Emergency Medical Travel Coverage

How Does Emergency Medical Travel Coverage Work?

A travel insurance policy’s Emergency Medical benefit provides reimbursement for covered medical expenses resulting from an accidental injury or unexpected sickness that occurs during your trip. This travel insurance benefit covers necessary treatment and care, such as doctor visits, hospital stays, diagnostic tests, prescription medication, and other medical services you may need.

While Emergency Medical protection often covers the cost of local ambulance services, your plan’s Emergency Medical Evacuation and Repatriation benefit is designed to cover more extensive forms of emergency transportation, such as being airlifted to a nearby hospital.

Most travel insurance plans include the Emergency Medical benefit, which is essential if you’re planning an international trip, as most overseas destinations do not accept U.S. health insurance. For that reason, the U.S. Department of State recommends that anyone traveling abroad purchase trip insurance that includes Emergency Medical coverage.

Primary vs. Secondary Medical Coverage

When comparing travel insurance policies, you’ll often have the choice between plans with Primary or Secondary medical coverage. Both types of coverage will protect you from unexpected medical expenses, but the main difference involves how and when medical claims are paid.

Roughly half of the policies on Squaremouth offer Primary Emergency Medical coverage. This type of coverage pays your medical claims without requiring you to file with any other insurance you may have. This can make the claims process faster and simpler, and is the preferred choice for most travelers.

Policies that offer Secondary Emergency Medical coverage will only provide reimbursement after you’ve filed with your primary health insurance or any other applicable coverage. Once those benefits are paid, your travel insurance will reimburse any remaining eligible costs. Secondary coverage is often more affordable and ideal for budget-conscious travelers who don’t mind filing multiple claims.

How Do I Use My Emergency Medical Coverage?

If you experience a medical emergency during a covered trip, your travel insurance can help you get the care you need and avoid costly out-of-pocket expenses. Depending on the severity of your condition. Here are two different examples of how to use your emergency medical coverage.

If You’re In Danger, Call Emergency Services First

Your health is always the most important. If your condition is life-threatening, you should immediately call your local emergency services. If you’re traveling within the EU, for example, you will call 112.

Once you’re in safe hands, contact your travel insurance provider’s 24-Hour Emergency Assistance hotline. This service can assist in:

• Coordinate your medical care with the nearest adequate medical facility
• Provide upfront payment to hospitals if necessary for treatment
• Authorize Emergency Medical Evacuation or Repatriation services if you need to be transported for quality care
• Communicate with non-traveling family members on your behalf

For Less Severe Problems, Seek Treatment & Keep Receipts

If your condition is not life-threatening, such as food poisoning or needing antibiotics for an infection, you can usually go straight to a local doctor or medical facility for treatment. If you are unsure where to go, your provider’s 24-Hour Emergency Assistance hotline can likely refer you to quality care in your area.

Most of the time, you will pay for medical expenses out-of-pocket and seek reimbursement afterward. When filing a claim, your provider will require you to submit copies of your receipts, medical bills, physician notes, and other documentation relating to your medical emergency.

Emergency Medical Coverage & Exclusions

Emergency Medical coverage is intended to protect you from unexpected medical emergencies that occur while you’re traveling away from home. For example, most plans exclude elective and routine medical care from coverage.

Coverage can vary dramatically from one plan to the next. Understanding your policy’s medical exclusions can help you avoid costly surprises and know what scenarios are not eligible for reimbursement before you depart for your trip.

Examples of Coverage	Examples of Exclusions
Emergency medical & dental treatment Hospital charges Prescription medication X-rays and other diagnostic services Local ground ambulance services Medical equipment rentals (crutches, wheelchairs, etc.)	Pre-existing conditions Routine, preventive, and elective care Normal pregnancy care Medical tourism Alcohol and substance abuse Self-inflicted injuries Injuries sustained while participating in a hazardous sport or activity Mental health issues or other mental disorders

Exceptions for commonly excluded scenarios

Listed above are some of the most common Emergency Medical exclusions you’ll encounter when comparing plans. A full list of which is available in your Certificate of Insurance.

With these exclusions in mind, there are a few nuances and exceptions that may apply to your trip, depending on your plan.

Pregnancy

Travel insurance generally excludes normal pregnancy procedures, routine checkups, and childbirth from coverage. However, most plans will cover medical expenses if you experience pregnancy complications and require immediate care, such as gestational hypertension and preeclampsia. Contact your provider directly if you have questions about specific pregnancy-related scenarios covered by your plan.

Pre-existing Conditions

Many travel insurance policies won’t cover medical expenses relating to a flare-up of a pre-existing medical condition, such as asthma, diabetes, or high blood pressure. Providers enforce a lookback period, which is a period of time that they can review your medical history to determine if a health issue was known before you purchased your policy, and therefore, excluded. However, some plans offer a pre-existing condition waiver that removes this exclusion and provides financial protection from medical expenses relating to a pre-existing medical condition.

To qualify for a waiver, you must meet your policy’s specific eligibility requirements. To learn more about these requirements and how pre-existing condition coverage works, visit our Pre-Existing Condition benefit page.

Adventure Sports & Activities

Many standard travel insurance policies exclude injuries resulting from high-risk or adventure activities, such as scuba diving, mountain climbing, or skiing. However, some travel insurance providers offer policies designed to cover travelers with thrill-seeking activities or extreme sports.

To find adventure-specific plans, you can add the ‘Sports & Activities’ filter when searching for coverage on our site. You can also reference our ‘Best Adventure Travel Insurance Companies’ list to see some of the most popular plans currently on the market.

How Much Money Could Emergency Medical Coverage Save You?

Standard health insurance doesn’t cover medical treatment you receive during international travel.

According to internal claims data from our Tin Leg travel insurance policies, the most commonly claimed benefit among travelers was Emergency Medical. In 2024, the average Emergency Medical claim payout was more than $1,700.

The amount your policy will reimburse depends on multiple factors, such as the severity of your condition, the level of care you receive, and the coverage limits included within your policy. The cost of health care can also vary dramatically depending on your destination.

Keep track of your expenses and receipts to ensure you receive the maximum amount of reimbursement. Providing thorough documentation can also make your claims experience much smoother.

Real World Reimbursement Example

As mentioned above, healthcare costs largely depend on your condition and destination. You can find rough pricing for various destinations online, such as an article by International Living that highlights the cost of medical care in Portugal for non-residents.

Suppose you’re traveling in Portugal and take a nasty fall that requires urgent medical attention. Using the data shared in the article (converted to dollars), here is an example of how much you could pay for quality medical care:

• Emergency Room Visit: $450
• X-Ray: $125
• MRI: $350
• Admittance to Hospital: $250 / Day

Once you factor in the cost of stitches, crutches, medication, and other follow-up doctor visits, you can be looking at thousands of dollars in medical expenses. The Emergency Medical benefit covers these costs, so you’re not hurt financially after an accident.

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FAQs: Emergency Medical Travel Coverage

Do I Need a Medical Exam to Qualify for Coverage?

No, you will not need to complete a medical exam to qualify for travel medical coverage. Since travel insurance is designed to cover unexpected medical emergencies, any ongoing or recent health issues that existed before you purchased your policy will likely fall under the pre-existing condition exclusion.

Does Travel Insurance Cover Dental Expenses?

Your Emergency Medical coverage can pay for emergency dental interventions, but it will not pay for elective treatments. Additionally, if you had a pre-existing dental issue before you purchased your policy, this could be excluded unless you have a pre-existing conditions waiver as part of your plan.

Keep in mind that not all plans include travel dental insurance, and the ones that do provide limited coverage up to a specific dollar amount, which is usually only a few hundred dollars.

Are Prescription Medications Covered by Travel Insurance?

Yes, if the medication is prescribed as part of treatment for a covered illness or injury that occurs during your trip, your Emergency Medical benefit will likely cover it. Medications for chronic health issues, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, are typically not covered by standard travel insurance.

Are Pregnancy-Related Medical Expenses Covered?

Travel insurance does not usually cover routine prenatal care, childbirth, and other normal pregnancy expenses. However, many policies will cover unexpected complications of pregnancy, such as gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, or miscarriage requiring medical attention. If you are pregnant and have questions about coverage, it’s important to speak directly with your travel insurance provider.

Does Travel Insurance Include Coverage for Mental Health Emergencies?

When it comes to mental health, travel insurance plans usually exclude coverage for most conditions. This can mean common disorders, such as anxiety, depression, or panic attacks, or nervous breakdowns, will not be covered. This means if a nervous breakdown results in a heart attack, and the doctor cites it as a “panic disorder,” your heart attack treatment could be excluded from most policies.

That said, coverage varies by policy and provider, and some plans may offer limited coverage for mental health emergencies. Typically, if a provider offers mental health travel insurance, it is related to emergencies only and will cover you if it results in an inpatient hospitalization. Outpatient therapy is almost always excluded, as this counts as routine care.

Travel insurance also doesn’t cover neurocognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and these are commonly excluded from pre-existing condition waivers.

Can I Use My Insurance to Cover Routine Medical Care While Abroad?

No. Travel insurance only covers unexpected emergencies. Standard checkups, physical exams, vaccinations, and non-urgent treatments are excluded from Emergency Medical coverage.

Can Emergency Medical Coverage Pay for Complications Resulting from Botched Medical Tourism Surgery?

No, Emergency Medical coverage typically does not cover medical expenses for an elective procedure, and this includes not paying for complications or any follow-up costs incurred after your procedure.

Does Travel Health Insurance Cover COVID-19 or Other Pandemics?

Most modern travel insurance policies include coverage for COVID-19, treating it like any other unexpected illness. This means medical expenses, hospitalization, and quarantine costs are covered if you contract the virus while traveling.

Will I Be Covered If I Participate in High-Risk Activities or Sports?

Not always. Many policies exclude injuries from high-risk or adventure sports, such as scuba diving, mountain climbing, or skiing. However, some providers offer policies specifically with adventure travel in mind, and cover the cost of medical emergencies that arise from participating in various sports and activities.

Review policy documentation or contact your provider to see if a specific sport or activity is covered by your plan.

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Please be aware that coverage and eligibility requirements for this benefit differ by policy.

Looking for a policy with Emergency Medical coverage?

Enter your trip information on our custom quote form. Once you receive your results, select the Emergency Medical filter to find the best policy for your trip with the coverage that you need.