Insurance. It’s probably not at the top of your list of things to get excited about when planning long-term travel.  In fact, I can almost hear you sighing as you are reading this, but let’s power through with this dry but important topic!

The terms ‘International Health (or Medical) Insurance’ and ‘Travel Insurance’ are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are NOT the same thing.  Depending on your family’s health, circumstances and travel plans you may need one or the other or, potentially, both.  

Spot the Difference

‍Health Insurance

I already have a Health Insurance Plan in my home country – can I just use this? 

Possibly not.  We would encourage you to speak to your existing provider, but many Domestic Health Plans have the following limitations that may mean they are not suitable for long-term, multi-destination travel:

• They tend to offer cover only within their country of issue.  A Domestic Health Plan may include some emergency medical expense coverage (similar to that available via Travel Insurance) but is unlikely to cover planned and unplanned medical treatment and routine trips to Doctors and/or Dentists outside of your home country.  If you are going to be moving from country to country your Domestic Health Plan may not fit the bill. 

• A Domestic Health Plan will be issued in the language of the issuing country and any helplines are similarly likely to be in the local language spoken.  International Health Plans, on the other hand, are much better equipped to handle multi-language support and documentation – which might really come in handy when dealing with medical providers in countries where language barriers could otherwise be a challenge.

• International Health Plans tend to have higher levels of coverage.  For example, a comprehensive International Health Plan may cover repatriation if you cannot obtain the necessary treatment locally and need to be transported back home.
  

I’m only travelling in the EU.  Can I just apply for and use a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)?

It’s great to have this on hand if this free card is available to you via your national health service, but it is not a substitute for Health or Travel Insurance.  

The EHIC (or GHIC if you are a resident of the United Kingdom reading this post-Brexit) provides the holder with access to state-provided healthcare for medically necessary treatment during a temporary stay within the EU, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland or Liechtenstein. 

It does NOT provide access to private healthcare nor cover medical repatriation.  Furthermore, it does not always guarantee access to state-provided healthcare.

Travel Insurance

Is all Travel Insurance created equal? 

The short answer is ‘no’.  When many of us think about Travel Insurance we are typically picturing the kind of cover that you might purchase as part of, or alongside, a package holiday.  Such cover is usually available to cover a ‘single trip’ of a specific duration or an ‘annual’ policy that covers multiple trips within 12 months.  Such policies may have restrictions related to the countries you are covered within and/or the amount of time you are allowed to spend abroad.  However, some insurance providers now offer Travel Insurance policies specifically designed for long-term travellers and Digital Nomads!  

What should I look for when comparing cover?

Generally speaking, a policy should include the following cover either as standard or via an optional ‘bolt-on’ cover:  

Medical Related

• Emergency medical treatment 
• Emergency dental treatment 
• Hospital room and board 
• Local ambulance service
• Outpatient care
• Emergency evacuation or repatriation 
• Crisis response in the event of an emergency or disaster (e.g. earthquake or terrorist attack)
• Adventurous activities*
• Worst case scenario, returning your body home.
  

Travel Related

• Trip interruption (‘curtailment’) 
• Trip cancellation 
• Lost or stolen luggage or personal possessions 
  

The above list is not exhaustive, and you should consider what is of particular importance to you and your family when shopping around.  Don’t forget to check the small print!  I know I know – yawn!  But this may help you avoid any disappointment later down the line.  

*If you like your adventure activities or zipping about on a hired motorbike or scooter (with or without the relevant licence) during your travels pay particular attention to what your preferred Travel Insurance provider will cover.  Some will cover a multitude of adrenaline-fuelled activities as standard whilst others may cover some activities only or perhaps none at all.  Scuba Diving is one pursuit, in particular, to check the details on.  Many providers will cover this, but only for dives up to a certain depth.  If you are planning on exploring that hard-to-reach sunken ship or cave, but it’s classed as a ‘deep dive’, make sure your chosen cover caters for this.  Decompression treatment and medical repatriation can cost more than 6-figures! 

Round-the-clock support! 

A final point to consider is whether your chosen provider offers Global Assistance 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  The last thing you want when faced with an emergency is getting an out-of-hours message on your Travel Insurer’s Helpline!  This point is equally applicable when considering International Health Insurance.   

Safety Wing 

Safety Wing is a popular provider of both travel and health insurance for digital nomads used by several Boundless Life Crew members and families alike. Boundless Life has a partnership with them. 

For information about their ‘Remote Health’ Health Insurance product and an exclusive 50% discount please use this link. 

If you just need Travel Insurance, you can get a quote for Safety Wing’s Nomad Insurance here.

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Disclaimer 

Information is, to the best of our knowledge, correct as of 01.05.2022.

The purpose of this article is to provide you with helpful information, but it should not be considered as a substitute for professional advice.  Every Boundless Life member will have a unique set of circumstances, demands, and needs when it comes to selecting Health and/or Travel insurance, so the above is presented as a general guide and does not constitute financial advice or recommendation. Boundless Life Hospitality Corp. will not be liable for actions taken based on the content of this article.