Does you health insurance cover you overseas?

If you’re traveling abroad this summer, the last thing you probably want to think about is what you’ll do if you get sick or injured. But experts say 15 percent of travelers can have some kind of medical problem on their journey—and depending on your destination, your U.S. health insurance may not be much use. So, here’s what you need to know. Check your existing health plan. Coverage varies by health insurer and plan, so you must contact your carrier to get the details of your specific policy. After you find out what coverage you have or don’t have, you should consider filling the holes with a supplemental international travel health insurance plan. Travel health insurance policies typically don’t cover pre-existing conditions. But you can buy a waiver of that exclusion, and you should consider doing so if you’ve had a change in your health, treatment, or medicines in the 180 days before you buy the coverage. Even if you’re covered by your regular U.S. health policy and supplemental travel health insurance, you should be ready to pay up front for medical care you receive abroad. You and your travel itinerary are unique, so you want to have multiple health plans and carriers to choose from, to tailor coverage to your exact needs. If you have questions call 320-679-5183.