evacuation insurance for travel

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Medical Evacuation Insurance: Often Overlooked, But a Potential Lifesaver

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Table of Contents

What is medical evacuation insurance?

What does medical evacuation insurance cover, how much coverage should you have, how to get medical evacuation insurance (maybe for free).

If you get injured or sick during your trip, travel insurance can come to your rescue by reimbursing the cost of prepaid travel arrangements, like a hotel room, rental car or airfare. But it won’t necessarily cover the actual costs to get medical treatment, nor will it always cover the cost of transportation to get care.

For most people, you’ll need to rely on your existing medical insurance to cover the treatment. And while some health insurers cover you anywhere in the world, not all do, so check your policy before traveling.

Even if your plan covers treatment abroad, it may not cover transportation to get there, like an ambulance ride or perhaps even a helicopter. For that, you’ll need medical evacuation insurance.

Medical evacuation insurance is typically included in travel insurance policies. It’s also commonly sold in tandem with travel medical expense insurance, which covers emergency medical treatment during your trip.

The exact terms of medical evacuation insurance vary by policy, but generally speaking, this type of insurance covers medical transportation, such as an ambulance ride or air evacuation services, to the nearest adequate medical facility. If you need to head back home for treatment, some plans may also cover the cost to change your flight or book new travel arrangements so you can return sooner.

Again, exact coverage varies by policy, but it generally encompasses:

Emergency transportation to the nearest adequate treatment center

Most policies promise transportation to what’s generally referred to as an “adequate” treatment center. But “adequate” can be a relative term, and a medical facility not up to your personal standards might still be deemed adequate by your insurer. And not all policies will pay for a flight back home to visit the doctor you already know.

However, if local doctors can’t help, medical evacuation usually covers transportation home. Those doctors would have to provide documentation that your condition is either untreatable locally or severe enough that a flight home is necessary.

A medical escort or travel companion’s travel

Some policies cover not just your transportation, but also the cost of someone else to accompany you. In some cases, that might need to be a medical professional who can support you throughout the journey, such as by administering oxygen. In other cases, it might be a trusted family member or friend.

Some policies cover only economy-class airfare, while others might cover business class, but only with a doctor’s order.

Repatriation of remains

Should you die during the trip, repatriation can transport your remains home. Typically this service also covers the costs of embalming, local cremation or a casket to transport remains by air.

If going to the doctor for a sprained ankle at home seems expensive even if you’re insured and visiting an in-network doctor, then getting coverage for an emergency abroad might be even costlier.

Most medical evacuation insurance coverage starts at $100,000 per year, but even that might not be enough. The national average for an emergency helicopter ride is about $40,000, according to medical travel service Flying Angels. That’s just an average, so flights to remote places could easily be more expensive.

Plus, it’s unlikely your existing insurance will cover an air ambulance. About two-thirds of medical flights in 2017 for people with private insurance are still out-of-network, according to the U.S. General Accounting Office, meaning you’re on the hook for most or all of that bill, unless you have medical evacuation insurance.

Throw in the actual cost of treatment, plus last-minute flights for you, a travel companion and a medical escort, and $100,000 might not go that far. Then again, some policies cover as much as $1 million or $2 million per person.

While accidents can happen anywhere, you’re less likely to need medical insurance for a winter trip that entails building snowmen and drinking cocoa in the cabin versus going backcountry skiing on challenging runs. Understand the risk and your risk tolerance. With the former scenario, slipping on an icy sidewalk might mean a patch-up at urgent care that costs a few hundred dollars, especially if your travel companions can drive you. In contrast, a severe injury with the latter might necessitate a full rescue crew.

Read the fine print

Like any travel cost, it’s always wise to read the fine print of your specific policy. Some have additional limits, require specific paperwork or exclude certain circumstances. Though this list is far from comprehensive, here are some common things to look out for:

Whether you have primary or secondary coverage: If your medical evacuation coverage is considered secondary coverage, that means it kicks in after your primary health insurance plan.

Trip length requirements: Some policies won’t cover trips longer than a certain period (60 days is common).

Distance from home: Many policies exclude accidents occurring within 100 miles of your home.

Documentation required: You typically can’t just twist your ankle, rebook an early flight home and expect to successfully file a claim, even if your ankle is puffy and painful. Most policies require extensive documentation, like approvals from a legally licensed physician that emergency evacuation is warranted. Save every receipt and get documentation of everything.

Medical evacuation insurance coverage is sometimes included with comprehensive travel insurance policies , alongside other forms of travel insurance like lost luggage insurance . Prices vary by the length and nature of your trip, so a long weekend at a resort would likely cost far less than a multiweek camping adventure off the grid.

However, you might already have travel insurance — and not need to pay any extra for it. That’s because many premium travel credit cards include medical evacuation insurance within their trip insurance policies, which are often a benefit for trips paid for on that credit card . If you’re considering purchasing trip insurance anyway, this benefit alone can easily offset any annual fees on the credit card.

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Protect Yourself Abroad: Best Medical Evacuation Insurance [2024]

Jessica Merritt

Editor & Content Contributor

83 Published Articles 477 Edited Articles

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Keri Stooksbury

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Countries Visited: 45 U.S. States Visited: 28

Best Medical Evacuation Travel Insurance for Europe: IMG

Best medical evacuation travel insurance for antarctica: aegis, best medical evacuation travel insurance for costa rica: worldtrips, best medical evacuation travel insurance for $1 million coverage: travelsafe , best medical evacuation travel insurance for cruises: seven corners, what is medical evacuation travel insurance, medical evacuation is costly, credit card travel insurance may limit medical evacuation coverage, 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.

The 5 Best Medical Evacuation Travel Insurance Plans

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:

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 .

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.

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.

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.

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. 

Is Medical Evacuation Travel Insurance Worth It?

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

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 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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Emergency Medical Evacuation Coverage | Travel Insurance Guide

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No one wants to think about the possibility of being involved in a major accident or having a medical emergency during a vacation. However, it’s important to plan for the worst-case scenario — especially if you’re traveling to a country where you do not speak the primary language or an area with a less robust medical system.

Medical evacuation coverage can provide financial protection if a traveler experiences an emergency and requires evacuation to a medical facility. You can buy medical evacuation coverage alone or as part of a travel insurance policy. Read on to learn more about medical evacuation coverage, what it is and how much it costs, and the best travel insurance companies offering coverage. 

What Is Emergency Medical Evacuation Coverage?

Medical evacuation coverage is a type of travel medical insurance that covers the cost of transportation if you experience an emergency while traveling. For example, if you need an ambulance ride after breaking your leg in Paris or require a helicopter evacuation if you are seriously hurt while hiking Mount Fuji in Japan. If you’re visiting an area with limited medical services, medical evacuation coverage could also include transportation home or to an international hospital with sufficient resources to treat your condition. 

Medical evacuation coverage is worth considering if you’re traveling abroad without sufficient health insurance. American-issued health care, notably Medicaid, does not always extend coverage outside the country. Without coverage, you could end up with a final bill ranging between $25,000 to $100,000 or more for the cost of medical evacuation services.

Evacuation insurance is usually included as part of a travel insurance policy’s medical coverage. Other coverage found alongside medical evacuation includes the cost of emergency care you receive abroad and the repatriation of your remains if you pass away in another country. You can also purchase independent medical evacuation coverage on its own with select providers. 

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What Does Medical Evacuation Insurance Cover?

Medical evacuation insurance covers the cost of medical evacuation to a medical facility elsewhere in the area you’re traveling to or back in the U.S. However, there are other factors to consider during a medical evacuation or emergency, like what will happen to the rest of your family or travel companions. We’ve included specifics below as to what medical evacuation insurance covers:

Emergency Transportation

First and foremost, medical evacuation covers the cost if you sustain a serious or life-threatening injury while traveling and need urgent transportation to a medical facility. It can also cover transport to a U.S.-based facility if deemed necessary.

Medical Escort Upon Arrival

If the medical professionals treating you deem it necessary for you to return to the U.S. for continued treatment, medical evacuation coverage will cover the costs if you require specialized care on the flight home. A medical escort may be on hand to administer intravenous antibiotics or supply oxygen during your flight.

Support Person Expenses

Medical evacuation insurance can pay for a round-trip flight for a family member to accompany you if you need to be hospitalized due to your illness or injury. However, this coverage can vary between policies and usually has a minimum hospital stay requirement before kicking in.

Certain policies will include additional benefits such as compensation for hotel stays, meals and other costs a support person may incur.

Flights for Children

Your medical evacuation insurance can arrange to have your children flown home if you are hospitalized while on vacation with your family. Coverage benefits will compensate for related costs, minus any refunds for unused airfare if your initial trip is cut short.

Repatriation of Remains

In the event of your or a travel companion’s death, evacuation coverage includes repatriation benefits or the cost of transporting remains back to your home country.

Checking Fine Print for Evacuation Coverage

As is the case with any type of insurance, it’s important to check the fine print and details of what a policy does and does not cover when you purchase medical evacuation coverage. Start by taking a look at the details of situations that warrant emergency evacuation coverage compared to the details of your trip. For example, you usually need to be at least 100 miles away from your departure point to qualify for evacuation coverage. Trip length restrictions are also common — if you plan to be away from home for more than 60 days, you may need a special policy or coverage rider. 

Next, read a policy’s fine details and note any medical exclusions in which the company waives liability. For example, some medical coverage is listed as “secondary,” which means you’ll need to first exhaust your health insurance benefits before travel medical insurance will pay a portion of the remaining expenses. 

Some medical evacuation policies also include limitations on benefits if you participate in extreme sports or other dangerous activities abroad, such as skydiving. Some companies may allow you to add a waiver or extend benefits to include certain circumstances if you plan on playing sports, snorkeling, scuba diving or participating in another commonly excluded recreational activity. 

It is also important to familiarize yourself with your insurance provider’s claims submission policy. In most cases, providers limit the use of coverage unless a return home or other transportation is determined medically necessary by local physicians or other healthcare providers. Be sure to keep every form of documentation of medical services and treatments you receive to submit to your insurance provider. You can also keep your medical evacuation provider’s number in your list of important travel documents so it’s accessible in the event of an accident. 

How Much Medical Evacuation Travel Insurance Is Necessary?

Travel insurance coverage limits, or the amount your provider will cover, vary by plan and provider. Most medical evacuation plans provide $1 million in medical evacuation coverage per person, although limits may be lower depending on the provider.

It’s up to you to decide how much coverage you need depending on where you are going and what you may be doing — higher allowances naturally offer more financial protection in the event of an emergency.

Some insurance companies offer a grace period of around two weeks to look over your policy and be sure it is right for you. Companies may offer reimbursement if you decide to cancel the plan or decide you need more coverage.

When Should You Get Medical Evacuation Insurance?

While you can purchase medical evacuation insurance for general peace of mind, there are certain situations in which it could be useful — like if you’re traveling to a remote area or participating in certain sporting activities. As a traveler or an expatriate, you may find yourself in a location without high-quality healthcare facilities. Likewise, remote locations can have limited transport infrastructure to support you in an emergency. Medical evacuation insurance can ensure you receive the care you need if you or your travel companion get hurt and require immediate care.

We suggest you compare medical evacuation coverage options as early as possible. While medical evacuation coverage typically does not have purchase time limits in the same way as coverage for pre-existing conditions , shopping early leaves you more time to review policy choices. We recommend shopping for travel insurance in the early stages of your travel planning to gain access to the most comprehensive medical benefits. 

Do You Need Medical Evacuation and Travel Medical Insurance?

When deciding if you need medical evacuation and travel medical insurance, consider your destination first and planned activities. Familiarize yourself with local hospitals near where you are staying and the location of major medical facilities nearby. You can also look into average medical facility staffing and quality — if you’re traveling to an area with less funded medical facilities and plan to participate in sporting events, consider investing in travel medical insurance.

We also recommend looking into the health insurance coverage you already have and how it applies abroad. For example, Medicare will not cover most medical expenses incurred abroad. If your health insurance does not cover services where you are traveling, consider protecting yourself financially with travel insurance that includes medical benefits.

“How much travel medical insurance is needed is unique to every traveler,” said Angela Borden, a product marketing specialist at Seven Corners . “There are several factors to consider.”

Borden also posed some questions worth thinking through when deciding on medical evacuation and travel medical insurance:

“Do you have pre-existing conditions or other health concerns where having additional coverage would be advantageous or give you peace of mind?” she asked. “How long is your trip? The longer you’re away from home, the higher the chances you could get sick or hurt while traveling. What is your budget? Would you have the financial resources to cover a medical emergency out of pocket? Do you have other insurance?” 

Answering these questions can help make deciding on a policy easier.

How Much Does Medical Evacuation Travel Insurance Cost?

The cost of medical evacuation insurance depends on your provider and coverage type. Companies like Medjet offer annual, membership-based medical evacuation and transport services for around $315 to $500 or more, depending on your selected coverage.

You can also obtain single-trip coverage by purchasing a travel insurance policy. Travel insurance premiums vary depending on your plan, coverage limits and provider. Based on quotes we gathered for companies like Seven Corners and Tin Leg, a comprehensive policy with $500,000 to $1 million in evacuation coverage plus emergency medical coverage and trip cancellation benefits costs between $52 to $79 .

Keep in mind that your travel insurance costs may vary depending on your trip details and coverage needs.

How To Use Medical Evacuation Coverage

In the event of a medical emergency, it’s important to know how to use your coverage. These general steps can help you in knowing how to use your travel medical evacuation coverage. 

Contact local emergency services: If you or someone you’re traveling with requires medical attention, call local emergency services for immediate assistance. Ensure you or your companion receive any necessary initial medical attention before trying to navigate your insurance coverage.

Call your insurance provider’s emergency line: As soon as it’s safe to do so, inform your travel insurance company’s 24/7 emergency services hotline about the situation. Utilize the company’s dedicated assistance line for real-time support and include any current documentation you have for your claim. For example, if there is a police report in progress when you call for medical attention, you may want to request a copy to submit to your insurer later on.

Insurance case review and physician consultation: Your insurance provider will initiate a comprehensive case review, potentially contacting a physician to evaluate your medical condition where you are located. This consultation is crucial in determining the necessity of emergency medical transport and is required for reimbursement and coverage of services in most cases. 

Physician certification: To validate your medical evacuation coverage, your attending physician must certify the severity of your case and endorse the need for the service. Ideally, this certification occurs in advance of the evacuation but depending on the situation, may need to be submitted after the fact. You can request that your attending physician submit this information to your insurance provider using online claims submission or by contacting the emergency line. 

Ideally, aim to notify your insurance provider of your need for emergency medical evacuation and transport before it occurs. While this might not always be possible depending on the circumstances and the type of emergency you’re experiencing, notifying your insurance provider can help streamline the claims process. 

How Does Evacuation Transportation Work?

Initially, you will be transported to the nearest acceptable medical facility for treatment. Depending on the severity of your injury, you will stay at the facility until you can travel home. 

The circumstances surrounding the medical emergency will dictate how you’re transported home following an injury or illness abroad. In most circumstances, your travel insurance provider will arrange a commercial flight home for you and your traveling companions as soon as your physician deems it medically safe for you to leave. If you have a medical condition that requires you to lie down, you’ll likely be flown first or business class home. 

If commercial air transport is not safe or viable, an air ambulance may be used to provide a direct flight back home. However, this option is not preferred for several reasons. First, the ambulance must stop every four to six hours to re-fuel, delaying the total transit time. These vehicles can also usually only accommodate the patient, a companion and medical professionals in tight quarters and may not have a bathroom. Whenever possible, it’s better to opt for a commercial flight home, even if a direct route is not available. 

Benefits of Medical Evacuation Coverage

There are multiple benefits to investing in medical evacuation coverage. This type of insurance ensures you will receive transportation to an adequate facility if you experience a life-threatening emergency while traveling. You will also have peace of mind that if the worst were to happen while traveling, you have a plan in place and financial protection from medical evacuation costs.

How To Purchase Medical Evacuation Coverage

When looking into purchasing medical evacuation insurance, you may find it is usually part of a comprehensive travel plan. Comprehensive travel insurance also includes emergency medical care and trip interruption, cancellation and delays .

If you don’t need the additional coverage a comprehensive plan provides, you can purchase a standalone travel medical plan with medical evacuation coverage. You can also opt for a membership or service that provides travel medical evacuation and transport services, such as Global Rescue or Medjet.

Factors To Consider When Selecting Medical Evacuation Insurance

There are certain factors to consider when evaluating medical evacuation insurance plans, especially if coverage is part of a comprehensive travel policy. Understanding the policy exclusions and limitations is important to ensure you have adequate coverage in the event of an emergency.

Common travel insurance exclusions include the following:

• Extreme sports: Some coverage plans exclude medical coverage if you are hurt from participating in extreme sports, such as rock climbing or skydiving. However, some providers offer coverage add-ons to cover extreme sporting events.
• Hospital-stay requirements: If you are hurt while traveling and need transport to a hospital, your policy may require you to stay for a certain number of days before support benefits kick in. For example, your policy may only cover flying your children home or out to visit you once you are in the hospital for an extended period.
• Hospital of choice: Most travel insurance plans will fly you to the nearest adequate facility if you need further care, not allowing you to choose the location. Some plans offer add-on coverage that allows you to choose a different hospital for further treatment, and membership services such as Medjet allow you to select the hospital or go back home for care.

Medical Evacuation Insurance for Domestic Trips

If you are a permanent resident of the U.S. and have an active health insurance policy, you may not need to purchase additional medical evacuation coverage while traveling domestically. The country requires long-term health insurance providers to cover all emergency medical services that require immediate attention, regardless of whether the incident occurs within your local insurance network. 

The Affordable Care Act introduced a series of services and treatments that insurance companies must cover as a condition of selling insurance policies. One of these requirements is all types of ambulatory medical services, including transportation to a local medical facility using whatever means medical and safety professionals deem necessary. Coverage also includes emergency services, hospitalization and laboratory services. As a result, medical evacuation insurance will often act as supplemental coverage to your health insurance policy and provide more limited benefits. 

However, in certain circumstances, you might want to consider a medical evacuation policy for a trip within the U.S. If you don’t have health insurance, you could owe tens of thousands of dollars if you require medical transportation and evacuation services. You might also want to buy coverage if you have a health insurance policy with a higher out-of-pocket maximum — sometimes, evacuation coverage is more affordable than relying on less comprehensive health insurance. 

Alternatives To Medical Evacuation Insurance

In addition to purchasing a comprehensive travel insurance policy with medical evacuation coverage, you can also subscribe to a rescue-only plan. The following companies offer additional options for medical evacuation assistance and coverage. 

Medjet 

If you take multiple adventurous vacations a year, you might consider protecting yourself with annual medical evacuation coverage from a provider like Medjet. Medjet is a subscription-based, global medical transportation and evacuation service. After signing up for coverage, you’ll receive protection throughout the year, which you can use if you’re ever injured abroad. 

Medjet’s most popular policy option is the MedjetAssist coverage, which has the added benefit of returning you to your preferred hospital domestically. While most medical evacuation policies will transport you to the nearest facility equipped to care for your condition, Medjet gives you the option to go straight home so long as you’re at least 150 miles away from your departure point. Medjet also allows you to return to the U.S. regardless of medical necessity, offering more control over your care. 

Medjet offers the option to add MedjetHorizon benefits to your standard coverage for travel security and crisis response services. For example, this policy extends your evacuation services to include non-medical emergencies such as kidnapping, political threats and wrongful detention. MedjetHorizon members also have access to up to $60,000 in upfront cash benefits, as some international hospitals in underdeveloped areas may only have the capacity to accept cash. 

Travelers can purchase Medjet coverage for as little as eight days or as long as five years. Coverage costs start at $314 per year for standard Medjet medical evacuation benefits and $474 annually for MedjetHorizon extended benefits. Travelers can choose coverage limits of 90 to 365 days maximum, which offers an option for expats living abroad full-time. 

Read our full Medjet review to learn more.

Global Rescue

Global Rescue is another worldwide medical evacuation service provider offering international medical and security rescue. Global Rescue maintains multiple teams of rescue professionals at stations around the world, allowing a quicker intervention should a crisis strike. It also maintains partnerships with the Johns Hopkins Emergency Medicine Division of Special Operations, Elite Medical Group and affiliates of Harvard Medical School. 

Like Medjet, Global Rescue allows you to upgrade your medical evacuation insurance to include coverage for political and security-related evacuations. Global Rescue’s security team is staffed by military special operations veterans, and policies protect you against non-medical related hazards like political unrest, natural disasters and terrorist attacks. 

Policies with Global Rescue are available for periods as short as seven days and as long as five years. Policies start at $139 for a seven-day trip and $380 for basic annual coverage. Upgrading to include security evacuation benefits increases your pricing to $260 for a seven-day trip or $790 for annual coverage. Global Rescue also allows you to add coverage for high-altitude excursions and sports, which standard travel insurance policies often exclude. 

Is Medical Evacuation Insurance Worth It?

While we never want to consider the worst when planning a vacation, medical evacuation insurance can protect travelers in the event of an emergency circumstance. Purchasing travel insurance with evacuation coverage can ensure your transport to a local hospital to receive medical attention. It can also prevent you from paying expensive evacuation bills out-of-pocket.

Borden, quoted earlier, makes the case for a well-rounded travel medical insurance plan. 

“While evacuation and repatriation coverage is important, you’re more likely to use the accident and sickness benefits in your plan for things like an unexpected case of the flu or a sprained ankle,” she said. “A plan that provides only medical evacuation may not include coverage for these more common events, leaving you with the medical bills.”

Ultimately, deciding if travel insurance is worth it is up to you. If medical evacuation insurance seems like it would offer you peace of mind while traveling abroad, we recommend requesting free quotes from at least three insurance providers.

Frequently Asked Questions About Medical Evacuation Coverage

What is emergency evacuation travel insurance.

Emergency evacuation insurance covers the cost of transportation to the closest medical facility if you become seriously ill or injured while on vacation.

Does travel insurance cover medical repatriation?

A comprehensive travel insurance plan usually covers medical repatriation, or the cost of returning your remains home if you die abroad. While some insurance companies include this coverage automatically, others may offer it as an add-on that costs extra.

Does travel insurance cover your medical bills?

Most comprehensive travel insurance plans include the cost of emergency medical treatment expenses up to a certain limit. Some policies may also include expenses to get you home if you are injured or fall ill overseas. But every policy is different so we suggest checking your provider’s coverage for more information.

More Travel Insurance Resources

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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Best Medical Evacuation Insurance Plans 2024

On This Page

• Key takeaways

Compare the best medical evacuation insurance companies

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

• MedjetAssist: Best Medical Evacuation Membership
• Tin Leg: Best for Budget Friendly Travelers
• AXA Assistance USA: Best for Premium Comprehensive Coverage
• Seven Corners: Best Value
• Cat 70: Best for Affordable Comprehensive Coverage

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

Best Medical Evacuation Membership

Medjetassist, why we like it.

Editor's take

MedJet Assist is a membership plan that ensures individuals get the medical evacuation help they need when they need it. Paying for membership ensures travelers get help arranging medical transfers regardless of medical necessity, and it lets members determine which medical facility they want to be moved to. This plan works for medical evacuation within the United States and abroad, and it can be purchased for short-term travel or longer trips.

While the traditional MedJet Assist plan includes coverage for medical evacuation, the upgraded MedJetHorizon plan also adds in worldwide travel security, crisis response, and evacuation services powered by FocusPoint International. This add-on coverage can help pay for evacuation in the event of terrorism, natural disasters, and violent crime.

Read our full review

• Available for short-term or long-term travel
• Can cover pricey evacuation expenses when you need medical care
• Covers both personal and business travel
• Membership covers each trip you take during its term
• Short-term memberships start at just $99
• Does not include traditional travel insurance benefits
• Does not cover transportation from the site of an accident (medical facility transfers only)
• Covers up to two transport events per year

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

Best for Premium Comprehensive Coverage

Axa assistance usa.

AXA Assistance USA is a highly-rated travel insurance company that offers comprehensive travel insurance plans with a ton of benefits. This means the coverage you purchase from them includes medical evacuation protection as well as baggage insurance, trip cancellation insurance, trip interruption coverage, travel delay coverage, and more. The company also offers three tiers of coverage you can choose from based on your needs and your budget.

We recommend the Platinum plan from AXA Assistance USA due to its superior medical evacuation coverage and robust limits in other categories. This plan comes with up to $1 million in protection for emergency medical evacuation and repatriation of remains, up to $250,000 in coverage for emergency medical expenses, $300 per day (maximum of $1,250) in trip delay coverage, $3,000 in insurance for baggage and personal effects, and more. Optional cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage is also available as an add-on with this plan.

• High coverage limits in every category. Extremely comprehensive
• Includes identity theft coverage & non-medical evacuation coverage
• CFAR coverage reimburses 75% of prepaid travel expenses
• Coverage cannot be extended unlike other plans
• Medical limit is lower than other cheaper plans, but still sufficient

Seven Corners

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.

• 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 Affordable Comprehensive Coverage

Cat 70 offers affordable comprehensive travel coverage with high limits for emergency medical evacuation. This plan is exclusively available through platforms like LA Times Compare.

The Cat 70 Travel Plan is a solid and affordable option for comprehensive travel insurance that also includes ample coverage for medical evacuation. In fact, this plan comes with $500,000 in coverage for emergency medical expenses and up to $500,000 in insurance for emergency medical evacuation. Other benefits include trip cancellation coverage, baggage insurance, travel delay coverage, protection for missed connections, and more.

• High limits for emergency medical expenses
• Affordable travel insurance with high limits for medical evacuation
• Includes extras like trip cancellation coverage & baggage insurance
• Not available in all destinations

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.

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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Policy Details

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Medical Evacuation Insurance: Best Medical Repatriation Coverage

• July 20, 2023
• Travel resources

Vacations abroad can be marred by illness or injury, which becomes even more distressing when you are far from home. In such situations, immediate medical care, medical helicopter rescue insurance or airlift transportation might be necessary. To safeguard your wellbeing and against the financial burden of these emergencies, having a comprehensive travel insurance plan with medical evacuation insurance is crucial.

This review blog looks at the best medical evacuation insurance plans, as well as everything you need to know about medical evacuation and repatriation insurance.

Quick Answer: Best Medical Evacuation Insurance

Editors Choice

Global Rescue Insurance

Coverage for Trekkers

No limitation on altitude for coverage

Emergency medical coverage: to $100,000

2nd Best Choice

World Nomads Insurance

Coverage until 22,965 feet (7,000 meters)

Up to $500,000 in coverage

3rd Best Choice

Travelex Trekking Insurance

Coverage until 20,000 feet (6,000 meters)

Up to $1 million in coverage

Best Medical Evacuation Insurance Providers

The information below highlights our top three choices for medical evacuation and repatriation insurance which are perfect for trekkers and adventure sports enthusiasts. We must insist that you look through the policies and what they cover before you purchase one. Additionally, if you are looking for more traditional travel insurance, have a look at one our other blogs: best trekking travel insurance , and insurance for trekking in Nepal .

Our top three choices for medivac insurance:

1. Global Rescue Insurance:

Global Rescue Trekking Insurance is a well-known provider of rescue memberships in high-altitude and trekking circles. This plan is highly recommended by many of Nepal’s travel and expedition companies.

The most significant advantage for travelers with Global Rescue’s rescue and evacuation insurance is no elevation limit. Meaning that their policy covers you no matter where you are in the world – even Everest!

You can get a membership on short- or long-term basis (7, 14, or 30 days), making the plan extremely flexible and affordable! Their specialty is with medical rescue and reparation insurance, and does not cover travel cancellations, delays, baggage, or medical and dental expenses.

However, they do offer add-on travel insurance policy with IMG (IMG Signature Travel Insurance), which provides coverage for all these items in addition to your high-altitude and rescue/evacuation coverage.

Make sure to check out my Global Rescue Insurance review blog, it will go into depth about what the medical Helicopter evacuation coverage offers!

Main Features:

Medical evacuation from anywhere in the world

Emergency medical coverage — up to $100,000

Trip cancellation — up to $100,000

Lost luggage/baggage delay — up to $2,500

Up to 150% of trip cost insured for trip interruption

Pros and Cons of WorldTrips Hiking Insurance:

The following are a list of pros and cons, things that we love and hate about the insurance policy:

• Secure the value of your entire trip
• Industry’s most complete travel insurance products
• Field Rescue services from the point of injury or illness
• Face-to-face video consultations and advice about your diagnosis
• Will rescue you no matter where you are in the world
• Help determining the best possible treatment options
• Can be expensive depending on the travelers usage of the plan
• Have to buy an annual membership
• Emergency medical expense coverage of $100,000 is quite low when compared to other altitude insurance policies

1. World Nomads Insurance

As an entity, World Nomads has been recommended by well known companies in the travel industry such as Lonely Planet and National Geographic — add with the thousands of customer reviews from  Trust Pilot  that they have garnished over the years, it is easy to see the great reputation that World Nomads has.

They are also backed by secure, trusted, and specialist underwriters who provide travelers with great cover, 24-hour emergency assistance, and the highest levels of support and claims management!

Let’s first start with who World Nomads is. You can also read my full World Nomads Insurance Review to take a deep dive into the insurance provider.

Who are World Nomads?

Since 2002, World Nomads have been protecting, connecting and inspiring independent travelers.

They offer simple and flexible travel insurance and safety advice to help you travel.

Because they believe in giving back to the places we travel to, World Nomads also enables you to make a difference with a micro-donation when you buy a policy.

And they’ll help you plan your trip with free downloadable guides, travel tips, responsible travel insights and recommendations from their global community.

World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers in over 100 countries. As an affiliate, we receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.

Standard Plan until 19,685 feet (6,000 meters)

$500,000 in coverage

Trip cancellation insurance

Standard Plan until 22,965 feet (7,000 meters)

Emergency medical evacuation

Pros and Cons of World Nomads Insurance:

• Covers a Lot of Countries Worldwide
• High Coverage for Medical Expenses
• Flexible Prices
• Buy or Extend Anytime, Anywhere
• Perfect for adventure-loving travelers
• 24/7 customer service with online claims option
• Limited age coverage for seniors
• Coverage can differ depending on location and nationality
• Limited COVID coverage

2. Travelex Trekking Insurance:

Our third choice for insurance that provides medical evacuation and repatriation insurance is Travelex insurance. It is a great budget-friendly provider that offers affordable rates and coverage for families. Moreover, they offer plan extensions that will allow you to be insured while trekking at high elevations. They provide coverage on individual bases and will allow you to get trekking insurance up to 20,000 feet (6,000 meters) above sea level. This makes it great for climbers looking to hike up to Everest Base Camp trek in Nepal or other places around the world like the Alps, the Andes or Kilimanjaro! 

Another great aspect that we like about the Travelex’s service, is that they have an app that you can download which will provide important information about the country you are traveling to. It will help keep you safe by providing real-time security alerts, information about food and water safety, as well as ATM locations! 

If you are looking for a budget travel insurance plan that will cover the adventure sports aspect of your vacation no matter where you are in the world, Travelex will be a great fit for you! You can get a free quote from hen Travelex climbing insurance . You can also read our full Travelex Insurance review , to learn more about how they are one of the best trekking insurance providers!

Coverage upto 20,000 feet (6,000 meters) above sea level

Free coverage for children under 17

Can apply for pre-existing medical condition waivers

Travel delay coverage of $2,000

Pros and Cons of Travelex Trekking Insurance:

• The travel insurance will include free coverage for children under the age of 17 if they are with an adult that is covered by the insurance policy
• Offers an adventure sports upgrade, including for high elevation trekking
• You can upgrade the plan to get a “cancel for any reason”
• Medical expense coverage is primary, compared to some competitors’ secondary coverage.
• Provides great travel delay coverage. Providing USD $2,000 per person after an initial five-hour delay.
• “Cancel for any reason” coverage provides 50% reimbursement of the non-refundable deposits – which is lower than most travel insurance providers, who usually provide 75%
• The emergency medical expense coverage for the Travel Select plan is $50,000, compared to higher levels from top competitors.
• Baggage delay benefits only apply after an initial 12-hour wait – longer than most companies

What is emergency medical evacuation (Medevac) insurance?

Medical evacuation insurance is a common inclusion within comprehensive travel insurance policies, often referred to as emergency medical evacuation, medical evacuation, or repatriation insurance.

Coverage is designed to handle the expenses associated with emergency medical transportation in the event of a serious injury or illness while you are traveling – no matter where you are in the world. Should you encounter a medical emergency and the nearest appropriate treatment center is distant, this insurance may also cover the cost of transporting you back to your home.

There are differences between medical evacuation insurance and standard medical travel insurance which you should be aware of before deciding which coverage to purchase. The section below highlights these differences.

Medical Evacuation Insurance vs. Medical Travel Insurance:

While traveling, it is prudent to have both emergency medical evacuation coverage and travel medical insurance in place. These insurance products complement each other, offering distinct benefits for crucial services and treatments you may require during your travels.

While searching for the most suitable travel insurance plan, remember that medical evacuation coverage caters to the expenses involved in transporting you to receive proper medical care. This coverage applies whether it entails emergency helicopter rescue or plane journey to a local hospital or a medically-supported trip back to the United States from a non-U.S. hospital.

On the other hand, medical travel insurance covers emergency medical care you might need while away from home, encompassing procedures like surgeries, treatments, and medicines required for your recovery. This coverage can also address doctor’s bills, X-rays, lab tests, and other medical services necessary during your trip. Some travel medical insurance policies even provide a separate limit for dental expenses if an accident leads to dental trauma requiring treatment.

The main differences between Medical Evacuation Insurance and Medical Travel Insurance lie in their specific coverage and focus:

1. Coverage Scope:

• Medical Evacuation Insurance: This type of insurance primarily focuses on emergency transportation services, arranging for transportation to the nearest adequate medical facility in the event of a serious injury or illness during travel.
• Medical Travel Insurance: On the other hand, Medical Travel Insurance primarily covers the costs of medical treatment and expenses incurred during your trip. It addresses emergency medical care, doctor visits, hospitalization, prescription medications, and other related medical services required during your travels.

2. Main Purpose:

• Medical Evacuation Insurance: The main purpose of Medical Evacuation Insurance is to guarantee timely and effective evacuation in critical situations where local medical facilities may not be equipped to provide adequate care.
• Medical Travel Insurance: Medical Travel Insurance is designed to cover the costs of medical treatments and services while traveling, similar to health insurance coverage. It ensures that you have access to necessary medical care and alleviates the financial burden of unexpected medical expenses abroad.

3. Service Activation:

• Medical Evacuation Insurance: This insurance is typically activated when a qualified physician certifies that your injury or illness requires immediate evacuation for proper medical treatment. The insurance company arranges and coordinates the evacuation process to ensure your safety.
• Medical Travel Insurance: Medical Travel Insurance comes into play when you need medical attention during your trip. It covers the expenses incurred for medical treatments and services received while traveling.

In summary, Medical Evacuation Insurance centers on providing emergency transportation services, while Medical Travel Insurance concentrates on covering medical treatments and services during your journey. These two types of insurance can be complementary, offering a comprehensive safety net for travelers facing medical emergencies away from home.

What Does Medical Evacuation Insurance Cover?

In remote locations, medical evacuation expenses can be costly. Daniel Durazo , a spokesperson with Allianz Global Assistance had this to say:

“The cost of emergency medical transportation can run into the tens of thousands of dollars or more, and varies based on the traveler’s health condition, care required and their location.” 

Lacking emergency medical evacuation (Medevac) insurance means you would be burdened with the full weight of these expenses in the event you require transportation via helicopter, plane, or ambulance to preserve your life.

An example of what you may have to pay depending on your location in the world are as follows:

Break Down of Medical Evacuation and Repatriation Insurance Coverage:

Here is a summary of what medical evacuation insurance typically covers:

1. Emergency transportation:

Reparation medical insurance can pay for the cost of emergency transportation to the nearest suitable treatment center if you encounter a serious illness or injury during your travels and require immediate medical attention. It may also cover the expenses for transporting you back to the U.S. if medically necessary. Additionally, if you need to return to the U.S. for further treatment or recovery after being treated abroad, the insurance can cover the flight home.

2. Medical escort services:

If you need specialized medical care during your flight home, medical evacuation insurance can cover the associated costs for arranging a medical professional to accompany you.

3. Travel expenses for a friend or family member:

If you are hospitalized due to a covered illness or injury, the insurance can pay for a round-trip flight for a friend or family member to stay with you during your hospitalization. There may be a minimum hospital-stay requirement to qualify for this benefit.

4. Costs for a bedside companion:

Some medical evacuation benefits include compensation for hotel stays, meals, and other reasonable expenses incurred by your traveling companion while staying near you during your hospitalization.

5. Repatriation of your children:

If you are hospitalized during your trip and traveling with your children, the insurance company can arrange for your children to fly back home or to another U.S.-based location. The benefits can cover the cost, minus any refunds for unused plane tickets. This benefit also typically has a minimum number of days of hospitalization required to file a claim.

6. Repatriation of remains:

In the unfortunate event of death during the trip, the cost of transporting the remains back home can be covered by the repatriation benefits included in your medical evacuation coverage.

When Do You Need Medical Evacuation and Repatriation Insurance?

Medical evacuation benefits can prove invaluable if you encounter a serious illness or suffer a severe injury during your trip, and the local hospitals lack the necessary resources to provide adequate treatment. Additionally, having the insurance company act as an intermediary in organizing transportation and medical services can be extremely beneficial during a medical emergency in a foreign land.

The travel medical insurance included in your travel insurance plan covers a range of expenses, including doctor and hospital bills, X-rays, lab work, medications, and other related costs, up to the limit specified in your medical coverage. It’s important to note that evacuation insurance and travel medical insurance come with separate coverage limits. For example, a comprehensive travel insurance plan might offer up to $500,000 for medical expenses and up to $1 million for evacuation.

Once you are well enough to travel, your travel insurance company can also cover the cost of your flight back home, ensuring you receive the necessary care and assistance throughout your journey.

Want more info about when you might need travel insurance, take a look at our why do I need travel insurance blog.

Do You Need Both Medical Evacuation and Travel Medical Insurance?

Having both medical evacuation travel insurance and travel medical insurance is a prudent decision when traveling abroad. According to Durazo from Allianz, purchasing travel insurance with emergency medical coverage and transportation benefits becomes crucial if you wish to avoid paying all your medical expenses out of pocket.

When traveling outside the U.S., obtaining travel medical expense insurance is often essential, as domestic health insurance plans might provide limited or no international coverage. It’s advisable to check with your health insurance company to determine if your plan offers global coverage and if it falls under the category of “out of network.” Additionally, senior travelers should be aware that Medicare is not accepted abroad.

How To Use Emergency Medical Evacuation (Medevac) Insurance?

To utilize medical evacuation insurance, typically, you will need an emergency evacuation prescribed by the attending physician at the location, certifying that the seriousness of your accidental injury or illness necessitates the evacuation.

Ideally, your travel insurance company should assist in arranging the medevac and approve it beforehand. However, if immediate approval is not feasible, informing your travel insurance company as soon as possible becomes essential.

Typically, to make use of your emergency medical evacuation insurance, you will should follow these steps:

1. Seek approval immediately:

If you encounter illness or injury during your trip and require emergency medical transportation, the first step is to obtain approval from your travel insurance provider before using the service. Each provider offers a 24-hour hotline that you, the in-house doctor, or a medical professional can call to expedite the process. It’s crucial to do this promptly.

2. Keep all receipts and bills:

Depending on your travel insurance plan, medical transportation bills may be paid directly by the insurance company or require upfront payment, followed by reimbursement later. In either case, it is essential to preserve all documents and receipts related to your incident or illness, including bills and paperwork that substantiate your medical expenses.

3. File a claim online or over the phone:

Upon returning home, contact your travel insurance provider to inquire about the status of your claims. You may need to submit a separate claim for the emergency medical evacuation and other services used from your plan, or you might only need to provide supporting documentation to utilize your coverage.

Stay Protected as you Travel with Medical Evacuation Insurance:

Medical evacuation insurance, also known as emergency medical evacuation insurance or travel insurance for medical evacuation, serves as a vital safety net for travelers venturing far from home. The coverage ensures prompt and efficient emergency transportation to the nearest appropriate medical facility, or even to your home country, should a serious injury or illness arise during their journey.

With the added benefit of medical evacuation and repatriation insurance, travelers can rest assured that they are financially protected when facing unforeseen medical crises abroad – even while trekking in Nepal and traveling in some of the most remote places in the world. By securing this comprehensive coverage and understanding the steps involved in utilizing it, travelers can embark on their adventures with peace of mind, knowing that they have a reliable support system in place should the need for emergency medical evacuation arise.

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Medical Evacuation Insurance

Emergency Medical Evacuation Plan

Emergency Evacuation  plans are designed to fill the gaps in international

medical insurance plans (assuming it is not included in your existing plan) by providing coverage for emergency medical evacuation.  Alternatively, your plan may have minimal coverage for evacuation, and you want to have a more comprehensive plan while abroad.

Do I need International Emergency Evacuation Insurance?

The Center for Disease Control  recommends it:  "Domestic insurance policies may not cover medical evacuation from a resource-poor area to a hospital where definitive care can be obtained, which can cost more than $100,000."

Fortunately, most people will never use the plan. But for those who do, the benefits far outweigh the costs and risks associated with not having a good plan. If you buy a high-quality  travel medical insurance plan, evacuation is typically included.

Why Purchase Medical Evacuation Services

What would you do if you or a member of your group needed to be moved to a qualified medical facility while traveling internationally? How would you deal with the language and currency barriers? Who do you call? Imagine trying to call your insurance company or plan administrator at 3:00 a.m. from a foreign country during a medical emergency. Will they be there when you need them the most?  MedJet developed a plan to provide you and your family Coverage Without Boundaries.

A typical plan may include all or some of the following:

• Emergency Transportation
• Political Evacuation
• Emergency Reunion
• Repatriation / Return of Mortal Remains
• Emergency Travel Assistance Services

Medjet Global Medical Transport

• Hospital to Hospital Medical Transfer regardless of Medical Necessity
• All-Expenses-Paid Air Medical Transport in the U.S. as well as Internationally
• Covers both business and personal travel

Plans can be designed for individuals and groups of two or more international travelers, vacationers, individuals, and families living or working abroad.

Emergency Medical Evacuation Plans

These Plans (Also known as “med evac” or “medivac”) offer the transfer from one hospital to another for emergency medical treatment - typically treatment not available at the originating hospital. Medical evacuation insurance doesn’t happen for minor injuries or if you just want to come home. It is coverage to get you to a better hospital or to your hospital of choice back home when you need ongoing, inpatient care for a serious illness, injury, or other medical condition.

When Would I Need Coverage

When you travel to amazing places off the beaten path where the medical care isn’t always great, you will often find a lack of proper medical specialists for your condition, insufficient equipment, or substandard quality of care. When that happens, travel medical evacuation insurance covers the expenses to move you from a facility that is inadequate to a hospital that is better suited to give you the most appropriate care.

A typical plan will provide you with medical evacuation and repatriation insurance coverage for travel outside of your home country. These plans are ideal for those that just need specific evacuation coverage or have a current plan in place and want to top-up the benefits.

An Example Evac Plan provides coverage for:

• Evacuation up to $100,000
• Repatriation up to $20,000
• Lost Luggage, and more

If you experience a medical emergency while abroad, these plans provide coverage for medical evacuation to the nearest qualified medical facility; expenses for reasonable travel and accommodation resulting from the evacuation; and the cost of returning to either the home country or the country where the evac occurred up to certain maximum benefits.  As always, review the various policies, benefits, and coverage to ensure you have the policy you need and are comfortable with.

A Plan Designed for J Visa Students Coming to the USA

If you are studying in the United States on a J1 or F1 visa, you are required to have a minimum of $50,000 of evacuation coverage and a minimum of $25,000 for repatriation of remains. The Seven Corners Medical Evacuation and Repatriation plan provide annual coverage that meets these requirements.

Who can buy the Seven Corners Medical Evacuation and Repatriation plan?

Any non-U.S. citizen and non-U.S. resident who is traveling to the United States and participating in full-time educational activities can buy this plan. You are not required to have a visa. Some schools may require students to buy a university-approved health insurance plan. However, most of the plans do not provide coverage for emergency medical evacuations or repatriation. The plan would cover the expenses and associated services for your emergency medical evacuation or repatriation back to your home country.

Seven Corners Medical Evacuation and Repatriation

An annual plan that provides the required $50,000 emergency medical evacuation coverage and a minimum of $25,000 for repatriation of remains.

Travel Medical or Evacuation Only Coverage

When traveling abroad, you have a choice. You can buy a medical evacuation plan to cover the expenses listed above. However, they do not include other benefits, specifically medical care for emergencies. A Travel Medical Insurance Plan would cover evacuation but also covers medical care in the country where you are traveling abroad. They also provide other benefits not included in med-evac-only plans. Med-evac plans are also typically annual plans so the cost is higher. You can get more affordable evacuation coverage along with other benefits of a travel medical plan for a specified period of time or a single trip. Our most popular travel medical plan is the Atlas Travel medical plan:

• Emergency medical, evacuation, repatriation benefits
• Choose between the basic and more extensive coverage
• Meets Schengen visa insurance requirements
• 24/7 worldwide travel and emergency medical assistance

If you want more comprehensive international medical coverage while traveling, Compare our Travel Insurance Plans .  Travel Medical Plans include emergency evacuation but also cover medical expenses, provide assistance services and include some trip insurance benefits (like coverage for lost luggage).

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The Comprehensive Guide to Emergency Medical Travel Insurance

What is medical repatriation?

Medical repatriation means getting you home after an illness or injury, once you’re well enough to travel. Repatriation can be as simple as booking a standard airline ticket, or as complex as arranging a private air ambulance with a medical escort.

Medical repatriation costs can be high — as much as $1 million in especially challenging situations, according to some estimates. 1  Your emergency transportation benefits can cover medically necessary repatriation costs up to the stated limit.

What happens if I get sick or injured while traveling and I don’t have emergency medical travel insurance?

That depends on where you’re traveling and the specific nature of your emergency. However, you should know that you’ll be 100% responsible for the costs of any care you receive. If you’re in another country, the local U.S. Embassy will not pay any portion of your medical costs.

If you get sick or injured overseas and you don’t have insurance, you may:

• Be treated in a public hospital or clinic that does not offer a high standard of care
• Have to pay cash upfront before receiving medical care
• Be refused treatment if you’re unable to pay
• Have to manage your own treatment and figure out how to get yourself home

Is it likely that I’ll get sick or injured while traveling?

Travel, by its very nature, is unpredictable. You may do a 9-day trekking tour of Croatia and never take a tumble. You may be strolling through a park in Buenos Aires and get knocked down by a wayward cyclist. Anything can happen, and that’s why you need travel insurance with emergency medical benefits.

Each year, our Assistance team fields thousands of calls from travelers who are experiencing a medical emergency. The most common emergencies we see are fractures from falls, cardiovascular problems (such as heart attacks and strokes), trauma from vehicle accidents and other accidents, and pulmonary/respiratory conditions.

Which travel insurance plans include emergency medical benefits?

Plans with emergency medical benefits include:

• OneTrip Basic , an economical plan with limited post-departure benefits
• OneTrip Prime , a popular plan with substantial benefits and free coverage for children 17 and under when traveling with a parent or grandparent
• OneTrip Premier , which doubles most OneTrip Prime post-departure benefit limits
• OneTrip Emergency Medical , a flexible and affordable plan that includes only post-departure benefits
• AllTrips Basic , an annual travel insurance plan that provides emergency medical benefits for frequent travelers
• AllTrips Prime , which offers affordable, reliable protection for a full 365 days of travel
• AllTrips Executive , an annual plan built for business travelers
• AllTrips Premier , which protects world travelers with multiple tiers of benefits

Wondering which plan is right for you? Get a quote for your next trip .

What’s covered by the emergency dental benefits in my travel insurance plan?

Breaking a tooth can spoil your trip just as surely as breaking an ankle. Fortunately, your emergency medical benefits also can cover emergency dental care. Just be aware that a sublimit applies to these benefits. For example, if you have a $20,000 limit for emergency medical benefits, that may include a $750 limit for dental benefits.

You should know, too, that these benefits are for dental emergency care only: a dental injury or infection, a lost filling, or a broken tooth that requires treatment. Your travel insurance won’t cover preventive care, cosmetic procedures, or any procedure that could safely wait until you return home.

What does emergency medical travel insurance not cover?

Travel insurance is designed to protect you in case of certain, unforeseen travel mishaps and emergencies. It’s not intended to apply to every possible scenario. When you read your plan documents, you’ll see that your travel insurance does not cover:

• Pre-existing medical conditions , unless your plan includes the existing medical condition waiver and you’ve met all the requirements
• Any medical condition that resulted in you being unable to travel on your policy or trip purchase date
• Non-emergency care or services, such as elective cosmetic surgery, routine exams, long-term care, and other types of care
• Any loss, condition, or event that was known, foreseeable, intended, or expected when your policy or trip was purchased
• Intentional self-harm
• Normal pregnancy or childbirth
• The use or abuse of alcohol or drugs, or any related physical symptoms
• Participating in or training for any professional or amateur sporting competition
• Participating in extreme, high-risk sports and activities

This is only a partial list of exclusions. Please check your plan documents for the specific exclusions associated with your plan.

Do my emergency medical travel insurance benefits cover COVID-19?

Getting sick with COVID can be miserable… and it’s even worse if you’re far from home. But we’re here to help!

If your plan includes emergency medical benefits and the Epidemic Coverage Endorsement , then you may be reimbursed for costs for emergency medical care for COVID-19 or another covered illness, up to your specific plan’s maximum limit for the emergency medical benefit.

If your plan includes emergency transportation benefits and the Epidemic Coverage Endorsement, then your medically necessary evacuation — whether you have COVID-19 or another covered illness/injury — may be covered. You also get medical repatriation benefits, which means we can arrange and pay for your transportation home once you’re well enough to travel (with medical accommodations, if necessary).

Please note, this coverage only applies to plans that include the applicable benefit and covered reason. All benefits are subject to maximum limits of liability, which may in some cases be subject to sublimits and daily maximums. See your plan for details.

So how do emergency medical benefits work? Does my travel insurance pay upfront for medical care, or reimburse me later?

That depends on the situation. If the medical care you need is minor, such as getting stitches for a cut or a splint for a sprained wrist, you may pay out of pocket and then file a claim for reimbursement later.

If you need to be admitted to a hospital for inpatient care for longer than 24 hours, Allianz Global Assistance can guarantee or advance payments, where accepted, up to the limit of your emergency medical/dental coverage.

If you need emergency medical transportation, we can arrange and pay for it. In order for emergency transportation to be covered, however, Allianz Global Assistance must determine that it’s medically necessary and make the arrangement in advance. If we did not authorize and arrange the transportation, we will only pay up to what we would have paid if we had made the arrangements.

If I have a medical emergency while traveling, what should I do?

• Don’t panic! Allianz Global Assistance is here to guide you.
• If your illness or injury is life-threatening and/or requires immediate attention, call local emergency services. Remember that 911 doesn’t work in every country. Use the free Allianz TravelSmart app to instantly access the right emergency number for your location.
• As soon as possible, contact Assistance and tell us what’s going on. Our Assistance team can refer you to a local, pre-screened medical provider; provide interpretation services when speaking with medical providers; guarantee payments to doctors or hospitals; and more.
• If our medical team determines that local medical facilities aren’t sufficient to treat your condition, we can arrange emergency transportation to the nearest appropriate facility.
• As you’re being treated, your Assistance coordinator will stay in touch with your doctor, review your medical reports, handle billing and keep your designated family member or friend updated on your condition.
• Once you’re stable enough to travel, we’ll arrange transportation home. If you need continuing medical care in the United States, we’ll work with your health insurance provider and your primary healthcare provider to figure out a treatment plan.

Read more: What To Do In A Medical Emergency

Is my emergency medical travel insurance primary or secondary coverage?

It’s secondary coverage, which means that if you have health insurance, you must submit your claim to that provider first. Any payments or reimbursements from your other insurance providers will be deducted from your claim. Not sure what your insurance covers? Contact us and we can help you figure it out.

Is there any deductible or co-pay for my emergency medical travel insurance benefits?

No, there’s no deductible or co-pay. There is, however, a maximum limit for your emergency medical/dental and emergency transportation benefits, which you’ll find in your plan documents.

How do I know if my travel insurance plan covers existing medical conditions?

You’ll need to select a plan that offers a Pre-Existing Medical Condition Exclusion Waiver, and also meet the requirements in your plan. In short, if you insure your full non-refundable trip costs within 14 days of paying your first trip deposit, and you’re medically able to travel when you do so, you can be covered for most existing medical conditions.

An existing medical condition is defined as an injury, illness, or medical condition that, within the 120 days prior to and including the policy purchase date:

• Caused a person to seek medical examination, diagnosis, care, or treatment by a doctor;
• Presented symptoms; or
• Required a person to take medication prescribed by a doctor (unless the condition or symptoms are controlled by that prescription, and the prescription has not changed).

The illness, injury, or medical condition does not need to be formally diagnosed in order to be considered a pre-existing medical condition.

Read more: When Does Travel Insurance Cover Existing Medical Conditions?

How can the TravelSmart app help?

The Allyz ®  TravelSmart app from Allianz Global Assistance can help you navigate medical emergencies (and other crises) almost anywhere in the world. Use the app to:

• Contact Assistance for help
• Contact local emergency services with a single tap
• Find the closest hospitals, doctors and pharmacies, including those that Allianz Global Assistance has identified as preferred providers
• Get quick translations of first-aid and medication terms to help you communicate with doctors and pharmacists

Related Articles

• Medical Emergency While Traveling? The TravelSmart App Can Help
• How Assistance Services Can Help in Medical Travel Emergencies
• Help Us Help You: The Emergency Travel Assistance Checklist

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Insurance benefits underwritten by BCS Insurance Company (OH, Administrative Office: 2 Mid America Plaza, Suite 200, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181), rated “A” (Excellent) by A.M. Best Co., under BCS Form No. 52.201 series or 52.401 series, or Jefferson Insurance Company (NY, Administrative Office: 9950 Mayland Drive, Richmond, VA 23233), rated “A+” (Superior) by A.M. Best Co., under Jefferson Form No. 101-C series or 101-P series, depending on your state of residence and plan chosen. A+ (Superior) and A (Excellent) are the 2nd and 3rd highest, respectively, of A.M. Best's 13 Financial Strength Ratings. Plans only available to U.S. residents and may not be available in all jurisdictions. Allianz Global Assistance and Allianz Travel Insurance are marks of AGA Service Company dba Allianz Global Assistance or its affiliates. Allianz Travel Insurance products are distributed by Allianz Global Assistance, the licensed producer and administrator of these plans and an affiliate of Jefferson Insurance Company. The insured shall not receive any special benefit or advantage due to the affiliation between AGA Service Company and Jefferson Insurance Company. Plans include insurance benefits and assistance services. Any Non-Insurance Assistance services purchased are provided through AGA Service Company. Except as expressly provided under your plan, you are responsible for charges you incur from third parties. Contact AGA Service Company at  800-284-8300 or 9950 Mayland Drive, Richmond, VA 23233 or [email protected] .

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The world of travel insurance can be confusing. Too many choices with plans that offer inadequate coverage for health and safety emergencies or are simply too complex or expensive. At TravelCare, we've done the work for you. You can buy with the confidence that comes from TravelCare's over 20 years of experience in the travel health industry and our relationship with one of the most trusted brands in insurance, Nationwide ® . 

Nationwide and the Nationwide N and Eagle are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.

TravelCare plans cost around $5 per day. Coverage highlights are as follows. Scroll down for more FAQs and to see full plan details.

TravelCare's Emergency Evacuation and Assistance and Travel Medical plans are underwritten by Nationwide combining the strength of TravelCare's experience with Nationwide's financial strength to offer unparalleled peace of mind for the International traveler.

Frequently Asked Questions

General questions  (16).

All you need to know to understand why you should never leave the U.S. without a TravelCare protection plan.

• Many U.S. health plans do not provide adequate – if any – coverage overseas.
• U.S. health plans generally do not cover emergency evacuations, which can cost you up to $200,000 or more, depending upon your circumstance and location.
• Medicare does not provide coverage for hospital or medical costs outside the United States (except in rare emergency circumstances on our borders with Canada and Mexico) or emergency evacuations.

Yes. If medical treatment or evacuation is necessary for an insured with COVID-19 during their trip, the plan covers related expenses. Make sure to purchase both the TravelCare evacuation plan and the optional medical plan to cover both evacuation and medical expenses.

Unfortunately, that situation is not uncommon. Here in the U.S., where most our healthcare is financed by private insurance, people can receive medical treatment and admission to a hospital by presenting their health plan ID card. In other countries, where healthcare is generally provided under state-financed or state-provided health systems, that is not the case. Their financial infrastructure is not set up to provide care and then send a bill to a third-party to pay the costs after-the-fact. That is why it is common for foreign hospitals to require an up-front payment – often ten thousand dollars or more – or a "guarantee of payment" from a travel insurance provider they are familiar with, like Nationwide. You do not want treatment delayed or denied because you are having difficulty quickly coming up with the cash or sufficient credit balances on your credit cards.

It is highly unlikely that your regular medical plan will:

• know the best place to get treatment in your foreign location;
• pay a hospital in advance if necessary to assure your admission or treatment;
• immediately speak with your treating doctor in his/her language to assess your condition, your treatment plans, and their ability to provide appropriate care;
• pay tens (or even hundreds) of thousands of dollars to evacuate you to a higher level of care if you cannot receive adequate care where you are;
• accept medical records in a foreign language or pay claims in foreign currencies;
• be available 24/7 to receive calls to assist you and advocate for you in any language.

Most people need emergency travel assistance and evacuation services, and Travel Medical insurance, to get proper protection – even if they have great health coverage here in the U.S.

Medicare does not cover medical expenses incurred while traveling abroad except in rare circumstances. (Medicare may cover you if you're in the U.S., but the closest hospital is across the border, or if you have a medical emergency while traveling through Canada between Alaska and another state).

Only some Medicare Supplement plans cover emergency health care provided in a foreign country. For those that do, the coverage: (1) is limited to 80% of $50,000 after you pay either a $250 or $2,000 deductible, (2) does not apply for emergencies after you have been on a trip for 60 or more days, and (3) does not provide any coverage at all for emergency medical evacuations.

The government does not take financial responsibility to cover the costs of Americans that become ill or that are seriously injured abroad. While a consular officer can assist in the transfer of funds from the United States, payment of emergency services including evacuation, repatriation, hospitalization and other expenses is the responsibility of the traveler.

Before selecting Nationwide as our preferred carrier, we considered most of the top U.S. providers of international travel medical insurance. We feel Nationwide offers the best combination of broad benefits, affordable rates, financial strength and high-quality customer service. People know and trust the Nationwide brand.

We selected United Healthcare Global as our preferred travel assistance provider as they are a worldwide leader in their field and provide services to many of the U.S. leading multinational and global companies. We feel UHG offers the best combination of financial strength, operational excellence and medical and security expertise to manage any situation that a traveler may experience while in a foreign country. People know and trust the United Healthcare brand.

United Healthcare Global is a global medical, safety and security travel assistance company that delivers:

• a fully integrated solution focused on prevention, intervention and response
• a world-class, worldwide assistance infrastructure
• first-world standards of primary and emergency medical care in remote and hazardous locations
• a strengthened global network of practicing medical specialists and resources
• robust medical, safety and security protocols
• emergency medical and security evacuation and crisis response capabilities
• extensive travel intelligence, insurance and protection services
• specialized technical and operational health and safety expertise

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor's. The company provides customers a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto insurance, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, pet, life insurance, farm, commercial insurance, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, public and private sector retirement plans, long-term savings plans and specialty health services.

The assistance company is a 24/7 multilingual service available to assist you when you are traveling internationality. They have the expertise and resources to help you when you are faced with travel, medical, legal, personal security and other emergencies or concerns when traveling internationally, regardless of the severity. You simply call a toll-free phone number from within the country (or you can call them collect from anywhere in the world), and they will assist you.

It is important that the assistance company is notified as soon as possible. They will monitor your care and work through the complex details of foreign hospitalizations. They will immediately speak with your treating doctor to assess your condition, your treatment plans, and whether or not an evacuation is necessary. They will update your family, employer and personal physician as appropriate. In addition, they will coordinate all insurance verifications and admission details.

The assistance company can direct you to the hospital in your locale that is most capable in getting you treatment. If you elected to purchase the TravelCare Travel Medical Insurance, they will coordinate all Nationwide insurance verifications and billing, including making advance payment arrangements with the hospital, like issuing a "guarantee of payment" on behalf of Nationwide. This ensures that there is no delay or denial of medical treatment because you are unable to make the up-front payment or because your regular insurance is not recognized. The assistance company will settle any guarantees of payment with the hospital on Nationwide's behalf.

The assistance company has expertise in knowing the capabilities of international hospitals and clinics. That information, in conjunction with their assessment of the treating physician's diagnosis and treatment plans, will enable the assistance company's physicians to make an evaluation of whether the local hospital is capable of providing you the treatment you need. If the assistance company's doctors are of the opinion that you cannot receive appropriate care there, they will make arrangements to have you evacuated to either: (1) the nearest hospital where adequate treatment can be obtained or (2) to a hospital of your choice near your home in the U.S. to obtain further treatment or recover (or both). The assistance company will consult with all parties involved and fully manage all logistics of the evacuation.

In the event of a security situation, you can call the assistance company for help at any time. Additionally, if the situation is deemed to require Non-medical Emergency Evacuation, you are covered up to $100,000.

You can call the assistance company for help at any time. They will assist you with lost or stolen passports, legal referrals, translation services, emergency transfers of funds and a variety of other travel related issues.

Questions About the Plan  (12)

Answers to the most common TravelCare plan questions are below. More plan questions? Call (866) 223-2835 option 4. (M-F 8:30AM to 5:00PM EST)

As a natural extension of our health and safety expertise, it became increasingly apparent that we also needed to make it easier for the medical community to convey the importance of securing Emergency Evacuation services and Travel Medical Insurance to ensure that our travelers are not left:

• stranded without access to appropriate resources in the event of a medical or security emergency, or
• unable to secure medical treatment or admission to a hospital because their primary insurance at home does not provide adequate coverage or services when overseas

Sure, in plain English, here's a summary of what TravelCare plans cover:

If you need to be evacuated for emergency medical reasons, the Emergency Assistance Services will make all the arrangements and cover the costs of transporting you with appropriate medical supervision to the nearest appropriate medical facility and/or taking you home. Costs for air ambulance services can run over $200,000 depending upon your location and circumstance.

In addition, if you need to be evacuated for political or emergency security reasons, the Emergency Assistance Services will make all the arrangements and cover the costs up to $100,000 to transport you in a secure fashion to the nearest safe place, and when conditions allow, then return you back to your point of origin or take you home.

There are also a variety of additional services included and available 24/7 that help you with the kind of problems international travelers often experience.  Click here  for Complete Emergency Assistance Service details.

When you purchase the optional Travel Medical Insurance, it will make advance payment arrangements to get you into the best foreign hospital in your locale (generally foreign facilities will not agree to provide care, then bill your insurance at home), and then pay your foreign hospital and medical expenses directly, up to $150,000. They deal with the medical records in foreign languages, the foreign currencies, etc., and you have no deductibles or co-pays.  Click here  for Complete Travel Medical Insurance details including plan maximums based on your age at time of purchase.

Coverage may be purchased with VISA, MasterCard or American Express.

A trip can be as short as 1 day or as long as 90 days; however the minimum premium equals 7 days of coverage.

Nationwide will pay your providers directly for your covered expenses, or will reimburse you for covered expenses if you paid the providers directly. If Nationwide then determines the benefits paid under their plan are eligible benefits under any other benefit plan, they may seek to recover expenses from the other plan to the extent the other plan would have covered as well. Any recoveries Nationwide makes helps to keep the cost of their coverage down.

All coverage will begin on the later of the Effective Date, or upon Your departure from Your Home Country

Your coverage will end at 11:59 P.M. local time on the date that is the earliest of the following: (a) upon Your return to Your Home Country; (b) when Your Trip exceeds ninety (90) days.

No. Both the Emergency Evacuation and Assistance plan and Travel Medical Insurance plan will pay 100% of the reasonable and customary charges for the expenses they cover up to the plans' maximums.

Yes. Please  click here  for a complete listing of the Emergency Evacuation Service exclusions and limitations, and all other terms and conditions of the coverage. You can also call TravelCare's insurance plan administrator, at (800) 753 1000 option 6 - Monday to Friday between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm Eastern Time. 

Yes. Please  click here  for a complete listing of the Travel Medical Insurance exclusions and limitations, and all other terms and conditions of the coverage. You can also call TravelCare's insurance plan administrator, at (800) 753 1000 option 6 - Monday to Friday between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm Eastern Time.

Plan Details

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• Travel Insurance
• Best Travel Insurance Companies

11 Best Travel Insurance Companies Of April 2024

Expert Reviewed

Updated: Apr 17, 2024, 5:23pm

We evaluated 39 policies and found that Travel Insured International, WorldTrips and Travel Safe are among the best travel insurance companies. We evaluated costs and a variety of coverage features to find the best options. See all our top picks.

Considering Travel Insurance?

Via Forbes Advisor's Website

• Best “Cancel For Any Reason” Travel Insurance
• Cheapest Travel Insurance Plans
• Best Cruise Insurance

Summary: Best Travel Insurance Companies

Best for travel medical coverage, best for medical evacuation coverage, best for travel delays, best for baggage delays, what does travel insurance cover, what’s not covered by travel insurance, how much does travel insurance cost, what affects travel insurance costs, how to get travel insurance, do i need travel insurance, how to choose the best travel insurance policy, top travel destinations in april 2024, where are people headed this month.

• List of January 2024 Top Travel Destinations

Methodology

Other travel insurance policies we rated, best travel insurance companies frequently asked questions (faqs), compare travel insurance quotes, compare & buy travel insurance, how we chose the best travel insurance.

We assessed cost, travel medical and evacuation limits, baggage and trip delay benefits, the availability of cancellation and interruption upgrades, and more. Our editors are committed to bringing you unbiased ratings and information. Our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and the methodology  for the ratings below.

• 39 travel insurance policies evaluated
• 1,482 coverage details analyzed
• 102 years of insurance experience on the editorial team

Our Picks For The Best Travel Insurance Companies

Best for non-medical evacuation, travel insured international.

Top-scoring plan

Worldwide Trip Protector

Average price

Medical & evacuation limits per person

$100,000/$1 million

We recommend Travel Insured’s Worldwide Trip Protector policy because it offers robust benefits at the lowest average price among top-rated plans we analyzed. We also like its superior non-medical evacuation coverage.

• “Cancel for any reason” and “interruption for any reason” upgrades available.
• Top-notch non-medical evacuation benefits of $150,000 per person.
• Good travel delay and baggage delay benefits kick in after just a 3-hour delay.

More: Travel Insured International Travel Insurance Review

• Medical coverage of $100,000 per person is on the low side compared to top competitors but might be enough for your needs.
• Missed connection benefits of $500 are low compared to top-rated competitors and for cruise and tours only.

Here’s a look at whether top coverage types are included in the Worldwide Trip Protector policy.

Also included:

• Pet kennel benefits of up to $500 are included if you return home three hours or more later than your planned return date.

Optional add-ons offered:

• Rental car damage and theft coverage of up to $50,000.
• Event ticket protection pays up to $1,000 if you can’t attend for a reason covered by the policy.
• Travel inconvenience coverage allows you to recoup money for unforeseen circumstances, such as closed beaches and attractions, rainy weather, tarmac delays and more.
• Bed rest benefits pay up to $4,000 if a doctor requires you to stay on bed rest for at least 48 hours during your trip.

GREAT FOR ADD-ON COVERAGE

Atlas Journey Premier

Average cost

$150,000/$1 million

We like the Atlas Journey Premier plan for its wide choice of add-ons. These add-ons provide extra coverage for pets traveling with you, adventure sports, destination weddings, hunting and fishing equipment and more. We also like that this plan has a low average cost compared to competitors.

• Very good travel delay benefits of $2,000 per person after only 5 hours.
• Very good missed connection coverage of $2,000 per person after 3 hours.

Another option is the Atlas Journey Preferred plan, but this policy doesn’t offer the “interruption for any reason” upgrade and has lower travel medical benefits of $100,000 per person. Still, it hits all the marks for great benefits at a low price. It also offers lots of choices for add-on coverage.

More: WorldTrips Travel Insurance Review

• Medical coverage limits of $150,000 aren’t as high compared to some top-rated competitors but you might find it’s sufficient.
• Baggage delay benefits have a 12-hour waiting period.

Here’s a look at whether top coverage types are included in the Atlas Journey Premier policy.

• Travel inconvenience benefits of $750 if your arrival home is delayed due to a transportation delay and you can’t work for at least two days, your flight lands at a different airport than scheduled, your passport is stolen and can’t be reissued, and more.
• “Cancel for any reason” and “interruption for any reason” coverage.
• Destination wedding coverage in case the wedding is canceled.
• Baggage insurance upgrade to $4,000 per person.
• Rental car theft and damage coverage of $50,000.
• Political or security evacuation benefits of $150,000 per person.
• Vacation rental accommodations coverage of $500 if unclean or overbooked.
• Adventure sports add-on to extend coverage to safaris, bungee jumping and more.
• Hunting and fishing coverage for equipment and cancellation due to government restrictions.
• School activities coverage if trip has to be canceled due a test, sporting event, etc.

BEST FOR MISSED CONNECTIONS

Classic Plus Plan

TravelSafe’s Classic Plus plan stood out in our analysis for its superior missed connection benefits of $2,500. We also like the Classic Plus plan’s top-notch medical evacuation coverage of $1 million.

• “Cancel for any reason” upgrade available.
• Superior baggage loss coverage limits of $2,500.
• Great travel delay limits of $2,000 per person after a 6-hour delay.

More: TravelSafe Travel Insurance Review

• $100,000 in medical benefits is on the low side compared to top competitors but might be sufficient for your needs.
• Baggage delay coverage is a little skimpy at $250 per person after a 12-hour delay.

Here’s a look at whether top coverage types are included in the Classic Plus policy.

• Itinerary change coverage of $250 per person if your travel supplier makes a change that forces you to lose non-refundable costs for missed activities.
• Reimburses $300 for fees if you have to redeposit frequent traveler awards for reasons covered by your trip cancellation insurance.
• Pet kennel coverage of $100 a day if your return home is delayed by 24 hours or more due to a reason covered in your policy.
• “Cancel for any reason” coverage of 75% of lost trip costs.
• Accidental death and dismemberment for flights, up to $500,000 per person.
• Rental car damage and theft up to $35,000.
• Business equipment and sports equipment coverage of $1,000 if lost, stolen or damaged.

BEST FOR POLICY PERKS

Cruise Luxury

Nationwide’s Cruise Luxury plan is one of our favorites because it has a treasure trove of benefits such as “interruption for any reason” and “cancel for work reasons” coverage. You can upgrade to “cancel for any reason” coverage. Some competitors offer none or one of those options. We also like its excellent missed connection benefit of $2,500 per person.

Note that you do not have to be going on a cruise to take advantage of this policy’s coverage.

• “Interruption for any reason” benefit of $1,000 per person is included.
• Includes $25,000 per person in non-medical evacuation benefits for problems such as a natural disaster or security or political problem.
• Good travel delay benefits of $1,000 per person.

More: Nationwide Travel Insurance Review

• Medical coverage of $150,000 per person is lower than most other top-rated plans but might be sufficient for your needs.
• 24-hour delay required for hurricane and weather coverage, compared to some competitor policies with only a 12-hour delay requirement.

Here’s a look at whether top coverage types are included in the Cruise Luxury policy.

• Inconvenience benefit of $250 per person if your cruise ship’s arrival at the next port of call is delayed for two or more hours due to mechanical breakdown or fire.
• “Interruption for any reason” up to $1,000.
• Coverage for extension of the school year, terrorism in an itinerary city, work-related emergency issues.
• Coverage if the CDC issues a health warning at your destination.

Optional add-on offered:

• “Cancel for any reason” upgrade that provides 75% reimbursement of insured trip cost if you cancel two or more days prior to your departure for a reason not listed in the base policy.

BEST FOR CUSTOMIZATION

Travel Guard Deluxe

The Travel Guard Deluxe plan impressed us with its optional pet, wedding, security, baggage, medical, adventures sports and travel inconvenience upgrades. These add-ons allow you to customize the policy to your needs. We also like that the policy includes benefits if, under certain conditions, you must start your trip earlier than planned—a feature not found in all policies.

• Offers upgrades to meet the needs and budgets of many kinds of travelers.
• Includes $100,000 per person for security evacuation and superior medical evacuation coverage of $1 million per person.
• Provides up to $750 per person for “travel inconveniences” such as a flight delay to your return destination, runway delays and cruise diversions.
• Has good travel delay coverage of $1,000 per person, with a short waiting period of 5 hours.

More: AIG Travel Insurance Review

• The Travel Guard Deluxe policy has robust coverage across the board but also a high average cost ($539) compared to other top-rated policies.
• Medical expense coverage of $100,000 per person is on the low side but might be adequate for your needs.

Here’s a look at whether top coverage types are included in the Travel Guard Deluxe policy.

• Travel inconvenience benefits of $750 total ($250 per problem) if you encounter issues such as closed attractions, cruise diversion, hotel infestation, hotel construction and more.
• Trip exchange benefits of 50% of your trip cost that pay the difference in price between your original reservation and the new one.
• Ancillary evacuation benefits up to $5,000 for expenses related to return of children, bedside visits, baggage return and more.
• Flight accidental death and dismemberment coverage of $100,000 per person.
• “Cancel for any reason” upgrade.
• Rental vehicle damage coverage.
• “Name Your Family” upgrade allows you to add a person to your policy who will qualify for family member-related unforeseen events that can apply to claims for trip cancellation and interruption.
• Adventure Sports Bundle for adventure and extreme activities.
• Pet Bundle for boarding and medical expenses for illness or injury of dog or cat while traveling. Includes trip cancellation or trip interruption if your pet is in critical condition or dies within seven days before your departure.
• Wedding Bundle to cover trip cancellation due to wedding cancellation. Sorry cold-feeters: Coverage does not apply if you are the bride or groom.

The Travel Guard Preferred plan also earned 4.3 stars in our analysis. We recommend this policy if you’re looking for a lower price and don’t need the higher coverage amounts provided by the Deluxe plan. The Preferred plan provides $50,000 for medical expenses and $500,000 for medical evacuation benefits per person.

GREAT FOR MEDICAL & EVACUATION COVERAGE

Seven corners.

Trip Protection Choice

$500,000/$1 million

We like Seven Corners’ Trip Protection Choice plan because it has superior travel medical expenses and evacuation benefits. It also provides great upgrade options and benefits across the board.

• “Cancel for any reason” and “interruption for any reason” upgrade available.
• Very good travel delay coverage of $2,000 per person.
• Includes $20,000 for non-medical evacuation

More: Seven Corners Travel Insurance Review

• Hurricane and weather coverage has a 48-hour delay, compared to some competitors that require only 12-hour delays.
• Average cost ($527) is only so-so compared to other top-rated policies we evaluated.

Here’s a look at whether top coverage types are included in the Trip Protection Choice policy.

• Accidental death and dismemberment coverage of $40,000 per person for qualifying common carrier events
• Change fee compensation of $300 per person if you have to change your flight or original travel arrangements due to qualifying events.
• Pet kennel benefits of $500 if your return home is delayed by six hours or more due to qualifying missed connection, interruption or delay problems.
• Frequent traveler coverage of $500 to pay for the cost to redeposit awards due to a trip cancellation caused by a reason listed in your policy.
• “Cancel for any reason” coverage.
• “Interruption for any reason” coverage.
• Rental car damage coverage of $35,000.
• Sports & golf equipment rental coverage up to $5,000.
• Event ticket fee registration coverage of $15,000 if you can’t attend an event due to unforeseen reasons listed in trip cancellation and interruption coverage.

BEST FOR BAGGAGE

Axa assistance usa.

Platinum Plan

$250,000/$1 million

AXA’s Platinum plan is among our favorites because it hits all the high points for coverage that you’ll want if you’re looking for top-notch protection, including excellent baggage benefits of $3,000 per person. Excellent medical and non-medical evacuation benefits are another reason we like the Platinum plan.

• Generous medical and evacuation limits, plus $100,000 per person in non-medical evacuation—among the highest for plans we analyzed.
• Coverage for lost ski days, lost golf rounds and sports equipment rental.

More: AXA Assistance USA Travel Insurance Review

• Travel delay and baggage coverage kicks in only after a 12-hour delay.
• The average cost for the Platinum plan is only so-so compared to other top-rated plans, although you do get robust coverage for the money.

Here’s a look at whether top coverage types are included in the Platinum policy.

• “Cancel for any reason” coverage
• Rental car damage coverage of $50,000.
• Lost ski days
• Lost golf rounds

GREAT FOR PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITION COVERAGE

Generali global assistance.

Generali’s Premium policy stood out in our analysis for its generous window for pre-existing condition coverage. Travelers with pre-existing conditions can get coverage as long as you buy a Premium policy up to or within 24 hours of your final trip deposit. Competitors often have a deadline of 10 to 20 days after making your first trip deposit .

We also like the policy’s excellent trip interruption insurance and superior medical evacuation benefits of $1 million per person.

• Excellent trip interruption coverage of up to 175% of your trip costs.
• Very good baggage loss coverage at $2,000 per person.

More: Generali Global Assistance Travel Insurance Review

• If you want “cancel for any reason” coverage you must buy it within 24 hours of making your initial trip deposit, compared to 10 to 20 days from top competitors.
• This plan’s “cancel for any reason” coverage will reimburse you for only 60% of lost trip costs; most competitors provide 75%.
• Baggage delay benefits kick in only after a 12-hour delay.

Here’s a look at whether top coverage types are included in the Premium policy.

• Rental car coverage for theft and damage of $25,000.
• Sporting equipment coverage of $2,000.
• Sporting equipment delay coverage of $500.
• “Cancel for any reason” upgrade that reimburses you 60% of your insured trip cost if you cancel at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled departure.

BEST FOR FAMILIES

Travelex insurance services.

Travel Select

$50,000/$500,000

We recommend Travelex’s Travel Select plan for families because it provides coverage for children at no extra cost (when accompanied by an adult covered by the policy). Its average price is also among the lowest among the companies we evaluated, making it an option to take a look at

• Very good travel delay coverage of $2,000 per person after a 5-hour delay.

More: Travelex Travel Insurance Review

• Medical coverage of $50,000 per person is on the low side, but you can buy an upgrade to double it.
• Baggage delay coverage requires a 12-hour delay and has a low $200 per person limit.
• Missed connection benefits of $750 per person are lower than many other competitors.

Here’s a look at whether top coverage types are included in the Travel Select policy.

• Sporting and golf equipment delay benefits of $200 after 24 hours or more.

Optional add-ons & upgrades offered:

• Medical coverage upgrade to $100,000 per person.
• Medical evacuation upgrade to $1 million per person.
• “Cancel for any reason” coverage of 75% (up to max of $7,500).
• Accidental death and dismemberment coverage of $200,000 per person for flights.
• Financial default coverage if your travel supplier goes out of business that provides 100% reimbursement of your insured trip cost.
• Car rental collision coverage of $35,000.
• Adventure sports upgrade to cover activities that would otherwise be excluded.

BEST FOR TRIP INTERRUPTION

Hth worldwide.

TripProtector Preferred Plan

We were impressed by TripProtector Preferred’s superior trip interruption benefits—200% of the trip cost. Most competitors provide 150%. Luxury-level benefits are another reason we recommend the TripProtector Preferred plan.

• Top-notch coverage limits for medical expenses and evacuation.
• Coverage for adventure sports—such as zip-lining, snowmobiling, whitewater rafting, and more—are included.
• Very good travel delay coverage of $2,000 per person after a 6-hour delay.

More: HTH Worldwide Travel Insurance Review

• Higher average price ($602) compared to most companies we evaluated, but you’re buying robust benefits.
• Baggage delay coverage requires a 12-hour delay.

Here’s a look at whether top coverage types are included in the TripProtector Preferred policy.

• Pet medical expense coverage of $250 if your dog or cat traveling with you gets injured or sick during your trip.
• Rental car coverage of $35,000 for damage and theft.
• “Cancel for any reason” upgrade available that provides 75% reimbursement of trip costs if you cancel at least two days prior to your scheduled departure.

GREAT FOR CRUISE ITINERARY CHANGE/INCONVENIENCE

Cruise Choice

$100,000/$500,000

The Cruise Choice plan gets our attention for its compensation if you miss activities because your cruise ship changes its itinerary and for the inconvenience of delays to the next port of call. The Cruise Choice plan’s competitive price is another reason we recommend taking a look.

• Includes ”interruption for any reason” coverage of $500 if you buy policy within 14 days of trip deposit.
• Includes $25,000 per person in non-medical evacuation benefits.
• Provides benefits if your cruise ship has a fire or mechanical breakdown that delays arrival at the next port of call for two or more hours.
• Medical coverage of $100,000 per person is lower than most other top-rated plans but might be sufficient for your needs.
• 24-hour delay required for hurricane and weather coverage, compared to many competitors with shorter required times.
• “Cancel for any reason” coverage not available.

Here’s a look at whether top coverage types are included in the Cruise Choice policy.

• Shipboard service disruption of $200 per person if your cruise ship has a fire or mechanical breakdown that delays the next port of call for 2 or more hours or changes the scheduled itinerary.
• Coverage for an extended school year, terrorism in an itinerary city and work-related emergency issues.

These policies offer the highest level of medical coverage among the plans that we judged to be the best.

These policies offer the highest level of emergency medical coverage among the plans in our top picks.

These policies offer the highest maximum coverage limits for travel delays among the plans that we judged to be the best.

Nationwide’s Cruise Luxury policy offers the highest maximum coverage for delayed baggage among the plans that were our top picks.

Comprehensive travel insurance policies package together a number of valuable benefits. You can also buy policies that cover only trip cancellation or only medical expenses. With the wide variety of travel insurance plans available, you can find coverage levels that will fit your budget and trip needs.

Trip Cancellation Insurance

Trip cancellation insurance reimburses you 100% for money you lose in prepaid, non-refundable deposits if you have to cancel for a reason listed in the policy. Common reasons include unexpected illness, injury and family member sickness. This is different from the “cancel for any reason” travel insurance upgrade.

Travel Medical Insurance

Travel medical insurance pays for ambulance service, X-rays, lab work, medicine, doctor and hospital bills, and other medical expenses during your trip, up to policy limits. Accidents and health issues can arise unexpectedly, so this is important coverage for travelers going abroad, where your U.S. health plan may have limited global coverage or no coverage.

Emergency Medical Evacuation Coverage

Emergency medical evacuation insurance pays up to the policy limits to get you to the nearest adequate medical facility. This can especially come in handy if you are in a remote location and need emergency transportation for medical care.

Travel Delay Insurance

Travel delay insurance compensates you for expenses for things like meals and lodging if you’re stuck somewhere due to a delay that’s covered by your travel insurance plan. Specified waiting period before benefits apply—for example, six or 12 hours—and also a per day maximum limit and a total maximum per person.

Trip Interruption Insurance

If you have to cut your trip short because of a reason listed in the policy, trip interruption insurance reimburses you for the non-refundable parts of your trip that you miss. It can also pay for a last-minute one-way ticket home if you have an emergency.

Baggage Insurance

Baggage insurance reimburses you for lost, stolen or damaged belongings. But note that reimbursement is for the depreciated value of your items, not the cost to buy new ones. Also, you may have to first make a claim on home or renters insurance.

And baggage delay insurance lets you recoup expenses for necessities, such as clothes and toiletries, while you wait for your luggage. Policies usually require a certain time delay before baggage delay coverage kicks in, such as six hours.

“Cancel for Any Reason” Coverage

“Cancel for any reason” (CFAR) travel insurance is optional coverage that allows you to cancel your trip for any reason that’s not listed in your base policy and be partially reimbursed for non-refundable trip costs.

You generally must cancel at least 48 hours before your departure time. Reimbursement under a CFAR claim is usually 75% or 50% of your trip costs. CFAR adds an average of about 50% to an insurance plan’s cost, but might be worth it if you want the most flexibility for trip cancellation.

“Interruption for Any Reason” Coverage

“Interruption for any reason” (IFAR) travel insurance is an optional upgrade that permits you to cut short a trip for any reason and get up to 75% reimbursement for the non-refundable money you lose. You usually must be at least 48 hours into your trip to file a claim. It typically adds 3% to 10% to your travel insurance cost.

Travel Accident Insurance

Accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance is included in some policies. If an accident that’s covered by the policy kills or dismembers the policyholder during the trip, travel accident insurance pays out the specified amount.

It usually pays out a percentage of the maximum benefit, depending on the loss.

Problems not covered by travel insurance tend to be similar among policies. We recommend that you read a policy’s exclusions so you’re not caught by surprise later if you try to make a claim. Typical exclusions include:

• Injuries from high-risk activities such as scuba diving.
• Problems that happen because you were drunk or using drugs.
• Medical tourism such as going abroad for a face lift or other elective procedure.
• Lost or stolen cash.

The average cost of travel insurance is 6% of your trip cost , based on our analysis. The cost of travel insurance is usually mainly based on the age of travelers and the trip cost being insured.

Unlike many other types of insurance, there are usually only a few factors that go into travel insurance pricing.

You can buy travel insurance from a travel agent, website or a travel supplier like an airline or cruise company. We’ve bought travel insurance online and it’s relatively easy. In our experience you can purchase a policy online within a few minutes.

Here are some reasons you may need travel insurance.

You’re Traveling Overseas and Your Health Plan Doesn’t Have Global Coverage

Many health plans lack robust global coverage, or impose high out-of-network deductibles for care outside the U.S. We suggest that you check your health plan details to see what it provides outside the U.S. Travel medical insurance fills the gap.

You’re Going to a Remote Area or Out to Sea

If you won’t be near any quality medical facilities, even a small injury could turn into a major medical event. Medical evacuation coverage will pay to medevac you to an adequate facility.

You’re Traveling to a Hurricane-Prone Destination

If you’re concerned about hurricanes or other severe weather affecting your travel plans, you’ll want to make sure to buy a travel insurance policy that has trip interruption and trip cancellation insurance for hurricanes and other weather events.

If your trip is interrupted or canceled due to severe weather, you can file a claim and be reimbursed 100% for prepaid, non-refundable deposits.

To be eligible to file a travel insurance claim because of a storm, you must have bought your policy before the storm was named. Also, generally one of the following requirements must be met:

• Your destination is under a hurricane warning.
• Your destination is uninhabitable due to severe weather.
• Your (common carrier) airline is delayed for a specified amount of time listed in your policy—for example, six hours.

You Want Emergency Backup

The 24/7 travel assistance lines that are included with travel insurance can assist you with finding a pharmacy, language translation, replacing a lost passport and much more.

You Will Lose a Lot of Money in Non-Refundable Deposits if You Cancel the Trip

You want trip cancellation coverage you’re worried about the money you will lose if you have to cancel the trip.

Trip cancellation will cover 100% of the prepaid money you’ll lose, as long as you cancel for a reason listed in the policy. Problems typically covered for trip cancellation insurance claims include sickness, injury, severe weather, natural disasters, jury duty and more.

Here is our top advice on key considerations for choosing the best travel insurance policy.

Where You’re Going

If you’re traveling outside of the U.S., a plan with  travel medical insuranc e is important because you may have little to no coverage under your U.S. health plan. If you’re taking a domestic trip, you likely don’t need it, or you may want to buy low coverage amounts as a back-up.

If you’re taking an international trip, emergency medical evacuation coverage is important to have, especially if you’re visiting a remote area that doesn’t have top-quality medical facilities.

If you’re traveling to a hurricane-prone destination, travel insurance can also be beneficial if you’re worried about severe weather spoiling your vacation plans.

If you’re concerned about weather woes affecting your travel plans, you’ll want to make sure to buy a travel insurance policy that has trip interruption and  trip cancellation insurance for hurricanes  and other weather events.

How You’re Getting There

Travel plans can be derailed by weather, airplane mechanical issues or any number of other unexpected circumstances. If you’re worried about paying extra money for costs due to a delay, you may want to look for a plan that has a generous amount of travel delay insurance.

What You’re Doing

If you have lots of pre-paid, non-refundable deposits for activities, lodging and tours, it is especially important to have trip cancellation coverage. This holds true for trip interruption insurance as well.

Travelers who plan to participate in extreme sports or adventure excursions should consider buying a plan that covers these activities, as they’re often excluded.

How Much Flexibility You Want

If you want the freedom to cancel a trip no matter what, opt for a “cancel for any reason” upgrade. You generally have to buy it within the first few weeks of making your first deposit. Similarly, you can also buy an “ interruption for any reason ” upgrade that allows you to cut a trip short and return home for any reason.

These upgrades are especially good for the traveler who has put down substantial prepaid, non-refundable deposits.

Concerns About Covid and Variants

If Covid is a travel concern for you, look for a travel insurance plan that covers Covid-related cancellations and medical costs. The  best Covid travel insurance plans will also include “cancel for any reason” coverage.

If you test positive for the virus during your trip, travel delay insurance can cover extra costs for accommodations during a quarantine. This coverage can also compensate you for expenses up to a week past your original return date if you’re forced to stay beyond your return date due to a quarantine.

If you miss portions of your trip because you’re forced to quarantine after a positive Covid test, trip interruption insurance can allow you to recoup non-refundable expenses that you paid for in advance.

In order to make a claim you’ll need documentation that you tested positive for Covid.

Americans are ready to take trips abroad in April: 89% of travel insurance purchases for trips taking place April 1-30, 2024, are for international trips, based on our analysis of policy sales.

Italy is the top international destination for trips this month, followed by Mexico and Great Britain. In addition:

• The average trip cost being insured for people traveling outside the U.S. in April is $5,984.
• The average trip cost being insured for folks traveling within the U.S. this month is $4,041.
• Americans traveling internationally are paying an average of $332 for their travel insurance policies for April trips and domestic travelers are paying an average of $227.

List of April 2024 Top Travel Destinations

Average trip cost for popular destinations.

Here’s how average trip costs for five popular destinations are trending over the next three months. Numbers reflect the average of non-refundable trip costs being insured.

• Italy. After a near-record high in April, spending on trips is dipping in May and June, but a significant spike is trending for July trips.
• France. Average trip costs are climbing in May and June, then dropping back down in July.
• Great Britain. Spending on trips is increasing in May and June, with a major uptick in July. 
• Japan. Average costs for trips in May are on the rise, but falling in June and July.
• Mexico. Travelers are spending more on trips in May compared to April, but less in June and July.

Forbes Advisor researched and analyzed 39 policies to find the best travel insurance. When companies had more than one travel insurance policy we used the highest-scoring plan. Ratings are based on the following metrics.

Cost (25% of score): We analyzed the average cost for each travel insurance policy for trips to popular destinations:

• Couple, age 30 for a Mexico trip costing $3,000.
• Couple, age 40, for an Italy trip costing $6,000.
• Family of four for an Italy trip costing $15,000.
• Family of four for a France trip costing $15,000.
• Family of four for a U.K. trip costing $15,000.
• Couple, age 65, for an Italy trip costing $6,000.
• Couple, age 70, for a Mexico trip costing $3,000.

Missed connection coverage (10% of score): Travel insurance policies were awarded more points if they include missed connection benefits of $1,000 per person or more.

Medical expenses (10% of score): Travel insurance policies with travel medical expense benefits of $250,000 and up per person were given the highest points.

Medical evacuation (10% of score): Travel insurance policies with medical evacuation expense benefits of $500,000 and up per person were given the highest points.

“Cancel for any reason” upgrade (10%): Travel insurance policies received points if “cancel for any reason” upgrades are offered. More points were awarded for “cancel for any reason” upgrades with reimbursement levels of 75%.

Baggage delay required waiting time (5%): Policies with baggage delay benefits kicking in at 12 hours or less were given points.

Cancel for work reasons (5%): Travel insurance plans that allow cancellations for work reasons were awarded points.

Hurricane and weather (5%): Policies received points if the required waiting period for hurricane and weather coverage was 12 hours or less.

“Interruption for any reason” upgrade (5%): Policies were awarded points if they offered an “interruption for any reason” upgrade.

Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver (5%): Points were given to policies that cover pre-existing medical conditions (if purchased within a required timeframe after the first trip deposit).

Travel delay required waiting time (5%): Policies with travel delay benefits kicking in after six hours or less were given points.

Trip interruption travel insurance (5%): Points were given if trip interruption reimbursement is 150% or higher.

While these policies were not among our winners, they may still be good options based on your travel needs. Many of these plans have lower coverage limits, which may be suitable depending on your trip.

What is travel insurance?

Travel insurance is a type of policy that reimburses you for money you lose from non-refundable deposits and payments when something goes wrong on your trip. These problems can range from lost baggage to flight delays to medical problems.

The more you’re spending on your trip, the more you likely need travel insurance. This is especially true for international trips and cruises, where travel problems become more expensive to solve.

What do I need for travel insurance?

The information you need to buy travel insurance includes the trip cost being insured, your age, your destination, length of trip and age. Buying travel insurance online is relatively easy. You don’t have to answer a lot of questions, and you can update your trip cost and itinerary later if plans change, as long as you do so before your departure.

Is there travel insurance for multiple trips?

While standard travel insurance plans are meant to cover one-time trips, frequent travelers should consider an annual travel insurance plan. These plans cover the same issues as a single-trip plan, such as trip cancellation and emergency medical situations. But they also offer the convenience of a one-time purchase for multiple trips.

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Get Forbes Advisor’s ratings of the best insurance companies and helpful information on how to find the best travel, auto, home, health, life, pet, and small business coverage for your needs.

Michelle is a lead editor at Forbes Advisor. She has been a journalist for over 35 years, writing about insurance for consumers for the last decade. Prior to covering insurance, Michelle was a lifestyle reporter at the New York Daily News, a magazine editor covering consumer technology, a foreign correspondent for Time and various newswires and local newspaper reporter.

Shayla Northcutt is the CEO and founder of Northcutt Travel Agency and a leading world travel expert. Her main expertise includes destination weddings, honeymoons, large group travel, family travel, world travel and travel insurance. Northcutt appears regularly on KHOU 11 and ABC 13 Eyewitness News, among other media outlets, providing guidance on travel insurance for consumers. Her first-hand knowledge of destinations and resorts makes her a leading travel professional. Northcutt is married to an amazing husband and is a mom to two boys, Cayman and Crockett. She found a passion in travel and exploration of all the things the world had to offer. Feeling such a strong connection to the travel industry, she decided to open Northcutt Travel Agency in 2017. Northcutt has visited different parts of Europe numerous times, and has visited over 350 resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean leading to detailed first-hand knowledge of the resorts. She has also sailed on multiple cruise lines, giving her experience with the cruise world as well. The other places Northcutt has visited, and now helps people plan, include Disney, Hawaii, Fiji, Australia, Thailand and all major cruise lines.

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.

9 Best Travel Insurance Companies of April 2024

According to our analysis of more than 50 travel insurance companies and hundreds of different travel insurance plans, the best travel insurance company is Travelex Insurance Services. In our best travel insurance ratings, we take into account traveler reviews, credit ratings and industry awards. The best travel insurance companies offer robust coverage and excellent customer service, and many offer customizable add-ons.

Travelex Insurance Services »

Allianz Travel Insurance »

HTH Travel Insurance »

Tin Leg »

AIG Travel Guard »

Nationwide Insurance »

Seven Corners »

Generali Global Assistance »

Berkshire hathaway travel protection ».

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 Insurance Companies.

Table of Contents

• Travelex Insurance Services
• Allianz Travel Insurance

Travel insurance can help you protect the financial investment you made in your vacation when unexpected issues arise. Find the best travel insurance for the type of trip(s) you're taking and the coverages that matter most to you – from interruptions and misplaced belongings to illness and injury.

• Travelex Insurance Services: Best Overall
• Allianz Travel Insurance: Best for Trip Interruptions
• HTH Travel Insurance: Best for Groups
• Tin Leg: Best Cost
• AIG Travel Guard: Best for Families
• Nationwide Insurance: Best for Last-Minute Travel Insurance
• Seven Corners: Best for 24/7 Support When Traveling
• Generali Global Assistance: Best for Medical Emergencies
• Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection: Best for Specialized Coverage

Customizable upgrades are available, including car rental coverage, additional medical insurance and adventure sports coverage

Medical and trip cancellation maximum are not as high as some other companies

• 100% of the insured trip cost for trip cancellation; 150% for trip interruption
• Up to $1,000 in coverage for lost, damaged or stolen bags and personal items; $200 for luggage delays
• $750 in missed connection coverage
• $50,000 in emergency medical and dental coverage
• Up to $500,000 in emergency medical evacuation and repatriation coverage

SEE FULL REVIEW »

Annual and multitrip policies are available

Distinguishing between the company's 10 travel insurance plans can be challenging

• Up to $200,000 in trip cancellation coverage; $300,000 in trip interruption coverage
• $2,000 for lost, damaged or stolen luggage and personal effects; $600 for bag delays
• Up to $1,600 for travel delays
• Emergency medical coverage of up to $75,000
• Epidemic coverage

Generous coverage at the mid- and high-tier levels, and great group discounts

Preexisting conditions coverage is only available at mid- and high-tier plans

• 100% trip cancellation coverage (up to $50,000); 200% trip interruption coverage
• Up to $2,000 in coverage for baggage and personal effects; $400 in baggage delay coverage
• Up to $2,000 in coverage for trip delays; $1,000 for missed connections
• $500,000 in coverage per person for sickness and accidents

Variety of plans to choose from, including two budget-friendly policies and several more premium options

More limited coverage for baggage issues than other companies

• 100% trip cancellation protection; 150% trip interruption
• $500 per person for lost, stolen or damaged baggage and personal items
• Up to $2,000 per person in travel delay coverage ($150 per day); $100 per person for missed connections
• $100,000 per person in emergency medical coverage, including issues related to COVID-19

Travel insurance policy coverage is tailored to your specific trip

Information about policy coverage inclusions is not readily available without first obtaining a quote

• Trip cancellation coverage for up to 100% of your trip's cost; trip interruption coverage for up to 150% of the trip cost
• Up to $2,500 in coverage for lost, stolen or damaged baggage; $500 related to luggage delays
• Up to $1,000 in missed connection and trip delay coverage
• $100,000 in emergency medical coverage

Variety of plans to choose from and coverage available up to a day before you leave on your trip

Limited trip cancellation coverage even at the highest tier

• Trip cancellation coverage up to $30,000; trip interruption coverage worth up to 200% of the trip cost (maximum of $60,000)
• $2,000 for lost, damaged or stolen baggage; $600 for baggage delays
• Up to $2,000 for trip delays; missed connection and itinerary change coverage of $500 each
• $150,000 for emergency medical and dental issues

Customer service available 24/7 via text, Whatsapp, email and phone

Cancel for any reason coverage costs extra

• 100% trip cancellation coverage (up to between $30,000 and $100,000 depending on your state of residence); interruption coverage for up to 150% of the trip cost 
• Lost, stolen or damaged baggage coverage up to $2,500; up to $600 for luggage delays
• Trip delay and missed connection coverage worth up to $1,500
• Emergency medical coverage worth up to between $250,000 and $500,000 (depending on where you live)

Generous emergency medical and emergency evacuation coverage

Coverage for those with preexisting conditions is only available on the Premium plan

• 100% reimbursement for trip cancellation; 175% reimbursement for trip interruption
• $2,000 in coverage for loss of baggage per person
• $1,000 per person in travel delay and missed connection coverage
• $250,000 in medical and dental coverage per person

In addition to single-trip plans, company offers specific road trip, adventure travel, flight and cruise insurance coverage

Coverage for missed connections or accidental death and dismemberment is not part of the most basic plan

• Trip cancellation coverage worth up to 100% of the trip cost; interruption coverage worth up to 150% of the trip cost
• $500 in coverage for lost, stolen or damaged bags and personal items; bag delay coverage worth $200
• Trip delay coverage worth up to $1,000; missed connection coverage worth up to $100
• Medical coverage worth up to $50,000

To help you better understand the costs associated with travel insurance, we requested quotes for a weeklong June 2024 trip to Spain for a solo traveler, a couple and a family. These rates should help you get a rough estimate for about how much you can expect to spend on travel insurance. For additional details on specific coverage from each travel insurance plan and to input your trip information for a quote, see our comparison table below.

Travel Insurance Types: Which One Is Right for You?

There are several types of travel insurance you'll want to evaluate before choosing the policy that's right for you. A few of the most popular types of travel insurance include:

COVID travel insurance Select insurance plans offer some or a combination of the following COVID-19-related protections: coverage for rapid or PCR testing; accommodations if you're required to quarantine during your trip if you test positive for coronavirus; health care; and trip cancellations due to you or a family member testing positive for COVID-19. Read more about the best COVID-19 travel insurance options .

Cancel for any reason insurance Cancel for any reason travel insurance works exactly how it sounds. This type of travel insurance lets you cancel your trip for any reason you want – even if your reason is that you simply decide you no longer want to go. Cancel for any reason travel insurance is typically an add-on you can purchase to go along with other types of travel insurance. For that reason, you will pay more to have this kind of coverage added to your policy.

Also note that this type of coverage typically only reimburses 50% to 80% of your nonrefundable prepaid travel expenses. You'll want to make sure you know exactly how much reimbursement you could qualify for before you invest in this type of policy. Compare the best cancel for any reason travel insurance options here .

International travel insurance Travel insurance is especially useful when traveling internationally, as it can provide medical coverage for emergencies (in some cases for COVID-19) when you're far from home. Depending which international travel insurance plan you choose, this type of travel insurance can also cover lost or delayed luggage, rental cars, travel interruptions or cancellations, and more.

Cheap travel insurance If you want travel insurance but don't want to spend a lot of money, there are plenty of cheap travel insurance options that will offer at least some protections (and peace of mind). These are typically called a company's basic or standard plan; many travel insurance companies even allow you to customize your coverage, spending as little or as much as you want. Explore your options for the cheapest travel insurance here .

Trip cancellation, interruption and delay insurance Trip cancellation coverage can help you get reimbursement for prepaid travel expenses, such as your airfare and cruise fare, if your trip is ultimately canceled for a covered reason. Trip interruption insurance, on the other hand, kicks in to reimburse you if your trip is derailed after it starts. For instance, if you arrived at your destination and became gravely ill, it would cover the cost if you had to cut your trip short.

Trip delay insurance can help you qualify for reimbursement of any unexpected expenses you incur (think: lodging, transportation and food) in the event your trip is delayed for reasons beyond your control, such as your flight being canceled and rebooked for the next day. You will want to save your receipts to substantiate your claim if you have this coverage.

Lost, damaged, delayed or stolen bags or personal belongings Coverage for lost or stolen bags can come in handy if your checked luggage is lost by your airline or your luggage is delayed so long that you have to buy clothing and toiletries for your trip. This type of coverage can kick in to cover the cost to replace lost or stolen items you brought on your trip. It can also provide coverage for the baggage itself. It's even possible that your travel insurance policy will pay for your flight home if damages are caused to your residence and your belongings while you're away, forcing you to return home immediately.

Travel medical insurance If you find yourself sick or injured while you are on vacation, emergency medical coverage can pay for your medical expenses. With that in mind, however, you will need to find out whether the travel medical insurance you buy is primary or secondary. Where a primary policy can be used right away to cover medical bills incurred while you travel, secondary coverage only provides reimbursement after you have exhausted other medical policies you have.

You will also need to know how the travel medical coverage you purchase deals with any preexisting conditions you have, including whether you will have any coverage for preexisting conditions at all. Read more about the best travel medical insurance plans .

Evacuation insurance Imagine you break your leg while on the side of a mountain in some far-flung land without quality health care. Not only would you need travel medical insurance coverage in that case, but you would also need coverage for the exorbitant expense involved in getting you off the side of a mountain and flying you home where you can receive appropriate medical care.

Evacuation coverage can come in handy if you need it, but you will want to make sure any coverage you buy comes with incredibly high limits. According to Squaremouth, an emergency evacuation can easily cost $25,000 in North America and up to $50,000 in Europe, so the site typically suggests customers buy policies with $50,000 to $100,000 in emergency evacuation coverage.

Cruise insurance Travel delays; missed connections, tours or excursions; and cruise ship disablement (when a ship encounters a mechanical issue and is unable to continue on in the journey) are just a few examples why cruise insurance can be a useful protection if you've booked a cruise vacation. Learn more about the top cruise insurance plans here .

Credit card travel insurance It is not uncommon to find credit cards that include trip cancellation and interruption coverage , trip delay insurance, lost or delayed baggage coverage, travel accident insurance, and more. Cards that offer this coverage include popular options like the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card , the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card and The Platinum Card from American Express . 

Note that owning a credit card with travel insurance protection is not enough for your coverage to count: To take advantage of credit card travel insurance, you must pay for prepaid travel expenses like your airfare, hotel stay or cruise with that specific credit card. Also, note that credit cards with travel insurance have their own list of exclusions to watch out for. Many also require cardholders to pay an annual fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

The best time to buy travel insurance is normally within a few weeks of booking your trip since you may qualify for lower pricing if you book early. Keep in mind, some travel insurance providers allow you to purchase plans until the day before you depart.

Many times, you are given the option to purchase travel insurance when you book your airfare, accommodations or vacation package. Travel insurance and travel protection are frequently offered as add-ons for your trip, meaning you can pay for your vacation and some level of travel insurance at the same time.

However, many people choose to wait to buy travel insurance until after their entire vacation is booked and paid for. This helps travelers tally up all the underlying costs associated with a trip, and then choose their travel insurance provider and the level of coverage they want.

Figuring out where to buy travel insurance may be confusing but you can easily research and purchase travel insurance online these days. Some consumers prefer to shop around with a specific provider, such as Allianz or Travelex, but you can also shop and compare policies with a travel insurance platform. Popular options include:

• TravelInsurance.com: TravelInsurance.com offers travel insurance options from more than a dozen vetted insurance providers. Users can read reviews on the various travel insurance providers to find out more about previous travelers' experiences with them. Squaremouth: With Squaremouth, you can enter your trip details and compare more than 90 travel insurance plans from 20-plus providers.
• InsureMyTrip: InsureMyTrip works similarly, letting you shop around and compare plans from more than 20 travel insurance providers in one place. InsureMyTrip also offers several guarantees, including a Best Price Guarantee, a Best Plan Guarantee and a Money-Back Guarantee that promises a full refund if you decide you no longer need the plan you purchased.

Protect your trip: Search, compare and buy the best travel insurance plans for the lowest price. Get a quote .

When you need to file a travel insurance claim, you should plan on explaining to your provider what happened to your trip and why you think your policy applies. If you planned to go on a Caribbean cruise, but your husband fell gravely ill the night before you were set to depart, you would need to explain that situation to your travel insurance company. Information you should share with your provider includes the details of why you're making a claim, who was involved and the exact circumstances of your loss.

Documentation is important, and your travel insurance provider will ask for proof of what happened. Required documentation for travel insurance typically includes any proof of a delay, receipts, copies of medical bills and more.

Most travel insurance companies let you file a claim using an online form, but some also allow you to file a claim by phone or via fax. Some travel insurance providers, such as Allianz and Travel Insured International, offer their own mobile apps you can use to buy policies and upload information or documents that substantiate your claim. In any case, you will need to provide the company with proof of your claim and the circumstances that caused it.

If your claim is initially denied, you may also need to answer some questions or submit some additional information that can highlight why you do, in fact, qualify.

Whatever you do, be honest and forthcoming with all the information in your claim. Also, be willing to provide more information or answer any questions when asked.

Travel insurance claims typically take four to six weeks to process once you file with your insurance company. However, with various flight delays and cancellations due to things like extreme weather and pilot shortages, more travelers have begun purchasing travel insurance, encountering trip issues and having to submit claims. The higher volume of claims submitted has resulted in slower turnaround times at some insurance companies.

The longer you take to file your travel insurance claim after a loss, the longer you will be waiting for reimbursement. Also note that, with many travel insurance providers, there is a time limit on how long you can submit claims after a trip. For example, with Allianz Travel Insurance and Travelex Insurance Services, you have 90 days from the date of your loss to file a claim.

You may be able to expedite the claim if you provide all the required information upfront, whereas the process could drag on longer than it needs to if you delay filing a claim or the company has to follow up with you to get more information.

Travel insurance is never required, and only you can decide whether or not it's right for you. Check out Is Travel Insurance Worth It? to see some common situations where it does (and doesn't) make sense.

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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AIG Travel Guard insurance review: What you need to know

Whether you need an annual plan or a policy for a last-minute trip, travel guard can deliver..

Travel Guard is one of CNBC Select 's picks for best travel insurance , thanks to its wide range of customizable policies. But are any of them right for you? Below, we review the provider and its offers and how they compare to the competition to help you choose the right travel insurance for your next trip.

Travel Guard review

Other insurance offered, how it compares, bottom line, travel guard® travel insurance.

The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote

Policy highlights

Travel Guard offers a variety of plans to suit travel ranging from road trips to long cruises. For air travelers, Travel Guard can help assist with tracking baggage or covering lost or delayed baggage.

24/7 assistance available

• A variety of plans are available to help cover different types of trips
• Not all products are available for purchase online

Travel Guard® is a global travel insurance provider specializing in plans for leisure and business travelers. Its online travel insurance packages include five options, from basic and last-minute trip coverage to more comprehensive plans. This allows travelers to pick a plan that best matches their situation.

For example, budget-minded travelers might go for the Essential Plan which offers basic protections, such as trip cancellation, interruption and delay insurance, coverage for lost, damaged and delayed baggage, and medical, evacuation and death coverage.

On the other hand, the Deluxe Plan — the most comprehensive option — adds such extras as missed connection coverage, security evacuation, travel inconvenience benefits and more. It also boosts high limits for essential coverages.

Last-minute travelers can opt for the Pack N' Go Plan which only includes certain post-departure coverages. Or, if you travel often, the Annual Plan can cover your trips throughout the year.

Finally, Travel Guard offers "offline" travel insurance packages, meaning you'll have to call if you're looking for a specialty plan.

Coverage types

Depending on the plan, here are the types of protection Travel Guard can include in your package:

• Trip cancellations
• Trip interruption
• Baggage coverage
• Baggage delay
• Travel medical expenses
• Travel inconvenience benefits (reimbursement for such situations as runway delays, cruise diversion and other unforeseen situations)
• Medical evacuation
• Trip Saver (reimbursement for meals, hotels and transportation if you need to begin your trip sooner due to weather or airline changes)
• Trip exchange (reimbursement in case you have to cancel your trip and book a new one due to covered unforeseen circumstances)
• Security evacuation (due to a riot or civil disorder)
• Flight guard (coverage for accidental death or dismemberment that occurs when traveling by plane)
• Pre-existing medical conditions exclusion waiver

You can also customize your plan with add-ons, such as car rental insurance and "cancel for any reason" coverage .

Travel Guard landed on our list of the best travel insurance companies thanks to its variety of coverage. With plenty of options to choose from, both online and offline, it's easy to build a policy that meets your needs.

Travel Guard also features 24-hour concierge services that you can use to book a new flight in case of an emergency or delay.

The provider's website also offers informational resources — here, you can check travel news, read safety tips and find general travel advice. Additionally, the website lets you modify your plan, file a claim and check its status, or apply for a voucher or refund.

As of writing, Travel Guard doesn't offer any discounts. That's common for travel insurance — you're more likely to find deals when shopping for other types of insurance, such as home and auto insurance .

Travel Guard is a portfolio of travel insurance and travel-related services offered by AIG Travel, a member of American International Group (AIG). AIG also offers life insurance and a variety of business insurance products.

Travel Guard makes it easy to get a travel insurance policy customized to your needs. But before you purchase coverage, it's always a good idea to shop around.

For example, if you're going on a cruise, you might want to look at Nationwide Travel Insurance . The provider advertises cruise-specific insurance with three plan options available. This type of coverage is designed with issues unique to cruises in mind — from ship-based breakdowns to missed pre-pard excursions.

If you're planning a more active trip filled with rock climbing or sky diving, Berkshire Hathaway offers the AdrenalineCare® plan which features coverage for unforeseen costs that result from participating in extreme sports on your trip, as well as reimbursement for sporting equipment delay. Pre-existing conditions are covered under this plan (if you meet qualifying conditions).

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection has multiple plans to cover vacations from luxury travel to adventure travel. The brand's LuxuryCare offers the highest limits of travel insurance coverage offered by the company. Quotes and policies are available online.

As you can see, offerings vary by provider. It can be helpful to compare multiple companies and the plans they offer to find what works best for you. It's even better if you gather several quotes to ensure you're getting a good price for your policy.

Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox.  Sign up here .

Travel Guard offers plenty of ways to customize your policy, making it a solid choice for travel insurance. You can also access additional options by giving Travel Guard a call. However, make sure to check out other travel insurance companies too — comparison shopping is essential when picking any type of financial product.

Why trust CNBC Select?

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every insurance review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of insurance products . While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.

Catch up on CNBC Select's in-depth coverage of  credit cards ,  banking  and  money , and follow us on  TikTok ,  Facebook ,  Instagram  and  Twitter  to stay up to date.

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What’s covered by credit card travel accident and emergency evacuation insurance?

MSN has partnered with The Points Guy for our coverage of credit card products. MSN and The Points Guy may receive a commission from card issuers.

Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new information and offers.

Many perks available from your credit cards are well-known and well-utilized. However, benefits such as trip cancellation insurance ,  delayed baggage insurance , lost baggage insurance , and  trip delay protection can quite literally save the day and justify paying an annual fee.

Today, we’ll explain a couple of lesser-known benefits that you hopefully won’t have to use but, if needed, can protect you from extreme financial hardship and ensure your family and loved ones are provided for if something happens to you. You can easily find the coverage and terms of any protection your credit card offers by doing a quick web search for the card’s updated benefits guide.

Travel accident insurance

Often called  common carrier insurance , this is a policy that pays in case of death, losing eyesight or losing a limb(s) while on a plane, train, ship or bus licensed to carry passengers and available to the public. A few cards also have travel accident insurance that offers protection for the entire duration of a trip (up to 31 days long) but pays out less than the common carrier insurance policies. To be eligible, you typically have to pay for the entire fare with the credit card.

Different credit cards have different payment tables for how much your beneficiary would receive in case of death, losing one limb, losing two limbs, losing sight in one eye or becoming legally blind. Coverage is also typically extended to authorized users on the account, spouses, domestic partners, and dependent children of the cardholder on trips paid for with the card.

By default, the beneficiaries in order of precedence are spouse, then children, then estate. You can submit a letter to the card issuer to establish another beneficiary.

Emergency evacuation insurance

In the past, when traveling to remote destinations like the Maldives  and Fiji, I bought  third-party emergency medical evacuation insurance , not realizing the cards I already had would have covered me. There are a few crucial aspects of emergency evacuation insurance offered by credit cards that you need to understand and follow so you don’t compound your medical situation with the stress of financial hardship:

• Everything must be approved and coordinated through a benefits administrator. This is who you or your companions should call when things first start looking like you’ll need assistance. Nothing that you decide to pay for on your own will be reimbursed.
• Evacuation does not mean repatriation. You won’t be evacuated back to the U.S. if you’re far overseas. Most policies state you’ll be moved to the nearest medical facility capable of proper care.
• Preexisting conditions may lead to your request for evacuation at the credit card provider’s expense being denied. Read your credit card’s full terms and benefits guide to see which exclude these conditions and the credit card’s definition of a pre-existing condition.
• The coverage is only for the cost of evacuation and medical care during transportation. You still need medical insurance to pay the doctors and staff who provide you care once you’re back on the ground.
• Some cards have country exclusions, so don’t expect to head into Syria or Afghanistan and rely on your credit card benefits administrator to get you to a hospital.

To get all the relevant information, make sure you download and read the entire section of the benefits guide pertaining to these coverages. Here are a few cards offering travel accident and/or emergency evacuation insurance.

Related: The best credit cards with travel insurance

The Platinum Card® from American Express

The Amex Platinum card removed travel accident insurance in 2020. However, the card still offers one of the most generous emergency evacuation insurance of any card. There’s no cost cap and benefits are extended to immediate family and children under 23 (or under 26 if enrolled full-time in school). Best of all, you don’t even have to use the card to pay for the trip.

You must be on a trip less than 90 days in length and at least 100 miles away from your residence. A Premium Global Assist (PGA) administrator must coordinate everything to not incur any cost. The benefit will also pay economy airfare for a minor under 16 to be returned home if left unattended, pay for an escort to accompany that minor if required to get them home, and get a family member to the place of treatment if hospitalization of more than 10 consecutive days is expected.*

Other American Express cards offer access to the Premium Global Assist Hotline. However, anything they coordinate will be at your expense. Make sure you read your Amex card’s benefits guide carefully.

For more details, see our full review of the Amex Platinum .

Related: Your complete guide to Amex travel protections

*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, cardmembers are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.

Apply here: Amex Platinum

Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Cards

The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers two different travel accident insurance benefits : common carrier travel accident insurance and 24-hour travel accident insurance. The former applies while riding as a passenger in, entering or exiting any common carrier. The latter applies any time during your trip — but you cannot be paid out on both the common carrier and 24-hour policies.

If you use your Chase Ultimate Rewards points  to book your trip, you are covered under the card’s benefits.

People eligible for coverage include “you, your spouse, your spouse’s or domestic partner’s children, including adopted children or stepchildren; legal guardians or wards; siblings or siblings-in-law; parents or parents-in-law; grandparents or grandchildren; aunts or uncles; nieces or nephews.” Chase pays up to $1,000,000 for a common carrier loss and up to $100,000 for a 24-hour policy loss based on the following table:

Some interesting exclusions with Chase that would prevent a payout include the insured person participating in a motorized vehicular race or speed contest, the insured person participating in any professional sporting activity for which they received a salary or prize money or if the insured person traveling or flying on any aircraft engaged in flight on a rocket-propelled or rocket-launched aircraft.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve also offers emergency evacuation insurance. If at least a portion of your or an immediate family member’s trip was paid for with the card, you’re eligible for up to $100,000 in emergency medical evacuation. Your covered trip must be between five and 60 days and be at least 100 miles from your residence. If you are hospitalized for more than eight days, the benefits administrator can arrange for a relative or friend to fly round-trip in economy class to your location. You can also be reimbursed for the cost of an economy ticket home if your original ticket cannot be used. In a worst-case situation, the benefit also pays up to $1,000 to repatriate your remains.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offers the same travel accident insurance as the Reserve, except with lower payouts on the common carrier policy. The benefits pay up to $500,000 for a common carrier loss and up to $100,000 for a 24-hour policy loss based on the following table:

For more details, see our full reviews of the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred .

Related: Your guide to Chase’s trip insurance coverage

Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred

United Club Infinite Card

The top-tier United Club Infinite Card offers both travel accident insurance and emergency evacuation insurance. The travel accident insurance benefits pay up to $500,000 for a common carrier loss.

The card also carries the same benefit as the Chase Sapphire Reserve for emergency evacuation coverage, with up to $100,000 of coverage provided for evacuation.

For more details, see our full review of the United Club Infinite Card .

Apply here: United Club Infinite

Bottom line

We hope none of us perfectly ever have to worry about either of these policies, but it’s nice to have peace of mind if you or your family need emergency assistance. This reassurance is just one more reason to ensure one of these cards is always in your wallet when traveling. The benefit guides of all cards are updated regularly, so make sure you don’t toss them in the trash when updates show up in the mail and read the online guides for the latest terms and conditions.

Additional reporting by Emily Thompson and Stella Shon.

SPONSORED:  With states reopening, enjoying a meal from a restaurant no longer just means curbside pickup.

And when you do spend on dining, you should use a credit card that will maximize your rewards and potentially even score special discounts. Thanks to temporary card bonuses and changes due to coronavirus, you may even be able to score a meal at your favorite restaurant for free. 

These are the best credit cards for dining out, taking out, and ordering in to maximize every meal purchase.

Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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The new Individual Assistance updates only apply to disasters declared on or after March 22, 2024. Read about the updates.

Group Flood Insurance Policy Fact Sheet

FEMA offers Group Flood Insurance Policies to individuals who do not have flood insurance and have received assistance from FEMA after a presidentially declared disaster that included flooding.

As part of FEMA’s effort to reduce future costs from floods, the agency purchases GFIP certificates on behalf of applicants who may not otherwise be able to purchase a flood insurance policy but are required to do so.

Group Flood Insurance Eligibility 

If flooding damaged your property, including your home or your personal possessions, you may be eligible to receive flood insurance through a Group Flood Insurance Policy (GFIP). In addition to meeting general conditions of eligibility to receive assistance under FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP), you must meet the following conditions to be considered for a GFIP certificate: 

• Flooding damaged your property located in a special flood hazard area (SFHA), otherwise known as a high-risk flood area.
• FEMA provided assistance for the repair or replacement of the property damaged by flooding through the Individuals and Households Program (IHP), triggering a requirement for you to obtain and maintain flood insurance on the property.
• The damaged property is in a National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) participating community and is eligible for NFIP coverage.
• You did not have a previous requirement to maintain flood insurance on your damaged property.
• U.S. Small Business Administration denied your application for a disaster loan or FEMA did not require you to apply for a disaster loan, thus making you eligible for Other Needs Assistance provided as part of IHP.

Out-of-Pocket Costs for a Group Flood Insurance Policy 

If eligible, FEMA will provide you a GFIP with no out-of-pocket cost to you. Instead, FEMA pays the cost of the GFIP policy (currently $2,400) directly to the NFIP from your IHP disaster assistance funding. If the cost of a GFIP policy exceeds the remaining amount of IHP Assistance available to you, you will not be eligible for a GFIP. Instead, you will need to purchase an individual policy on your own.

Group Flood Insurance Coverage 

GFIP policies provide up to three years of flood insurance coverage for real property and personal property items insured under the NFIP. The master GFIP policy term is for 36 months and begins 60 days after the date of the presidential disaster declaration. Individual coverage becomes effective 30 days after the NFIP receives notice and the premium. As of October 2023, the amount of coverage for the individual GFIP policy is $85,000. 

The amount of coverage included with a GFIP changes annually. Please visit agents.floodsmart.gov/articles/understanding-group-flood-insurance-policies-gfips  for the most up-to-date figure.

Requirement to Obtain and Maintain Flood Insurance 

The GFIP will satisfy the legal requirement to obtain and maintain flood insurance after receiving disaster assistance. However, this requirement will continue even after the GFIP policy expires. You will need to purchase an individual Standard Flood Insurance Policy (SFIP) through a local insurance agent  before your GFIP expires. An insurance agent can help you select a flood insurance policy tailored to your specific needs. 

If or when you sell the property, the future homeowner must also maintain flood insurance. Failure to maintain flood insurance on the property may result in denial of future FEMA assistance for a flood disaster.

The NFIP will mail you a reminder of these requirements each year. The NFIP will also send you a reminder letter 45 days before your GFIP policy expires, as well as when your GFIP policy expires. 

For more information regarding the Group Flood Insurance program, policies, or claims call NFIP direct at 800-638-6620, option number 2. You can also visit the official website of the NFIP at floodsmart.gov  for more about the program, details on purchasing an SFIP, mitigation actions, flood maps and more.

Related Resources 

• NFIP Summary of Coverage Group Flood Insurance Policy. This brochure explains additional details about the GFIP, including items covered and not covered, the claims process, deductibles and more. Visit http://agents.floodsmart.gov/GFIP-summary
• Federal Disaster Assistance: Meeting the Flood Insurance Requirement. This resource educates recipients of federal disaster assistance on the two ways they can meet their requirement to obtain and maintain flood insurance coverage. Visit agents.floodsmart.gov/disaster-assistance-flood-insurance-requirement .
• Identifying Your Advocates After a Flood Flyer. Distribute this flyer to educate survivors on the different individuals, officials and groups who may visit their home following a flood disaster. Go to agents.floodsmart.gov/identifying-advocates-after-flood .

Cease-fire in Sudan extended three days, Secretary of State Antony Blinken says: Live updates

Foreign citizens seeking to escape embattled Sudan will have some extra time after warring generals extended by three days a fragile cease-fire before it expired Monday.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the deal late Monday. 

The most recent truce, after previous ones were mostly ignored, helped facilitate the evacuation of thousands of people from the capital city of Khartoum.

The U.S. has deployed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets to Sudan to aid people traveling by land from Khartoum to the Port of Sudan, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Monday.

American citizens began arriving at Port of Sudan via this land route and the U.S. is helping “facilitate their onward travel," Sullivan said at a briefing.

The U.S. also is dispatching Navy assets to the Red Sea near Port of Sudan to provide support.

U.S. officials decided over the weekend to remove American diplomats from danger when it appeared no cease-fire was in the offing, Sullivan said.

He said it became clear “there was a decent likelihood that we would see some form of protracted conflict, even if punctuated by moments of cease-fire. So we couldn't just wait for the end of this all.”

John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, told CBS  that Americans who remain in Khartoum should shelter in place. “This is not the time to be moving around the city,” Kirby said.

He said the “vast majority” of Americans remaining in Sudan are citizens of both nations who live and work there. Others work for partner organizations such as USAID or teach at the American school. 

European nations scramble to evacuate citizens from Sudan

Following this weekend's dramatic evacuation of U.S. diplomats from Khartoum, European nations and other countries raced Monday to extract their citizens during a lull in fighting between the army and a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces.

The eruption of violence has killed more than 420 people and wounded over 3,400 in nine days.

As of Monday, France rescued nearly 400 people on flights to the nation of Djibouti.  Germany had three flights out of Sudan, bringing more than 300 people to Jordan, Reuters reported. 

The Dutch air force flew out of Sudan to Jordan in the early hours Monday carrying people of various nationalities on board. 

Italy, Spain, Jordan and Greece also flew out several hundred more people, a mix of their own citizens and people from other nations. Other nations, including Russia and Japan, were seeking to get citizens to safety as a growing number of evacuees poured into Sudan's neighboring nations, including South Sudan. 

Without aid or food, Sudanese 'will suffer greatly'

As rescue operations waged by the United States and European nations brought diplomats and others to safety, the Sudanese braced for more intense fighting.

The fighting in Khartoum and other cities left Sudanese residents trapped in their homes by dangerous conditions.  Explosions, gunbattles and armed looters made it dangerous for residents to venture out for food or medicine.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of a “catastrophic conflagration” that could engulf the whole region.

Amani el-Taweel, an Egyptian expert on Africa, told The Associated Press that conditions are poised to worsen. Once diplomats and others are evacuated, the “warring parties will not heed any calls for a truce or a cease-fire,” she said.

The poor who can’t afford to make it out “will suffer greatly as they will have no access to aid or food.”

SEAL Team 6, Army Special Forces aided clandestine evacuation

U.S. officials have released few details on this weekend's evacuation. Elements of SEAL Team 6 – which rose to fame for killing Osama Bin Laden 12 years ago – and the Army’s 3rd Special Forces Group took part in the evacuation, a security official told The Washington Post.

The Americans were airlifted out on three MH-47 Chinook helicopters that flew first from Djibouti and then refueled in Ethiopia, the Post reported.

CBS News national security correspondent David Martin says the aircraft "went in at night, low-level. ... They were on the ground for a little more than half an hour. No shots were fired."

Contributing: The Associated Press