8 Questions for Your Health Insurance Provider Before Traveling Abroad
A recent survey by travel insurance comparison site InsureMyTrip reveals that a sizeable number of Americans are unclear about whether they’re covered for medical care when traveling outside the country.
In a survey of 800 respondents, nearly one third did not know whether their domestic medical insurance provider would cover any doctor or hospital visits outside the U.S. Twenty-nine percent believed
their insurance did offer coverage, while 34 percent thought their insurance would offer no coverage.
Major insurance providers such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Cigna, Aetna may provide some emergency and urgent care coverage abroad but the definition of emergency can vary.
Medicare will rarely pay for inpatient hospital care, doctor visits, or ambulance services in a foreign country, according to InsureMyTrip.
The only way to know for sure what your healthy insurance plan covers is to ask. Before you leave on an international trip, call your insurance provider and ask to review your certificate of coverage for explanation of benefits. Here are eight questions to ask:
How can I find approved hospitals and doctors in my destination?
Does my insurance policy cover emergency expenses abroad such as returning me to the United States for treatment if I become seriously ill?
Does my insurance cover high-risk activities such as parasailing, mountain climbing, scuba diving and off-roading?
Does my policy cover pre-existing conditions?
Does my insurance company require pre-authorizations or second opinions before emergency treatment can begin?
Does my insurance company guarantee medical payments abroad?
Will my insurance company pay foreign hospitals and foreign doctors directly?
Does my insurance company have a 24-hour physician-backed support center?
If your health insurance policy provides coverage outside the United States, remember to pack your insurance policy identity card and customer service hotline number.
Many health insurance companies will pay “customary and reasonable” hospital costs abroad, but the US State Department warns that very few health insurance companies will pay for a medical evacuation back to the United States, which can easily cost up to $100,000, depending on your condition and location.