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When it comes to preparing for summer travel, the results are mixed: Americans are insuring vacations in record numbers — but when it comes to health insurance, most of us don’t know whether we’re protected outside the United States.
TravelPulse.com reported on data from SquareMouth (which compares U.S. travel insurance policies) that shows a 20% year-over-year increase in sales of travel insurance for June, July, and August.
Vacationers are especially concerned about the failure of travel companies, according to the numbers: Insurance against it rose 21% from 2018 to 2019.
TravelPulse also noted a survey from InsureMyTrip (another insurance-comparison platform) that revealed almost 59% of respondents were unsure whether their domestic health-insurance plans would cover emergency doctor or hospital visits while traveling abroad.
In terms of Medicare, you should not count on coverage outside the U.S., at least not with Original Medicare, nor do all Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement plans provide protection abroad.
Meanwhile, “Travel medical insurance … provides emergency medical coverage, emergency medical evacuation coverage, and 24/7 emergency assistance,” TravelPulse notes.
