Travel insurance guide
Travel Medical Insurance: How It Works
Travel medical insurance pays for unexpected medical care while you are away from home, most often on trips outside the United States. It fills a gap that many travelers don’t know they have: most U.S. health coverage pays little or nothing abroad, and foreign hospitals often expect payment before they treat you.
Blake Insurance Group is an independent agency serving clients by phone, email, and online in states where we are licensed; coverage depends on the insurer, the policy, and underwriting.
Request travel medical insurance quotes
Tell us what you would like to cover, and a licensed agent will follow up with options available to us. Submitting the form does not bind coverage.
If the form does not load, call 888-387-3687, Monday through Friday, 9:00 to 5:00, or email info@blakeinsurancegroup.com.
How travel medical insurance works
A travel medical plan covers you for a set trip period. If you get sick or hurt, the plan pays covered medical bills up to its maximum after any deductible. Most plans include a 24-hour assistance service that can help you find a hospital, arrange payment, and coordinate an evacuation if local care isn’t adequate.
Plans are sold by the trip or by the year. A single-trip plan covers one trip with set start and end dates. An annual multi-trip plan covers every trip within a year, usually with a cap on how long each trip can last. For stays of several months or more, long-term international health plans are often a better fit than repeated trip policies.
Many plans also include accidental death and dismemberment, emergency reunion travel for a family member, and limited dental care for sudden pain or injury. These extras vary widely, so compare them line by line.
Why your U.S. coverage may not be enough
The U.S. Department of State says the U.S. government does not pay medical costs for citizens traveling abroad, and that Medicare and Medicaid do not pay for medical care outside the United States. It recommends asking your U.S. health insurer what it covers overseas, buying travel health insurance if it does not, and buying medical evacuation insurance for trips to higher-risk areas or places with limited medical care.
The department also notes that trip cancellation insurance usually does not pay for medical costs abroad, and that some travel medical policies pay hospitals directly instead of reimbursing you later.
Original Medicare generally does not pay for care outside the United States. Medicare.gov lists three narrow exceptions for foreign hospital care: an emergency that happens in the U.S. when a foreign hospital is closer than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat you; an emergency while driving the most direct route between Alaska and another state through Canada; and living in the U.S. when a foreign hospital is closer to your home than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat your condition.
Medicare Part D drug plans do not cover prescriptions you buy outside the U.S. On a cruise ship, Part B may pay for medically necessary care only if the ship is in a U.S. port or no more than six hours from one when you get care.
Some Medigap plans add a foreign travel emergency benefit. Plans C, D, F, G, M, and N pay 80% of billed charges for medically necessary emergency care that begins in the first 60 days of a trip, after a $250 yearly deductible, up to a $50,000 lifetime limit. Plans C and F are available only to people eligible for Medicare before 2020. Some Medicare Advantage plans cover emergencies abroad, but not all do, so check your plan's evidence of coverage for the words “foreign” or “worldwide.”
Travel medical versus other travel insurance
Travel insurance is a family of coverages. Travel medical pays for care. Trip cancellation reimburses prepaid, non-refundable trip costs. Comprehensive plans bundle both with baggage and delay benefits. If your trip cost is low or refundable but you would face large medical bills abroad, a medical-only plan may cover what matters most for less money.
| Coverage | What it pays for |
|---|---|
| Trip cancellation, interruption, or delay | Prepaid trip costs when you cancel or cut a trip short for a covered reason, such as illness, severe weather, or a family member’s hospitalization |
| Travel medical | Short-term medical care for illness or injury while traveling |
| Medical evacuation and repatriation | Emergency transport to a suitable hospital and, if needed, home; repatriation returns remains if a traveler dies |
| Accidental death and dismemberment | A benefit if you die in an accident during the trip or lose a limb or eyesight |
| Baggage and personal effects | Lost or delayed baggage and personal items |
Source: NAIC consumer guidance (June 2026). Each policy sets its own limits and exclusions.
Example plan features
Features differ by insurer. As one example, these are the Single Trip plans BCBS Global Solutions (formerly GeoBlue) lists for U.S. residents.
| Feature | Single Trip Platinum | Single Trip Gold |
|---|---|---|
| Primary U.S. health plan | Required, with limits above $50,000; Medicaid and VA plans don’t qualify | Not required |
| Ages | 95 and younger | 95 and younger |
| Trip length | Up to 182 days (7-day minimum charge) | Up to 182 days (7-day minimum charge) |
| Medical maximum | $50,000 to $1,000,000 | $50,000 to $1,000,000 |
| Deductible options | $0, $100, $250, or $500 | $0, $100, $250, or $500 |
| Evacuation and repatriation | Up to $500,000 | Up to $500,000 |
| Pre-existing conditions | Covered, including evacuation | Not covered |
| Outpatient prescriptions abroad | 100% up to $5,000 | 50% up to $5,000 |
Source: BCBS Global Solutions plan page, October 2026. Plans must be bought in your home country before you leave. The plan documents control.
Medical evacuation
Evacuation coverage pays to move you to the nearest hospital that can treat you, and in some cases home. It matters most in remote areas, on cruises, and in countries where advanced care is limited. Look at the evacuation limit separately from the medical maximum, and check whether the insurer must approve and arrange the transport for it to be covered.
Pre-existing conditions
Most travel policies exclude pre-existing conditions unless you qualify for a waiver. Squaremouth’s October 2026 guidance says a waiver typically requires buying within 14 to 21 days of your first trip payment, insuring the full trip cost, and being medically able to travel when you buy. Insurers usually look back 60 to 180 days before the purchase date to decide what counts as pre-existing.
Travel medical plans differ. BCBS Global Solutions’ Single Trip Platinum covers pre-existing conditions for U.S. residents who keep a qualifying primary health plan, while its Single Trip Gold plan does not.
What travel medical insurance costs
Squaremouth’s 2026 data puts comprehensive travel insurance, which includes trip cancellation, at 4% to 10% of prepaid, non-refundable trip costs, or about 6% on average. Over the past 12 months its average comprehensive policy cost $456 for a 13-day trip, while medical-only plans averaged $87 for a 16-day trip, about $5 a day.
Price depends mainly on the travelers’ ages, trip length, medical and evacuation limits, the insured trip cost, single-trip versus annual coverage, and your state of residence.
Checking a plan and insurer
- Who issues the plan. Find the insurer’s legal name on the quote, not just the brand or website.
- License. Confirm the insurer and agent are licensed in your state through your state insurance department or the NAIC’s company and producer searches.
- Pre-approval rules. Ask whether you must call the assistance line before treatment or evacuation, since some plans reduce or deny benefits if you don’t.
- Direct billing. Ask whether the plan can pay hospitals directly or whether you pay first and file a claim.
- Exclusions. Read the exclusions for pre-existing conditions, hazardous activities, alcohol, and travel to countries under government warnings.
What an independent agency does
An independent insurance agency is licensed to sell policies from several insurance companies. Instead of quoting one company's products, an independent agent can compare options from the insurers the agency represents, explain the differences in coverage, and help you re-shop at renewal. The insurance company, not the agent, makes underwriting and claim decisions.
Blake Insurance Group is an independent agency. We work with clients by phone, email, and online in states where we are licensed, and we will tell you which insurers we can quote for your situation.
How we work
Blake Insurance Group serves clients by phone, email, and online in states where we are licensed. The insurers and plans we can offer depend on our appointments and your location; a company named on this page may not be available through us.
How to verify an insurer or agency
Before buying through any website or app, confirm who is selling you the policy and who will issue it:
- Find the licensed agency or insurer named in the site's footer, terms, or license page.
- Look up the agency or producer on your state insurance department's license search, or through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR).
- Look up the insurer on your state insurance department's company search to confirm it is authorized in your state.
- Save the insurer's name and policy number once issued, since that is who handles claims.
A legitimate service will make this information easy to find. Be cautious if you cannot identify the licensed entity.
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against the sources below in October 2026. Plans, prices, and rules change, so confirm current terms before you buy.
- U.S. Department of State: Insurance coverage overseas
- Medicare.gov: Travel outside the U.S.
- AARP: Does Medicare cover me outside the U.S.?
- NAIC: Should I get travel insurance?
- BCBS Global Solutions: Single Trip plans
- Squaremouth: What is a pre-existing conditions exclusion waiver?
- Squaremouth: How much does travel insurance cost in 2026?
What to have ready for a travel medical quote
These details help an agent quote accurately.
- Traveler details. Names and dates of birth for everyone traveling.
- Trip dates and destinations. Including countries you will pass through.
- Current health coverage. Your U.S. plan name and limits, since some plans require one.
- Trip cost. Only if you also want cancellation coverage.
- Activities. Diving, skiing, climbing, or other sports you plan to do.
Travel medical insurance FAQs
Does travel medical insurance cover trip cancellation?
No. Travel medical pays for medical care. Trip cancellation coverage is separate, though comprehensive plans include both.
Does Medicare cover me abroad?
Generally no. Original Medicare covers foreign care only in three narrow situations, and Part D does not cover drugs bought abroad. Some Medigap and Medicare Advantage plans add limited emergency coverage.
Can I buy travel medical insurance after I leave?
Many plans must be bought before departure. BCBS Global Solutions, for example, requires purchase in your home country before you leave, though it allows extensions while you are abroad.
How much medical coverage should I buy?
There is no single answer. Consider where you are going, how far you will be from advanced care, and whether your U.S. plan pays anything abroad. Evacuation limits matter as much as the medical maximum.
Related guides
Partner quote options
Sponsored
Blake Insurance Group works with the partners below. Each link opens the partner's own website, where its terms, eligibility rules, and privacy policy apply. Blake Insurance Group may be compensated if you buy through these links.
- BCBS Global Solutions (formerly GeoBlue): Travel medical plans for trips abroad and international health plans for people living, working, or studying outside their home country.
Important information
Compensation. Links in the partner section of this page are sponsored, and Blake Insurance Group may be paid if you make a purchase. Sponsored placement does not affect the other information on this page.
Independent agency. Blake Insurance Group LLC is an independent insurance agency. Licensed insurance producer NPN 16117464. Licensed states: AZ, AL, TX, CA, NY, OH, FL, NC, VA, GA, OK, NM, IA, KS, MI, NE, SC, SD, WV, IL, NJ, PA, TN, and WA. Which insurance companies we can quote depends on our current appointments, the product, and your state. Mentioning a company on this page does not mean we represent it.
Plan details. Plan features and figures on this page were checked against the listed sources in October 2026 and can change. Confirm current terms in the plan documents before you buy.
Coverage terms. Descriptions are general. The policy contract controls what is covered.
Availability. Coverage, prices, and eligibility vary by company, state, and applicant, and are subject to underwriting. The issued policy controls.
Your next step
Request a quote, and a licensed agent will compare options available to us for your trip or situation.
