How International Travel Health Insurance From GeoBlue Can Protect North Carolina Residents Should the Unexpected Occur

Domestic health insurance policies, like group benefit plans offered by Raleigh employers or ones available through the healthcare marketplace by Blue Cross Blue Shield, are generally not accepted abroad. This means that if you plan to travel internationally, outside of the 50 states and U.S. territories like the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, etc., it’s imperative that you first secure travel medical coverage, like GeoBlue, also from Blue Cross Blue Shield, before embarking on your trip to ensure you’re covered if you fall ill or get hurt.

While no two domestic health plans are the same, Cigna group benefits or marketplace-purchased coverage seldom covers its insureds when they’re traveling overseas. As they put it in their Getting Urgent and Emergency Care Outside the U.S. brochure, Cigna cannot pay medical providers abroad. The insurer does, however, allow its insureds to file claims retrospectively, but they must first pay the hospital or health care provider abroad, which can be costly. That’s why it’s necessary for anyone visiting an international travel destination to obtain an international health plan before flying out, setting sail, or otherwise taking off for their destination.

Travel medical insurance, like GeoBlue, generally runs between 4-15% of your trip cost. Factors such as the travel destination, traveler age, the tier policy you purchase, and whether you include trip cancellation insurance coverage are just some of the many factors that affect how much your plan may cost. For example, the latter is an optional coverage that can add to the cost of your international health insurance policy. However, international health insurance is generally quite affordable (at $25-$100 monthly).

Travel insurance can be more costly for older adults, as insurance providers rely on the use of a risk-assessment model when offering quotes to prospective customers. From an insurance provider’s point of view, age is a factor that increases a person’s risk of injury or illness, and the treatment of these conditions is more expensive, so they pass these potential costs on to the customer by providing higher premiums for travel medical insurance for seniors.

Many of us Americans view Canada as being familiar. You’ve also probably heard some great things about the Canadian healthcare system. Don’t let that sense of familiarity detract you from securing a comprehensive travel insurance plan, though. You can easily get hurt or fall ill when in Canada, and your health insurance doesn’t cover you there, which means you should still purchase travel medical insurance to ensure you’re covered, whatever unexpected events may happen.

Travel insurance is necessary, no matter where you’re traveling to in Europe — even if it seems the U.S. has a favorable relationship with the country, like Italy, or you believe it to have a robust health care system like the United Kingdom. In fact, because medical costs can be expensive if someone unexpectedly gets sick or injured abroad, many European countries actually require visitors to secure medical insurance traveling to Europe in addition to a visa for entry.

Another location North Carolina residents like to visit is the beaches of Mexico. Don’t let the thought of being in vacation mode distract you from what can occur, such as food poisoning, bacterial infections from the water, and health setbacks. Before purchasing the first insurance you find when searching “travel medical insurance Mexico” at home, take time to purchase trustworthy international health coverage before setting off on your trip. It could make the difference in you getting treated by the best doctors and being easily transported back home, if necessary, to survive a serious illness or injury.

While Thailand does not require visitors to secure international travel health insurance to visit,  it’s in your best interest to secure it before heading out on your trip. The Asian country has attracted well-trained doctors in recent years that are willing to perform medical procedures at more affordable rates than they are in the West, which has helped convert Thailand into a hub for “medical tourism.” Don’t let the lower cost of care fool you, though. Without travel medical insurance, you could certainly have significant health care bills that you need to pay.

The Philippines is like many other countries in that there are some talented medical professionals that can assuredly provide you with top-level care if you get hurt or fall ill while in the Asian country, but you expect or need more. So, whether you’re traveling to see the sights and sounds of Manila or you’re heading out into more desolate areas of the country on a mission trip with your fellow Raleigh churchgoers, having travel health insurance for the Philippines is imperative to ensure you get the best quality of care if the need arises.

GeoBlue covers Israel and can provide you with top-of-the-line coverage, especially if you purchase a comprehensive plan. That way, you can receive the best travel health insurance for Israel and be medically evacuated to Europe or back to the U.S. for additional care if needed.