best travel evacuation insurance

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Protect Yourself Abroad: Best Medical Evacuation Insurance [2024]

Jessica Merritt

Editor & Content Contributor

94 Published Articles 509 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 4 U.S. States Visited: 23

Keri Stooksbury

Editor-in-Chief

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Table of Contents

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 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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Best Medical Evacuation Insurance Plans 2024

On This Page

• 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

Related topics

• The CDC recommends buying medical evacuation insurance if you are traveling to a remote area or to somewhere that has low-quality medical care that may not be up to U.S. standards.
• Based on our research, the best emergency medical evacuation insurance plans come from: AXA Assistance USA, Seven Corners, Tin Leg, & Cat 70. ( skip ahead to view these plans )
• Emergency medical evacuation insurance is built to cover the cost of transporting you to a high-quality hospital via air ambulance or other suitable arrangements and can cost as little as $2 per day.
• Many medevac plans also cover the repatriation of remains, which means if you or a travel companion pass away during a trip, you can be transported home for a proper burial.
• We recommend opting for medical evacuation limits between $250,000 - $1,000,000 because evacuation costs can easily exceed $100,000 in most parts of the world - as outlined here by the CDC .
• We recommend using a comparison tool to compare plans and prices from multiple providers at once.

Emergency medical evacuation insurance, also known as medevac insurance or air ambulance insurance, can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars in case of an emergency while traveling.

For this reason, we consider medevac insurance as one of our most basic coverages to look for when buying travel insurance .

In this guide, we’ll cover:

• What it covers
• How much it costs
• What to look for when you go to buy
• How to use it if you need it

Not all evacuation coverage is made equal, and many factors can influence whether the plan you purchase will cover you or not.

To help you make the best decision when buying medevac insurance, we have reviewed plans from some of America’s best providers and highlighted our top picks.

So without further delay, here is our selection of the best medical evacuation insurance.

Our top picks for the best medical evacuation insurance

• Seven Corners: Best Value
• Tin Leg: Best for Budget Friendly Travelers
• IMG: Cancel For Work Reasons Inlcuded
• Travel Insured International: $1,000,000 Medical Evacuation
• Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection: No Medical Deductible

Emergency medical evacuation insurance, or medevac insurance, is a type of travel insurance coverage that pays for emergency transportation home or to a suitable medical facility when you become sick or injured while traveling.

Medevac coverage is different from travel medical insurance in that it focuses on paying for the journey to a medical facility or transport home after an incident whereas travel health insurance is made to reimburse you for the costs of medical treatment you receive while traveling.

If you plan to take a trip that’s far from where you live, it’s best to have both travel evacuation insurance & travel medical coverage in place.

These insurances work in tandem to cover essential services and treatments while offering entirely separate types of benefits.

• Emergency travel medical insurance: pays for the emergency medical care you receive while you’re away – including doctor bills, lab tests, emergency surgery, etc.
• Emergency medical evacuation insurance:  pays for you to be rescued or evacuated mid-travel and will ensure you are transported to a proper medical center for treatment. Also repatriates remains in the event of your death.
• Combining both coverages:  The  best travel insurance plans  combine both of the above coverages into one comprehensive travel insurance package and can also include extras like baggage coverage.

Search for comprehensive plans with combined coverage

Seven Corners

Why we like it.

Editor's take

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.

Read our full review

• 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 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

Cancel For Work Reasons Inlcuded

• Purchase your plan up until one day before you depart
• Generous limits for trip delays, emergency evacuation, and more
• Pre-existing condition waiver available if purchased within 20 days of initial trip deposit
• 24/7 emergency travel assistance included
• Coronavirus-related medical expenses covered
• Plan gets notably more expensive with age

$1,000,000 Medical Evacuation

Travel insured international.

• Travel delay coverage kicks in after just six hours
• Generous $150,000 non-medical evacuation coverage
• CFAR and IFAR coverage not included
• Baggage delay coverage only kicks in after 12 hours
• No rental car coverage

No Medical Deductible

Berkshire hathaway travel protection.

• $1,000,000 worth of medevac coverage
• Optional cancel for any reason coverage
• Cancel for work reasons included
• Costs higher than the industry average

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.

About the Author

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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Travel insurance

Best travel insurance companies of June 2024

Amy Fontinelle

Heidi Gollub

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

Updated 2:16 p.m. UTC June 7, 2024

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Editorial Note: Blueprint may earn a commission from affiliate partner links featured here on our site. This commission does not influence our editors' opinions or evaluations. Please view our full advertiser disclosure policy .

WorldTrips is the best travel insurance company of 2024 , based on our in-depth analysis of travel insurance policies. Its Atlas Journey Elevate plan gets the top score in our rating because of the extensive coverage it provides for the price. It offers best-in-class emergency medical and evacuation benefits, as well as high limits for baggage insurance.

Best travel insurance of 2024

• WorldTrips : Best travel insurance.
• Travel Insured International : Best for emergency evacuation.
• TravelSafe : Best for missed connections.
• Aegis : Cheapest travel insurance.
• Travelex : Best for families.
• AIG : Best for add-on coverage options.
• Nationwide : Best for cruise itinerary changes.

Why trust our travel insurance experts

Our travel insurance experts evaluate hundreds of insurance products and analyze thousands of data points to help you find the best trip insurance for your situation. We use a data-driven methodology to determine each rating. Advertisers do not influence our editorial content . You can read more about our methodology below.

• 1,855 coverage details evaluated.
• 567 rates reviewed.
• 5 levels of fact-checking.

Travel insurance quotes comparison

Best travel insurance companies, best travel insurance.

Top travel insurance plans

Average cost, medical limit per person, why it’s the best.

If you’re looking for the best travel insurance for international travel , WorldTrips’ Atlas Journey Elevate plan gives you $250,000 in travel medical insurance with primary coverage. This plan is a good option if health insurance for international travel is a priority. It also has $1 million in emergency evacuation coverage. 

See our full WorldTrips travel insurance review .

Pros and cons

• $250,000 in primary medical coverage.
• $1 million per person in medical evacuation coverage.
• Primary damage or loss baggage coverage of $500 per item, up to $2,500.
• 5 optional upgrades, including pet care, adventure sports and rental car damage and theft.
• No non-medical evacuation coverage.

Customer reviews

WorldTrips has a rating of 4.27 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 428 reviews of policies purchased through the travel insurance comparison site since 2008. 

Heidi’s expert take:   “WorldTrips offers primary coverage for emergency medical expense and for baggage damage or loss. This means the insurer will pay for your claim first and then seek recovery from any responsible third party, such as your health insurer, airline or homeowners insurer (if your belongings are stolen). Travel insurance with secondary medical coverage might be cheaper, but then you’d have to file claims with third parties yourself, before you could turn to your travel insurance for help.” Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint

Best travel insurance for emergency evacuation

Travel insured international.

Top travel insurance plan

If you’re traveling to a remote area, consider Travel Insured International’s Worldwide Trip Protector. It has the best travel insurance for emergency evacuation of travel insurance policies in our rating. This top travel insurance plan provides up to $1 million in emergency evacuation coverage per person and $150,000 in non-medical evacuation per person. It also has primary coverage for travel medical insurance benefits.

• Only plan in our rating that offers $150,000 in non-medical evacuation coverage.
• $500 per person baggage delay benefit only requires a 3-hour delay.
• Optional rental car damage benefit up to $50,000.
• Missed connection benefit of $500 per person is only available for cruises and tours.

Travel Insured International has a rating of 4.39 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 3,402 reviews of policies purchased on the travel insurance comparison site since 2004.

Heidi’s expert take:   The Worldwide Trip Protector plan provides rare non-medical evacuation benefits of up to $150,000. If you’re traveling to an area at risk of a political, security or national disaster, this emergency evacuation coverage could help get you back to safety. Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint

Best travel insurance for missed connections

TravelSafe offers good travel insurance for missed connections , with $2,500 in missed connection coverage for each person on the plan.

• Best-in-class $2,500 per person in missed connection coverage.
• $1 million per person in medical evacuation and $25,000 in non-medical evacuation coverage.
• Generous $2,500 per person baggage and personal items loss benefit.
• Most expensive of our best-rated travel insurance plans.
• No “interruption for any reason” coverage option.
• Weak baggage delay coverage of $250 per person after 12 hours.

TravelSafe has a rating of 4.3 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 1,506 reviews of policies purchased on the travel insurance comparison site since 2004.

Heidi’s expert take:   “If you miss out on prepaid vacation plans because you didn’t make a connecting flight, you’ll be glad for the $2,500 missed connection coverage. Some policies only provide missed connection coverage for cruises and tours, but TravelSafe Classic doesn’t impose that restriction.” Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint

Cheapest travel insurance

Go Ready Choice by Aegis has the most affordable travel insurance of the best-rated travel insurance companies in our rating. This is based on the average cost of seven international trips of varying lengths and values for travelers of different ages.

See our full Aegis travel insurance review .

• Cheapest of our best trip insurance plans.
• Pet care benefit of $500 under travel delay benefits.
• Low emergency medical and evacuation limits.
• Low missed connection benefit of $500 per person for cruises and tours only.
• Low baggage and personal items loss benefit of $500 per person.

Aegis has a rating of 4.06 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 1,111 reviews of policies purchased on the travel insurance comparison site since 2013.

Heidi’s expert take:   “If you’re looking for a  budget travel insurance policy , Go Ready Choice may fit the bill. It has comparably low coverage limits, but if you have health insurance that will cover you on your trip, its $50,000 in secondary medical coverage may be sufficient.” Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint

Best travel insurance for families

Top-scoring plan

Travelex Insurance Services has the best travel insurance for families because you can add kids aged 17 and younger to your Travel Select plan at no additional charge.

See our full Travelex travel insurance review .

• Free coverage for children 17 and under on the same policy.
• Robust travel delay coverage of $2,000 per person ($250 per day) after 5 hours.
• Hurricane and weather coverage after a common carrier delay of any amount of time.
• Low emergency medical coverage of $50,000 per person.
• Non-medical evacuation is not included.
• Low baggage delay coverage of $200 requires a 12-hour delay.

Travelex has a rating of 4.43 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 2,048 reviews of policies purchased on the travel insurance comparison site since 2004.

Heidi’s expert take:   “If you’re traveling with kids, a Travelex policy will cover them, too. The number of children you can add to your policy is unlimited and they’ll get travel protection at no additional cost.” Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint

Best travel insurance for add-on coverage options

Travel Guard Preferred from AIG allows you to customize your policy with a host of available upgrades, making it the best traveler insurance for add-on options . These include “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage , rental vehicle damage coverage and bundles that offer additional benefits for adventure sports, travel inconvenience, quarantine, pets, security and weddings.

There’s also a medical bundle that increases the travel medical benefit to $100,000 and emergency evacuation to $1 million. This is a good option if you’re looking for foreign travel health insurance.

See our full AIG travel insurance review .

• Bundle upgrades allow you to customize your travel insurance policy.
• Emergency medical and evacuation limits can be doubled with optional upgrade.
• Base travel insurance policy has relatively low medical limits.
• $300 baggage delay benefit requires a 12-hour delay.
• Optional CFAR upgrade only reimburses up to 50% of trip cost.

Heidi’s expert take: “You can add riders to your AIG travel insurance policy to maximize your coverage. Choose from these bundles: adventure sports, medical, pet, quarantine, security and wedding. You may also want to add “cancel for any reason” coverage and rental vehicle damage coverage.”  Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint

Best travel insurance for cruise itinerary changes

Nationwide’s Choice Cruise is good travel insurance for cruises . It has a $500 per person benefit if a cruise itinerary change causes you to miss a prepaid excursion.

Choice Cruise also has a missed connections benefit of $1,500 per person after only a 3-hour delay when you’re taking a cruise or tour. But note that this coverage is secondary coverage to any compensation provided by a common carrier.

See our full Nationwide travel insurance review .

• Benefits for cruise itinerary changes, ship-based mechanical breakdowns and covered shipboard service disruptions.
• Non-medical evacuation benefit of $25,000 per person.
• Missed connection coverage of $1,500 per person for tours and cruises, after a 3-hour delay.
• Baggage loss benefits of $2,500 per person.
• Travel medical coverage is secondary.
• Trip cancellation benefit for losing your job requires three years of continuous employment.
• No “cancel for any reason” upgrade available.

Nationwide has a rating of 4.02 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 570 reviews of policies purchased on the travel insurance comparison site since 2018.

  Heidi’s expert take: “This plan has protections for cruisers when it comes to prepaid expenses. But its emergency medical coverage is secondary, which means you’d have to file medical claims with your health insurance first. Since U.S. health insurance won’t help you at sea, you may want to look for cruise travel insurance with primary medical coverage instead.” Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint

Compare the best travel insurance plans

Via Compare Coverage’s website

Heidi’s expert take: “Here are my tips on how to buy travel insurance that gets you the most coverage for the lowest price: Buy early . Getting travel insurance within two weeks of making your first trip deposit may qualify you for coverage of pre-existing medical conditions, and it won’t cost you any extra.  Look for primary emergency medical coverage . If you buy a plan with secondary coverage, you’ll have to file a claim with your health insurance first, even if you know it will be denied.  Don’t overinsure . Calculate the value of only your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses that are not already covered by other insurance (like credit card travel insurance or health insurance, if your coverage extends to where you are traveling). Even if this value is $0, you can still buy travel insurance for the travel medical insurance benefits, and you’ll only be paying for the insurance you need.  Understand exclusions . If you are planning to go scuba diving, for instance, make sure this adventure activity is not excluded from a policy’s coverage. If so, you may need to pay for a rider or shop for another plan that offers the coverage you need.” Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint

What is the best travel insurance?

The best travel insurance for international travel is sold by WorldTrips, according to our in-depth trip insurance comparison.

The best travel insurance plan for you will depend on the trip you are planning and the coverage areas that are most important to you.

• Best cruise travel insurance
• Best COVID travel insurance
• Best “cancel for any reason” travel insurance
• Best senior travel insurance

Best travel insurance for cruises

The best cruise travel insurance is Atlas Journey Preferred sold by WorldTrips . This plan offers solid travel insurance for cruises for a low rate.

Best travel insurance for COVID-19

The best COVID travel insurance is the Trip Protection Basic plan sold by Seven Corners . It is a relatively low cost travel insurance plan with optional “cancel for any reason” coverage that reimburses up to 75% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses.

Best travel insurance for “cancel for any reason” 

The best “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) travel insurance is Seven Corners’ Trip Protection Basic. Adding CFAR coverage to a RoundTrip Basic plan only increases the cost by about 40%, which is lower than other plans we analyzed. For the extra cost, you get coverage of 75% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses, as long as you cancel at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure.

Best travel insurance for seniors

The best senior travel insurance is the Gold plan sold by Tin Leg . It is an affordable travel insurance plan with travel medical primary coverage of $500,000 and a pre-existing conditions waiver if you insure the full amount of your trip within 14 days of your first trip deposit.

How much is travel insurance?

The average cost of travel insurance is 5% to 6% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs . 

How much you pay for travel insurance will depend on:

• The cost of your trip.
• Your destination.
• The length of your trip. 
• The ages of travelers being insured.
• Your state of residence.
• The travel insurance policy you choose.
• The total coverage amounts in your policy.
• Any travel insurance add-ons you select. 

Here are average travel insurance rates for a 30-year-old female who is insuring a 14-day trip to Mexico.

Looking to save? Discover cheap travel insurance options.

How much travel insurance should I buy?

Travel insurance companies typically offer several plans with varying maximum limits. The higher the coverage limits, the more you’ll pay for travel insurance. 

Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison site, recommends the following coverage limits for international travel: 

• Emergency medical coverage: At least $50,000. 
• Medical evacuation coverage: At least $100,000. 

If you’re going on a cruise, or to a remote location, Squaremouth recommends: 

• Emergency medical coverage: At least $100,000. 
• Medical evacuation coverage: At least $250,000.

When evaluating travel insurance plans, our team of insurance analysts considered the best medical travel insurance policies to have at least $250,000 in emergency medical coverage and at least $500,000 in medical evacuation coverage. 

When should I buy travel insurance?

The best time to buy travel insurance is within two weeks of making your first nonrefundable travel payment, whether it’s for a plane ticket, hotel stay, cruise or excursion. 

Travel insurance costs the same whether you buy it early or last minute, and buying it early has added benefits: 

• You may be able to add on “ cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage , an upgrade that is typically only available for a limited time after you’ve started paying for your trip. 
• You may qualify for a pre-existing medical conditions exclusion waiver, meaning your pre-existing conditions will be covered by travel insurance. This waiver is generally added to your policy automatically, provided you buy the travel insurance within a certain window after your first trip deposit.
• You will be covered over a longer period of time for unforeseen events that could cause you to cancel your trip, such as medical emergencies, inclement weather and natural disasters. 

Expert tip: You can buy travel insurance up to the day before you leave on your trip, but waiting may cost you the opportunity to qualify for a pre-existing conditions exclusion waiver or to buy a “cancel for any reason” upgrade.

Where can I buy travel insurance?

You can buy a travel insurance plan:

• Online. Visit a travel insurance company’s website to buy a policy directly or use a comparison website like Squaremouth or Travelinsurance.com to see your options and compare plans. You may also be able to purchase travel insurance online through an airline, cruise, hotel, rental car company or other provider you book a ticket with.
• In person. A travel agent or insurance agent may be able to assist you in buying travel insurance.

Travel insurance trends in 2024

Americans are changing the way they travel and this includes buying travel insurance when they might have skipped it in the past. As spending on trips continues to rise , travelers have more to lose if their plans are disrupted. 

Based on travel insurance quote requests on the Squaremouth website last month, these are the main benefits travelers are looking for in a travel insurance policy.

*Source: Squaremouth.com. Travel insurance quote filter usage from April 28 to May 28, 2024.

Methodology

Our insurance experts reviewed 1,855 coverage details and 567 rates to determine the best travel insurance of 2024. For companies with more than one travel insurance plan, we shared information about the highest-scoring plan.

Insurers could score up to 100 points based on the following factors:

• $3,000, 8-day trip to Mexico for two travelers age 30.
• $3,000, 8-day trip to Mexico for two travelers age 70.
• $6,000, 17-day trip to Italy for two travelers age 40.
• $6,000, 17-day trip to Italy for two travelers age 65.
• $15,000, 17-day trip to Italy for four travelers ages 40, 40, 10 and 7.
• $15,000, 17-day trip to France for four travelers ages 40, 40, 10 and 7.
• $15,000, 17-day trip to the U.K. for four travelers ages 40, 40, 10 and 7.
• Medical expenses: 10 points. We scored travel medical insurance by the coverage amount available. Travel insurance policies with emergency medical expense benefits of $250,000 or more per person were given the highest score of 10 points.
• Medical evacuation: 10 points. We scored each plan’s emergency medical evacuation coverage by coverage amount. Travel insurance policies with medical evacuation expense benefits of $500,000 or more per person were given the highest score of 10 points.
• Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver: 10 points. We gave full points to travel insurance policies that cover pre-existing medical conditions if certain conditions are met.
• Missed connection: 10 points. Travel insurance plans with missed connection benefits of $1,000 per person or more received full points.
• “Cancel for any reason” upgrade: 5 points. We gave points to travel insurance plans with optional “cancel for any reason” coverage that reimburses up to 75%.
• Travel delay required waiting time: 5 points. We gave 5 points to travel insurance policies with travel delay benefits that kick in after a delay of 6 hours or less.
• Cancel for work reasons: 5 points. If a travel insurance plan allows you to cancel your trip for work reasons, such as your boss requiring you to stay and work, we gave it 5 points.
• Hurricane and severe weather: 5 points. Travel insurance plans that have a required waiting period for hurricane and weather coverage of 12 hours or less received 5 points.

Some travel insurance companies may offer plans with additional benefits or lower prices than the plans that scored the highest, so make sure to compare travel insurance quotes to see your full range of options.

Best travel insurance FAQs

According to our analysis, WorldTrips has the best trip insurance. Two of its plans — Atlas Journey Explore and Atlas Journey Elevate — get 5 stars in our rating.

The best travel insurance policy for you will depend on what type of coverage you need. With so many different policies and carriers, the policy that was best for your friend’s trip to California might not be ideal for your trip to Japan. If you’re looking for the best travel insurance for international travel, you may be willing to pay more for higher coverage levels.

A comprehensive travel insurance plan bundles several types of travel insurance coverage, each with its own limits. To ensure you have adequate financial protection for your trip, your travel insurance policy should include the following travel insurance coverages:

• Trip cancellation . With trip cancellation insurance , you’re covered if you need to call off your trip because of a reason listed in your policy, such as unexpected illness, injury or death of you, a family member or a travel companion, severe weather, jury duty and your travel supplier going out of business. 
• Travel delay. Once your trip has started, travel delay insurance reimburses you for unexpected expenses you incur after a minimum delay, such as five hours. It can cover needs like airport meals, transportation and even overnight accommodation. 
• Trip interruption. If you need to cut your trip early for a reason listed in your policy, trip interruption insurance can reimburse you for any prepaid, nonrefundable payments you’ll lose by leaving early. It can also pay for a last-minute one-way ticket home. 
• Travel medical . Emergency medical benefits are especially important if you need international health insurance for travel outside of the country. Your domestic health insurance may provide limited coverage once you leave the U.S. The best travel medical insurance pays for ambulance service, doctor visits, hospital stays, X-rays, lab work and prescription medication you may require while traveling. 
• Emergency medical evacuation. If you’re traveling to a remote area, or planning excursions such as boating to an island, emergency medical evacuation coverage is a good idea. This coverage pays to transport you to the nearest adequate medical facility if you are injured or sick while traveling. 
• Baggage delay. After a certain waiting period, such as six or 12 hours, this coverage will reimburse you for necessities you need to buy to tide you over while you wait for your bag to arrive. Be sure to save your receipts and look at your coverage limit, as some caps are low, like $200. 
• Baggage loss. Baggage insurance can reimburse you if your bag never arrives, or if your personal belongings are stolen during your travels. Coverage limits apply here, as well as exclusions for certain items such as electronics.  

“Typically, travelers are expected to pay their expenses out of pocket, and then file a claim for reimbursement,” said James Clark, spokesperson for Squaremouth. “However, there are medical situations in which a provider may be required to pre-authorize payment to make sure the policyholder receives the treatment they need.”

According to Clark, “Providers can pre-authorize payment for medical care and emergency evacuations. With that said, every circumstance is unique, and providers will handle each situation on a case-by-case basis.”

Travel insurance covers your prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs — as well as extra money you may need to spend due to unforeseen circumstances and emergencies — both before and during your trip.

Travel insurance coverage varies by plan, but in general travel insurance covers costs associated with these problems: 

• Bankruptcy of a travel insurance company, such as your airline or tour operator. 
• Dangerous weather conditions.
• Delayed and lost luggage.
• Illness or death in your family that requires you to stay home or cut your trip short.
• Illness that needs medical attention.
• Injury requiring medical evacuation.
• Jury duty. 
• Travel delays and missed connections.
• Theft of your personal belongings while traveling.
• Unexpected job loss. 

Travel insurance policies often exclude or limit “foreseeable” losses. Typical travel insurance exclusions include:

• Accidents or injuries caused by drinking or drug use.
• Canceling your trip because you changed your mind.
• Ending your trip early because you changed your mind.
• Losses caused by intentional self harm, including suicide.
• Losses due to war, civil disorder or riots.
• Medical tourism.
• Medical treatment for pre-existing conditions.
• Mental health care.
• Natural disasters that begin before you buy travel insurance.
• Non-medical evacuation.
• Normal pregnancy. 
• Medical treatment related to high-risk activities.
• Routine medical care, such as physicals or dental care.
• Search and rescue.

Your U.S. health insurance may provide little or no coverage in foreign countries. Check with your health insurance company to see if you have any global benefits and ask how they work. If your health care does extend across the border, the benefits it provides abroad may not be the same benefits it provides domestically. 

Medicare usually won’t pay for health care outside of the United States and its territories, so older travelers planning an international trip should look into the best senior travel insurance with robust medical benefits. 

The best time to buy travel insurance is immediately after booking your trip and making a nonrefundable payment — in other words, as soon as you’re at risk of losing money. This way, you’ll know the total cost that you need to insure and you’ll have the longest window to take advantage of your policy’s benefits if something goes wrong.

You can’t wait until something goes wrong and then buy travel insurance to get reimbursed for your loss. Travel insurance only covers unexpected losses.

Travel insurance companies can decline to cover travel to certain countries. For example, you may find that some trip insurance companies don’t offer coverage to countries with a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory from the U.S. State Department. 

Travel insurance policies also frequently exclude certain risks that you’re more likely to encounter in Level 4 or Level 3 countries. For example, your policy may not cover losses related to declared or undeclared wars or acts of war or losses related to known or foreseeable conditions or events. 

Some credit cards , such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card , offer benefits such as trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance and trip delay reimbursement when you use your card to pay for your trip.

Ask your credit card issuer for your card’s benefits guide to see what coverage you may have. Keep in mind that it may not cover all the risks you want to protect against, such as the cost of international health care or emergency medical evacuation .

Business travel insurance makes sense if you are self-employed and paying for your own travel expenses, or if you are traveling internationally and want medical coverage abroad.

You might also consider buying travel insurance for a business trip if your company won’t cover extra expenses if your flight is delayed or you need to head home early.

Cruise travel insurance can help protect you financially if you need emergency medical care in a remote location, or if a delayed flight causes you to miss embarkation and you need to pay extra to catch up to your cruise.

Experts caution that travel insurance you buy through a cruise line may not be as comprehensive as plans you can buy directly from travel insurance companies.

Some travel insurance plans cover rental cars as an optional upgrade, for an additional cost. The 5-star rated travel insurance companies in our rating offer these optional rental car benefits:

• Travel Insured International — Rental car damage and theft coverage of $50,000.
• WorldTrips — Rental car damage and theft coverage of $50,000 with a $250 deductible. 

Travel insurance typically only covers a single trip, although your insured trip can have multiple destinations. 

If you’re looking to insure several trips in the same year, annual travel insurance may be a good option for you.

Travel insurance may be required, depending on the country you plan to visit. But it’s smart to consider buying a travel insurance policy for international travel, even when it is not required. A good travel insurance policy can protect you financially if you need emergency medical assistance when traveling, or if you need to cut your trip short and buy a last-minute plane ticket home because an immediate family member is ill. 

Wondering if travel insurance is worth it? What travel insurance covers

Editor’s Note: This article contains updated information from previously published stories:

• Spirit Airlines scrubs 60% of its Wednesday flights, says cancellations will drop ‘in the days to come.’
• ‘Just a parade of incompetency’: Spirit Airlines passengers with ‘nightmare’ stories want more than apology, $50 vouchers
• ‘This is not our proudest moment’: Spirit Airlines CEO says more flight cancellations expected this weekend
• Hurricane Irma: Flight cancellations top 12,500; even more expected
• Is an annual travel insurance policy right for you?
• How 2020 and COVID-19 changed travel forever – and what that means for you
• COVID-19 or delta variant have you ready to scrap your trip? Here’s how to cancel like a pro
• Sunday: Snow is over, but flight cancellations top 12,000
• After nearly 13,000 Harvey cancellations, Irma is new threat to airline flights
• What’s the difference between travel insurance and trip ‘protection’?
• How to choose the right travel insurance for your next vacation
• Travel insurance can save the day
• Angry passengers brawl after Spirit cancels flights
• What to do when travel insurance doesn’t work
• How lockdowns, quarantines and COVID-19 testing will change summer travel in 2021
• Travelers will pay and worry more on summer vacation this year. But they won’t cancel
• How to find a hotel with COVID testing and quarantine facilities wherever you travel
• Yearning to travel in 2022? First, figure out your budget – then pick a destination
• Pro tips for surviving a long flight during a pandemic: Get the right mask, bring a pillow
• Want to steer clear of contracting COVID-19 on your next vacation? Follow these guidelines
• Post-pandemic travel: Is it OK to ask another passenger’s vaccine status or request they mask up?
• These days, forgetting these important travel items could cost you thousands of dollars
• International travel hacks: When to book flights and hotels, how to deal with COVID-19 rules
• Traveling post-coronavirus: How do you book your next trip when so much remains uncertain?
• The COVID-19 guide to holiday travel – and the case for why you shouldn’t go this year
• Should you travel during the holidays? Americans struggle with their decision
• ‘There’s still pent-up demand’: What you should know about fall travel
• Planning for life after coronavirus: When will we know it’s safe to travel again?
• ‘Busiest camping season’: Travelers choose outdoor recreation close to home amid COVID-19 pandemic
• Considering a camping trip this summer? Tips to make sure your gear is good to go
• RVing for the first time? 8 tips for newbies I wish I’d known during my first trip
• Five myths about travel agents
• Should I buy travel insurance?
• Is travel insurance stacked against you?
• Five myths about travel insurance and terrorism
• These eight things could get your travel insurance claims rejected
• There’s a good chance that your credit card already gives you some kind of travel insurance coverage
• How to avoid a hotel cancellation penalty
• Change fees and travel insurance continue to rise

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.

Amy Fontinelle has more than 15 years of experience helping people make informed decisions about their money, whether they’re refinancing a mortgage, buying insurance or choosing a credit card. As a freelance writer trained in journalism and specializing in personal finance, Amy digs into the details to explain the products and strategies that can help (or hurt) people seeking greater financial security and wealth. Her work has been published by Forbes Advisor, Capital One, MassMutual, Investopedia and many other outlets.

Heidi Gollub is the USA TODAY Blueprint managing editor of insurance. She was previously lead editor of insurance at Forbes Advisor and led the insurance team at U.S. News & World Report as assistant managing editor of 360 Reviews. Heidi has an MBA from Emporia State University and is a licensed property and casualty insurance expert.

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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.

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Medical Evacuation Insurance |

Axa travel protection: travel medical expense and emergency evacuation insurance plan   .

When exploring the world, the last thing you want to consider is a medical emergency. That is why AXA Travel Protection offers you reliable support when you need it most. Our travel coverage protects you against unexpected medical situations, including Emergency Evacuations and more. Let us delve into the details to understand how AXA Travel Protection has your back in times of need. 

Covering Emergency Evacuations 

Life is unpredictable, and accidents or sickness can strike even during your travels. That is why AXA Travel Protection provides coverage for emergency evacuations. If you suffer from an accidental injury or illness during your trip that requires immediate medical attention, we have you covered. We can pay benefits for the covered evacuation expenses incurred up to the maximum benefit mentioned in your policy. 

What is included in Covered Evacuation Expenses? 

AXA Travel Protection covers reasonable and customary expenses related to your Emergency Evacuation. This includes necessary transportation, medical services and supplies required during evacuation. We are committed to getting you to safety using the most direct and cost-effective route possible. 

Transportation Details 

Transportation arrangements are made with precision and care. We ensure that the attending physician recommends all transportation, complies with conveyance regulations, and is authorized in advance by us or our authorized travel assistance company.   

What is an Emergency Evacuation?

In the event of an accidental injury or sickness that warrants immediate transportation from a location, Emergency Evacuation or Medical Emergency Evacuation is deployed to rescue or treat the patient. These services are designed to transport the affected individual to a suitable medical facility for treatment or rescue purposes.

Understanding Emergency Evacuation 

Emergency Evacuation might sound daunting, but it is designed to ensure your well-being.Here is what it means:

Hospital-to-Hospital Transport: We have your back if your medical condition requires swift transfer from the initial hospital where you received treatment to the nearest hospital that can provide suitable medical care. 

Returning Home for Further Treatment: If your situation demands it, we will organize transportation for you to return home after treatment so you can continue recovery or receive further medical attention. 

Combination of Both: Sometimes, circumstances call for a variety of the above situations. We are here to make sure your evacuation needs are met. 

Is Emergency Evacuation necessary?

Maximum Benefit: $1,000,000 Hospital Companion: $10,000 File for a  Free Quote  to see the full range of coverage details.

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Get covered against Trip Delays, Medical Emergencies, Lost Baggage, and more!

Emergency Evacuation FAQs

Who should i call during an emergency evacuation.

If you experience a medical emergency during your travels, contact your local emergency services. Then call AXA’s 24/7 emergency services: 855-327-1442

Transportation of Minor Children and Hospital Companions  

Your loved ones are important to us too. If you are expected to be in the hospital for over seven days following a covered emergency evacuation or if the worst occurs and you pass away during your trip, we will ensure the safe return of your unattended minor child(ren) (under the age of eighteen (18)) who accompanied you on the trip. They will be taken to the domicile of a person nominated by you or your next of kin, with an attendant if needed. 

For those times when you find yourself alone in a hospital for more than seven consecutive days due to an accidental injury or sickness, we will arrange for a companion of your choice to visit you once.  

This person will be provided with necessary transportation, authorized and organized by us while adhering to the applicable guidelines. 

Why choose AXA Travel Protection

With a presence in over 30 countries worldwide, AXA provides assistance with a wide range of features that include: 

• Extensive knowledge of local health risks and medical facilities to respond swiftly in the event of a medical emergency
• 24/7 global team of travel experts that offers assistance and assurance while traveling

How to get a Travel Protection Quote Receive a  free quote  within minutes Or call us at  855-327-1441  to speak with our licensed Travel Insurance Advisors. Monday-Saturday, 8AM-7PM Central Time Disclaimer: It is important to note that the specifics for Emergency Evacuation will depend on the policy selected, date of purchase, destination, and state of residency. Customers are advised to carefully review the terms and conditions of their policy, and to contact AXA Partners with any questions or concerns they may have.

Need Help Choosing a Plan?

Speak with one of our licensed representatives or our 24/7 multilingual Insurance advisors to find the coverage you need for your next trip. From Medical Coverage to Trip Cancellation Protection, our team of travel experts will help you choose the right coverage.

The best travel insurance policies and providers

It's easy to dismiss the value of travel insurance until you need it.

Many travelers have strong opinions about whether you should buy travel insurance . However, the purpose of this post isn't to determine whether it's worth investing in. Instead, it compares some of the top travel insurance providers and policies so you can determine which travel insurance option is best for you.

Of course, as the coronavirus remains an ongoing concern, it's important to understand whether travel insurance covers pandemics. Some policies will cover you if you're diagnosed with COVID-19 and have proof of illness from a doctor. Others will take coverage a step further, covering additional types of pandemic-related expenses and cancellations.

Know, though, that every policy will have exclusions and restrictions that may limit coverage. For example, fear of travel is generally not a covered reason for invoking trip cancellation or interruption coverage, while specific stipulations may apply to elevated travel warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Interested in travel insurance? Visit InsureMyTrip.com to shop for plans that may fit your travel needs.

So, before buying a specific policy, you must understand the full terms and any special notices the insurer has about COVID-19. You may even want to buy the optional cancel for any reason add-on that's available for some comprehensive policies. While you'll pay more for that protection, it allows you to cancel your trip for any reason and still get some of your costs back. Note that this benefit is time-sensitive and has other eligibility requirements, so not all travelers will qualify.

In this guide, we'll review several policies from top travel insurance providers so you have a better understanding of your options before picking the policy and provider that best address your wants and needs.

The best travel insurance providers

To put together this list of the best travel insurance providers, a number of details were considered: favorable ratings from TPG Lounge members, the availability of details about policies and the claims process online, positive online ratings and the ability to purchase policies in most U.S. states. You can also search for options from these (and other) providers through an insurance comparison site like InsureMyTrip .

When comparing insurance providers, I priced out a single-trip policy for each provider for a $2,000, one-week vacation to Istanbul . I used my actual age and state of residence when obtaining quotes. As a result, you may see a different price — or even additional policies due to regulations for travel insurance varying from state to state — when getting a quote.

AIG Travel Guard

AIG Travel Guard receives many positive reviews from readers in the TPG Lounge who have filed claims with the company. AIG offers three plans online, which you can compare side by side, and the ability to examine sample policies. Here are three plans for my sample trip to Turkey.

AIG Travel Guard also offers an annual travel plan. This plan is priced at $259 per year for one Florida resident.

Additionally, AIG Travel Guard offers several other policies, including a single-trip policy without trip cancellation protection . See AIG Travel Guard's COVID-19 notification and COVID-19 advisory for current details regarding COVID-19 coverage.

Preexisting conditions

Typically, AIG Travel Guard wouldn't cover you for any loss or expense due to a preexisting medical condition that existed within 180 days of the coverage effective date. However, AIG Travel Guard may waive the preexisting medical condition exclusion on some plans if you meet the following conditions:

• You purchase the plan within 15 days of your initial trip payment.
• The amount of coverage you purchase equals all trip costs at the time of purchase. You must update your coverage to insure the costs of any subsequent arrangements that you add to your trip within 15 days of paying the travel supplier for these additional arrangements.
• You must be medically able to travel when you purchase your plan.

Standout features

• The Deluxe and Preferred plans allow you to purchase an upgrade that lets you cancel your trip for any reason. However, reimbursement under this coverage will not exceed 50% or 75% of your covered trip cost.
• You can include one child (age 17 and younger) with each paying adult for no additional cost on most single-trip plans.
• Other optional upgrades, including an adventure sports bundle, a baggage bundle, an inconvenience bundle, a pet bundle, a security bundle and a wedding bundle, are available on some policies. So, an AIG Travel Guard plan may be a good choice if you know you want extra coverage in specific areas.

Purchase your policy here: AIG Travel Guard .

Allianz Travel Insurance

Allianz is one of the most highly regarded providers in the TPG Lounge, and many readers found the claim process reasonable. Allianz offers many plans, including the following single-trip plans for my sample trip to Turkey.

If you travel frequently, it may make sense to purchase an annual multi-trip policy. For this plan, all of the maximum coverage amounts in the table below are per trip (except for the trip cancellation and trip interruption amounts, which are an aggregate limit per policy). Trips typically must last no more than 45 days, although some plans may cover trips of up to 90 days.

See Allianz's coverage alert for current information on COVID-19 coverage.

Most Allianz travel insurance plans may cover preexisting medical conditions if you meet particular requirements. For the OneTrip Premier, Prime and Basic plans, the requirements are as follows:

• You purchased the policy within 14 days of the date of the first trip payment or deposit.
• You were a U.S. resident when you purchased the policy.
• You were medically able to travel when you purchased the policy.
• On the policy purchase date, you insured the total, nonrefundable cost of your trip (including arrangements that will become nonrefundable or subject to cancellation penalties before your departure date). If you incur additional nonrefundable trip expenses after purchasing this policy, you must insure them within 14 days of their purchase.
• Allianz offers reasonably priced annual policies for independent travelers and families who take multiple trips lasting up to 45 days (or 90 days for select plans) per year.
• Some Allianz plans provide the option of receiving a flat reimbursement amount without receipts for trip delay and baggage delay claims. Of course, you can also submit receipts to get up to the maximum refund.
• For emergency transportation coverage, you or someone on your behalf must contact Allianz, and Allianz must then make all transportation arrangements in advance. However, most Allianz policies provide an option if you cannot contact the company: Allianz will pay up to what it would have paid if it had made the arrangements.

Purchase your policy here: Allianz Travel Insurance .

American Express Travel Insurance

American Express Travel Insurance offers four different package plans and a build-your-own coverage option. You don't have to be an American Express cardholder to purchase this insurance. Here are the four package options for my sample weeklong trip to Turkey. Unlike some other providers, Amex won't ask for your travel destination on the initial quote (but will when you purchase the plan).

Amex's build-your-own coverage plan is unique because you can purchase just the coverage you need. For most types of protection, you can even select the coverage amount that works best for you.

The prices for the packages and the build-your-own plan don't increase for longer trips — as long as the trip cost remains constant. However, the emergency medical and dental benefit is only available for your first 60 days of travel.

Typically, Amex won't cover any loss you incur because of a preexisting medical condition that existed within 90 days of the coverage effective date. However, Amex may waive its preexisting-condition exclusion if you meet both of the following requirements:

• You must be medically able to travel at the time you pay the policy premium.
• You pay the policy premium within 14 days of making the first covered trip deposit.
• Amex's build-your-own coverage option allows you to only purchase — and pay for — the coverage you need.
• Coverage on long trips doesn't cost more than coverage for short trips, making this policy ideal for extended getaways. However, the emergency medical and dental benefit only covers your first 60 days of travel.
• American Express Travel Insurance can protect travel expenses you purchase with Amex Membership Rewards points in the Pay with Points program (as well as travel expenses bought with cash, debit or credit). However, travel expenses bought with other types of points and miles aren't covered.

Purchase your policy here: American Express Travel Insurance .

GeoBlue is different from most other providers described in this piece because it only provides medical coverage while you're traveling internationally and does not offer benefits to protect the cost of your trip. There are many different policies. Some require you to have primary health insurance in the U.S. (although it doesn't need to be provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield), but all of them only offer coverage while traveling outside the U.S.

Two single-trip plans are available if you're traveling for six months or less. The Voyager Choice policy provides coverage (including medical services and medical evacuation for a sudden recurrence of a preexisting condition) for trips outside the U.S. to travelers who are 95 or younger and already have a U.S. health insurance policy.

The Voyager Essential policy provides coverage (including medical evacuation for a sudden recurrence of a preexisting condition) for trips outside the U.S. to travelers who are 95 or younger, regardless of whether they have primary health insurance.

In addition to these options, two multi-trip plans cover trips of up to 70 days each for one year. Both policies provide coverage (including medical services and medical evacuation for preexisting conditions) to travelers with primary health insurance.

Be sure to check out GeoBlue's COVID-19 notices before buying a plan.

Most GeoBlue policies explicitly cover sudden recurrences of preexisting conditions for medical services and medical evacuation.

• GeoBlue can be an excellent option if you're mainly concerned about the medical side of travel insurance.
• GeoBlue provides single-trip, multi-trip and long-term medical travel insurance policies for many different types of travel.

Purchase your policy here: GeoBlue .

IMG offers various travel medical insurance policies for travelers, as well as comprehensive travel insurance policies. For a single trip of 90 days or less, there are five policy types available for vacation or holiday travelers. Although you must enter your gender, males and females received the same quote for my one-week search.

You can purchase an annual multi-trip travel medical insurance plan. Some only cover trips lasting up to 30 or 45 days, but others provide coverage for longer trips.

See IMG's page on COVID-19 for additional policy information as it relates to coronavirus-related claims.

Most plans may cover preexisting conditions under set parameters or up to specific amounts. For example, the iTravelInsured Travel LX travel insurance plan shown above may cover preexisting conditions if you purchase the insurance within 24 hours of making the final payment for your trip.

For the travel medical insurance plans shown above, preexisting conditions are covered for travelers younger than 70. However, coverage is capped based on your age and whether you have a primary health insurance policy.

• Some annual multi-trip plans are modestly priced.
• iTravelInsured Travel LX may offer optional cancel for any reason and interruption for any reason coverage, if eligible.

Purchase your policy here: IMG .

Travelex Insurance

Travelex offers three single-trip plans: Travel Basic, Travel Select and Travel America. However, only the Travel Basic and Travel Select plans would be applicable for my trip to Turkey.

See Travelex's COVID-19 coverage statement for coronavirus-specific information.

Typically, Travelex won't cover losses incurred because of a preexisting medical condition that existed within 60 days of the coverage effective date. However, the Travel Select plan may offer a preexisting condition exclusion waiver. To be eligible for this waiver, the insured traveler must meet all the following conditions:

• You purchase the plan within 15 days of the initial trip payment.
• The amount of coverage purchased equals all prepaid, nonrefundable payments or deposits applicable to the trip at the time of purchase. Additionally, you must insure the costs of any subsequent arrangements added to the same trip within 15 days of payment or deposit.
• All insured individuals are medically able to travel when they pay the plan cost.
• The trip cost does not exceed the maximum trip cost limit under trip cancellation as shown in the schedule per person (only applicable to trip cancellation, interruption and delay).
• Travelex's Travel Select policy can cover trips lasting up to 364 days, which is longer than many single-trip policies.
• Neither Travelex policy requires receipts for trip and baggage delay expenses less than $25.
• For emergency evacuation coverage, you or someone on your behalf must contact Travelex and have Travelex make all transportation arrangements in advance. However, both Travelex policies provide an option if you cannot contact Travelex: Travelex will pay up to what it would have paid if it had made the arrangements.

Purchase your policy here: Travelex Insurance .

Seven Corners

Seven Corners offers a wide variety of policies. Here are the policies that are most applicable to travelers on a single international trip.

Seven Corners also offers many other types of travel insurance, including an annual multi-trip plan. You can choose coverage for trips of up to 30, 45 or 60 days when purchasing an annual multi-trip plan.

See Seven Corner's page on COVID-19 for additional policy information as it relates to coronavirus-related claims.

Typically, Seven Corners won't cover losses incurred because of a preexisting medical condition. However, the RoundTrip Choice plan offers a preexisting condition exclusion waiver. To be eligible for this waiver, you must meet all of the following conditions:

• You buy this plan within 20 days of making your initial trip payment or deposit.
• You or your travel companion are medically able and not disabled from travel when you pay for this plan or upgrade your plan.
• You update the coverage to include the additional cost of subsequent travel arrangements within 15 days of paying your travel supplier for them.
• Seven Corners offers the ability to purchase optional sports and golf equipment coverage. If purchased, this extra insurance will reimburse you for the cost of renting sports or golf equipment if yours is lost, stolen, damaged or delayed by a common carrier for six or more hours. However, Seven Corners must authorize the expenses in advance.
• You can add cancel for any reason coverage or trip interruption for any reason coverage to RoundTrip plans. Although some other providers offer cancel for any reason coverage, trip interruption for any reason coverage is less common.
• Seven Corners' RoundTrip Choice policy offers a political or security evacuation benefit that will transport you to the nearest safe place or your residence under specific conditions. You can also add optional event ticket registration fee protection to the RoundTrip Choice policy.

Purchase your policy here: Seven Corners .

World Nomads

World Nomads is popular with younger, active travelers because of its flexibility and adventure-activities coverage on the Explorer plan. Unlike many policies offered by other providers, you don't need to estimate prepaid costs when purchasing the insurance to have access to trip interruption and cancellation insurance.

World Nomads offers two single-trip plans.

World Nomads has a page dedicated to coronavirus coverage , so be sure to view it before buying a policy.

World Nomads won't cover losses incurred because of a preexisting medical condition (except emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains) that existed within 90 days of the coverage effective date. Unlike many other providers, World Nomads doesn't offer a waiver.

• World Nomads' policies cover more adventure sports than most providers, so activities such as bungee jumping are included. The Explorer policy covers almost any adventure sport, including skydiving, stunt flying and caving. So, if you partake in adventure sports while traveling, the Explorer policy may be a good fit.
• World Nomads' policies provide nonmedical evacuation coverage for transportation expenses if there is civil or political unrest in the country you are visiting. The coverage may also transport you home if there is an eligible natural disaster or a government expels you.

Purchase your policy here: World Nomads .

Other options for buying travel insurance

This guide details the policies of eight providers with the information available at the time of publication. There are many options when it comes to travel insurance, though. To compare different policies quickly, you can use a travel insurance aggregator like InsureMyTrip to search. Just note that these search engines won't show every policy and every provider, and you should still research the provided policies to ensure the coverage fits your trip and needs.

You can also purchase a plan through various membership associations, such as USAA, AAA or Costco. Typically, these organizations partner with a specific provider, so if you are a member of any of these associations, you may want to compare the policies offered through the organization with other policies to get the best coverage for your trip.

Related: Should you get travel insurance if you have credit card protection?

Is travel insurance worth getting?

Whether you should purchase travel insurance is a personal decision. Suppose you use a credit card that provides travel insurance for most of your expenses and have medical insurance that provides adequate coverage abroad. In that case, you may be covered enough on most trips to forgo purchasing travel insurance.

However, suppose your medical insurance won't cover you at your destination and you can't comfortably cover a sizable medical evacuation bill or last-minute flight home . In that case, you should consider purchasing travel insurance. If you travel frequently, buying an annual multi-trip policy may be worth it.

What is the best COVID-19 travel insurance?

There are various aspects to keep in mind in the age of COVID-19. Consider booking travel plans that are fully refundable or have modest change or cancellation fees so you don't need to worry about whether your policy will cover trip cancellation. This is important since many standard comprehensive insurance policies won't reimburse your insured expenses in the event of cancellation if it's related to the fear of traveling due to COVID-19.

However, if you book a nonrefundable trip and want to maintain the ability to get reimbursed (up to 75% of your insured costs) if you choose to cancel, you should consider buying a comprehensive travel insurance policy and then adding optional cancel for any reason protection. Just note that this benefit is time-sensitive and has eligibility requirements, so not all travelers will qualify.

Providers will often require CFAR purchasers insure the entire dollar amount of their travels to receive the coverage. Also, many CFAR policies mandate that you must cancel your plans and notify all travel suppliers at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure.

Likewise, if your primary health insurance won't cover you while on your trip, it's essential to consider whether medical expenses related to COVID-19 treatment are covered. You may also want to consider a MedJet medical transport membership if your trip is to a covered destination for coronavirus-related evacuation.

Ultimately, the best pandemic travel insurance policy will depend on your trip details, travel concerns and your willingness to self-insure. Just be sure to thoroughly read and understand any terms or exclusions before purchasing.

What are the different types of travel insurance?

Whether you purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy or rely on the protections offered by select credit cards, you may have access to the following types of coverage:

• Baggage delay protection may reimburse for essential items and clothing when a common carrier (such as an airline) fails to deliver your checked bag within a set time of your arrival at a destination. Typically, you may be reimbursed up to a particular amount per incident or per day.
• Lost/damaged baggage protection may provide reimbursement to replace lost or damaged luggage and items inside that luggage. However, valuables and electronics usually have a relatively low maximum benefit.
• Trip delay reimbursement may provide reimbursement for necessary items, food, lodging and sometimes transportation when you're delayed for a substantial time while traveling on a common carrier such as an airline. This insurance may be beneficial if weather issues (or other covered reasons for which the airline usually won't provide compensation) delay you.
• Trip cancellation and interruption protection may provide reimbursement if you need to cancel or interrupt your trip for a covered reason, such as a death in your family or jury duty.
• Medical evacuation insurance can arrange and pay for medical evacuation if deemed necessary by the insurance provider and a medical professional. This coverage can be particularly valuable if you're traveling to a region with subpar medical facilities.
• Travel accident insurance may provide a payment to you or your beneficiary in the case of your death or dismemberment.
• Emergency medical insurance may provide payment or reimburse you if you must seek medical care while traveling. Some plans only cover emergency medical care, but some also cover other types of medical care. You may need to pay a deductible or copay.
• Rental car coverage may provide a collision damage waiver when renting a car. This waiver may reimburse for collision damage or theft up to a set amount. Some policies also cover loss-of-use charges assessed by the rental company and towing charges to take the vehicle to the nearest qualified repair facility. You generally need to decline the rental company's collision damage waiver or similar provision to be covered.

Should I buy travel health insurance?

If you purchase travel with credit cards that provide various trip protections, you may not see much need for additional travel insurance. However, you may still wonder whether you should buy travel medical insurance.

If your primary health insurance covers you on your trip, you may not need travel health insurance. Your domestic policy may not cover you outside the U.S., though, so it's worth calling the number on your health insurance card if you have coverage questions. If your primary health insurance wouldn't cover you, it's likely worth purchasing travel medical insurance. After all, as you can see above, travel medical insurance is often very modestly priced.

How much does travel insurance cost?

Travel insurance costs depend on various factors, including the provider, the type of coverage, your trip cost, your destination, your age, your residency and how many travelers you want to insure. That said, a standard travel insurance plan will generally set you back somewhere between 4% and 10% of your total trip cost. However, this can get lower for more basic protections or become even higher if you include add-ons like cancel for any reason protection.

The best way to determine how much travel insurance will cost is to price out your trip with a few providers discussed in the guide. Or, visit an insurance aggregator like InsureMyTrip to quickly compare options across multiple providers.

When and how to get travel insurance

For the most robust selection of available travel insurance benefits — including time-sensitive add-ons like CFAR protection and waivers of preexisting conditions for eligible travelers — you should ideally purchase travel insurance on the same day you make your first payment toward your trip.

However, many plans may still offer a preexisting conditions waiver for those who qualify if you buy your travel insurance within 14 to 21 days of your first trip expense or deposit (this time frame may vary by provider). If you don't need a preexisting conditions waiver or aren't interested in CFAR coverage, you can purchase travel insurance once your departure date nears.

You must purchase coverage before it's needed. Some travel medical plans are available for purchase after you have departed, but comprehensive plans that include medical coverage must be purchased before departing.

Additionally, you can't buy any medical coverage once you require medical attention. The same applies to all travel insurance coverage. Once you recognize the need, it's too late to protect your trip.

Once you've shopped around and decided upon the best travel insurance plan for your trip, you should be able to complete your purchase online. You'll usually be able to download your insurance card and the complete policy shortly after the transaction is complete.

Related: 7 times your credit card's travel insurance might not cover you

Bottom line

Not all travel insurance policies and providers are equal. Before buying a plan, read and understand the policy documents. By doing so, you can choose a plan that's appropriate for you and your trip — including the features that matter most to you.

For example, if you plan to go skiing or rock climbing, make sure the policy you buy doesn't contain exclusions for these activities. Likewise, if you're making two back-to-back trips during which you'll be returning home for a short time in between, be sure the plan doesn't terminate coverage at the end of your first trip.

If you're looking to cover a sudden recurrence of a preexisting condition, select a policy with a preexisting condition waiver and fulfill the requirements for the waiver. After all, buying insurance won't help if your policy doesn't cover your losses.

Disclaimer : This information is provided by IMT Services, LLC ( InsureMyTrip.com ), a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 5119217) and a member of the Tokio Marine HCC group of companies. IMT's services are only available in states where it is licensed to do business and the products provided through InsureMyTrip.com may not be available in all states. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not create or modify any insurance policy terms in any way. For more information, please visit www.insuremytrip.com .

U.S. News takes an unbiased approach to our recommendations. When you use our links to buy products, we may earn a commission but that in no way affects our editorial independence.

The Best Travel Medical Insurance of 2024

Allianz Travel Insurance »

Seven Corners »

GeoBlue »

WorldTrips »

Why Trust Us

U.S. News evaluates ratings, data and scores of more than 50 travel insurance companies from comparison websites like TravelInsurance.com, Squaremouth and InsureMyTrip, plus renowned credit rating agency AM Best, in addition to reviews and recommendations from top travel industry sources and consumers to determine the Best Travel Medical Insurance Plans.

Table of Contents

• Allianz Travel Insurance
• Seven Corners

Buying travel insurance is a smart move for any type of trip, but you may not need a policy that covers everything under the sun. If you don't need coverage for trip cancellations or delays because you're relying on your travel credit card to offer these protections, for example, you may find you only need emergency medical coverage that works away from home.

Still, travel medical coverage varies widely based on included benefits, policy limits and more. If you're comparing travel insurance plans and hoping to find the best option for unexpected medical expenses, read on to learn which policies we recommend.

Frequently Asked Questions

The term travel insurance usually describes a comprehensive travel insurance policy that includes coverage for medical expenses as well as trip cancellations and interruptions, trip delays, lost baggage, and more. Meanwhile, travel medical insurance is coverage that focuses on paying for emergency medical expenses and other related care.

Travelers need international health insurance if they're visiting a place where their own health coverage will not apply. This typically includes all international trips away from home since U.S. health plans limit coverage to care required in the United States.

Note that if you don't have travel health insurance and you become sick or injured abroad, you'll be responsible for paying back any health care costs you incur.

Many travel insurance policies cover emergency medical expenses you incur during a covered trip. However, the included benefits of each policy can vary widely, and so can the policy limits that apply.

If you're looking for a travel insurance policy that offers sufficient protection for unexpected medical expenses, you'll typically want to choose a plan with at least $100,000 in coverage for emergency medical care and at least that much in protection for emergency medical evacuation and transportation.

However, higher limits can provide even more protection from overseas medical bills, which can become pricey depending on the type of care you need. As just one example, Allianz says the average cost of emergency medical evacuation can easily reach up to $200,000 or more depending on where you’re traveling.

Your U.S. health insurance policy almost never covers medical expenses incurred abroad. The same is true for most people on Medicare and especially Medicaid. If you want to ensure you have travel medical coverage that applies overseas, you should purchase a travel insurance plan with adequate limits for every trip. Read the U.S. News article on this topic for more information.

The cost of travel medical insurance can vary depending on the age of the travelers, the type of coverage purchased, the length of the trip and other factors. You can use a comparison site like TravelInsurance.com to explore different travel medical insurance plans and their cost.

• Allianz Travel Insurance: Best Overall
• Seven Corners: Best for Families
• GeoBlue: Best for Expats
• WorldTrips: Best Cost

Coverage for preexisting conditions is available as an add-on

Easy to purchase as needed for individual trips

Relatively low limits for medical expenses

No coverage for trip cancellations or trip interruption

• Up to $50,000 in emergency medical coverage
• Up to $250,000 in emergency medical evacuation coverage
• Up to $2,000 in coverage for baggage loss and damage
• Up to $600 in baggage delay insurance
• Up to $1,000 for travel delays
• Up to $10,000 in travel accident insurance
• 24-hour hotline assistance
• Concierge services

SEE FULL REVIEW »

Purchase comprehensive medical coverage worth up to $5 million

Coverage for families with up to 10 people

Low coverage amounts for trip interruption

Medical coverage options vary by age

• Up to $5 million in comprehensive medical coverage
• Up to $500,000 in emergency evacuation coverage
• Up to $10,000 in coverage for incidental trips to home country
• Up to $25,000 in coverage for terrorist activity
• Up to $500 in accidental dental emergency coverage
• Up to $100 per occurrence in coverage for emergency eye exams
• $50,000 in coverage for local burial or cremation
• 24/7 travel assistance
• Up to $25,000 in coverage for accidental death and dismemberment per traveler
• Up to $500 for loss of checked baggage
• Up to $5,000 for trip interruptions
• Up to $100 per day for trip delays
• Up to $50,000 for personal liability

Qualify for international health insurance with no annual or lifetime caps

Use coverage within the U.S. with select providers

Deductible from $500 to $10,000 can apply

Doesn't come with any nonmedical travel insurance benefits

• Up to $250,000 in coverage for emergency medical evacuation
• Up to $25,000 for repatriation of mortal remains
• $50,000 in coverage for accidental death and dismemberment

High limits for medical insurance and emergency medical evacuation

Covers multiple trips over a period of up to 364 days

Deductible of $250 required for each covered trip

Copays required for medical care received in the U.S.

• Up to $1,000,000 of maximum coverage
• Up to $1,000,000 for emergency medical evacuation
• Up to $10,000 for trip interruptions
• Up to $1,000 for lost checked luggage
• Up to $100 per day for travel delays
• Up to $25,000 in personal liability coverage
• Medical coverage for eligible expenses related to COVID-19
• Ability to add coverage for your spouse and/or child(ren)
• Repatriation of remains coverage up to overall limit
• Up to $5,000 for local burial or cremation 
• $10,000 to $50,000 for common carrier accidental death

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Holly Johnson is an award-winning content creator who has been writing about travel insurance and travel for more than a decade. 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. In fact, she has successfully filed several travel insurance claims for trip delays and trip cancellations over the years. Johnson also works alongside her husband, Greg, who has been licensed to sell travel insurance in 50 states, in their family media business.

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11 Best Travel Insurance Companies in June 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.
• Offers direct billing.
• 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.

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 some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

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

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Travel Medical Insurance Emergency Healthcare Coverage

Alex Carver is a writer and researcher based in Charlotte, N.C. A contributor to major news websites such as Automoblog and USA Today, she’s written content in sectors such as insurance, warranties, shipping, real estate and more.

Tori Addison is an editor who has worked in the digital marketing industry for over seven years. A journalist by trade, her experience includes communications and marketing management in the nonprofit, governmental and academic sectors.

Key Takeaways:

• Based on our comprehensive review, the companies offering the best travel medical insurance are Faye, IMG, Travelex, AIG Travel Guard and Allianz.
• Travel medical insurance is a specialized type of coverage that helps pay for medical bills and emergency evacuations if you’re hurt or become sick while traveling.
• Travel medical insurance might be worth considering for your next trip if you have a domestic health insurance policy that will not cover you in other countries.

What Is Travel Medical Insurance?

International travel medical insurance is a type of insurance that can help cover the cost of medical care abroad. If you’re on vacation and suffer a sudden injury or illness, you may need to receive care from a local facility, which your domestic health insurance might not cover. Depending on your location, you might even require transportation to a more advanced facility via Helivac or other specialized medical transport.

Without travel medical insurance, coverage is up to the discretion of your health insurance provider. If not covered, you could accrue thousands of dollars in medical bills by the time you return home, especially if you need emergency medical evacuation services. If you have a travel insurance plan with medical coverage, your insurance provider will cover certain expenses up to your coverage maximum.

Travel medical insurance is sold as a part of a larger travel insurance plan or as stand-alone coverage. When bundled with standard travel insurance, you’ll gain benefits like compensation for delayed baggage and nonrefundable trip costs if you’re forced to go home early. Most plans also include 24/7 assistance services that can help you communicate with local medical staff and arrange care payments.

Travel medical coverage is worth considering if your domestic health insurance does not extend to injuries and illnesses sustained abroad. For example, a private health insurance plan might provide coverage overseas, but Medicaid usually won’t . Consider a limited travel medical plan that provides secondary coverage if your health insurance has a higher deductible or out-of-pocket maximum. Like other types of travel insurance, travel medical coverage works on a reimbursement-based model — so it is important to keep documentation of all medical expenses you incur while on your trip.

Travel Medical Insurance vs Travel Insurance

A medical-only travel insurance policy provides a limited range of benefits that can help cover the costs of emergency medical bills incurred while traveling.

Medical-only policies are typically more affordable than full travel insurance but will not provide trip delay and interruption benefits. For example, if you get sick on vacation and must go home, medical-only insurance will not compensate you for nonrefundable flights or hotel costs.

The table below summarizes the types of coverage you can expect from travel medical insurance policies versus a complete travel insurance plan.

The coronavirus pandemic shifted how most people travel worldwide, and travel insurance companies now typically include COVID-19 coverage within plans . Most reputable travel medical insurance companies list COVID-19 as a covered reason for medical coverage. If you are worried about the virus while traveling, we recommend reading your provider’s sample policy to ensure COVID-19 coverage is eligible for reimbursement.

What Does Travel Health Insurance Cover?

Travel medical insurance, also known as travel health insurance, is designed to cover various medical expenses incurred during your travels. Just as standard health insurance covers emergencies at home, travel medical coverage helps pay for hospital stays or healthcare expenses if you get hurt while traveling. However, most travel medical plans also include additional benefits beyond coverage for hospital bills.

Policies often have emergency medical evacuation coverage, which covers the cost of evacuation if you get hurt in a location without readily available medical care. Medical transport can become expensive, often costing tens of thousands of dollars , so this coverage can help keep you from paying out-of-pocket for life-saving services. Coverage may also include benefits for AD&D and repatriation of remains if you pass away abroad.

Also, pay attention to coverage levels and any deductibles when selecting a travel medical plan. Every travel medical plan should include a maximum amount your insurer should pay in the event of an accident, with some policy providers limiting coverage to as low as $5,000. Evaluate included coverages and limitations compared to policy pricing to ensure you’re getting a value for what you pay.

Most travel insurance plans state that the provider will not cover medical bills originating from a sporting injury. If you intend on backpacking, hiking, skiing or participating in another outdoor activity, look for an insurance provider offering a sports extension or add-on. The adventure sports add-on available from most travel insurance providers extends your medical benefits to include recreational accidents.

What To Know About Coverage Maximums, Exclusions and Deductibles

Understanding coverage maximums, exclusions, and deductibles is essential when purchasing a travel medical insurance plan. A coverage maximum is the most an insurer will pay for benefits such as emergency medical expenses. Exclusions include situations and procedures not covered under your travel medical policy. If your plan includes a deductible, it works like a domestic health insurance plan — you need to pay the deductible amount out-of-pocket before your insurance plan takes effect.

Who Needs Travel Medical Insurance?

Some travelers may benefit more from travel medical insurance than others. If you have a pre-existing health condition, for example, you may need medical services or assistance abroad. You may also consider coverage if you plan on participating in extreme or adventure sports such as bungee jumping, windsurfing, or scuba diving. While some companies exclude extreme sport-related injuries from coverage, others offer add-on protection. For this reason, it is important to check coverage exclusions associated with a travel medical insurance plan before purchase.

Other types of travelers who could benefit from a travel medical insurance policy include jet-setters with a credit card that offers coverage for travel delays or trip interruptions, as there’s no need to purchase a full trip insurance policy in this case. Travel medical insurance may also benefit those strictly concerned about covering potential health expenses abroad, not trip expenses.

When Is Travel Health Insurance Required?

When you travel outside your home country, travel medical insurance may be required or strongly recommended. Many countries, particularly those in the Schengen Area of Europe , require travelers to have sufficient travel insurance before issuing a visa or allowing entry. This became an especially prominent issue during the COVID-19 pandemic when more and more countries outside of Europe began requiring Americans to carry medical insurance as a condition of travel.

To verify whether travel health insurance is required where you’re traveling, research your destination using the U.S. Department of State website . The Department of State maintains a list of entry requirements for U.S. passport holders and permanent residents. Travel experts recommend shopping for coverage at least one month before your trip to ensure the documentation arrives before you travel.

Depending on entry requirements and your current health insurance provider, your primary health insurance may qualify as sufficient medical coverage for a visa entry. Even if travel medical insurance is not required, you may still choose to invest in some level of coverage. Even with standard health insurance, you might not have any or enough coverage when you travel abroad — meaning even a minor injury could leave you with thousands of dollars in bills when you get home.

Read More: Travel Insurance For Visitors To U.S.

How Pre-Existing Conditions Affect International Health Insurance

Some travelers deal with pre-existing health conditions that could impact their travels. Life-long conditions such as asthma and diabetes to a more recent temporary diagnosis can affect your international health insurance coverage.

A few providers will not offer travel medical insurance to people with pre-existing conditions to avoid responsibility for travelers with a greater risk of medical needs overseas. Most other companies ask you to sign a waiver before agreeing to cover potential medical bills related to recent or ongoing health issues. This waiver typically requires proof that you’re medically able to travel, so expect to provide a letter from your physician stating so.

Angela Borden, a product marketing specialist at Seven Corners , encourages travelers with pre-existing conditions to “contact your insurance provider to be sure you fully understand the pre-existing conditions coverage for the plan you choose. Being prepared and having the information before you need it in an emergency makes a huge difference.” Borden also noted, “There may be a requirement for when you receive treatment for your pre-existing conditions. For example, some Seven Corners travel medical plans require you to receive immediate emergency care within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms for that treatment to be covered.” 

We encourage you to read through your policy’s fine print to fully understand any requirements for travel coverage with pre-existing conditions. This way, you can enjoy your trip with peace of mind.

Types of Travel Medical Insurance Plans

When searching for travel health insurance plans, you may encounter primary, secondary, single-trip, and multi-trip insurance policies. In the sections below, we will explore each of these and detail which policies are best for specific travelers.

Primary vs. Secondary Health Insurance

Some travel medical insurance providers offer both primary and secondary health insurance plans. Primary plans pay for medical expenses before any other coverage you might have. This is especially useful for travelers whose primary plans only cover medical care domestically.

However, if you already have health insurance that extends abroad, consider a secondary travel medical insurance plan. This plan requires your existing health policy to pay first. Once you’ve hit your limits through your primary insurer, a secondary plan should cover the rest.

Do I Need U.S. Health Insurance To Qualify for International Travel Health Insurance?

You do not need U.S.-based health insurance to obtain certain international travel health insurance policies, such as most single-trip plans. However, note that domestic health insurance typically does not cover medical expenses abroad . However, some providers, such as HTH Worldwide , have separate policies available to travelers with and without a primary health plan.

If you do not have U.S. health insurance, we recommend purchasing a primary travel medical insurance plan. We also recommend considering primary travel medical insurance if your standard health insurance lacks international coverage.

Single-Trip vs. Annual Travel Medical Insurance

If you’re a frequent traveler and plan on taking multiple trips per year, you might consider annual travel medical insurance over a single-trip plan. Single-trip coverage only covers you for one trip. This trip could involve multiple destinations, such as traveling through various European countries over a few weeks. However, your coverage ends once you return home.

Annual travel insurance, also known as a multi-trip policy, typically covers policyholders planning to take several trips back-to-back, with coverage usually lasting up to a year. If you travel often, this coverage offers a cheaper and more ideal alternative to purchasing multiple single-trip policies. 

Note that your rates and coverage will vary based on your travel needs, so we recommend comparing quotes from multiple providers and deciding what’s most important to you in a travel medical insurance plan.

Health Insurance for Expats

If you plan to live and work abroad for more than a year, you may consider health insurance for expats over a standard travel insurance plan. These plans can provide long-term coverage for individuals and family members living overseas, and you can renew coverage annually for as long as you’re abroad.

However, travel medical insurance policies can provide additional protection not typically found through a standard international health insurance plan, such as emergency medical evacuation and repatriation coverage. If you’re an expat who plans to travel between countries often, then a long-term travel insurance plan that covers trip interruption or baggage loss along with medical emergencies may be ideal.

How Much Does Travel Medical Insurance Cost?

Insurers sell medical travel insurance as a package alongside other travel insurance protections, including trip cancellation and emergency evacuation insurance. When you purchase travel medical insurance as a part of a travel insurance package, expect to pay between 5% and 6% of your total trip cost in coverage.

The table below breaks down the average cost of the plans with the highest medical expense maximum from each listed travel insurance provider.

* Medical coverage is secondary to primary health insurance. Contact your travel insurance provider to learn more.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Travel Medical Insurance

Understanding what travel medical insurance companies evaluate when pricing policies can help you get the most out of your coverage. The following are the biggest factors that influence travel insurance prices :

• Trip duration
• Destination
• Coverage level

Travel Medical Insurance for People Visiting the USA

According to our research, travel medical insurance for people visiting the United States averages $89 to $115, based on quotes gathered for a 30-year-old Australian citizen traveling to the U.S. for 30 days.

The table below shows the average policy costs for top visitor travel insurance plans .

How To Purchase International Travel Health Insurance

Purchasing a travel health insurance plan is fairly straightforward across most providers, based on our experience. If you already know what you’re most concerned about regarding coverage, you can purchase a plan quickly by following the steps below, which we’ve outlined using IMG’s quote process.

• Find travel medical insurance offerings: Most providers make it easy for you to navigate available plan options. IMG breaks down its coverage online by type of insurance, with its travel medical insurance front and center on its drop-down menu.

• Choose a plan: IMG lists its most popular travel medical plans first, with additional plans located toward the bottom of the webpage. Each plan either has a description of travelers it would suit best or plan highlights. You can also download plan brochures and browse through plan details to help make your decision easier.

• Provide your trip information: Travel medical insurance companies need your trip information to provide you with a quote. Companies will ask questions about your travel dates, destinations, total trip cost, number of travelers and more.

• Compare plans: We recommend comparing quotes from multiple providers for similar levels of coverage before deciding on a travel medical policy. Some providers, such as IMG, also allow you to compare plans against each other, which can be helpful in the decision-making process.

• Complete your purchase: Once you’ve decided on a plan, you may have to fill in some additional information to buy a policy, such as your home address, first trip payment date and more. Companies may also ask whether you’d like to purchase additional add-ons with your policy. You’ll then provide a form of payment and complete your purchase.

While this guide details IMG’s purchasing process, most travel medical insurance providers follow a similar process. Be sure to have your trip and traveler information on hand before beginning the buying process.

The Best Travel Medical Insurance Plans for 2024

Compare our top-rated travel insurers with medical coverage below:

While Faye only offers one general travel insurance plan with high medical coverage limits of up to $250,000, more than other competitors we reviewed. The company also offers the option to add up to $250,000 in adventure and extreme sports coverage. Also, as long as you purchase coverage within 14 days of your initial deposit and are medically able to travel, Faye will cover some pre-existing medical conditions. We found the average cost of a Faye travel insurance plan is $298.

• Pre-existing conditions coverage: Yes
• Medical deductible: Not applicable
• COVID-19 coverage: Yes (included under medical coverage)

International Medical Group

IMG is another one of our top picks for travel medical insurance. It offers a wide variety of medical coverage that caters to many travelers, with limits that go above and beyond other options if you purchase one of its highest-tier plans. The average cost of an IMG Travel Insurance plan is $217. However, it’s worth noting that our team found IMG was more expensive when choosing the highest medical coverage limits offered.

• Pre-existing condition coverage: Includes emergency care if a pre-existing condition becomes life-threatening or requires immediate treatment
• Medical deductible: $0–$25,000, depending on the plan.

We chose Travelex as one of our top travel medical insurance providers primarily for its low-priced, affordable coverage. Its travel insurance plans offer up to $50,000 in medical coverage, and you can purchase an adventure sports upgrade if you plan on participating in such activities. However, we found its Travel Med policy — which may benefit spontaneous travelers and is available to purchase the day of your departure. However, this coverage is not available to travelers residing in Pennsylvania.

• Pre-existing condition coverage: Available with a pre-existing condition exclusion waiver if you meet certain criteria
• Medical deductible: Not available for primary coverage plans

AIG Travel Guard

AIG Travel Guard’s standard plans offer high limits for emergency medical coverage and medical evacuation, along with trip interruption, baggage, and cancellation coverage. It also offers a plan known as Medevac that provides travel medical and evacuation insurance for trips lasting up to a year. Based on our research, the Medevac plan offers high limits for evacuation of up to $5 million, much more than many other insurers we reviewed.

• Pre-existing conditions coverage: Available with a pre-existing condition exclusion waiver if you meet certain criteria

Allianz Global Assistance

Allianz offers an affordable medical-only plan for travelers who may not need trip cancellation or interruption benefits or those with a credit card that already offers standard travel insurance benefits. This plan offers emergency medical benefits totaling up to $50,000 and emergency transportation benefits up to $250,000. Pre-existing coverage is also available if you meet the requirements.

• Pre-existing conditions coverage: Available with a waiver if you meet certain criteria

Why Trust Us?

How we ranked international health insurance providers.

When ranking international health insurance providers, we considered benefits that include emergency medical, evacuation and repatriation, pre-existing conditions and COVID-19 coverage. We also examined each company’s standard travel insurance plans and standalone medical coverage policies. Some providers offer higher medical limits through standard travel insurance policies versus others with standalone medical plans, which could appeal to travelers looking for medical coverage only.

How We Rate Travel Insurance Companies

Our team surveyed dozens of travel insurance providers and created a scoring system to judge each company based on coverage, quality and service. We also collected sample quotes from each company, both over the phone and on the Internet, to simulate an authentic customer experience. Here are the factors we take into consideration when rating providers:

• Cost (10%) : We obtained quotes for seven trips with varying destinations, number of travelers, traveler ages and trip costs. Travel insurance companies at or below our calculated average cost of $221 earn full points in this category
• Plan availability (10%) : We look for insurers that offer a variety of travel insurance plans and can customize a policy with coverage upgrades.
• Coverage details (29%) : 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.
• Coverage times and amounts (34%) : 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).

A.M. Best Disclaimer

How To Use Travel Medical Insurance

Say you’re taking a three-week trip to Germany . During your trip, your appendix bursts, requiring emergency medical care and surgery. If you have a travel medical insurance plan that provides $50,000 in emergency medical coverage, your insurer will cover up to that amount. If your medical bills extend beyond your purchased coverage limits, you must pay the rest out-of-pocket.

Suppose you suffer a medical emergency abroad in a remote location and require an airlift or transportation to a facility that can provide adequate medical care. A travel medical insurance policy would cover your expenses up to the maximum coverage amount, and you would pay the remaining balance.

Is Travel Health Insurance Worth It?

Travel health insurance is worth considering if you’re concerned about a medical emergency abroad. It offers worthwhile protection for medical emergencies and evacuations and can provide peace of mind. Many providers also offer pre-existing health condition waivers and policies that cover extreme or adventure sports, allowing different travelers to purchase a plan that fits their needs.

Borden, quoted earlier, encourages travelers to start by figuring out what their domestic health insurance does and does not cover when traveling. “Depending on the plan, you might not have any coverage out of the country,” she said. “Even if you do, it could be only for emergencies, and your health insurance company’s definition of an emergency might not be the same as yours.” 

Before you purchase travel medical insurance, we recommend you get quotes from at least three providers to compare costs and coverage limits. Also, read sample policies to familiarize yourself with coverage exclusions, and do not hesitate to contact a travel insurance agent with any questions.

Frequently Asked Questions Travel Medical Insurance

What is a security evacuation limit.

A security coverage limit is the amount a travel medical insurance plan will cover should you need to evacuate your destination due to political unrest, threats toward your well-being, war or natural disasters. Covered expenses include lodging, meals and transportation.

Does travel medical insurance cover visits to multiple countries?

Yes, travel medical insurance plans cover visits to multiple countries, so long as you specify which countries you will visit during the sign-up process.

Is there a cancellation fee with travel medical insurance plans?

Many travel medical insurance providers include a 10 to 15-day “free look period” where you can review a plan’s terms and conditions. If you are unsatisfied with the specified terms, you can cancel for a full refund within that period. However, the company may charge a cancellation fee if you cancel outside the set timeframe.

If you have feedback or questions about this article, please email the MarketWatch Guides team at  editors@marketwatchguides. com .

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Medjet medical evacuation services explained

• Features and benefits
• Medjet vs. Traditional travel insurance
• Choosing Medjet
• Membership enrollment and utilization
• Conclusion and final recommendations

What is Medjet? Exploring Medical Transport and Travel Protection Services

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• Medjet is an annual membership service that coordinates air-medical transport for travelers.
• Medjet is supplemental to travel insurance and international health insurance, not a replacement.
• Medjet memberships are usually annual, but there are short-term plans available for up to 30 days.

You've booked your trip, packed your bags, and purchased travel insurance coverage. It seems like you're ready for your trip, but you might forget important emergency medical coverage.

Travel insurance usually covers medical evacuations to the nearest hospital. But global medical transport companies like Medjet coordinate transfers to the hospital of your choice. It's another way to protect yourself during travel, especially since it's challenging to coordinate care in a foreign country or new state. 

Here's everything you need to know about Medjet, including whether you should become a member before your next trip. 

Medical evacuation coverage

Medjet is an annual membership service that coordinates air-medical transport for travelers. It's different from travel insurance which covers trip cancellations, damage to personal belongings and emergency medical treatment.

Medjet covers medical transport to the hospital of your choice, usually a facility near home. The company arranges the transportation, and your membership fees cover the costs. Members can also add extra protection against security threats like violent crimes and natural disasters. 

Established in 1991, Medjet was the first company to introduce an air-medical transport membership. Other companies like Global Rescue, SkyMed and International SOS offer similar services today. 

Domestic and international coverage

Medjet offers medical transport services domestically and internationally. It transfers you to the hospital of choice if you're hospitalized more than 150 miles from home, whether you're traveling domestically or abroad.

Features and benefits of Medjet membership for travelers

Membership plans and inclusions.

Medjet offers two annual membership levels: Medjet Assist and Medjet Horizon. The memberships have coverage and price differences, but both cover the following situations. 

• Medical transfer between facilities, even if it's not medically required
• Member's choice of medical facility
• No cost for domestic or international transfers
• Translation services, medical referrals and phone consultations with doctors
• Transfer of mortal remains

Medjet plans cost

The cost for Medjet coverage depends on your coverage type, membership term, age, membership level, and if you want coverage for domestic travel only.

For example, a one-year standard Medjet Assist membership that covers all travel within the membership year, with no single trip lasting longer than 90 days out of the country, costs $315. The same membership for Medjet Horizon costs $474. 

Medjet offers discounts for multi-year coverage. Plus, students and academic faculty can qualify for extended time abroad (up to 140 consecutive days per trip) for the same price as a regular membership. Short-term policies are typically cheaper as well. 

Additional services and features

Opting for medjet horizon gives you additional access to the following benefits..

• Ground hospital transfer via ambulance or other vehicles
• Cash advances for in the event of a medical emergency 
• 24/7 security response for threats like violent crimes and natural disasters.
• Crisis response for wrongful detention, blackmail or kidnap
• Access to legal referrals 

Medjet offers Diamond Memberships for travelers aged 75 to 84. The membership includes all of the benefits of MedjetAssist but is limited to one medical transport per year. 

There are also short-term memberships. These memberships include the same benefits as MedjetAssist but are available in 8, 15, 21 and 30-day terms.

Comparing Medjet to traditional travel insurance

Medjet vs. travel insurance coverage.

Medjet provides different coverage from travel insurance. Comprehensive travel insurance usually covers cancellations, trip delays, lost luggage, and emergency medical expenses. 

Medjet solely covers medical transfers and doesn't offer coverage for emergency medical treatments typically provided by travel medical insurance .

It's worth noting that many travel insurance policies offer medical evacuation and repatriation coverage. However, its scope of coverage is limited compared to Medjet and other subscriptions for global medical transport. For example, Medjet doesn't have monetary coverage limits and will transport you to the hospital of your choice rather than the nearest facility. 

Choosing Medjet for your travel protection

Factors to consider when choosing medjet.

These are several important factors to consider before purchasing a Medjet policy.

• Choice of care facility: While traditional travel insurance only pays to get you to the nearest medical facility, Medjet covers transportation to a medical facility of your choice.  It also covers transfers from one facility to another at no additional cost.
• Coverage limits: Unlike travel insurance, Medjet doesn't impose monetary coverage limits, covering the entire cost of medical evacuation. However, it does limit transports to twice per year for individual members under 75.
• Pre-existing conditions: Medjet doesn't have pre-existing conditions exclusions , unlike a travel insurance policy. 
• Your budget: Medjet is an added annual expense, usually in addition to travel insurance. However, unlike travel insurance, you pay a member subscription rather than a premium, so your costs are predictable. 

Ideal users and scenarios

If you identify with one of the following traveler profiles, consider Medjet. 

• Travelers with pre-existing conditions: Since the standard travel insurance policy may have exclusions for pre-existing conditions, Medjet could be a beneficial addition. 
• Frequent travelers: Medjet is ideal for frequent travelers, as the annual membership provides comprehensive coverage for multiple trips.
• Travelers visiting remote destinations: If you're visiting a destination with limited access to quality medical facilities (e.g., remote or less-developed areas), Medjet provides the peace of mind that you'll receive timely and quality health care.

Medjet membership enrollment and utilization

How to enroll in medjet.

You can enroll in Medjet by completing an online application or speaking to a representative at 800-527-7478. The company will ask for membership type, term, type of travel, number of days abroad per trip, and desired plan. In addition, be prepared to provide personal information like your name, contact information, date of birth, and address. After answering those questions, you'll receive a quote on the spot

Accessing assistance during travel

You'll need to call Medjet's emergency hotline for assistance and coverage. They are available 24/7. 

For a medical emergency, contact a Medjet representative at 800-527-7478 (or worldwide collect at 205-595-6626). According to Medjet's website. You'll need to provide the following information: 

• Your name and telephone number
• The policyholder's name
• Location (city, country)
• Brief description of your medical condition
• Your hospital's telephone number
• Attending physician or medical professional name and telephone number.

For a security emergency, call 619-717-8549 (worldwide collect) and have the following information available:

• Your name and telephone number 
• Location (city, country).

Medjet conclusion and final recommendations

Assessing the value of medjet.

Medjet doesn't replace travel insurance or international health insurance. Instead, it fills the coverage gaps and provides a service those policies do not cover. In most instances, medical transport is nice and can drastically reduce stress. But it's not generally medically necessary, except in extreme circumstances.

However, if you're a frequent traveler traveling to a destination with limited medical facilities or have a pre-existing condition, comprehensive medical transport services may be important to you. In that case, Medjet may be a valuable addition to your travel insurance policy.

Medjet FAQs

Medjet primarily focuses on medical transport and evacuation services. However, it doesn't cover medical treatment costs. It complements travel insurance, which typically covers those expenses.

Medjet may offer assistance in non-medical emergencies, such as security and crisis response, depending on the membership plan.

Medical evacuations with Medjet are typically determined based on the member's medical condition and the capabilities of the local healthcare facilities.

Medjet can be a beneficial addition to your travel insurance policy, but it's not a complete replacement. It doesn't cover trip cancellations, lost luggage, or medical treatment costs.

Medjet sets itself apart with its comprehensive global network, range of services beyond basic medical transport, and additional security and crisis response coverage options.

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