Do I Need Trip Insurance or Travel Medical Insurance?
When traveling, it can be difficult to know exactly what kind of travel insurance policy you need in order to protect yourself and your loved ones. Most insurance plans can be separated into two broad groups: trip insurance and travel medical insurance. Let's take a look at these two categories more closely to help you find the perfect plan for your travel needs.
What's the Difference Between Travel Medical Insurance and Trip Insurance?
Travel medical insurance (also known as just travel insurance or visitors insurance) is designed to protect people from unforeseen illnesses and injuries that may occur while traveling abroad. A travel medical insurance policy will cover eligible treatment and services as stated in the policy documents. This is especially useful for people traveling internationally. Travel medical policies include benefits for medical expenses such as doctor or hospital visits, medical evacuation and repatriation.
Trip insurance can cover the financial investment of an international or domestic trip. If you are forced to cancel a trip, miss a flight connection or are otherwise unable to continue with your plans, trip insurance can reimburse you for a percentage of prepaid trip costs up to the limits of your policy. Sites like VisitorsCoverage let you research, compare and purchase the best trip insurance plans on the market.
How do these types of insurance compare?
Here's a comparison table that can help you understand the major difference between travel medical and trip insurance, compare benefits and decide which plan type is right for you.
| Travel Plans | Type of Coverage |
|---|---|
| International travel where you want to have coverage for medical emergencies and related expenses. Recommended when traveling abroad by yourself, with family or on a business trip. | Travel Medical Insurance |
| Domestic and/or international travel where you want to protect your financial investment should you be unable to continue your trip as planned. Recommended for all planned trips with prepaid expenses where you are 50 miles (80 kilometers) or more away from home. | Trip Insurance |
Benefits of Trip Insurance and Travel Medical Insurance
Trip insurance benefits as well as travel insurance benefits vary depending on the specific plan or policy you choose.
| Benefit | Standard Trip Insurance Policy | Standard Travel Medical Insurance Policy |
|---|---|---|
|
Limited coverage for emergency medical expenses |
Covers costs associated with new injuries and illnesses | |
| Emergency Evacuation | ||
| Trip Interruption | ||
| Accidental Death & Dismemberment | ||
24-Hour Assistance | ||
| Trip Cancellation | Not Applicable | |
| Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) |
Included in some plans, option to add on this coverage for other plans | Not Applicable |
| Trip Delay | Not Applicable | |
Missed Connection | Not Applicable | |
| Rental Car Damage | Not Applicable | |
| Repatriation | ||
Travel Assistance Services | ||
| Medical Evacuation | ||
Legal Assistance | ||
Emergency Reunion |
Please note, these are typical benefits of travel insurance plans. Depending on your plan, other features may be added at an additional cost.
How Do I Choose My Insurance Plan?
There are multiple insurance companies which each have different plan options. Each plan has a different price and coverage rating. Picking the right plan can be a difficult choice. We recommend that you compare plans to find the best policy for your needs.
Insurance companies will offer different plan options and policy prices and coverage varies. We recommend that you compare travel insurance plans to find the best policy for your needs. We know insurance terms can be confusing. This doesn't make it easy to find the best travel medical insurance or trip insurance for your needs. That's what our Customer Success Team is there for. If you need assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out.
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