice

All medical evacuation plans offer coverage to the nearest suitable medical facility equipped to handle your condition. However, most plans allow you to be sent to a hospital of your choice. Transport method depends on your condition but can include a specialized medical plane equipped with a mobile ICU, commercial airplane, helicopter, or ambulance.

COVID coverage & transport care

Most emergency evacuation plans include coverage for COVID-19. If you become severely ill with coronavirus and need to be hospitalized or intubated, you can receive emergency medical transportation in a specialized mobile COVID quarantine unit that will provide adequate care throughout transport to a proper medical facility.

A medical escort for returning home

Your coverage may pay for a medical escort, such as a doctor, to accompany you home safely if you need surgery or medical care as a result of your emergency. This means you won’t be stuck traveling home alone, which can be a major blessing when you’re sick or injured and require extra assistance.

Return travel costs for your children

If you pass away or become hospitalized and require care during your trip, evacuation coverage can pay for a return ticket for your dependent children who were traveling with you. Your plan can also provide them with a travel escort if one is required.

Bedside companion’s room and board

If you are ill or injured and require hospitalization, **some emergency medical evacuation plans cover non-medical expenses** like your bedside companion’s room and board so your travel companion can accompany you as you receive proper treatment. It’s important to read over your policy and check to make sure coverage extends to travel companions and not just the patient.

Travel expenses for a family member or friend to reach you

If you are alone and become hospitalized at your travel destination for a longer period of time (usually seven nights or longer) your emergency coverage may pay for a family member to travel to visit you . This non-emergency protection can pay for a plane ticket to where you are located, as well as meals, hotel stays, and incidental travel expenses incurred by your companion.

Repatriation of remains

Finally, you should know that your evacuation plan can pay to have your body returned home if you pass away during your vacation. In addition to covering the travel expenses for your remains, medical evacuation and repatriation insurance can also cover embalming, local cremation, and a basic casket for transportation.

The costs for medical evacuations can be astronomical and can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Travel insurance guidelines from the CDC state the following :

“The total cost of medevac varies by location, ranging from $25,000 for transport within North America to ≥$250,000 for more distant and remote locations. Costs increase when the patient being evacuated is critically ill or needs complex infection control measures.”

It’s best to anticipate that when traveling abroad you could end up paying $250,000 or more for an international transfer to a U.S. facility to receive medical attention.

Ultimately, this is why many travel insurance plans with emergency medical evacuation coverage have limits of up to $500,000 or even $1 million for emergency transport.

With emergency medical evacuation protection in place, there may be zero out-of-pocket expenses associated with this care. In other cases, your costs may be limited to the travel insurance deductible amount or a few hundred dollars.

How much coverage you should have for travel evacuation insurance depends heavily on the destination and traveler profile.

For U.S. domestic travel, it’s good to have at least $25,000 in medical evacuation coverage, but we recommend opting for around $50,000 in coverage – based on information outlined by the U.S. Government and the CDC .

Generally speaking, it’s best to have protection with limits that are robust enough to cover nearly any medical emergency that pops up. That said, medical evacuation limits below $250,000 are likely not enough for international trips.

Travel insurance doesn’t have to break the bank. There are many cheap travel insurance plans that include medical evacuation coverage for extra peace of mind while traveling.

Cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage or annual travel plans can also be added to certain plans for additional coverage.

Medical evacuation insurance is recommended any time you travel out of your home country where your normal health insurance does not apply.

There are other scenarios where you’ll want to ensure your coverage for emergency medical evacuation is especially robust, such as if you plan to participate in high-risk adventure sports or if you’re traveling in an extremely remote area of Spain , for example. In these cases, it is definitely worth it to consider travel insurance specific to medical emergencies.

For example, if you plan to hike the French Alps and you’ll be miles from the largest city on the side of a mountain, having emergency medical evacuation coverage is crucial. The same is true if you plan to go hang gliding or deep sea diving on your trip to Bali , but also if you plan to do nothing more than relax and sightsee on your trip.

We also recommend medical evacuation coverage if you are going on a cruise since being evacuated from a ship is very costly. Check out our recommendations for cruise insurance to make sure you’re covered when setting sail.

The fact is, you never know when you may be in an automobile accident, or if you’ll come down with COVID-19 or another illness during your travels. Your health is one of your biggest assets, so it’s best to provide yourself with adequate protection just in case.

Do you need medevac insurance coverage for trips in the U.S.?

Even if you are traveling within the United States, medical evacuation insurance can come in handy.

This is especially true for the add-ons and additional coverage that medical evacuation insurance provides like repatriation services, and more.

For example, if you’re traveling full-time or part-time in remote areas of the United States, your health insurance plan may pay for your medical care but not necessarily your travel back home.

Imagine hiking in Yellowstone National Park and being injured from a fall. Your normal health insurance plan would likely cover an ambulance ride to the nearest hospital and your immediate medical care. However, your health insurance plan would not cover your plane ride home, or an escort if you need help with the journey due to your condition. This is particularly important for those who are at a higher risk of injury or illness, like senior citizens .

This is true whether you have health insurance through a private provider, or if you get insurance through a federal plan such as Medicare or Medicaid. If you aren’t covered by health insurance in the United States, then medical evacuation insurance becomes even more important.

By having adequate emergency medical insurance and medical evacuation insurance in place, you can enjoy your travels and worry less about unforeseen accidents.

As with anything, it helps to know what to look for as some plans and providers are better than others.

To help you choose, we have come up with the main things to look for when buying medical evacuation insurance.

Read over the fine print

Travel insurance is notorious for including many exceptions for coverage in the fine print. While it may be a pain, make sure to read over the fine print and all details of the policy from start to finish. Ensure the company offers adequate limits for each type of insurance you want to buy. It can also help to look for companies that offer travel assistance, such as 24-hour emergency assistance services.

Check what is excluded from the policy

If you plan to participate in high-risk adventure sports during your trip, make sure your travel insurance plan covers these activities. Each plan has different requirements relating to action sports, so check that it does not list your sport as an exclusion. Also, note that some plans exclude coverage in certain countries or regions of the world.

Opt for plans that also cover medical expenses

Make sure your policy has robust limits for medical expenses that might appear during travel, including expenses caused by accidents, illness, emergency dental treatment, and any other care you receive.

Check coverage for pre-existing conditions

Many plans will cover pre-existing conditions if you meet certain criteria – such as booking within a certain time frame. That said, pre-existing conditions are commonly excluded from travel insurance coverage or come with strings attached. Make sure you understand if you can be fully covered before buying.

Understand the dollar limits

Make sure you have a full understanding of all the limits listed in your travel insurance policy, and determine what the specific limits are on the emergency evacuation coverage for plans you’re considering. Ideally, you’ll select a high-quality policy that offers generous limits for emergency evacuation and medical expenses.

Review the hospital selection policy

Note that most emergency medical evacuation plans will pay for necessary transportation to the nearest appropriate medical facility, which may not be the hospital of your choice. Others allow you to choose where you want to be sent. Be sure you know and understand your plan’s policy ahead of time, and don’t be afraid to consider alternatives if you want to choose where you receive care.

Use a comparison tool

Using a comparison tool allows you to see many plans all at once. This can also allow you to filter and sort plans based on the types of coverage you find most appealing. By using a comparison tool, you’ll be able to quickly eliminate plans that don’t meet your needs and narrow down which ones are the best options.

The first step involved in benefiting from this coverage is making sure you have it, and checking to confirm your medevac insurance has adequate limits that can protect you financially when you need it most.

Steps required to use emergency medical evacuation insurance include the following:

Call for approval immediately

Each provider offers a 24-hour hotline you or the in-house doctor or medical professional can call to expedite the process, and you’ll want to do this right away. If you become sick or injured during a trip and require emergency medical transportation, you’ll need to get approval from your travel insurance provider first before using this service.

Wait for evacuation

Your provider will proceed to assist you and manage your medical evacuation and repatriation. They will coordinate with local doctors to monitor your condition and provide adequate medical support for evacuating you home to the US. As an example, this could include an air ambulance equipped with an on-board ICU, or a business class ticket with a medical escort.

Save all bills and receipts

In some cases, your travel insurance plan will pay your medical transportation bills directly. In others, you may have to pay for some of your care upfront and then wait to be reimbursed afterward. Either way, you’ll want to save all documents and receipts relating to your incident or illness, including all bills and paperwork that prove your medical expenses.

File a claim online or over the phone

Once you arrive home, you should call your travel insurance provider to find out where you’re at in the claims process. You may need to file an individual claim for the emergency medical evacuation and other services you used from your plan, or you may only need to provide the company with supporting documentation to use your coverage.

If you want comprehensive medical evacuation coverage but you’re not thrilled with the options you’re finding online, consider these alternatives.

Medjet: Medjet Assist is primarily an evacuation and air ambulance insurance. This company only covers medical evacuations and it can be purchased in addition to a traditional travel insurance plan. One of the biggest benefits of Medjet is the fact you get to select the hospital you’re transported to for medical treatment. See our full MedJet insurance review for more info.

Global Rescue: Global Rescue is another air ambulance insurance provider that offers standalone coverage for emergency evacuation, which can include ambulance transportation, commercial air travel, and more. Worldwide field rescue, 24-7 travel emergency assistance services, and advisory services are also included in this coverage based on eligibility.

Premium Travel Insurance Plans: The cost of travel insurance will vary by many factors, one of which being the level of coverage you choose. Comprehensive travel insurance plans tend to cost more, but you may get a higher level of emergency evacuation coverage with more options and benefits in exchange. These plans can be purchased for long-term travel, or on a short-term basis for individual trips.

Travel Credit Card Coverage: Finally, you may be able to get medical evacuation insurance with a credit card if you’re eligible. While a handful of travel credit cards offer this coverage, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers one of the most comprehensive plans with coverage for medical services and transportation in amounts up to $100,000.

Do I need medical evacuation and travel medical insurance?

If you are traveling to a location where you don’t have health insurance, purchasing medical evacuation coverage and insurance for medical expenses is crucial.

It’s best to have evacuation coverage and travel medical insurance if you become injured or come down with an illness and require care when you’re away from home. Having both types of coverage ensures your evacuation is handled adequately, and that you receive professional medical attention from a licensed provider or doctor in a medical facility.

Do credit cards have medical evacuation insurance included?

Some credit cards come with emergency medical evacuation coverage, but these protections usually have limitations. For example, the insurance coverage you get through a credit card typically comes with lower limits than if you were to purchase from a travel insurance provider.

Also, credit card insurance requires you to pay for your trip, including all prepaid travel expenses, with the credit card for their coverage to apply. In other words, just carrying the credit card or having it in your name isn’t enough to be covered by the card’s insurance policy.

Is Medjet Assist any good?

Medjet Assist is only an air ambulance insurance service, meaning it only offers evacuation and will not pay for other medical bills relating to treatment of illness or injury. This service is good for people with a high risk of needing evacuations and is apt for long-term trips or annual coverage. That said, a comprehensive travel insurance plan that includes medevac coverage and medical treatment coverage is usually a better fit for most travelers.

Holly D. Johnson is an award-winning personal finance writer who covers topics like insurance, investing, credit and family finance. As a leading voice in the travel and loyalty space, Johnson has traveled with her family to more than 50 countries over the last decade.

The author has also written extensively on the power of household budgeting, and she even co-authored a book on the topic. Zero Down Your Debt: Reclaim Your Income and Build a Life You’ll Love was originally published in 2017, and it teaches families how to use zero-sum budgeting to reach their financial goals. She is also the co-owner and founder of the family finance and travel website, ClubThrifty.com.

Johnson’s 10+ years of writing have focused on helping families make important financial decisions at each stage of their lives. The author also applies the financial principles she teaches to her own life, and she is currently on track to retire in her late 40’s with her partner. She currently lives in Central Indiana with her husband and children, and she is a regular contributor for Bankrate, CNN, Forbes, U.S. News and World Report Travel and many other notable publications.

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Medical Evacuation Insurance: Best Medical Repatriation Coverage

July 20, 2023
Travel resources

Vacations abroad can be marred by illness or injury, which becomes even more distressing when you are far from home. In such situations, immediate medical care, medical helicopter rescue insurance or airlift transportation might be necessary. To safeguard your wellbeing and against the financial burden of these emergencies, having a comprehensive travel insurance plan with medical evacuation insurance is crucial.

This review blog looks at the best medical evacuation insurance plans, as well as everything you need to know about medical evacuation and repatriation insurance.

Quick Answer: Best Medical Evacuation Insurance

Editors Choice

Global Rescue Insurance

Coverage for Trekkers

No limitation on altitude for coverage

Emergency medical coverage: to $100,000

2nd Best Choice

World Nomads Insurance

Coverage until 22,965 feet (7,000 meters)

Up to $500,000 in coverage

3rd Best Choice

Travelex Trekking Insurance

Coverage until 20,000 feet (6,000 meters)

Up to $1 million in coverage

Best Medical Evacuation Insurance Providers

The information below highlights our top three choices for medical evacuation and repatriation insurance which are perfect for trekkers and adventure sports enthusiasts. We must insist that you look through the policies and what they cover before you purchase one. Additionally, if you are looking for more traditional travel insurance, have a look at one our other blogs: best trekking travel insurance , and insurance for trekking in Nepal .

Our top three choices for medivac insurance:

1. Global Rescue Insurance:

Global Rescue Trekking Insurance is a well-known provider of rescue memberships in high-altitude and trekking circles. This plan is highly recommended by many of Nepal’s travel and expedition companies.

The most significant advantage for travelers with Global Rescue’s rescue and evacuation insurance is no elevation limit. Meaning that their policy covers you no matter where you are in the world – even Everest!

You can get a membership on short- or long-term basis (7, 14, or 30 days), making the plan extremely flexible and affordable! Their specialty is with medical rescue and reparation insurance, and does not cover travel cancellations, delays, baggage, or medical and dental expenses.

However, they do offer add-on travel insurance policy with IMG (IMG Signature Travel Insurance), which provides coverage for all these items in addition to your high-altitude and rescue/evacuation coverage.

Make sure to check out my Global Rescue Insurance review blog, it will go into depth about what the medical Helicopter evacuation coverage offers!

Main Features:

Medical evacuation from anywhere in the world

Emergency medical coverage — up to $100,000

Trip cancellation — up to $100,000

Lost luggage/baggage delay — up to $2,500

Up to 150% of trip cost insured for trip interruption

Pros and Cons of WorldTrips Hiking Insurance:

The following are a list of pros and cons, things that we love and hate about the insurance policy:

Secure the value of your entire trip
Industry’s most complete travel insurance products
Field Rescue services from the point of injury or illness
Face-to-face video consultations and advice about your diagnosis
Will rescue you no matter where you are in the world
Help determining the best possible treatment options
Can be expensive depending on the travelers usage of the plan
Have to buy an annual membership
Emergency medical expense coverage of $100,000 is quite low when compared to other altitude insurance policies

1. World Nomads Insurance

As an entity, World Nomads has been recommended by well known companies in the travel industry such as Lonely Planet and National Geographic — add with the thousands of customer reviews from Trust Pilot that they have garnished over the years, it is easy to see the great reputation that World Nomads has.

They are also backed by secure, trusted, and specialist underwriters who provide travelers with great cover, 24-hour emergency assistance, and the highest levels of support and claims management!

Let’s first start with who World Nomads is. You can also read my full World Nomads Insurance Review to take a deep dive into the insurance provider.

Who are World Nomads?

Since 2002, World Nomads have been protecting, connecting and inspiring independent travelers.

They offer simple and flexible travel insurance and safety advice to help you travel.

Because they believe in giving back to the places we travel to, World Nomads also enables you to make a difference with a micro-donation when you buy a policy.

And they’ll help you plan your trip with free downloadable guides, travel tips, responsible travel insights and recommendations from their global community.

World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers in over 100 countries. As an affiliate, we receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.

Standard Plan until 19,685 feet (6,000 meters)

$500,000 in coverage

Trip cancellation insurance

Standard Plan until 22,965 feet (7,000 meters)

Emergency medical evacuation

Pros and Cons of World Nomads Insurance:

Covers a Lot of Countries Worldwide
High Coverage for Medical Expenses
Flexible Prices
Buy or Extend Anytime, Anywhere
Perfect for adventure-loving travelers
24/7 customer service with online claims option
Limited age coverage for seniors
Coverage can differ depending on location and nationality
Limited COVID coverage

2. Travelex Trekking Insurance:

Our third choice for insurance that provides medical evacuation and repatriation insurance is Travelex insurance. It is a great budget-friendly provider that offers affordable rates and coverage for families. Moreover, they offer plan extensions that will allow you to be insured while trekking at high elevations. They provide coverage on individual bases and will allow you to get trekking insurance up to 20,000 feet (6,000 meters) above sea level. This makes it great for climbers looking to hike up to Everest Base Camp trek in Nepal or other places around the world like the Alps, the Andes or Kilimanjaro!

Another great aspect that we like about the Travelex’s service, is that they have an app that you can download which will provide important information about the country you are traveling to. It will help keep you safe by providing real-time security alerts, information about food and water safety, as well as ATM locations!

If you are looking for a budget travel insurance plan that will cover the adventure sports aspect of your vacation no matter where you are in the world, Travelex will be a great fit for you! You can get a free quote from hen Travelex climbing insurance . You can also read our full Travelex Insurance review , to learn more about how they are one of the best trekking insurance providers!

Coverage upto 20,000 feet (6,000 meters) above sea level

Free coverage for children under 17

Can apply for pre-existing medical condition waivers

Travel delay coverage of $2,000

Pros and Cons of Travelex Trekking Insurance:

The travel insurance will include free coverage for children under the age of 17 if they are with an adult that is covered by the insurance policy
Offers an adventure sports upgrade, including for high elevation trekking
You can upgrade the plan to get a “cancel for any reason”
Medical expense coverage is primary, compared to some competitors’ secondary coverage.
Provides great travel delay coverage. Providing USD $2,000 per person after an initial five-hour delay.
“Cancel for any reason” coverage provides 50% reimbursement of the non-refundable deposits – which is lower than most travel insurance providers, who usually provide 75%
The emergency medical expense coverage for the Travel Select plan is $50,000, compared to higher levels from top competitors.
Baggage delay benefits only apply after an initial 12-hour wait – longer than most companies

What is emergency medical evacuation (Medevac) insurance?

Medical evacuation insurance is a common inclusion within comprehensive travel insurance policies, often referred to as emergency medical evacuation, medical evacuation, or repatriation insurance.

Coverage is designed to handle the expenses associated with emergency medical transportation in the event of a serious injury or illness while you are traveling – no matter where you are in the world. Should you encounter a medical emergency and the nearest appropriate treatment center is distant, this insurance may also cover the cost of transporting you back to your home.

There are differences between medical evacuation insurance and standard medical travel insurance which you should be aware of before deciding which coverage to purchase. The section below highlights these differences.

Medical Evacuation Insurance vs. Medical Travel Insurance:

While traveling, it is prudent to have both emergency medical evacuation coverage and travel medical insurance in place. These insurance products complement each other, offering distinct benefits for crucial services and treatments you may require during your travels.

While searching for the most suitable travel insurance plan, remember that medical evacuation coverage caters to the expenses involved in transporting you to receive proper medical care. This coverage applies whether it entails emergency helicopter rescue or plane journey to a local hospital or a medically-supported trip back to the United States from a non-U.S. hospital.

On the other hand, medical travel insurance covers emergency medical care you might need while away from home, encompassing procedures like surgeries, treatments, and medicines required for your recovery. This coverage can also address doctor’s bills, X-rays, lab tests, and other medical services necessary during your trip. Some travel medical insurance policies even provide a separate limit for dental expenses if an accident leads to dental trauma requiring treatment.

The main differences between Medical Evacuation Insurance and Medical Travel Insurance lie in their specific coverage and focus:

1. Coverage Scope:

Medical Evacuation Insurance: This type of insurance primarily focuses on emergency transportation services, arranging for transportation to the nearest adequate medical facility in the event of a serious injury or illness during travel.
Medical Travel Insurance: On the other hand, Medical Travel Insurance primarily covers the costs of medical treatment and expenses incurred during your trip. It addresses emergency medical care, doctor visits, hospitalization, prescription medications, and other related medical services required during your travels.

2. Main Purpose:

Medical Evacuation Insurance: The main purpose of Medical Evacuation Insurance is to guarantee timely and effective evacuation in critical situations where local medical facilities may not be equipped to provide adequate care.
Medical Travel Insurance: Medical Travel Insurance is designed to cover the costs of medical treatments and services while traveling, similar to health insurance coverage. It ensures that you have access to necessary medical care and alleviates the financial burden of unexpected medical expenses abroad.

3. Service Activation:

Medical Evacuation Insurance: This insurance is typically activated when a qualified physician certifies that your injury or illness requires immediate evacuation for proper medical treatment. The insurance company arranges and coordinates the evacuation process to ensure your safety.
Medical Travel Insurance: Medical Travel Insurance comes into play when you need medical attention during your trip. It covers the expenses incurred for medical treatments and services received while traveling.

In summary, Medical Evacuation Insurance centers on providing emergency transportation services, while Medical Travel Insurance concentrates on covering medical treatments and services during your journey. These two types of insurance can be complementary, offering a comprehensive safety net for travelers facing medical emergencies away from home.

What Does Medical Evacuation Insurance Cover?

In remote locations, medical evacuation expenses can be costly. Daniel Durazo , a spokesperson with Allianz Global Assistance had this to say:

“The cost of emergency medical transportation can run into the tens of thousands of dollars or more, and varies based on the traveler’s health condition, care required and their location.”

Lacking emergency medical evacuation (Medevac) insurance means you would be burdened with the full weight of these expenses in the event you require transportation via helicopter, plane, or ambulance to preserve your life.

An example of what you may have to pay depending on your location in the world are as follows:

Break Down of Medical Evacuation and Repatriation Insurance Coverage:

Here is a summary of what medical evacuation insurance typically covers:

1. Emergency transportation:

Reparation medical insurance can pay for the cost of emergency transportation to the nearest suitable treatment center if you encounter a serious illness or injury during your travels and require immediate medical attention. It may also cover the expenses for transporting you back to the U.S. if medically necessary. Additionally, if you need to return to the U.S. for further treatment or recovery after being treated abroad, the insurance can cover the flight home.

2. Medical escort services:

If you need specialized medical care during your flight home, medical evacuation insurance can cover the associated costs for arranging a medical professional to accompany you.

3. Travel expenses for a friend or family member:

If you are hospitalized due to a covered illness or injury, the insurance can pay for a round-trip flight for a friend or family member to stay with you during your hospitalization. There may be a minimum hospital-stay requirement to qualify for this benefit.

4. Costs for a bedside companion:

Some medical evacuation benefits include compensation for hotel stays, meals, and other reasonable expenses incurred by your traveling companion while staying near you during your hospitalization.

5. Repatriation of your children:

If you are hospitalized during your trip and traveling with your children, the insurance company can arrange for your children to fly back home or to another U.S.-based location. The benefits can cover the cost, minus any refunds for unused plane tickets. This benefit also typically has a minimum number of days of hospitalization required to file a claim.

6. Repatriation of remains:

In the unfortunate event of death during the trip, the cost of transporting the remains back home can be covered by the repatriation benefits included in your medical evacuation coverage.

When Do You Need Medical Evacuation and Repatriation Insurance?

Medical evacuation benefits can prove invaluable if you encounter a serious illness or suffer a severe injury during your trip, and the local hospitals lack the necessary resources to provide adequate treatment. Additionally, having the insurance company act as an intermediary in organizing transportation and medical services can be extremely beneficial during a medical emergency in a foreign land.

The travel medical insurance included in your travel insurance plan covers a range of expenses, including doctor and hospital bills, X-rays, lab work, medications, and other related costs, up to the limit specified in your medical coverage. It’s important to note that evacuation insurance and travel medical insurance come with separate coverage limits. For example, a comprehensive travel insurance plan might offer up to $500,000 for medical expenses and up to $1 million for evacuation.

Once you are well enough to travel, your travel insurance company can also cover the cost of your flight back home, ensuring you receive the necessary care and assistance throughout your journey.

Want more info about when you might need travel insurance, take a look at our why do I need travel insurance blog.

Do You Need Both Medical Evacuation and Travel Medical Insurance?

Having both medical evacuation travel insurance and travel medical insurance is a prudent decision when traveling abroad. According to Durazo from Allianz, purchasing travel insurance with emergency medical coverage and transportation benefits becomes crucial if you wish to avoid paying all your medical expenses out of pocket.

When traveling outside the U.S., obtaining travel medical expense insurance is often essential, as domestic health insurance plans might provide limited or no international coverage. It’s advisable to check with your health insurance company to determine if your plan offers global coverage and if it falls under the category of “out of network.” Additionally, senior travelers should be aware that Medicare is not accepted abroad.

How To Use Emergency Medical Evacuation (Medevac) Insurance?

To utilize medical evacuation insurance, typically, you will need an emergency evacuation prescribed by the attending physician at the location, certifying that the seriousness of your accidental injury or illness necessitates the evacuation.

Ideally, your travel insurance company should assist in arranging the medevac and approve it beforehand. However, if immediate approval is not feasible, informing your travel insurance company as soon as possible becomes essential.

Typically, to make use of your emergency medical evacuation insurance, you will should follow these steps:

1. Seek approval immediately:

If you encounter illness or injury during your trip and require emergency medical transportation, the first step is to obtain approval from your travel insurance provider before using the service. Each provider offers a 24-hour hotline that you, the in-house doctor, or a medical professional can call to expedite the process. It’s crucial to do this promptly.

2. Keep all receipts and bills:

Depending on your travel insurance plan, medical transportation bills may be paid directly by the insurance company or require upfront payment, followed by reimbursement later. In either case, it is essential to preserve all documents and receipts related to your incident or illness, including bills and paperwork that substantiate your medical expenses.

3. File a claim online or over the phone:

Upon returning home, contact your travel insurance provider to inquire about the status of your claims. You may need to submit a separate claim for the emergency medical evacuation and other services used from your plan, or you might only need to provide supporting documentation to utilize your coverage.

Stay Protected as you Travel with Medical Evacuation Insurance:

Medical evacuation insurance, also known as emergency medical evacuation insurance or travel insurance for medical evacuation, serves as a vital safety net for travelers venturing far from home. The coverage ensures prompt and efficient emergency transportation to the nearest appropriate medical facility, or even to your home country, should a serious injury or illness arise during their journey.

With the added benefit of medical evacuation and repatriation insurance, travelers can rest assured that they are financially protected when facing unforeseen medical crises abroad – even while trekking in Nepal and traveling in some of the most remote places in the world. By securing this comprehensive coverage and understanding the steps involved in utilizing it, travelers can embark on their adventures with peace of mind, knowing that they have a reliable support system in place should the need for emergency medical evacuation arise.

Medjet Review: Why Travelers Need Better Evacuation Coverage

A helicopter parked in a lot with a small ambulance during an emergency

I love trip planning: reading books, researching routes, hunting for flights. Those are the fun parts of trip planning because they get you excited for your upcoming travels.

But there is one vital component of trip planning that is far less enjoyable: researching travel insurance.

As boring as it is, it’s one of the most important (and most overlooked) steps for any traveler.

We all know it’s no fun to be unprepared when life throws unexpected curveballs at you. That’s especially true if you’re abroad when it happens.

Over the past 17 years of backpacking the world , I’ve had all kinds of unexpected situations arise, from minor inconveniences like delayed and canceled flights to getting stabbed in Colombia.

While bad things don’t happen often on the road, they can — and do — happen. And as unpleasant as they are to think about, it’s important to be prepared for those situations.

That’s where travel insurance comes in. For just a few dollars per day, you not only get coverage for emergencies but peace of mind, allowing you to travel confidently and without worry.

While I’ve talked about my favorite travel insurance companies before, today I’d like to delve into a slightly different kind of travel insurance: medical evacuation coverage.

This type of policy kicks in when the worst happens and you need emergency medical evacuation while traveling.

You fall and break your leg on a remote mountain. A sudden natural disaster affects the tropical island you’re visiting. Political turmoil overwhelms the country you’re in. These are all situations when an evacuation might be required.

Yet not all travel insurance companies handle them equally — and many companies won’t actually evacuate you all the way home, but rather to the nearest “acceptable” location.

There is one company, however, that guarantees you get home every time: Medjet .

Medjet is a membership service offering medical transportation that ensures you get all the way home should disaster strike.

But what is a “membership service?” And how do you guarantee you get home should something happen?

In this review, I’ll go over what exactly the company offers, the pros and cons of using it, and its COVID policy to help you decide if Medjet is for you and your trip, budget, and travel style.

Table of Contents

Do you even need medical evacuation coverage?

So, what is medjet, what does medjet cover, what’s not covered, how does medjet work, pros and cons of medjet, who is medjet for.

First off, you’re probably wondering whether you even need medical evacuation coverage. To many, it sounds like overkill. Odds are you’ll be fine, right?

Yet each and every year, over 10 million travelers are hospitalized abroad — and 2 million of them require medical transport.

Contrary to popular belief, travel insurance companies like World Nomads or SafetyWing don’t offer much when it comes to emergency evacuation. This isn’t through any failings on the part of these companies (they’re great, and I never leave home without travel insurance). It’s just that they’re focused on comprehensive trip coverage, and there are limitations to what that includes.

Most travel insurance companies simply transport you to the nearest acceptable facility — which might not be very acceptable at all (though it’s still better than nothing).

I learned this firsthand when I got stabbed in Colombia and went to the nearest medical facility. While I did get basic medical care, some of what I experienced there was a bit concerning. It was also challenging to navigate the situation with the little Spanish that I knew, so I quickly headed home to receive more comprehensive care.

In short, you don’t think you need medical evacuation coverage until you do.

Medjet is the answer to getting home. The company is careful and quick to point out that it’s not an insurance company but rather a membership program.

If you’re hospitalized 150 miles or more from home, Medjet arranges and pays all costs for medical transfer to a hospital that you choose within your home country. Again, this is different from other travel insurance policies, under which you cannot choose where you end up (and you aren’t even guaranteed to end up in your home country!).

Additionally, Medjet does not require the transport to be medically necessary. For most medical transfers, you’re only moved if the facility that you’re currently at cannot provide adequate care. With Medjet, even if you are in a facility that can take care of you but you want to go home or to a different facility, Medjet will transport you.

In short, Medjet is a white-glove medical transport service for travelers who want care above and beyond what is typically offered by travel insurance companies.

Since they focus solely on medical evacuation, Medjet’s coverage is pretty straightforward.

Its base plan is called MedjetAssist, which provides comprehensive coverage and everything that most travelers will need. As long as your attending doctor determines it is safe for you to be transported, Medjet covers your transfer to the facility of your choice in your home country. It also covers transportation for one travel companion.

If you’d like expanded coverage, you can opt for the MedjetHorizon plan, which includes an emergency medical cash advance (some foreign hospitals demand cash payments upfront), and medical transfer if you’re under 150 miles from home but your local hospital isn’t capable of treating you. MedjetHorizon also includes security and crisis responses, such as in the case of kidnapping, evacuation due to natural disasters, and more.

Here you can see MedjetAssist as compared to MedjetHorizon:

Two-column chart showing Medical & Transport coverage of MedjetAssist vs MedjetHorizon

As you can see, MedjetAssist is usually enough for most travelers’ needs, but if you’re concerned about additional security and crisis responses, you can add MedjetHorizon to your policy for additional peace of mind.

In addition, you can choose a variety of options, such as who is covered, length of time, domestic or international coverage, the type of policy (MedjetAssist or MedjetHorizon), and other add-ons.

Here’s an overview of the types of plans that you can choose from:

List of different plans offered by Medjet.

Once you’ve decided what plan suits your needs, it’s very easy to sign up, with a flowchart to walk you through the process.

Here’s what the sign-up process on the website looks like:

Flow chart with different options for picking a Medjet policy.

As you can see, a one-year MedjetAssist policy for an individual traveling both internationally and domestically costs just $315 USD. That’s just $0.86 cents per day.

There are also significant volume discounts for longer policies, so you pay less per day on annual and multi-year plans.

Multi-member policies also are quite affordable. For example, an annual family membership costs just $425 USD and may include a primary member, a domestic partner or spouse, and up to five dependent children up to age 19 (or up to age 23 for full-time students).

Medjet is primarily for medical evacuations, meaning that the plans don’t cover trip cancellations or delays, lost or stolen baggage, or any other minor mishaps that might happen on the road.

This means that in addition to a Medjet membership, you’ll also want to purchase standard travel insurance. You can read about my favorite travel insurance companies for more information and suggestions.

Using Medjet is easy and straightforward — as it should be — since you’d only be using it in an absolute emergency. Once you’re admitted to a hospital abroad, you (or a travel companion) contact Medjet, where staff is available 24/7/365. They then communicate with hospital personnel to determine if you’re stable enough to be transported.

If you’re determined eligible for transfer, Medjet will reach out to your hospital of choice to see if there will be space for you upon arrival. Assuming that’s also a yes, then medical transportation is arranged, and you’re on your way.

Another great thing about Medjet is that one travel companion can come with you on your flight home, at no extra cost to you.

There are no claim forms to fill out after the fact — Medjet handles everything right up front. And Medjet includes COVID-19 coverage, so if you’re hospitalized abroad for COVID-19 and need to be repatriated, Medjet has you covered (with some restrictions).

You can read Medjet’s full COVID policy here for more information.

Pros of Medjet:

Gets you home (not just to the nearest “acceptable” medical facility)
Does not require government-issued warnings or medical necessity to initiate evacuation
Offers global coverage for COVID-19
Offers coverage for those up to age 74 (with extended coverage for those up to age 84)
Offers short- and long-term coverage options (8–365 days)
Has no pre-existing condition exclusions
Offers language translation assistance
Has no restrictions on the number of trips (for an annual policy)
Covers one travel companion’s transportation too

Cons of Medjet:

Is only available to travelers from North America (US, Canada, Mexico)
Does not cover trip cancellation, trip delay, or baggage loss
Is limited to two transports per year
One cannot start a membership while on a trip
Does not cover transportation from the site of an accident (strictly hospital-to-hospital transfer)

Medjet is for anyone who wants to have every base covered while traveling. While Medjet has historically appealed more to travelers aged 55 and over, with so many people stuck abroad during the height of the pandemic, younger travelers are more aware of the benefits of being able to return home if the worst happens.

So, if you don’t want to navigate a foreign medical system if hospitalized abroad, then Medjet is for you, no matter your personal circumstances.

That said, Medjet especially appeals to:

Travelers who want care that goes above and beyond
Anyone going to remote regions, politically unstable countries, or places with regular natural disasters (though services may be limited in countries with a US travel advisory of level 3 or 4)
Travelers who want peace of mind (great for appeasing family members, especially those with college students studying abroad)
People with pre-existing conditions that are concerned about being hospitalized abroad
Digital nomads and expats that will be abroad for extended periods of time
Retired travelers (Medjet covers those up to age 84 with a Diamond membership)
Motorcyclists taking their own bike on an extended trip (additional coverage will send their bike home in event of an accident)

Want to learn more about Medjet? They joined us for an hour-long conversation about travel safety and travel insurance. It’s full of great tips and info, and you can check it out below:

While standard travel insurance companies cover the basics, sometimes the basics aren’t enough. If an emergency occurs and you want a guarantee that you’ll be sent home — and not to the nearest “acceptable” medical facility — join Medjet .

The plans are affordable and the comprehensive, white-glove service provides extra peace of mind. By supplementing your regular travel insurance with a service like Medjet , you’ll be prepared for whatever the road throws at you, allowing you to travel with confidence. To me, that’s well worth the price.

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner . It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld . If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

SafetyWing (best for everyone)
Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)
Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Ready to Book Your Trip? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

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11 Best Travel Insurance Companies in May 2024

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

If the past few years have shown us anything, it’s that travelers need to be prepared for the unexpected — from a pandemic to flight troubles to the crowded airport terminals so many of us have encountered.

If you don't have sufficient travel insurance coverage via your credit card , you can supplement your policies with third-party plans.

Whether you’re looking for an international travel insurance plan, emergency medical care or a policy that includes extreme sports, these are the best travel insurance providers to get you covered.

How we found the best travel insurance

We looked at quotes from various companies for a 10-day trip to Mexico in September 2024. The traveler was a 55-year-old woman from Florida who spent $3,000 total on the trip, including airfare.

On average, the price of each company’s most basic coverage plan was $126.53. The costs displayed below do not include optional add-ons, such as Cancel For Any Reason coverage or pre-existing medical condition coverage.

Read our full analysis about the average cost of travel insurance so you can budget better for your next trip.

However, depending on the plan, you may be able to customize at an added cost.

As we continue to evaluate more travel insurance companies and receive fresh market data, this collection of best travel insurance companies is likely to change. See our full methodology for more details.

Best insurance companies

Types of travel insurance

What does travel insurance cover, what’s not covered, how much does it cost, do i need travel insurance, how to choose the best travel insurance policy, what are the top travel destinations in 2024, more resources for travel insurance shoppers, top credit cards with travel insurance, methodology, best travel insurance overall: berkshire hathaway travel protection.

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection

ExactCare Value (basic) plan is among the least expensive we surveyed.
Speciality plans available for road trips, luxury travel, adventure activities, flights and cruises.
Company may reimburse claimants faster than average, including possible same-day compensation.
Multiple "Trip Delay" coverage types might make claims confusing.
Cheapest plan only includes fixed amounts for its coverage.

Under the direction of chair and CEO Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection has been around since 2014. Its plans provide numerous opportunities for travelers to customize coverage to their needs.

At $135 for our sample trip, the ExactCare Value (basic) plan from Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection offers protection roughly $10 above the average price.

Want something cheaper? Air travelers looking for inexpensive, less comprehensive protections might opt for a basic AirCare plan that includes fixed amounts for its coverage .

Read our full review of Berkshire Hathaway .

What else makes Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection great:

Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waivers available at nearly all plan levels.

Plans available for travelers going on a cruise, participating in extreme sports or taking a luxury trip.

ExactCare Value (basic) plan was among the least expensive we surveyed.

Best for emergency medical coverage: Allianz Global Assistance

Annual or single-trip policies are available.

Multiple types of insurance available.
All plans include access to a 24/7 assistance hotline.
More expensive than average.
CFAR upgrades are not available.
Rental car protection is only available by adding the One Trip Rental Car protector to your plan or by purchasing a standalone rental car plan.

Allianz Global Assistance is a reputable travel insurance company offering plans for over 25 years. Customers can choose from a variety of single and annual policies to fit their needs. On top of comprehensive coverage, some travelers might opt for the more affordable OneTrip Cancellation Plus, which is geared toward domestic travelers looking for trip protections but don’t need post-departure benefits like emergency medical or baggage lost.

For our test trip, Allianz Global Assistance’s basic coverage cost $149, about $22 above average.

What else makes Allianz Global Assistance great:

Annual and single-trip plans.

Plans are available for international and domestic trips.

Stand-alone and add-on rental car damage product available.

Read our full review of Allianz Global Assistance .

Best for travelers with pre-existing medical conditions: Travel Guard by AIG

Travel Guard by AIG

Offers last-minute coverage.
Pre-Existing Medical Conditions Exclusion Waiver available at all plan levels.
Plan available for business travelers.
Cancel For Any reason coverage only available for higher-level plans, and only reimburses up to 50% of the trip cost.
Trip interruption coverage doesn't apply to trips paid for with points and miles.

Travel Guard by AIG offers a variety of plans and coverages to fit travelers’ needs. On top of more standard trip protections like trip cancellation, interruption, baggage and medical coverage, the Cancel For Any Reason upgrade is available on certain Travel Guard plans, which allows you to cancel a trip for any reason and get 50% of your nonrefundable deposit back as long as the trip is canceled at least two days before the scheduled departure date.

At $107 for our sample trip, the Essential plan was below average, saving roughly $20.

What else makes Travel Guard by AIG great:

Three comprehensive plans and a Pack N' Go plan for last-minute travelers who don't need cancellation benefits.

Flight protection, car rental, and medical evacuation coverage, as well as annual plans available.

Pre-existing medical conditions exclusion waiver available on all plan levels, as long as it's purchased within 15 days.

Read our full review of Travel Guard by AIG .

Best for those who pack expensive equipment: Travel Insured International

Travel Insured International

Higher-level plan include optional add-ons for event tickets and for electronic equipment
Rental car protection add-on for just $8 per day, even on lower-level plan.
Many of the customizations are only available on the higher-tier plan.
Coverage cost comes in above average in our latest analysis.

Travel Insured International offers several customization options. For instance, those going to see a show may want to add on event ticket registration fee protection. Traveling with expensive gear?Consider adding on coverage for electronic equipment for up to $2,000 in coverage.

Be sure to check which policies are available in your state. You will need to input your destination, residence, trip dates and the number of travelers to get a quote and see coverages.

What else makes Travel Insured International great:

Comprehensive plans include medical expense reimbursement accidents, sickness, evacuation and pre-existing conditions, depending on the plan.

Flight plans include coverage for missed and canceled flights and lost or stolen baggage.

Read our full review of Travel Insured International .

Best for adventurous travelers: World Nomads

World Nomads

Travelers can extend coverage mid-trip.
The standard plan covers up to $300,000 in emergency evacuation costs.
Plans automatically cover 200+ adventurous activities.
No Cancel For Any Reason upgrades are available.
No pre-existing medical condition waivers are available.

Many travel insurance plans contain exclusions for adventure sports activities. If you plan to ski, bungee jump, windsurf or parasail, this might be a plan to consider.

Note that the Standard plan ($72 for our sample trip), while the most affordable, provides less coverage than other plans. But it can be a good choice for travelers who are satisfied with trip cancellation and interruption coverage of $2,500 or less, do not need rental car damage protection, find the limits to be sufficient and do not need coverage for certain more adventurous activities.

What else makes World Nomads great:

Comprehensive international travel insurance plans.

Coverage available for adventure activities, such as trekking, mountain biking and scuba diving.

Read our full review of World Nomads .

Best for medical coverage: Travelex Insurance Services

Travelex Insurance Services

Top-tier plan doesn’t break the bank and provides more customization opportunities.
Offers a plan specifically for domestic travel.
Sells a post-departure medical coverage plan.
Fewer customization opportunities on the Basic plan.
Though perhaps a plus for domestic travelers, keep in mind the Travel America plan only covers domestic trips.

For starters, basic coverage from Travelex Insurance Services came in at $125, almost exactly average for our sample trip.

Travelex’s plans focus heavily on providing protections that are personalized to your travel style and trip type.

While the company does offer comprehensive plans that include medical benefits, you can also choose between cheaper plans that don’t provide cancellation coverage but do offer protections during your travels.

Read our full review of Travelex Insurance Services .

What else makes Travelex Insurance Services great:

Three comprehensive plans available, two of which cover international trips.

Offers a post-departure plan geared exclusively toward disruptions after you leave home.

Two flight insurance plans available.

Best if you have travel credit card coverage: Seven Corners

Seven Corners

Annual, medical-only and backpacker plans are available.
Cancel For Any Reason upgrade is available for the cheapest plan.
Cheapest plan also features a much less costly Interruption for Any Reason add-on.
Offers only one annual policy option.

Each Seven Corners plan offers several optional add-ons. Among the more unique is a Trip Interruption for Any Reason, which allows you to interrupt a trip 48 hours after the scheduled departure date (for any reason) and receive a refund of up to 75% of your unused nonrefundable deposits.

» Jump to the best cards with travel insurance

The basic coverage plan for our trip to Mexico costs $124 — right around the average.

What else makes Seven Corners great:

Comprehensive plans for U.S. residents and foreigners, including travelers visiting the U.S.

Cheap add-ons for rental car damage, sporting equipment rental or trip interruption for any reason.

Read our full review of Seven Corners .

Best for long-term travelers: IMG

Coverage available for adventure travelers.
Special medical insurance for ship captains and crew members, international students and missionaries.
Claim approval can be lengthy.

While some travel insurance companies offer just a handful of plans, with IMG, you’ll really have your pick. Though this requires a bit more research, it allows you to search for coverage that fits your travel needs.

However, travelers will want to be aware that IMG’s iTravelInsured Travel Lite is expensive. Coming in at $149.85, it’s the costliest plan on our list.

Read our full review of IMG .

What else makes IMG great:

More affordable than average.

Many plans to choose from to fit your needs.

Best for travelers with unpredictable work demands: Tin Leg

In addition Cancel For Any Reason, some plans offer cancel for work reason coverage.
Adventure sports-specific coverage is available.
Plans have overlap that can be hard to distinguish.
Only one plan includes Rental Car Damage coverage available as an add-on.

Tin Leg’s Basic plan came in at $134 for our sample trip, adding about $8 onto the average basic policy cost. Note that you’ll pay a lot more if you shop for the most comprehensive coverage, and there are eight plans to choose from for trips abroad.

The multitude of plans can help you find coverage that fits your needs, but with so many to choose from, deciding can be daunting.

The only real way to figure out your ideal plan is to compare them all, look at the plan details and decide which features and coverage suit you and your travel style best.

Read our full Tin Leg review .

Best for booking travel with points and miles: TravelSafe

Covers up to $300 redepositing points and miles on eligible canceled award flights.
Optional add-on protection for business equipment or sports rentals.
Multi-trip or year-long plans aren’t available.

Selecting your travel insurance plan with TravelSafe is a fairly straightforward process. The company’s website also makes it easy to visualize how optional add-on elements influence the total cost, displaying the final price as soon as you click the coverage.

However, at $136, the Basic plan was among the more expensive for our trip to Mexico.

What else makes TravelSafe great:

Rental car damage coverage add-on is available on both plans.

Cancel For Any Reason coverage available on the TravelSafe Classic plan.

Read our full TravelSafe review .

Best for group travel insurance: HTH Insurance

HTH Travel Insurance

Covers travelers up to 95 years old.
Includes direct pay option so members can avoid having to pay up front for services.
A 24-hour delay is required for baggage delay coverage on the TripProtector Economy plan.
No waivers for pre-existing conditions on the lower-level plan.

HTH offers single-trip and multitrip medical insurance coverage as well as trip protection plans.

At around $125, the Trip Protector Economy policy is at the average mark for plans we reviewed.

You can choose to insure group trips for educators, crew, religious missionaries and corporate travelers.

What else makes HTH Insurance great:

Medical-only coverage and trip protection coverage.

Lots of options for group travelers.

Read our full review of HTH Insurance .

As you shop for travel insurance, you’ll find many of the same coverage categories across numerous plans.

Trip cancellation

This covers the prepaid costs you make for your trip in cases when you need to cancel for a covered reason. This coverage helps you recoup upfront costs paid for flights and nonrefundable hotel reservations.

Trip interruption

Trip interruption benefits generally involve disruptions after you depart. It helps reimburse costs incurred for flight delays, cancellations and plenty of other covered disruptions you might encounter during your travels.

This coverage can cover the costs for you to return home or reimburse unexpected expenses like an extra hotel stay, meals and ground transportation.

Trip delay coverage helps cover unexpected costs when your trip is delayed. This is another coverage that helps offset the costs of flight trouble or other travel disruptions.

Note that many policies have a total amount a traveler can claim, with caps on per diem benefits, too.

Cancel For Any Reason

Cancel For Any Reason coverage allows you to recoup some of the upfront costs you paid for a trip even if you’re canceling for a reason not otherwise covered by your standard travel insurance policy.

Typically, adding this protection to your plan costs extra.

Baggage delay

This coverage helps cover the costs of essential items you might need when your luggage is delayed. Think toiletries, clothing and other immediate items you might need if your luggage didn’t make it on your flight.

Many travel insurance plans with baggage delay protection will specify how long (six, 12, 24 hours, etc.) your luggage must be delayed before you can make a claim.

Lost baggage

Used for travelers whose luggage is lost or stolen, this helps recoup the lost value of the items in your bag.

You’ll want to make sure you closely follow the correct procedures for your plan. Many plans include a maximum total amount you can claim under this coverage and a per-item cap.

Travel medical insurance

This covers out-of-pocket medical costs when travelers run into an emergency.

Because many travelers’ health insurance plans don’t cover medical care overseas, travel medical insurance can help offset out-of-pocket health care costs.

In addition to emergency medical coverage, many plans have medical evacuation or repatriation coverage for costs incurred when you must be taken to a hospital or return to your home country because of a medical situation.

Most travel insurance plans cover many trip protections that can help you be prepared for unexpected travel disruptions and expenses.

These coverages are generally aimed at protecting the money you put into your trip, expenses you incur because of travel trouble and costs incurred if you have a medical emergency overseas.

On top of core coverages like trip cancellation and interruption and travel medical coverage, some plans offer add-on options like waivers for pre-existing conditions, rental car collision damage waivers or adventure sports riders. These usually cost extra or must be added within a specified timeframe.

Typical travel insurance policies offer coverage for many unforeseen events, but as you research to select a plan, consider your needs. Though every plan differs, there are some commonly excluded coverages.

For instance, you typically can’t get coverage for a named storm if you bought the coverage after the storm was named. In other words, if you have a trip to the Caribbean booked for Sept. 25 and on Sept. 20 a hurricane develops and is named, you generally won’t be able to buy a travel insurance plan Sept. 21 in hopes of getting your money back.

Many plans also don’t cover activities performed under the influence of drugs or alcohol or any extreme sports. If the latter applies to you, you might want to consider a plan with specific coverages for adventure-seekers.

For numerous plans, a few other situations don’t qualify as an acceptable reason to cancel and make a claim, such as fear of travel, medical tourism or pregnancies (unless you booked a trip and bought insurance before you became pregnant or there are complications with the pregnancy). This is where a Cancel For Any Reason add-on to your coverage can be helpful.

You can also run into trouble if you give up on a trip too soon: a minor (or even multihour) flight delay likely isn’t sufficient to cancel your entire trip and get reimbursed through your plan. Be sure to review what requirements your specific plan has when it comes to canceling a trip, claiming trip interruption, etc.

Travel insurance costs vary widely. The final price of your plan will fluctuate based on your age, length of trip and destination.

It will also depend on how much coverage you need, whether you add on specialized policies (like Cancel For Any Reason or pre-existing conditions coverage), whether you plan to participate in extreme sports and other factors.

In our examples above, for instance, the 35-year-old traveler taking a $2,000 trip to Italy would have spent an average $76 for a basic plan to get coverage for things like trip cancellation and interruption, baggage protection, etc. That’s a little less than 4% of the total trip cost — lower than average.

If there were multiple members in a traveling party or if they were going on, say, a rock-climbing or bungee-jumping excursion, the costs would go up.

On average, travel insurance comes to about 5% to 10% of the trip cost. However, considering many of the plans reimburse up to 100% of the trip cost (or more) for disruptions like trip cancellation or interruption, it can be a worthwhile expense if something goes wrong.

It depends. Consider the following factors that might affect your decision: You’re young and healthy, all your bookings are refundable or cancelable without a penalty, your flights are nonstop, you’re not checking bags and a credit card you carry offers some travel protections . In that case, travel insurance might not be necessary.

On the other hand, if you prepaid a large chunk of money for a nonrefundable African safari, you’re going on a Caribbean cruise in the middle of a hurricane season or you’re going somewhere where the cost of health care is high, it’s not a bad idea to buy a travel insurance plan. Here’s how to find the best travel insurance coverage for you.

If you’re thinking of booking a trip and not planning to buy travel insurance, you may want to consider at least booking refundable airfare and not prepaying for hotel, rental car and activity reservations. That way, if something goes wrong, you can cancel without losing any money.

Selecting the best travel insurance policy comes down to your needs, concerns, preferences and budget.

As you book, take a few minutes to consider what most concerns you. Is it getting stranded because of flight trouble? Having the ability to cancel for any reason you see fit without losing money? Getting sick or injured right before departure and needing to postpone the trip? Injuring yourself or falling ill while overseas?

Ultimately, you want a plan that protects you, your money and the large investment in your trip — but doesn’t cost too much, either.

Medical coverage. If your priority is having adequate medical coverage abroad, you might want to look for plans with high limits for medical emergencies and medical evacuation.

Complex travel itinerary. If your itinerary has lots of flight connections, prepaid hotels and deposits for activities you can’t get back, prioritizing a plan with the best coverage for trip cancellations or interruptions may land at the top of your list.

Travel uncertainty. If you’re on the fence about a trip and have nonrefundable reservations, you may want to select a plan with a Cancel For Any Reason coverage option, which can help you recoup about 50% to 75% of the costs. This helps provide peace of mind, placing the decision on whether to travel entirely in your hands.

Car rentals. If you’re renting a car, a collision damage waiver is often worth looking into.

The following destinations are the top insured destinations in 2024, according to Squaremouth (a NerdWallet partner).

The Bahamas.

Costa Rica.

Antarctica.

In 2022, travelers spent about 25.53% more on trips than they did before the pandemic.

As of December, NerdWallet analysis determined travel prices are 10% higher than pre-pandemic. Each statistic makes a strong case for protecting your travel investment as you plan your next trip.

Bookmark these resources to help you make smart money moves as you shop for travel insurance.

What is travel insurance?

CFAR explained.

Is travel insurance worth getting?

10 credit cards that provide travel insurance.

Here is the list of travel cards offered by Chase that include various forms of travel insurance.

Having one of these in your wallet is a good start to protecting your travel investments and preventing expensive accidents; however, savvy travelers check card terms closely and sometimes supplement with a third-party policy, like from one of the companies above, to better protect themselves.

on Chase's website

• Trip delay: Up to $500 per ticket for delays more than 12 hours.

• Trip cancellation: Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $40,000 per 12-month period.

• Trip interruption: Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $40,000 per 12-month period.

• Baggage delay: Up to $100 per day for five days.

• Lost luggage: Up to $3,000 per passenger.

• Trip delay: Up to $500 per ticket for delays more than 6 hours.

• Trip delay: Up to $500 per trip for delays more than 12 hours.

• Car rentals: Theft and collision damage for most cars in the U.S. and abroad.

• Trip cancellation: Up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip.

• Trip interruption: Up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip.

• Baggage delay: Up to $100 per day for three days.

We used the following factors to choose insurance providers to highlight:

Breadth of coverage: We looked at how many plans each company offered plus the range of their standard plans.

Depth of coverage: We considered two data points to get a sense of how much each company pays out for common travel issues — the maximum caps for trip cancellation and trip interruption claims.

Cost: By looking at the costs for basic coverage across multiple companies, we determined an average cost for shoppers to benchmark plan prices against.

Customizability: While standard plans can cover a lot of ground, sometimes you need something a little more personal.

Customer satisfaction. Using data from Squaremouth when available, and Google Reviews as a backup, we can give kudos to companies with better track records from their clients.

No, it doesn’t necessarily get more expensive the longer you wait to purchase. However, as you put off buying insurance, you may lose access to potential plans and coverage options.

In general, buying travel insurance within a few days to two weeks of prepaying or making an initial deposit for your trip is your best bet. Assuming you’re not booking last-minute, this will provide you with access to the widest possible range of coverage options. It also helps prevent any medical conditions or storms that pop up between booking and buying a plan from ending up as excluded situations, which won’t be covered by your plan.

But, generally, many plans do allow you to buy coverage quite close to your departure date.

To get the most out of your travel insurance plan, buy it soon after making your initial prepayment or deposit to ensure you have access to the biggest menu of plans possible.

Select a plan that’s comprehensive enough to cover the travel scenarios you’re most concerned about or likely to encounter but not too expensive or laden with protections you’d never likely need.

Whatever your coverage, thoroughly review the plan so you understand what’s covered and what’s not, plus how to adhere to the plan’s rules for making a claim.

Travelers frequently use phrases like “trip insurance” and “travel insurance,” as well as “trip protection,” interchangeably, but they do mean different things, according to Stan Sandberg, founder of insurance comparison site TravelInsurance.com.

Trip insurance, or trip protection, generally refers to predeparture (or preevent) coverage if you need to cancel. You may see these plans sold by airlines, online travel agencies or even ticketed event sellers.

“You could refer to it as the portion that protects the investment in the trip,” Sandberg says.

A travel insurance plan typically includes that — plus more comprehensive benefits to protect you during your trip, from medical coverage to trip delay and lost baggage protections, and many more elements, depending on the plan.

Though travel insurance is typically not required for international trips, your personal circumstances will play a key role in whether it’s a good investment.

For instance, young, healthy travelers with few prepaid trip expenses embarking on a relatively risk-free trip may not see a need to buy a plan.

Older travelers with complicated itineraries who are visiting destinations where they could potentially fall ill or get injured — or who could encounter bad weather or some other disrupting factor along the way — may want to buy coverage.

Consider a few key questions:

How well would your health insurance plan cover you if you needed to visit a hospital overseas?

How much did you prepay for a hotel or rental car?

How much money would you be out if weather or some other flight issue derailed your itinerary?

Could you afford an unexpected night in a city where you have a connecting flight?

Do you already have a credit card that provides some travel protections?

Your answers to these questions can help you decide whether you need travel insurance for your international trip.

In general, buying travel insurance

within a few days to two weeks of prepaying or making an initial deposit

for your trip is your best bet. Assuming you’re not booking last-minute, this will provide you with access to the widest possible range of coverage options. It also helps prevent any medical conditions or storms that pop up between booking and buying a plan from ending up as excluded situations, which won’t be covered by your plan.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

On a similar note...

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Medjet Emergency Medical Transport: Is It Worth It?

Find out if an emergency transport membership through MedJet is worth it.

with our comparison partner, Squaremouth

Charlotte Armitage is a copywriter and content manager writing for brands primarily in the travel and recruitment industries. Writing is a major hobby as well as an occupation, but she also spends her time reading, dancing and bouldering.

Tori Addison is an editor who has worked in the digital marketing industry for over five years. Her experience includes communications and marketing work in the nonprofit, governmental and academic sectors. A journalist by trade, she started her career covering politics and news in New York’s Hudson Valley. Her work included coverage of local and state budgets, federal financial regulations and health care legislation.

Medjet has annual memberships that can offer peace of mind if you’re concerned about needing urgent medical care while traveling or visiting a part of the world where a crisis could disrupt your trip. Keep reading to learn about Medjet membership options, the advantages and disadvantages, and coverage costs.

While the best travel insurance companies cover a range of unexpected and emergency scenarios, some travelers may seek more comprehensive medical evacuation protection. Medjet travel insurance is a medical transport and security program offering domestic and international evacuations if you experience an emergency while traveling.

How Medjet Fills a Gap in Travel Insurance

Medjet is a membership program that offers emergency medical transportation or evacuation services if you experience an emergency more than 150 miles from home. Medjet can transport travelers to a hospital of their choice using a global network of air ambulances, medical escorts and security staff. Travelers also have access to 24/7 crisis response teams and travel security support for situations such as terrorism, violent crime, wrongful detention and more. Medjet does not cover the actual medical treatment, just transportation.

A Medjet membership can provide extra protection if emergency transport is needed while traveling. Medjet coverage can help you receive adequate care in an emergency if traveling to a country where evacuation is more likely due to political threats or other safety concerns. It may also be useful if you’re participating in activities with a higher risk of injury, such as adventure sports in a remote area.

There are two options for Medjet membership: MedjetAssist and MedjetHorizon. Both memberships provide hospital transfer to a facility of your choice and emergency referrals and monitoring. The MedjetHorizon membership also offers medical cash advances, security response and evacuation services, crisis response services, legal referrals and trip intelligence.

Understanding your current health insurance coverage, doing research and reading online customer reviews can help you decide whether you need Medjet coverage for your trip. You can also opt for emergency medical protection by purchasing travel insurance with evacuation coverage.

Pros and Cons of Medjet Membership

Below are some of the advantages and disadvantages of a Medjet membership:

Compare Medjet to the Competition

Use the table below to compare Medjet to top travel insurance companies:

Why Trust MarketWatch Guides

Our editorial team follows a comprehensive methodology for rating and reviewing travel insurance companies. Advertisers have no effect on our rankings.

Companies Reviewed

Quotes Collected

Rating Factors

What Does Medjet Cover?

Medjet offers two annual memberships and several specialty options. Below is a breakdown of what each option covers.

The company’s standard coverage, MedjetAssist, covers the following services:

Hospital-to-hospital medical transfer
Choice of medical facility for transfer
All-expenses-paid air medical transport
Emergency medical referrals, monitoring, message relay and telephone interpretation
Repatriation of remains

Or, you can opt for the more comprehensive plan with MedjetHorizon, which covers the following:

A cash advance for medical emergencies
Ground ambulance and specialty hospital transfer under 150 miles
24/7 security or crisis response and evacuation services
Access to trip intelligence
Legal referrals

If you do not need annual coverage, Medjet also has short-term memberships to cover travel for eight, 15, 21 or 30 days. You can also opt for family coverage with either plan, which includes two adults and up to five children.

Medjet also offers the following specialty programs:

Diamond: Offers coverage to travelers aged 75 to 84, including one medical transport service per year, commercial medical escort services, emergency medical referrals and monitoring, and repatriation.
Collegiate: Includes emergency medical coverage for traveling college students and academic faculty.
Expatriate: Provides MedjetAssist coverage for members traveling internationally for extended periods.
Motorcycle: An optional add-on membership that will also transport your motorbike home in the event of an accident.
Domestic: Offers MedjetAssist coverage for travel within the 48 contiguous U.S. states.

Medjet services are more comprehensive than standard insurance options, ensuring customers don’t end up paying for medical transportation if they need treatment while traveling. Medjet also differs from traditional travel insurance because it allows members to choose a medical facility when they need a transfer, which means they can receive treatment in their home country. By contrast, travel insurance will transport you to the nearest facility in the event of an emergency medical evacuation.

What Does Medjet Not Cover?

Medjet is a medical transport membership service that complements other types of insurance but is not a replacement for travel insurance. It does not provide coverage for lost baggage , trip cancellations or delays, travel interruptions or standard medical bills. For the most comprehensive coverage, we suggest using a Medjet membership alongside a travel insurance policy.

What Are the Typical Costs of Medjet Membership?

Based on our research, the cost of an annual Medjet Assist Membership starts at $315 for an individual seeking one year of coverage for international and domestic travel. Prices for a family MedjetAssist Membership start at $425 for the same level of coverage.

The typical cost of an annual MedjetHorizon Membership is $474 for an individual seeking one year of international and domestic travel. The cost of a family plan starts at around $614.

Should You Purchase Additional Travel Insurance if You Buy Medjet?

Unless you’re only looking for medical transport benefits and services, you should purchase additional travel insurance alongside your Medjet membership. A Medjet membership does not provide coverage for all potential scenarios that you might encounter while traveling but rather serves as an additional investment to provide increased protection and peace of mind. For example, Medjet will not cover medical treatment if you receive care abroad, but travel insurance can.

A Medjet membership can also complement the limitations of classic travel insurance coverage. So if you get hurt and require evacuation, Medjet can transport you to the home hospital of your choice instead of the closest nearby foreign medical facility, even if it isn’t a medical necessity.

Read More: Travel Insurance For Parents Visiting The United States

Which Is Better: Medjet or Global Rescue?

Global Rescue is another company that offers medical evacuation and crisis response services as part of a membership service. Both Medjet and Global Rescue have similar offerings and can take travelers to the hospital of their choice instead of the nearest acceptable facility.

One of the key differences is that Medjet is considered a better value if you are seeking a long-term membership since its prices are cheaper on average. Global Rescue also caters to organizations and corporations, while Medjet is specifically designed for individual travelers or families.

Unless you’re looking for travel protection for an organization, we recommend Medjet as the more affordable option for individual or family protection.

Is MedJet Worth It?

Investing in a Medjet membership can be a worthwhile addition to a travel insurance policy if you want comprehensive coverage in the event of an accident or illness while on vacation. Standard travel insurance policies usually only offer medical evacuation to the nearest facility under certain conditions, whereas Medjet ensures you receive treatment at the establishment of your choice.

Purchasing a Medjet membership is particularly valuable for travelers concerned about medical emergencies and transport, security threats or natural disasters. It’s a leading option for emergency medical evacuation coverage and offers good value for your money, providing coverage for individuals or families for both short and long-term trips. Plus, Medjet offers specialized coverage for senior citizens, college students and more.

Frequently Asked Questions About Medjet

Does medjet cover medical expenses related to pre-existing conditions.

Yes, Medjet does not have any exclusions for travelers with pre-existing health conditions. This means you will be able to get medical evacuation coverage even if you have an existing medical condition. However, Medjet members only receive coverage for transport expenses, not coverage for other medical expenses and treatment costs.

Where can I purchase Medjet travel insurance?

You can purchase a Medjet annual and short-term membership on the company’s website . You can also call its member’s helpline at 800-527-7478 for more information. Medjet memberships are available to residents of the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

How do I contact Medjet while traveling abroad?

If you need to call Medjet and talk to a medical transport team, you can call the company’s worldwide number at +1-205-595-6626. If you have a MedjetHorizion membership and need to talk to a security and crisis response team, you can call the worldwide number at +1-619-717-8549.

Methodology: Our System for Ranking the Best Travel Insurance Companies

A 30-year-old couple taking a $5,000 vacation to Mexico.
A family of four taking an $8,000 vacation to Mexico.
A 65-year-old couple taking a $7,000 vacation to the United Kingdom.
A 30-year-old couple taking a $7,000 trip to the United Kingdom.
A 19-year-old taking a $2,000 trip to France.
A 27-year-old couple taking a $1,200 trip to Greece.
A 51-year-old couple taking a $2,000 trip to Spain.
Plan availability (10%): We look for insurers with a variety of travel insurance plans and the ability to customize a policy with coverage upgrades.
Coverage details (29%): We review the baseline coverage each company offers in its cheapest comprehensive plan. A provider with robust coverage earns full points, including baggage delay and loss, COVID-19 coverage, emergency evacuation and medical coverage, trip delay and cancellation coverage, and more. Companies also receive points for offering a variety of policy add-ons like accidental death and dismemberment, extreme sports, valuable items, cancel for any reason coverage and more.
Coverage times and amounts (34%): We compare each company’s waiting periods and maximum reimbursement amounts for baggage, travel and weather delays. Companies that offer customers reimbursement after fewer than 12 hours of delays earn full points in this category. We also reward travel insurance providers that cover more than 100% of trip costs in the event of cancellations or interruptions.
Company service and reviews (17%): We look for indicators that a company is well-prepared to respond to customer needs. Companies with an established global resource network, 24/7 emergency hotline, mobile app, multiple ways to file a claim and concierge services score higher in this category. We assess reputation by evaluating consumer reviews, third-party financial strength and customer experience ratings, specifically from AM Best and the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

For more information, read our full travel insurance methodology.

A.M. Best Disclaimer

If you have questions about this page, please reach out to our editors at [email protected] .

Introduction to Berkshire Hathaway Travel Insurance
Travel insurance plans
Types of Policies Offered
Travel Insurance Cost

How to Purchase and Manage a Berkshire Hathaway Policy

Customer Service and Claims Experience

Compare Berkshire Hathaway Travel Insurance

Why You Should Trust Us

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection Review 2024

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate insurance products to write unbiased product reviews.

Berkshire Hathaway is a multinational conglomerate currently helmed by Warren Buffett. It has a particularly robust insurance department, operating widely known auto insurer GEICO . It also provides a wide variety of travel insurance policies fitting for a major player in insurance market.

This review will help you understand what Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection has to offer and guide you toward the right insurance package for your needs.

Berkshire Hathaway Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection

Covers up to 100% of trip cancellation costs, a minimum of up to $750 in luggage losses, and 24/7 worldwide travel insurance

Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Offers up to 100% trip cancellation refund for eligible travel
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Plans are customizable with relevant add-ons
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Good customer service and easy sign up according to traveler reviews
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. More affordable plans offer low caps on medical and emergency coverage
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Premiums are on the expensive side relative to comparable competitor plans
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Claims may take longer during peak travel seasons

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection is one of the leading insurance brands on the market. It offers several plans with key add-ons for travelers.

This provider underwrites travel insurance policies for a number of other companies in addition to offering its own plans
Travelers can file claims directly from a smartphone by using the BHTP app

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Insurance Review

Berkshire Hathaway offers a whopping eight plans that cover a wide variety of trips, whether you are planning a road trip, taking a cruise , or focusing on luxury or adventure. If you're unsure of what you need, the flagship ExtraCare product covers the essentials.

With such a variety of plans, Berkshire Hathaway landed a spot in our guide on the best travel insurance companies . It offers low cost options and generally keeps premiums low, even for older travelers. Additionally, all of its policies, excluding its air travel-only plan, offer pre-existing medical condition coverage.

That said, there are a few key exclusions that hold Berkshire Hathaway back. For one, its cancel for any reason coverage is reserved for the most expensive LuxuryCare tier, and it only covers 50% of trip costs when most of the best CFAR travel insurance policies offer 75% back. Additionally, Berkshire Hathaway's claims system is reportedly spotty, and the company rarely engages with its customer reviews

Types of Policies Offered by Berkshire Hathaway

Berkshire Hathaway offers several travel insurance policies for diverse needs.

The most popular policy, ExactCare, will work for most travelers. ExactCare's travel-agnostic insurance package offers 3 coverage tiers: ExactCare Value, ExactCare, and ExactCare Extra. Each of these policies covers up to 100% of trip cancellation costs, a minimum of up to $750 in luggage losses, and 24/7 worldwide travel insurance.

Additional coverage options from Berkshire Hathaway

Category-specific insurance plans are available as well for the following types of travel:

Road trip coverage (ExactCare Lite): ExactCare Lite is a low-coverage policy for nonrefundable costs on domestic road trips such as hotel rooms, attractions, and event tickets. ExactCare Lite also includes emergency medical and medical evacuation coverage for covered events occurring more than 100 miles away from your home.

Importantly, if you have pre-existing conditions that require ongoing care such as diabetes, high blood pressure, etc., a preexisting conditions waiver can be purchased within 15 days of the initial trip payment. Similarly, coverage for your kids can be included if purchased within 15 days of the initial trip payment.

Cruise coverage (WaveCare): WaveCare covers nonrefundable costs and medical emergencies on cruises, covering cancellations up to $25K per person and medical evacuation coverage up to $750K, which is important since sea to land evacuations can be costly.

Adventures and activities coverage (AdrenalineCare): If you're taking a bucket list trip with increased risk, higher costs, or complex travel details, take a look at AdrenalineCare. This comprehensive policy offers higher coverage ceilings for trip cancellation or interruption, equipment delay, license fee refunds, medical emergencies, lost baggage, and medical evacuation.

This product is especially useful if you're planning a trip with tight connections for transit, such as short times between connecting flights or a risky transfer from a vehicle to a boat or plane since the plan includes coverage for missed connections. Coverage for pre-existing conditions, financial default, and terrorism is included.

Flight coverage (AirCare): AirCare covers expenses specific to aviation travel including unexpected aircraft and tarmac delays, equipment failure, lost luggage, flight diversions, and late-night travel delays. This product is a good fit for travelers who are comfortable managing other aspects of travel risk on their own but want additional peace of mind in the event of flight-related hiccups.

AirCare sells a standalone policy or as an add-on alongside Berkshire Hathaway's lower-tier travel insurance plans.

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Insurance Cost

The premium you pay will depend on various factors, including the age of the travelers, destination, and total trip costs. The average cost of travel insurance is 4% to 8% of your travel costs.

After inputting some personal information, such as your age and state of residence, along with your trip details, like travel dates, destination, and trip costs, you'll get an instant quote for Berkshire Hathaway plans available for your trip. And from there, it's easy to compare each option based on your coverage needs and budget.

Now let's look at a few examples to estimate Berkshire Hathaway's coverage costs.

As of 2024, a 23-year-old from Illinois taking a week-long, $3,000 budget trip to Italy would have the following travel insurance quotes:

ExactCare Value: $61
ExactCare: $112
ExactCare Extra: $99
LuxuryCare: $121
AdrenalineCare: $115

Premiums for Berkshire Hathaway plans are between 2% and 4% of the trip's cost, well within the average cost of travel insurance.

Berkshire Hathaway provides the following quotes for a 30-year-old traveler from California heading to Japan for two weeks on a $4,000 trip:

ExactCare Value: $135
ExactCare: $178
ExactCare Extra: $178
LuxuryCare: $247
AdrenalineCare: $233

Once again, premiums for Berkshire Hathaway plans are between 3.4% and 6.2% of the trip's cost, within and below the expected range of travel insurance costs.

A Texas family consisting of two 40-year-old parents with a 10-year-old and 4-year-old on a two-week trip to Australia for $20,000:

ExactCare Value: $509
ExactCare: $430
ExactCare Extra: $771
LuxuryCare: $972
AdrenalineCare: $933

Quotes for this trip cost between 2.15% and 4.9%, within the average cost of travel insurance.

A 65-year-old couple looking to escape New Jersey for Mexico for two weeks with a trip cost of $6,000 would have the following quotes:

ExactCare Value: $272
ExactCare: $526
ExactCare Extra: $462
LuxuryCare: $582
AdrenalineCare: $584

Premiums for Berkshire Hathaway plans for older-age travelers are between 4.5% and 9.7%, which is well within the average cost for travel insurance. While it's certainly more expensive than coverage for younger travelers, it's on the lower end of what travel insurance companies often quote for older travelers.

Berkshire Hathaway's online quote generator is intuitive and easy to use. You'll need to provide the following information for a quote:

Destination country
Travel dates
Date of booking
Traveling method (Car, plane, ship)
Number of flight segments
Postal code
Number of travelers
Traveler(s) age
Trip cost per traveler
Email address

Once you submit those details, you'll get a list of eligible travel insurance policies and the cost comparison. If you're traveling by air, you'll have to input your flight information. You can also add bonus coverage options and riders to your insurance shopping cart before completing the transaction online.

How to File a Claim with Berkshire Hathaway Travel Insurance

Berkshire Hathaway customers can file a claim through the claims portal, by emailing claims [email protected], or calling (844) 411-2487 and choosing option 5 (+1 (715) 303-6333 for people abroad). Customer service representatives are available between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday, and the company is closed for national holidays. Callers can also reach an emergency operator 24/7 for travel or medical assistance by selecting options 1 or 2.

You can also file a claim using the dedicated app, available for both iOS and Android devices. That said, customer reviews have mentioned that the app doesn't work, so a more traditional route may be more reliable.

Customers have a year from when the loss occurred to file a claim, though Berkshire Hathaway encourages claimants to file as soon as reasonably possible. For certain types of claims, such as lost baggage, you only need to submit a photograph of the claim you filed with the airline in addition to some basic information about the situation.

Berkshire Hathaway Customer Service and Claims Experience

Berkshire Hathaway boasts an average of 4.31 stars out of five on its Squaremouth page. Most of the positive customer reviews center around peace of mind. Customers were glad they had their policy but didn't have to file a claim. Many of these reviews focus on the buying process, which is fast and customer service is responsive. Reviews note easy processing if you need to push your trip back (and use the same policy for your new trip).

That said, reviews where a claim was involved were more checkered. Customers reported difficulty reaching Berkshire Hathaway's claims team and long wait times, which may be more pronounced during high travel seasons.

While reviews allow customers to air their grievances or sing the praises of their insurance company, they're also a great way for customers to get a response from a company when all other communication methods fail. Many travel insurance companies regularly respond to customer reviews on SquareMouth, Trustpilot, and the Better Business Bureau. Unfortunately, Berkshire Hathaway is not one of these companies.

Learn more about how Berkshire Hathaway compares to top travel insurance providers.

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection vs. Nationwide Travel Insurance

Berkshire Hathaway is ranked favorably next to Nationwide, which is one of the most popular travel insurance providers in the market. You can't go wrong picking a plan from either company. Both offer similarly priced and customizable policies for different types of travelers. These plans are highly ranked by both the Better Business Bureau and thousands of positive customer reviews.

Read our Nationwide Travel Insurance review here.

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection vs. WorldTrips Travel Insurance

If you're in the market for one of Berkshire Hathaway's budget insurance policies, you may also want to consider options from WorldTrips. Like Berkshire Hathaway, WorldTrips is an industry leader providing low-cost plans with great coverage for most trips at competitive rates.

If you need travel medical insurance for a study abroad program, WorldTrips offers an international policy designed to meet students' needs. Keep in mind, WorldTrips has exclusions for pre-existing conditions on many policies. So if you're planning on being abroad for an extended period, you should make prior arrangements for things like diabetes, asthma, or other chronic conditions.

Read our WorldTrips Travel Insurance review here.

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection vs. Credit Card Travel Insurance

If you're considering the ExactCare Lite or AirCare travel plans from Berkshire Hathaway, you might find equal or even superior credit card travel protection .

Some credit card providers offer travel insurance benefits with sizable payouts. This includes reimbursements for lost or delayed baggage far exceeding Berkshire Hathaways coverage limits. Similarly, some of the best credit cards offering travel insurance also advertise generous ceilings for medical insurance and evacuation benefits extending coverage into the million-dollar range.

Read our guide on the best credit cards with travel insurance here

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection FAQs

Yes, Berkshire Hathaway offers plans for international travelers such as its ExactCare, ExactCare Extra, ExactCare Value, and LuxuryCare.

Berkshire Hathaway has a plan for adventure sports and activities called the AdrenalineCare plan.

Customer reviews on Berkshire Hathaway's claims process are very mixed. Some customers reported a quick and simple claims process while others report having gone over a month without resolution or communication.

Yes, almost all of Berkshire Hathaway's policies offer pre-existing medical condition waivers .

Berkshire Hathaway is known for its reliable coverage options, comprehensive plans for various travel needs, and a strong reputation in the insurance market.

Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed Berkshire Hathaway Travel Insurance

To review Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, we looked at coverage limits, cost, customer service, claim limits, how plans can be customized, and much more. Then we compared these factors with the best travel insurance companies .

We named Berkshire Hathaway as a top pick in Insider's best travel insurance companies guide because of the company's long-standing reputation in insurance. Berkshire Hathaway's travel insurance policies provide a slew of coverage options at different price points for various types of travelers. Furthermore, the company offers great customer support, intuitive resources, and a big name giving customers peace of mind.

Learn more about how we rate travel insurance companies .

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

**Enrollment required.

Main content

When Disaster Strikes: Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance

Ripcord Rescue: Help Where None Is Available

Unlike other services, Ripcord is not a dispatch center. Although they rely on an extensive database of first responders all over the globe, the Ripcord team conducts their own field operations.

According to Redpoint Resolution VP and former Army Ranger, Tom Bochnowski, “Our trained personnel have responded to emergencies on seven continents. If we need to get you ourselves, we will. And we’ll get there quickly.”

It’s a claim made with earned confidence. The Ripcord team includes former Navy SEALs, special operations veterans, paramedics, intelligence experts, and seasoned medical advisors. Their best practices stem from many years wiggling out of sticky situations.

To ensure rapid and effective responses, their logistics experts continually review emergency assets in popular adventure locations. A common resource for climbers, Ripcord successfully executes as many as 20 Himalayan rescues every season. But you don’t have to risk death on Mt. Everest to benefit from their coverage.

Overseeing Links in the Rescue Chain

In places like Yosemite, Moab, and the Grand Canyon, search and rescue teams are always on standby. And they’re good at what they do.

Even when not required on the scene, Ripcord’s staff provides valuable assistance. There are a lot of moving parts in a crisis situation. Ripcord oversees the event from initial distress signal through to final resolution.

During our incident in Chile, my friend shuttled between ambulances, clinics, and helicopters multiple times before admittance to a major hospital. Keeping tabs on him and arranging for his safe transfer home was not easy.

We didn’t have Ripcord coverage. If we had, they would have been available for medical advice, travel assistance, and facilitated the safe delivery of our buddy from point of injury to the hospital of his choice at home.

Ripcord Insurance Review: Coverage for Real Adventures

Unless you like to read the fine print, you may not notice the limitations imposed by other insurance providers. Even the big players with strong reputations have restrictions on altitude, diving depth, or exclusions for things like hunting or backcountry skiing.

Pre-existing medical conditions frequently restrict coverage. By contrast, the Ripcord limitations are minimal. They understand their customer base and strive to offer protection for authentic adventures.

Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance: One Plan to Manage

For many years, people had to buy one policy to cover their basic travel needs and another for medical evacuation or rescue services. Aside from the added expense, it invites potential headaches in the event of a filed claim.

Overlapping policies are a hot-potato adjuster’s excuse to deny payment. With Ripcord, one plan covers everything from a lost passport to a five-alarm emergency.

Who Really Needs Ripcord?

When I bought my Garmin inReach, the SOS button seemed like a novelty. It was nice to have but I never thought I’d need to push it. When that day came, I realized how quickly a fun-filled dream vacation turns into a nightmare.

Even if the only disaster to occur is a delayed plane or missing bag, travel insurance is nice to have. The next time I crawl into a ditch and notice my friend has two more elbows than he should, I’ll know to pull the Ripcord.

Christophe Noel is a freelance journalist, photographer, and general vagabond. A seeker of stories untold, he can often be found with a map in hand, lost, in the most remote corners of the globe. The founder of Clean Drink Adventures , he believes in the power of the traveler and doing good as you go.

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Generali Global Assistance

Learn about travel insurance plans offered through Generali Global Assistance and how they compare.

Generous coverage amounts for emergency medical expenses and evacuation

Customize your plan with select add-on coverages

Cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage available with Premium plan

Preexisting conditions coverage available with Premium plan

Preferred pricing for families

CFAR coverage only reimburses at 60% and must be purchased within 24 hours of initial trip deposit

Baggage delay benefits require a minimum delay of 12 to 24 hours (depending on plan)

No annual plans

What Generali Global Assistance Is Known For

Generali Global Assistance keeps things simple by offering three main travel insurance plans for consumers: the basic Standard plan, the mid-tier Preferred plan and the Premium plan with superior coverage. These plans stand out in several areas, including their relatively high limits for emergency medical expenses and emergency medical evacuation, robust coverage amounts for travel delays, included concierge services, and 24-hour travel assistance.

The company's Premium plan offers the most coverage and highest policy limits by far, as well as access to several add-ons you can't purchase with other plans. For example, the Premium plan from Generali Global Assistance includes coverage for preexisting medical conditions, but only if travel insurance is purchased within 24 hours of making a final trip payment. This is unique from many other plans that cover preexisting conditions, which typically require you to purchase travel insurance within a few weeks of making an initial trip deposit instead.

This top-tier plan also includes rental car coverage automatically, and it's the only plan from Generali that lets consumers add on cancel for any reason (CFAR) travel insurance . With this type of insurance, individuals can cancel their trip for any reason and get part of their upfront costs back.

With CFAR coverage from Generali Global Assistance, however, travelers are only reimbursed up to 60% for prepaid travel expenses like airfare, hotels and tours. This is less than you'll get with many other travel insurance plans that let you buy CFAR coverage and reimburse at 70% to 80% of prepaid trip costs. Not only that, but you can only add CFAR coverage to a plan if you purchase travel insurance within 24 hours of making an initial deposit on your trip.

Generali Global Assistance Travel Insurance for Individual Trips

Generali Global Assistance offers three tiers of travel insurance protection to choose from. The basic Standard plan includes essential coverage with lower limits, and the Preferred and Premium plans offer more coverages with higher limits and more optional benefits.

The chart below highlights what you'll get with each of the travel insurance plans from Generali Global Assistance, plus the policy limits that apply.

As you compare travel insurance plans from Generali Global Assistance, you should know about some of the fine print terms that can apply. The most important details are highlighted below:

Baggage delays: This coverage doesn't kick in until at least 24 hours with the Standard plan, 18 hours with Preferred coverage and 12 hours with the Premium plan.
Baggage insurance: Items lost in baggage without a receipt are reimbursed at 75% of actual cash value (not replacement value).
Sporting equipment: Sports equipment that's lost or stolen in baggage without a receipt will be reimbursed at 75% of actual cash value (not replacement value).
Sporting equipment delays: This coverage requires an 18-hour delay with the Preferred plan and a 12-hour delay with the Premium plan.
Travel delay coverage: This protection kicks in after a 10-hour delay with Standard plans, a delay of eight or more hours with the Preferred plan, and a six-hour delay with the Premium plan.

Generali Global Assistance Travel Insurance Costs

Costs for travel insurance from Generali Global Assistance vary based on the plan you select, the number of travelers in a plan, the total cost for a trip, the age of travelers and other factors. To help you get an idea of how much you'll pay for a plan, we applied for travel insurance quotes for several different trips that cost between $2,500 and $14,000.

Generali Global Assistance is accredited with the Better Business Bureau, where it also has an A+ rating. However, the company has a very low average star rating of just 1.11 out of 5 stars across 300-plus user reviews on the platform. The company has also closed more than 500 customer complaints with the BBB in the last three years, 258 of which were resolved in the last 12 months.

Generali has a 4.57 rating out of 14,000-plus reviews on InsureMyTrip and a 4.33 rating out of about 4,500 reviews on Squaremouth. On Trustpilot, the company has an average star rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars across more than 400 reviews from past customers. Below, we listed examples of positive and negative user reviews from several platforms that show some of the best and worst attributes of the company.

I've used Generali Travel Insurance in South America and Japan

I've used Generali Travel Insurance in the past. I like the website purchase as it is straightforward and displays 3 options with clear coverage. It only asked a few questions to filter the individual to the right product. – Richard S. via Trustpilot

Generali Global Assistance Standard

Generali was professional and courteous. I had to file a medical cancellation claim and it was easy to file and was resolved very quickly. Generali was great and I would use them again. – Edward K. via InsureMyTrip

Policy: Standard

My experience with Global was very good. The only issue was a computer glitch in their new claim system. It was a little confusing at times but my claim agent was very helpful and helped me get through the process. They settled my claim much faster than I anticipated. It was overall, a good experience. – Katherine via Squaremouth

If I could give this company 0 stars I would. My wife went into labor and they refused to refund us our vacation rental booking because they didn't consider a woman going into labor as an emergency. We even talked to them before canceling and they told us to cancel the whole booking to get our full refund. This is a HORRIBLE company that needs to be investigated thoroughly. Shame on VRBO for using them as a travel insurance company. – Tanner B. via Better Business Bureau

If I could give zero stars I would

If I could give zero stars I would. I think the people (or bots) giving higher stars have not had to make a claim. I was diagnosed with AML and will be hospitalized for a month to receive a stem cell transplant and needed to cancel my trip. I have uploaded all the documentation they requested. I have not been able to talk to an actual person. I have tried 4 different phone numbers and sent emails to the suggested address only to get an automated response. This company is a complete scam! – Denise via Trustpilot

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Holly Johnson is a travel writer who covers topics like travel insurance, family travel, all-inclusive resorts and cruises. She has researched travel insurance options for her own vacations and family trips to more than 50 countries around the world and has experience navigating the claims and reimbursement process. Johnson works alongside her husband, Greg, who sells travel insurance through their travel agency, Travel Blue Book .

Best travel insurance for seniors 2024

T raveling can be an exciting adventure, but it also comes with risks. As we age, unexpected health issues or accidents become more likely when away from home. Travel insurance provides seniors coverage for medical emergencies, trip cancellations or interruptions, lost luggage, and other travel mishaps. Having a policy can provide peace of mind and financial protection.

This guide was compiled after analyzing statistics from over 50 companies. We've meticulously compared the top travel insurance providers for seniors, delving into the most critical coverage options, discussing pre-existing conditions and age limits, examining costs, the claims process, COVID-19 considerations, and more. With this information, seniors can confidently find an affordable policy that aligns with their needs and embark on their travels with assurance.

Best Senior Travel Insurance Companies

When buying travel insurance for seniors, finding a reputable provider that offers comprehensive coverage options tailored to your needs is essential. Here are some top providers to consider:

Travel insurance for seniors

- Emergency Medical Coverage

- 24/7 Emergency Assistance

- Cancel for Any Reason

Travel insurance for seniors provides comprehensive coverage tailored to their needs, including COVID-19 coverage, overseas emergency assistance, and medical/hospital coverage. The policy has an AA+ rating and fast online processing. The best annual travel insurance plans offer unlimited medical expense coverage, safe transportation, and 24-hour emergency assistance. With dedicated customer service, seniors can enjoy a seamless travel experience worldwide.

Comprehensive coverage for medical emergencies and trip cancellations/interruptions.

Policies designed specifically for senior travelers, including coverage for pre-existing conditions.

No age limit on many AARP travel insurance plans, providing options for those over 70 and 80.

Cons:

Limited coverage for pre-existing conditions may leave some seniors unprotected.

Restrictions on trip duration or destinations may limit travel flexibility for seniors.

Exclusions for certain adventurous activities or extreme sports may only suit some senior travelers' preferences.

Additional Services:

Emergency Evacuation

Single Trip Travel Insurance

Domestic Travel Insurance

Ready to safeguard your travels with reliable coverage? Explore our comprehensive travel insurance plans for seniors today for peace of mind and financial protection for your next adventure.

- Trip Cancellation - Baggage Loss

- Emergency Evacuation

- Repatriation

AARP offers travel insurance specifically designed for seniors, catering to the unique requirements of older travelers. Their insurance plans include coverage for medical emergencies, trip cancellations, lost luggage, and other unexpected events that may occur during travels. This insurance is crucial for seniors as it provides peace of mind and financial protection in case of health emergencies or unforeseen circumstances while abroad.

Comprehensive coverage for medical emergencies and trip cancellations/interruptions

Policies tailored to the needs of senior travelers, including coverage for pre-existing conditions

No age limit on many AARP travel insurance plans, providing options for those over 70 and 80

AARP life insurance products, including final expense policies, may be more expensive than other providers

AARP term and whole life insurance plans can be problematic for seniors to qualify for due to health questions and waiting periods

Some negative customer feedback on sites like ConsumerAffairs, though AARP's underwriter, New York Life, has average complaint ratios

Concierge Services

Medical Assistance Hotline

Travel Planning Assistance

- Adventure Sports Coverage

- Global Network Assistance

International Medical Group (IMG) is a reputable provider of international medical and travel insurance, serving customers for over 20 years in more than 190 countries. They offer various plans catering to various needs, including coverage for students, travelers, expats, seniors, and more. IMG stands out for providing up to $8 million in emergency care and medical evacuation coverage, significantly higher than many competitors. Their policies offer extensive coverage limits, with medical limits reaching up to $8 million, surpassing what most other providers offer. IMG also provides additional coverages like benefits for missed flights and pet kennel bills, although these may vary by plan.

Extensive experience in the industry, serving customers for over 20 years.

Coverage available in over 190 countries.

Offers up to $8 million in emergency care and medical evacuation coverage.

Provides a diverse range of plans for seniors and other needs.

There are several bad customer reviews concerning claims processing and customer service.

Some basic plans do not include baggage delay benefits.

Travel Assistance Beyond Emergencies

Medical Referrals

- Senior-Friendly Policies

- Trip Cancellation Benefits

Allianz Global Assistance offers a range of travel insurance products designed for seniors, catering to travelers up to 85 years old. Their policies cover various needs, including trip curtailment, delayed personal possessions, and missed departures. Allianz's senior travel insurance is available for both inbound and outbound travel, with options for single trips and annual coverage. The company's age limit allows seniors to travel safely and with peace of mind, covering them in Europe and the rest of the world.

Offers a range of products, including single trip and annual coverage.

Provides coverage for trip curtailment, delayed personal possessions, and missed departures.

Available for both inbound and outbound travel.

Covers Europe and the rest of the world.

Some policies may have strict age restrictions, limiting coverage for older seniors.

The cost of premiums may be higher for older travelers.

The availability of certain policies may be limited due to travel restrictions.

Trip Interruption Coverage

Concierge Services

Seven Corners

- Flexible Coverage Options

Seven Corners is a well-known travel insurance provider offering a variety of plans tailored for seniors. These plans provide comprehensive coverage for medical emergencies, trip cancellations, and lost belongings. Their plans are popular among senior travelers due to their competitive prices and generous coverage limits, including pre-existing conditions and medical evacuation options. Seven Corners stands out for its efficient claims process and excellent customer service, making it a reliable choice for older travelers.

Comprehensive coverage for medical emergencies, trip cancellations, and lost belongings.

Competitive prices and generous coverage limits.

Options for pre-existing conditions and medical evacuation.

Efficient claims process and excellent customer service.

There are age restrictions or limited coverage for certain conditions in some policies.

Higher premiums for older travelers.

Seniors need to review plan details carefully to ensure coverage meets their needs.

Legal Assistance

Medical Translation Services

- Enhanced Medical Coverage

Tin Leg offers a variety of travel insurance plans tailored for seniors, providing comprehensive coverage for medical emergencies, trip cancellations, and lost belongings. Their policies are known for high coverage limits, particularly in medical and medical evacuation coverage. Tin Leg's customer service operates 24/7, offering assistance for various issues beyond medical emergencies. Additionally, they offer a range of deductible options, allowing seniors to customize their coverage to fit their budget.

High coverage limits, especially for medical and medical evacuation.

Competitive premiums and budget-friendly plans.

Comprehensive coverage at a lower cost compared to other providers.

24/7 customer service for various travel-related issues.

Limited customizability in plans.

Limited rental car coverage.

Trip Delay Benefits

Emergency Reunion

Trawick International

- Customizable Plans

- Comprehensive Benefits

Trawick International offers senior travel insurance plans with higher benefits than other senior travel insurance options, making it an excellent choice for non-U.S. travelers over 70. Their policies provide comprehensive coverage for medical emergencies, trip cancellations, and lost belongings, catering to the unique needs of older travelers. Trawick International stands out for its competitive prices and generous coverage limits, including pre-existing conditions and medical evacuation options.

Pros of Trawick International Travel Insurance for Seniors:

Higher benefits than other senior travel insurance plans.

Limited availability to insureds up to age 65.

Some policies may have restricted coverage for certain conditions.

Seniors must review plan details carefully to ensure coverage meets their needs.

Medical Evacuation

Medical Monitoring Services

What Does Travel Insurance For Seniors Cover?

Travel insurance for senior citizens usually covers medical emergencies, trip cancellations or interruptions, and baggage loss or delay.

Regarding medical coverage, international travel insurance for seniors often includes travel medical insurance, which covers emergency medical expenses, hospitalization, and emergency medical evacuation. Seniors need to prioritize the medical coverage aspect of their travel insurance policy.

Travel insurance for seniors also covers trip cancellations or interruptions due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness, injury, or death of a family member. This coverage can reimburse non-refundable expenses like prepaid flights, accommodation, and tour fees.

Moreover, seniors can expect baggage loss or delay coverage, which provides compensation for replacing essential items and covers the cost of purchasing necessary clothing and toiletries while waiting for delayed baggage.

It's essential for seniors to carefully review travel insurance policies to ensure that their specific needs and requirements are adequately covered during their trips.

Please note that the coverage and specific terms of travel insurance policies for seniors may vary depending on the insurance provider and policy chosen. It is recommended to thoroughly read and understand the policy details before purchasing.

How Much Does Senior Travel Insurance Cost?

Senior travel insurance costs approximately $416 to $434 per trip. However, the cost may vary depending on age, destination, trip duration, coverage limits, and any pre-existing medical conditions. To get an accurate cost estimate, it is recommended that you obtain quotes from various insurance providers, considering your specific travel needs and circumstances.

It's worth mentioning that different insurance companies may offer other coverage options and pricing structures for cheap travel insurance for seniors, so it's advisable to compare multiple options before deciding.

How To Choose Senior Travel Insurance?

To choose the best seniors travel insurance, consider the following factors:

Coverage for Pre-existing Medical Conditions: Look for policies that offer coverage for pre-existing medical conditions, as this is crucial for seniors. Ensure the policy includes comprehensive medical coverage and emergency medical evacuation.

Age Limits and Eligibility: Check the age limits for coverage and eligibility for seniors. Some policies may have age restrictions, so it's important to find an insurer that caters specifically to seniors.

Trip Cancellation and Interruption Coverage: Evaluate if the policy offers adequate coverage for trip cancellations or interruptions, including reimbursement for pre-paid and non-refundable trip expenses due to unforeseen circumstances.

Emergency Assistance Services: Ensure the policy provides 24/7 emergency assistance services and access to a global network of healthcare providers.

Benefit Limits and Deductibles: Assess the benefit limits and deductibles to ensure they align with your travel needs and provide sufficient coverage.

Policy Flexibility and Customization: Look for policies that allow customization based on the specific requirements of the trip and the individual's health needs.

Review Customer Reviews and Ratings: Research customer reviews and ratings of different insurance companies to gauge satisfaction and reliability.

Compare Multiple Quotes: Obtain quotes from different insurance providers and compare the cost, coverage, and additional benefits offered.

Considering these factors, seniors can make informed decisions when choosing the best travel insurance.

It's important to note that the best travel insurance for seniors over 70 may vary based on individual circumstances, so it's advisable to carefully review policy details and consult with the insurance provider if necessary.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do seniors need travel insurance.

Yes, travel insurance is highly recommended for seniors. It provides coverage for a range of unexpected events such as medical emergencies, trip cancellations, lost baggage, and more.

What age is considered senior for travel insurance?

The age at which someone is considered a senior may vary among insurance providers, but it is typically around 65 years and older.

Is it expensive for seniors to purchase travel insurance abroad?

Travel insurance premiums for seniors may be slightly higher due to factors such as age and potential health risks. However, it is recommended that you compare quotes from different insurance providers to find the best coverage at a competitive price.

What insurance coverage is the most important for senior travelers?

The most important insurance coverage for senior travelers is medical coverage, specifically travel medical insurance and emergency medical evacuation coverage. These coverages provide financial protection and peace of mind in case of unexpected health emergencies while traveling.

Does senior travel insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

Travel insurance for seniors typically excludes coverage for pre-existing conditions, but some policies offer the option to obtain coverage for pre-existing conditions through a pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver. This waiver can provide coverage for pre-existing conditions under certain conditions and restrictions.

What’s covered by credit card travel accident and emergency evacuation insurance?

Editor's Note

Many perks available from your credit cards are well-known and well-utilized. However, benefits such as trip cancellation insurance , delayed baggage insurance , lost baggage insurance , and trip delay protection can quite literally save the day and justify paying an annual fee.

Today, we'll explain a couple of lesser-known benefits that you hopefully won't have to use but, if needed, can protect you from extreme financial hardship and ensure your family and loved ones are provided for if something happens to you.

You can easily find the coverage and terms of any protection your travel credit card offers by doing a quick web search for the card's updated benefits guide. These benefits are not exclusive to travel credit cards , and many standard credit cards come with travel protection and insurance.

Travel accident insurance

Often called common carrier insurance , this policy pays in case of death, loss of eyesight or loss of limb(s) while on a plane, train, ship or bus licensed to carry passengers and available to the public. A few cards also have travel accident insurance that offers protection for the entire duration of a trip (up to 31 days long) but pays out less than the common carrier insurance policies. To be eligible, you must typically pay for the entire fare with the credit card.

Different credit cards have different payment tables for how much your beneficiary would receive in case of death, losing one limb, losing two limbs, losing sight in one eye or becoming legally blind. Coverage is also typically extended to authorized users on the account, spouses, domestic partners, and dependent children of the cardholder on trips paid for with the card.

By default, the beneficiaries in order of precedence are spouse, then children, then estate. You can submit a letter to the card issuer to establish another beneficiary.

Emergency evacuation insurance

In the past, when traveling to remote destinations like the Maldives and Fiji, I bought third-party emergency medical evacuation insurance , not realizing the cards I already had would have covered me. There are a few crucial aspects of emergency evacuation insurance offered by credit cards that you need to understand and follow so you don't compound your medical situation with the stress of financial hardship:

Everything must be approved and coordinated through a benefits administrator. This is who you or your companions should call when things first start to look like you'll need assistance. You will not be reimbursed for anything that you decide to pay for on your own.
Evacuation does not mean repatriation. If you're far overseas, you won't be evacuated back to the U.S. Most policies state you'll be moved to the nearest medical facility capable of proper care.
Preexisting conditions may lead to your request for evacuation at the credit card provider's expense being denied. Read your credit card's full terms and benefits guide to see which exclude these conditions and the credit card's definition of a preexisting condition.
The coverage is only for the cost of evacuation and medical care during transportation. Once you're back on the ground, you still need medical insurance to pay the doctors and staff who provide care.
Some cards have country exclusions, so don't expect to head into Syria or Afghanistan and rely on your credit card benefits administrator to get you to a hospital.

To get all the relevant information, download and read the entire section of the benefits guide pertaining to these coverages. Here are a few cards offering travel accident and/or emergency evacuation insurance.

The Platinum Card® from American Express

The Amex Platinum card removed travel accident insurance in 2020. However, it still offers the most generous emergency evacuation insurance of any card.

There's no cost cap , and benefits are extended to immediate family and children under 23 (or under 26 if enrolled full-time in school). Best of all, you don't even have to use the card to pay for the trip.

You must be on a trip less than 90 days in length and at least 100 miles away from your residence. A Premium Global Assist (PGA) administrator must coordinate everything to not incur any cost. The benefit will also pay economy airfare for a minor under 16 to be returned home if left unattended, pay for an escort to accompany that minor if required to get them home and get a family member to the place of treatment if hospitalization of more than 10 consecutive days is expected.*

Other American Express cards offer access to the Premium Global Assist Hotline. However, anything they coordinate will be at your expense. Make sure you read your Amex card's benefits guide carefully.

For more details, see our full review of the Amex Platinum .

Related: Your complete guide to Amex travel protections

*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, cardmembers are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.

Apply here: Amex Platinum

Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Cards

The Chase Sapphire Reserve ® offers two travel accident insurance benefits : common carrier travel accident insurance and 24-hour travel accident insurance. The former applies while riding as a passenger in, entering or exiting any common carrier. The latter applies any time during your trip — but you cannot be paid out on both the common carrier and 24-hour policies.

If you use your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to book your trip, you are covered under the card's benefits.

People eligible for coverage include "you, your spouse, your spouse's or domestic partner's children, including adopted children or stepchildren; legal guardians or wards; siblings or siblings-in-law; parents or parents-in-law; grandparents or grandchildren; aunts or uncles; nieces or nephews." Chase pays up to $1,000,000 for a common carrier loss and up to $100,000 for a 24-hour policy loss based on the following table:

Some interesting exclusions with Chase that would prevent a payout include the insured person participating in a motorized vehicular race or speed contest, the insured person participating in any professional sporting activity for which they received a salary or prize money or if the insured person traveling or flying on any aircraft engaged in flight on a rocket-propelled or rocket-launched aircraft.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® also offers emergency evacuation insurance. If you or an immediate family member paid for at least a portion of your trip with the card, you're eligible for up to $100,000 in emergency medical evacuation.

Your covered trip must last between five and 60 days and be at least 100 miles from your residence. If you are hospitalized for more than eight days, the benefits administrator can arrange for a relative or friend to fly round-trip in economy class to your location. If your original ticket cannot be used, you can also be reimbursed for the cost of an economy ticket home. In a worst-case situation, the benefit also pays up to $1,000 to repatriate your remains.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offers the same travel accident insurance as the Reserve, except with lower payouts on the common carrier policy. The benefits pay up to $500,000 for a common carrier loss and up to $100,000 for a 24-hour policy loss based on the following table:

For more details, see our full reviews of the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred .

Related: Your guide to Chase's trip insurance coverage

Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred

United Club℠ Infinite Card

The top-tier United Club℠ Infinite Card offers travel accident and emergency evacuation insurance. The travel accident insurance benefits pay up to $500,000 for a common carrier loss.

The card also carries the same benefit as the Chase Sapphire Reserve for emergency evacuation coverage, with up to $100,000 of coverage provided for evacuation.

For more details, see our full review of the United Club Infinite Card .

Apply here: United Club Infinite

Bottom line

We hope none of us perfectly ever have to worry about either of these policies, but it's nice to have peace of mind if you or your family need emergency assistance. This reassurance is one more reason to ensure one of these cards is always in your wallet when traveling.

The benefit guides of all cards are updated regularly, so make sure you don't toss them in the trash when updates show up in the mail and read the online guides for the latest terms and conditions.

Related: The best credit cards with travel insurance

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Wildfire Approaches Canada’s Largest Oil-Producing Area. Again.

The fire, near Fort McMurray, Alberta, has put the community, which is haunted by the costliest wildfire in Canadian history, on high alert.

Plumes of smoke from wildfires rise from a forest.

By Ian Austen

Reporting from Ottawa

A wildfire near Canada’s largest oil producing region prompted the evacuation of about 6,600 people from Fort McMurray, Alberta. Several thousand other residents of the city were told to prepared to leave at any moment.

The evacuation on Tuesday has evoked fearful memories of a major fire in 2016 that destroyed roughly 2,400 homes and businesses, forced 90,000 people to flee and became the most expensive natural disaster in Canadian history.

“I know that this will bring back difficult memories from the devastating fires of 2016,” Danielle Smith, the premier of Alberta, said during a news conference on Wednesday. “And I’m sure these memories will create fear and uncertainty.”

The start of wildfire season in Canada follows a record setting year in 2023 when about 45 million acres of forest burned, a huge increase from the annual average of 6.1 million.

Unusually large fires spanned the country last year from Nova Scotia on the Atlantic coast to British Columbia on the Pacific. Choking smoke from fires in Quebec filled the skies of Eastern Canada and filtering down and degrading air quality down the eastern seaboard of the United States.

At the season’s peak in mid July there were 29 mega-fires, which the government defines as those extending over more than 100,000 hectares, or about 247,000 acres.

Last week federal officials said that prolonged dry conditions in Alberta and British Columbia have set up a potentially dangerous wildfire season in those areas as well as to the north.

This week’s evacuation order was one of several issued in recent days in northern Alberta and neighboring portions of British Columbia, an area hard hit last year by fires and that is in its third year of drought.

On Wednesday morning, the leading edge of the fire was about three miles from parts of Fort McMurray, Alberta Wildfire said that diminishing winds and cooler temperatures were reducing the fire’s severity.

The fire had consumed about 52,000 acres as of Wednesday morning, Christie Tucker, a spokeswoman for Alberta Wildfire, a provincial agency, told reporters. But she said that the strong winds that were expanding size the fire while pushing it toward Fort McMurray had weakened and reversed direction on Wednesday. Falling temperatures were also helping firefighters

Aircraft, including helicopters with night vision systems, were still dropping water on the fire and measures to protect buildings in Fort McMurray were put in place.

Much of the fire, however, is sweeping over terrain that was burned in 2016, reducing the amount of fuel available for the current fire, officials said.

Jody Butz, the fire chief of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, said during a news conference on Tuesday that he has “a high, high level of confidence” that firefighters will keep the fire out of Fort McMurray.

He said the city has cleared more areas outside of the city to keep fires at bay than in 2016, and also has larger numbers of firefighters and equipment available.

Two neighborhoods under the current evacuation orders were among the areas burned most extensively in 2016 and then rebuilt.

To avoid the highway chaos that marked evacuations in 2016, officials asked residents of neighborhoods not under evacuation orders to remain in their homes until areas that were in greater danger were cleared.

“Please, please allow these communities to evacuate first,” Chief Butz told residents during a news conference on Tuesday. “It is important that we approach this in a safe and orderly and respectful manner.”

Aleks Mortlock, whose home was destroyed in the 2016 fire, told the CBC, Canada’s public broadcaster, that his earlier experience did not make Tuesday’s evacuation any easier.

He said that he has “the same anxiety, same things going through your mind, and this time, I have kids to worry about.”

Mr. Mortlock said that his two children who are under the age of six “don’t really understand” the perilous situation the fire had created.

People who had left the area sought shelter as far away as Edmonton, the provincial capital, which is about 280 miles south.

Another wildfire in the region near Fort Nelson, British Columbia, has led to the evacuation of about 4,700 people since last weekend. More favorable winds there have aided firefighters in their efforts to control the fire, which had come within about a mile of the community and close to the neighboring Fort Nelson First Nation.

Farther east of Fort Nelson, the entire population of Cranberry Portage, Manitoba, about 700 people, was evacuated because of wildfire. The community in Manitoba’s north has been menaced by fires in the past.

The 2016 fire in Fort McMurray, which came to be known as “The Beast,” led to about 4 billion Canadian dollars in insurance settlements and disrupted production at the oil sands, the United States’ largest source of imported oil.

The last minute evacuation from that fire forced many residents to drive through walls of flame on the only highway south. While fire did not directly cause any deaths among residents or fire crews, two people who were evacuating died in a highway collision.

Ian Austen reports on Canada for The Times based in Ottawa. He covers politics, culture and the people of Canada and has reported on the country for two decades. He can be reached at [email protected] . More about Ian Austen

Travel Insurance

The journalists on the editorial team at Forbes Advisor Australia base their research and opinions on objective, independent information-gathering.

When covering investment and personal finance stories, we aim to inform our readers rather than recommend specific financial product or asset classes. While we may highlight certain positives of a financial product or asset class, there is no guarantee that readers will benefit from the product or investment approach and may, in fact, make a loss if they acquire the product or adopt the approach.

To the extent any recommendations or statements of opinion or fact made in a story may constitute financial advice, they constitute general information and not personal financial advice in any form. As such, any recommendations or statements do not take into account the financial circumstances, investment objectives, tax implications, or any specific requirements of readers.

Readers of our stories should not act on any recommendation without first taking appropriate steps to verify the information in the stories consulting their independent financial adviser in order to ascertain whether the recommendation (if any) is appropriate, having regard to their investment objectives, financial situation and particular needs. Providing access to our stories should not be construed as investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any security or product, or to engage in or refrain from engaging in any transaction by Forbes Advisor Australia. In comparing various financial products and services, we are unable to compare every provider in the market so our rankings do not constitute a comprehensive review of a particular sector. While we do go to great lengths to ensure our ranking criteria matches the concerns of consumers, we cannot guarantee that every relevant feature of a financial product will be reviewed. We make every effort to provide accurate and up-to-date information. However, Forbes Advisor Australia cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of this website. Forbes Advisor Australia accepts no responsibility to update any person regarding any inaccuracy, omission or change in information in our stories or any other information made available to a person, nor any obligation to furnish the person with any further information.

Best Student Travel Insurance

Updated: May 15, 2024, 1:44pm

What does student travel insurance cover, can i tailor my student travel insurance policy, what does student travel insurance exclude, how much does student travel insurance cost, where can i purchase student travel insurance, frequently asked questions (faqs).

While student travel insurance technically doesn’t exist, the good news is Australian students can take out standard travel insurance for much needed cover while away.

Whether you’re taking a gap year overseas, studying abroad, or squeezing in a few trips in between your studies, travel insurance can provide essential cover for illness, lost baggage, trip cancellation and more. It can even cover your smartphone and laptop, as well as a vast range of activities, such as bungee jumping, snorkelling, or working on a local farm. It’s simply a matter of finding a suitable policy, or tailoring one to your needs and budget. We explain more below.

Related: Guide to Backpacker Insurance

Featured Partners

Fast Cover Travel Insurance

On Fast Cover’s Secure Website

Medical cover

Unlimited, 24/7 Emergency Assistance

Cancellations

Unlimited, (Trip Disruption $50,000)

Key Features

25-Day Cooling Off Period, Australian Based Call Centre, 4.6 Star Product Review Rating

Cover-More Travel Insurance

On Cover-more’s secure website

Unlimited, with a $2000 limit to dental

Yes, amount chosen by customer

Southern Cross Travel Insurance

Medical Cover

Including medical treatment, doctors’ visits, prescribed medication, specialist treatment & medical transport costs

$2,500 with option to increase to unlimited

Australian students looking for travel insurance, have all the cover options available to them that anyone else would. Common benefits include:

Emergency medical expenses: covers the cost of treatment should you fall ill, or get injured, while away. There may also be cover for evacuation and repatriation in severe medical cases
Personal liability: covers you if you injure someone else, or damage someone’s property
Trip cancellation: pays out should an emergency, such as illness or bereavement, prevent your trip from going ahead
Baggage and belongings: covers your luggage and personal effects. Look out for a total limit on cover, as well as sub-limits for individual items
Passport and personal documents: covers the cost of replacing travel documents if lost or stolen
Personal money: the amount claimable if your money is lost or stolen
Missed departure: covers the cost of additional accommodation and travel should an emergency cause you to miss your journey
Travel delay: pays out if your scheduled transport is late by typically a least 12 hours
Company insolvency: compensates you if your airline or hotel goes bust
Personal accident: pays out if an injury causes you permanent disability or death.

Each policy offers its own combination of benefits, so it’s vital to check its product disclosure statement (PDS) for a breakdown of exactly what is included, and the cover levels. For instance, you’ll need baggage cover that matches or exceeds the value of the items you’re taking away, while protection for cancellation should cover the cost of your trip.

As a student, you’ll likely want to customise your policy to suit the purpose of your trip, and this is something you can do on most policies. As well as additional cover for gadgets, such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, your policy will likely offer options for:

Adventure & Activities

Planning an adventure-filled, high-octane trip? Many policies offer cover for medium to high-risk sports and activities, such as trekking, abseiling and bungee jumping, at an extra cost. This comes in addition to the dozens of low-risk activities usually already covered automatically. Each insurer’s risk barometer is different so do check a policy’s PDS, for a list of what is and isn’t covered as standard. Protection for winter sports, such as skiing and snowboarding, usually comes as separate cover to purchase too.

Work & Volunteering

Perhaps you’re thinking of giving a little back to the locals by working in a paddy field, or you’ve seen an opportunity to earn money by doing a few gigs with your band. A travel insurance policy can cover unpaid and paid work, though the types of jobs covered may differ between insurers. There will also likely be restrictions such as the height at which you can work limited to two storeys and lower.

Short Trips or Long Stays

What’s called ‘single trip’ travel insurance can cover a short getaway of up to around 31 days, but there are also annual policies that cover multiple single trips within the space of 12 months. These save you having to take out cover for each trip, only require one set of paperwork and can sometimes work out cheaper than taking out cover each time you go away. Perhaps most suited to gap year takers is backpacker insurance , which is also known as long-stay or extended-stay insurance. It can cover trips lasting up to six, 12, 18 or 24 months, depending on the insurer. It may also allow you to come home a certain number of times in between travelling, without rendering it invalid.

To make the most out of your travel insurance, remember to take heed of the limitations and restrictions detailed in the PDS. These often are unique to a policy or insurer, so a friend’s could be different.

However, most insurers will not cover trips to destinations where the government has issued a ‘do not travel’ alert. Reasons may include natural disasters, terrorism threats and pandemics. You can find out the status of your destination on the government’s Smartraveller website . It’s best to check the site before purchasing your policy, and again before travelling.

Insurers also often reject claims resulting from disorderly behaviour or intoxication by drink or drugs. If you’re taking part in sports and activities, make sure they are specifically covered in the PDS. There may be restrictions such as needing to wear a helmet, harness or other types of required safety gear, for an insurer to accept any potential related claims you make.

You can choose an insurer’s basic protection with limited benefits, or one of its more comprehensive policies, which should offer a wider range of cover types, and higher cover levels, at a higher cost. Just make sure you have the full amount of protection you need.

The cost of your policy will also depend on factors such as your travel destination, trip duration and any extra forms of cover you may choose to add on. While travel insurers typically don’t offer student discounts, insurance tends to be cheaper for young travellers, as they’re deemed less likely to claim on their policy for expensive medical costs. If you’re still a dependent, and travelling with your family, you may be eligible to be covered under your parents’ policy as some insurers allow this.

A policy’s excess is the set amount you will need to pay on each accepted claim. Rather than an out-of-pocket expense, it’s automatically deducted from a claim amount. In exchange for choosing to pay more in excess, an insurer will typically lower the policy premium, which is the cost of the cover. If you prefer to pay less in excess, your premium will likely be higher.

We ran quotes on the websites of the top three ranking insurers for comprehensive policies based on our research . We used the profile of a 20-year-old travelling to Thailand for 12 months.

Their most basic cover ranged from $776 to $1,493 in price:

Their comprehensive cover ranged from $895 to $2,044 in price:

Travel Insurance Direct and Bupa allows you to choose from several cover levels for trip cancellation on their policies. Allianz only offers this option on its comprehensive policy. Choosing higher cover levels bumps up the cost of the policy.

As most, if not all, travel insurers offer options that suit students on their standard cover, taking out insurance is simply a matter of comparing what they have to offer, and then buying the best policy for you. An easy way to do this is to run quotes on each insurer’s website.

You will need to enter details such as your age, travel destination(s), and trip duration. You will then be able to check the policies each insurer offers to suit your requirements. You may be able to add extra cover, such as for winter sports or gadgets, when entering your details, or after choosing a quote. Once you’ve decided on a policy you can pay for it online.

Does student travel insurance cover illness?

Emergency medical cover is a vital component of travel insurance, covering the cost of treatment for illness and injury you may experience while away.

This cover is crucial for many when travelling as Medicare isn’t available in other countries, and even when a country has a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia, there may be exclusions to what it covers including repatriation costs. Without emergency medical cover, you would have to find another way to cover these expenses that can easily reach into the thousands of dollars.

What is a pre-existing medical condition?

Insurers class a pre-existing medical condition as any condition you’ve had from before taking out a policy with them.

Only some insurers cover such conditions, and those that do often charge more for the benefit. You can check if a policy covers your condition in its PDS. On applying for cover, you will need to declare any conditions you have during the medical screening stage for future related claims to be considered.

How do I find cheap student travel insurance?

To find an inexpensive policy, without sacrificing vital cover, it’s important to shop around for insurance. Compare the types of cover included, as well as the cover levels to avoid paying out on benefits you don’t need. You’ll also need to weigh up the policy price and excess payable on accepted claims.

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Protect Yourself Abroad: Best Medical Evacuation Insurance [2024]

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Medical Evacuation Insurance – an Overview of Medevac Plans

What is Medical Evacuation Coverage

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What makes Medical Evacuation unique?

Focuses on all types of evacuations

Care for the important people in your life

Often includes AD&D or term life benefits

May include extra benefits

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