best medical travel insurance

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Buying the Best Travel Medical Insurance for You [2024]

Christy Rodriguez

Travel & Finance Content Contributor

88 Published Articles

Countries Visited: 36 U.S. States Visited: 31

Keri Stooksbury

Editor-in-Chief

36 Published Articles 3280 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 47 U.S. States Visited: 28

Table of Contents

What is travel medical insurance, what does travel medical insurance cover, what doesn’t travel medical insurance cover, what travel medical insurance isn’t, how does travel medical insurance work, how much does travel medical insurance cost, which company has the best travel medical insurance, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our  Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

The thought of getting sick or injured while traveling can be one of the most stressful aspects of planning a trip. Often, travelers assume that their primary health insurance will cover all costs of medical expenses on their trip, but not every health insurance plan covers every country and situation.

To ensure you have coverage if you need it, you may need to consider purchasing travel medical insurance. This can fill the gap between your regular insurance and any coverage you may have with your credit cards . We’ll break down all of the important details and tell you everything you should know about travel medical insurance.

If you are traveling domestically within your own country, you will likely be covered by your primary health insurance. If you are traveling abroad, your coverage may not extend to those other countries. This is primarily where travel medical insurance comes into play.

Travel medical insurance is a type of international insurance designed to cover emergency health care costs you might face when you are traveling or vacationing abroad.

A travel medical policy can be an important addition to your trip since your primary health plan may not cover you fully if you need assistance outside of your home country. An uninsured injury or illness abroad can result in a huge financial burden that can be significantly reduced by having travel medical insurance.

Bottom Line: Travel medical insurance is recommended by the U.S. Department of State, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO).

According to Allianz Travel, the most common overseas medical emergencies that are claimed include:

• Fractures from falls
• Cardiovascular problems such as a heart attack or stroke
• Trauma involving motor vehicles
• Respiratory problems such as a collapsed lung

So going with that first item, let’s say you’re exploring Europe and end up twisting your ankle on the beautiful, but uneven cobblestone streets in Rome. Depending on the plan you choose, you may be covered for:

• The cost of a local ambulance to transport you to the hospital
• Your emergency room co-payment
• The bill for your hospital room and board
• Any other eligible medical expenses, up to your plan limits

But there are limitations to travel medical insurance. Before you purchase a plan, it’s important to know exactly what you are buying — including which things are and aren’t included in your coverage.

Travel medical plans are designed to help in the event of an unforeseen illness or injury while traveling abroad. Travel medical insurance offers emergency medical expense coverage as well as emergency evacuation coverage. This means that the plan will reimburse you for reasonable and customary costs of emergency medical and dental care (up to the plan limits — discussed below).

It is important to look closely at all plans you are interested in since many important things are hidden in the details. You might also find it helpful to brush up on your insurance lingo before doing this.

Plan Limits

Travel medical insurance covers emergency medical costs up to the plan limit. Plan limits vary greatly by plan but typically fall between $50,000 and $2,000,000. This is obviously a HUGE range, so you will have to determine the correct amount of coverage based on a few key items:

• How much (if any) will your own health insurance plan or credit card cover when you’re traveling outside of your home country? As we discussed above, Medicare doesn’t cover you at all outside of the U.S., so this would be an instance where you might want your plan’s coverage limit to be higher.
• How long is your trip? If you’re going to be away for more than 1 to 2 months, you might want a higher plan limit to account for the greater exposure to risk.
• Do you need extra coverage due to risky activities? For example, if you expect to ski, mountain climb, or do any other risky activities where you might get injured, you might want a higher plan limit.
• What do you feel comfortable with?  If you feel safer having $100,000 as opposed to $50,000, then that may be the right decision for you. This insurance plan should provide you a sense of security so you can enjoy your trip.
• Deductibles

Most medical single trip plans have some sort of deductible that you must pay before any benefits will be paid. After this, your travel medical insurance will cover any remaining costs, up to the plan’s limit.

However, you will be offered the option to increase, decrease, or remove the deductible altogether. Based on this choice, the price you pay (aka the premium) will be affected accordingly. For example, if you choose a higher deductible, your premium will decrease. If you choose a lower (or no) deductible, your premium will increase.

Length of Trip

You are covered by travel medical insurance based on the type of plan you purchase. These come in 3 types:

Single-Trip Coverage

This is the most common type of travel medical insurance. When you leave your home, go on a trip, and then return home, this is considered to be a single trip. While on your trip, you can still visit multiple countries and destinations all under the umbrella of this single trip. You will be covered for the duration of this trip under a single trip travel medical insurance plan.

Multi-Trip Coverage

Multi-trip coverage is for multiple trips and often purchased in 3-, 6-, and 12-month segments.

Long-Term Coverage

This is continuous medical coverage for the long-term traveler (think expats or people working abroad) and is typically paid on a monthly basis.

Does Travel Medical Insurance Cover COVID-19?

Many travel insurance policies offer good medical coverage, but not all plans cover expenses related to COVID-19 . If that’s important to you, make sure to verify that the plan you’re buying specifically covers you in case you contract COVID-19.

In general, cancellations due to fear of travel are not covered. However, some plans cover you if you or your covered traveling companion were to become sick as a result of COVID-19. This means that you could still receive benefits for the losses that are covered by the plan.

Many countries around the world , such as Costa Rica and the United Arab Emirates, are even requiring travelers to hold a specific level of medical coverage to account for COVID-19-related medical care and evacuation.

In addition, “ Cancel for Any Reason ” has become a hot topic. This optional coverage is not available with all plans but lets you cancel a trip for a partial refund no matter what your reason — including unexpected travel bans, lengthy quarantine periods, or cancellations due to concerns over COVID-19.

Since travel medical insurance is meant to cover emergencies, certain types of expenses are excluded from most travel medical policies. In addition, for insurance purposes, a pre-existing condition is general defined as any condition:

• For which medical advice, diagnosis, care, or treatment was recommended or received within a defined period of time prior to your coverage date (varies from plan to plan, but is typically within 60 days to 2 years)
• That would cause a “reasonably prudent person” to seek medical advice, diagnosis, care, or treatment prior to your coverage date
• That existed prior to your effective date of coverage, whether or not it was known to you (commonly includes pregnancy)

Hot Tip: You do not need a medical examination in order to purchase travel insurance. If you have a claim, the insurance company will investigate to ensure that your claim occurred during the coverage period of your policy and wasn’t a result of any pre-existing conditions.

Here are some of the most frequent exclusions:

• Pre-existing conditions as defined above
• Routine medical examinations and care (i.e. wellness exams, ongoing prescriptions, etc.)
• Routine prenatal, pregnancy, childbirth, and post-natal care
• Medical expenses for injury or illness caused by extreme sports
• Mental health disorders
• Injury caused by the effects of intoxication or illegal drugs
• Payments exceeding the plan limit

Unless you’ve purchased a comprehensive travel insurance plan, other exclusions include claims related to:

• Trip cancellation
• Lost luggage
• Rental car damage

Be sure to read the description of coverage for any plan you’re considering before you make the purchase. While reading the entire document front to back can be tedious, it’s better to know what’s excluded before you attempt to make a claim.

Now that we’ve let you know what is and isn’t covered by travel medical insurance, we’ll also breakdown the difference between travel medical insurance and other similar options.

Comprehensive Travel Insurance

Comprehensive travel insurance plans offer the most benefits of all plan types and will typically include medical coverage. It can offer you additional coverage for things like trip cancellation, trip delay and cancellation, lost luggage, and more. It’s the best way to cover a host of potential common travel-related problems.

Some comprehensive plans also offer additional coverage for things like rental car damage, Cancel for Any Reason, or a pre-existing condition waiver.

Bottom Line: Comprehensive travel insurance is a full-service plan and includes travel medical coverage as well as other coverages that will protect all aspects of your trip. 

Health Insurance

You might be thinking that already have medical insurance provided by your employer or through Medicare. However, when you travel to other countries, your primary health insurance might not go with you. Before your trip, check to see whether your domestic plan provides any coverage once you’ve left your home country since many offer limited or no coverage.

In case of a medical emergency, you will want to be able to lay your hands quickly on your travel insurance plan’s contact information for the 24-hour Emergency Assistance program as well as your policy number, so make sure to keep this information somewhere that is easily accessible. Also, be sure you know how to place a call to that number from outside the country.

This is important because you’ll be required to call your travel insurance provider and notify them that you need to be seen by a medical professional as soon as possible. Obviously, you may not be medically able to call before you seek emergency medical treatment, but you should do so as soon as you are able to.

The earlier you can call, the more likely it is that you can avoid any issues for payment of claims and you can also get help and advice from the company’s emergency assistance program.

Bottom Line: Specific details on when and how to contact your insurance provider in case of a medical emergency vary by plan and provider, so thoroughly review these details in your plan information.

For example, in the event of an emergency that requires emergency medical evacuation, your insurance provider will have to approve the evacuation and even make those arrangements for you. If you don’t call ahead to have them do this, the company may not approve the expense and you may be stuck paying for the evacuation in full.

Once you are actually at a medical facility to receive care, make sure to document the experience as thoroughly as possible. This means asking for copies of all of your records before you check out. You’ll need to provide these records to the insurance company when you eventually file your claim and having proof of treatment and costs will assist you in filing a successful claim and getting your money back as soon as possible.

Travel medical insurance plans can vary widely in price, but in general, plans cost anywhere between 4-10% of your total non-refundable trip cost. The pricing of any plan takes into consideration many things, including a few that we discussed above, to determine the cost. These include:

• Age of travelers
• Plan limits
• Supplemental plans such as “Cancel For Any Reason” coverage or coverage for pre-existing conditions
• Length of trip

In addition, if you decide that a comprehensive plan is a better choice for you, this will also increase the price.

The best travel medical insurance company for you may be determined by what type and how much coverage you’d like to have. Let’s review a few options and companies to consider.

Credit Card Coverage

Many premium cards have some medical coverage, so be sure to look over all of the best credit cards for travel insurance coverage and protection.

For example, cardholders of The Platinum Card ® from American Express may already have $15,000 of secondary medical coverage . For many, this may be enough, but for others, you may not feel comfortable at this level of coverage and want to purchase a travel medical insurance policy.

Travel Medical Insurance Policies

If you are looking to purchase a plan from a reputable company, a few options include:

1. Patriot Travel Medical Insurance from IMG Global

For the out-of-country plans, Patriot offers:

• Short-term travel medical coverage
• Coverage for individuals, groups, and their dependents
• Daily or monthly rates
• Freedom to seek treatment with the hospital or doctor of your choice

The following plans are available based on the level of coverage that you desire and you can request a quote through their website linked above.

2. GeoBlue Single Trip Traveler Medical Insurance

GeoBlue offers both the “Voyager Choice” and “Voyager Essential” single trip plans. Both plans allow you to choose your level of medical coverage (from $50,000 up to $1 million) and offer $500,000 in emergency medical transportation and repatriation coverage.

The main difference between the 2 plans is that the Choice plan does not require you to be covered by a primary health plan, but doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions. The Voyager plan will cover all pre-existing conditions, but functions as a secondary coverage after your primary health plan.

3. Allianz Travel Medical Insurance

Allianz offers an Emergency Medical plan that offers additional benefits that extend beyond simply medical coverage. This plan is a comprehensive plan that covers lost baggage and trip cancellation and delay, in addition to emergency medical coverage. See just a few of these benefits below:

In addition, many companies, such as AAA,  offer travel insurance through Allianz, so you may receive a further discount if you reference your AAA policy.

Travel medical insurance can be beneficial for most travelers when traveling internationally as most primary health insurance plans won’t cover you abroad. We hope we’ve given you the tools you need to select a plan that works best for you and your travel needs.

At the end of the day, a travel medical plan is a great option if you’re traveling abroad and are not worried about covering trip costs due to a cancellation or added expenses due to a travel delay. Anyone looking for robust coverage for baggage or interruption should consider an upgrade to a more comprehensive plan.

All information and content provided by Upgraded Points is intended as general information and for educational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as medical advice or legal advice. For more information, see our  Medical & Legal Disclaimers .

Frequently Asked Questions

How much travel medical insurance do i need.

When considering the amount of coverage you’d like for your travel medical insurance plan, consider the following:

• How much (if any) will your own health insurance plan or credit card cover when you’re traveling outside of your home country?
• How long is your trip?
• Do you need extra coverage due to risky activities?
• What amount of coverage do you feel comfortable with?

Refer to the section titled “Plan Limits” for more detailed considerations.

How long does it take to receive travel medical insurance?

Travel medical insurance coverage starts the day of your trip, so you want to make sure you sign up for it before you leave. Most plans allow you to buy insurance up until the day before your trip.

However, the best time to buy travel medical insurance is within 15 days of making the first payment on your trip, since buying early can often qualify you for bonus coverages.

Is travel medical insurance worth it?

Depending on your primary health insurance and any secondary coverage you might be eligible for, travel medical insurance can still be a great tool to protect you from financial hits caused by injury or illness.

In addition, travel medical insurance can help organize assistance in extreme circumstances (such as medical evacuation). You can also pick the appropriate level of coverage to make you feel comfortable.

Does AAA offer travel medical insurance?

Yes, AAA offers travel medical insurance, but it is usually serviced by another company such as IMG Global or Allianz. You will normally receive a greater discount if you mention your AAA insurance policy, so don’t forget to include this when you request a quote!

Can you get travel insurance when already abroad?

Most companies do not offer travel insurance policies once your trip has already begun. There are a few reputable companies, such as  World Nomads and  SafetyWing , that are set up for long-term travel.

These companies allow you to purchase plans once your trip has already begun, but the rates may be higher than a plan that was purchased prior to leaving for your trip.

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About Christy Rodriguez

After having “non-rev” privileges with Southwest Airlines, Christy dove into the world of points and miles so she could continue traveling for free. Her other passion is personal finance, and is a certified CPA.

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6 best travel insurance companies of June 2024

Travel insurance can protect you against a range of unforeseen events, from lost bags to medical emergencies..

Whether you're taking a family vacation to Disney World or a romantic cruise through the Mediterranean, travel insurance could help protect your trip from the unexpected. From trip cancellations and flight delays to medical emergencies, travel insurance could protect you financially and give you peace of mind.

There are several different types of travel insurance plans to choose from when shopping for a policy. Here are a few of the common coverage types:

• Trip cancellation coverage : Helps recoup travel expenses if you can't travel, though generally limited to specific reasons.  
• Travel delay coverage: Helps cover expenses if your travel is delayed due to a covered reason. 
• Trip interruption coverage: Helps if you need to cut your trip short. Covered reasons may include an injury or illness on the trip, or a family emergency at home. 
• Medical expenses and emergency evacuation coverage: This covers unforeseen medical expenses when traveling outside the U.S. where your health insurance may not work. Emergency evacuation could help get you home if medically needed while overseas. 
• Baggage loss: Covers baggage lost, damaged or stolen during your trip.

You'll also want to consider the prospective insurer's epidemic-related coverage. Each insurance company covers epidemic-related issues, such as Covid-19, differently, so check the fine print on a policy you're considering.  

CNBC Select analyzed dozens of different U.S. travel insurance products and narrowed down the top six for all sorts of travelers. (Read more about our methodology below.)

Best travel insurance companies

• Best for lost baggage and personal belongings: AXA Assistance USA travel insurance  
• Best for customization: Travel Guard travel insurance
• Best for cancellation coverage: Allianz travel insurance
• Best for travel medical plans: USI Affinity travel insurance
• Best for cruise insurance: Nationwide travel insurance
• Best for luxury travel: Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection

Best for lost baggage and personal belongings 

Axa assistance usa travel insurance.

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

Policy highlights

AXA Assistance USA offers several travel insurance policies that include travel interruption, trip cancellation, and the option of cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage.

24/7 assistance available

• Three tiers of plans available
• Highly rated for financial strength
• Cancel for any reason only available on highest-tier coverage

AXA Assistance USA ’s travel insurance offers three different plans for travelers to choose from, with the most basic plans including trip interruption and cancellation and baggage and personal effects coverage. The platinum plan offers coverage for lost ski days and golf rounds, ideal for trips centering around those activities. 

Best for customization

Travel guard® travel insurance.

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.

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

For those wanting to cover an upcoming trip, Travel Guard is a strong option because of its variety of coverage types. With three base packages available online and more options available through a representative, there are a variety of ways to customize your policy. The deluxe, preferred and essential plans include coverage for one related child age 17 or younger.

Best for trip cancellation coverage

Allianz travel insurance.

10 travel insurance plans make it possible to customize your coverage. For families, Allianz's OneTrip Prime package covers children age 17 and younger when traveling with a parent or grandparent.

• Trip cancellation benefits can reimburse your prepaid, nonrefundable trip payments if you have to cancel your trip for one of the covered reasons stated in your plan documents. 
• Limited coverage for risky sports

Travelers who want the ability to cancel their trips will find 10 different travel insurance policies through Allianz . You can either purchase coverage for a specific trip or purchase an annual plan that covers an entire year's worth of trips. Instead of basic cancel for any reason coverage, Allianz offers a Cancel Anytime policy that can reimburse up to 80% of prepaid, non-refundable trip costs, while many other companies we reviewed cap "cancel for any reason" (CFAR) coverage at 75%. 

Best for travel medical plans

Usi affinity travel insurance.

USI Affinity has travel medical policies in addition to trip cancellation policies. Travel medical plans include an option for frequent travelers to cover multiple trips. Trip cancellation options include coverage for road trips and group travel.

• Wide variety of plans for both trip cancellation coverage and travel medical insurance
• CFAR only covers up to 70% of non-refundable trip costs

People who are traveling out of the country can find medical plans from USI Affinity to cover them during their travels. Frequent travelers can get an annual medical plan that covers them on multiple trips of 30 days or less. This company also has trip cancellation insurance policies in addition to global travel medical plans. 

Best for cruise insurance

Nationwide travel insurance.

Nationwide's wide coverage for travel insurance allows many different types of travelers to find coverage that fits their needs. Three levels of cruise insurance coverage gives extra options to cruise passengers.

• 10-day review period on cruise insurance policies to make sure the plan meets your needs (not available in NY or WA)
• Most basic cruise plan doesn't offer CFAR coverage

Those planning a cruise in the future might find cruise-specific travel insurance helpful. Nationwide offers cruise-specific insurance that can cover things like emergency accidents, sicknesses, itinerary changes and trip interruptions to start. Nationwide offers three tiers of cruise insurance (universal, choice and luxury) to get the right level of coverage for every type of trip. Nationwide offers a 10-day review period on its cruise policies (though unavailable in NY or WA), giving you extra time to look over the policy and ensure it’s a good fit. 

Best for luxury travel 

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.

• Wide variety of policies available
• Strong financial strength rating by AM Best
• Cancel for any reason only provides reimbursement for up to 50% of non-refundable trip payments

Since a luxury vacation is a large investment, insuring it could ensure that cost is covered if you have to cancel or have your trip interrupted. Berkshire Hathaway ’s LuxuryCare travel insurance has high limits of coverage for trip interruption coverage, medical expenses, and coverage for things like sporting equipment. Berkshire Hathaway also covers cruises and adventure travel with other separate plans. 

Travel insurance FAQs

How do i choose the best travel insurance .

The best travel insurance is one that will meet your needs, cover the type of travel you’re doing (and the experiences you’re planning) and will give you the peace of mind you need. 

Shopping around for travel insurance can help you make sure that you get the best deal possible. Since policies and coverage can vary by company, it could be helpful to get several quotes and compare the coverage limits and types available from several companies to find the best deal for your specific needs and trip. 

To simplify the shopping process, a travel insurance comparison site like InsureMyTrip or Squaremouth could help you understand how much you’ll spend and what types of insurance coverage are available for your trip. 

Is travel insurance worth it? 

Whether or not travel insurance is worth it could depend on the types of coverage you already have, including whether or not an existing travel credit card you hold could provide similar coverage, and whether that would cover your concerns. 

Some travel credit cards offer car rental insurance , baggage insurance, trip delay insurance, and trip cancellation and interruption insurance. In addition, others offer more coverage like travel accident insurance. 

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® , for example, offers travel accident insurance, emergency evacuation insurance, and coverage for baggage delays and lost luggage reimbursement. Several of CNBC Select’s top travel credit cards also offer some credit card travel insurance that could cover potential travel issues.

How much does travel insurance cost?

The average travel insurance costs between 4% and 10% of your prepaid, non-refundable trip costs, according to travel insurance marketplace InsureMyTrip . 

However, travel insurance costs vary based on the cost of the travel you’re insuring, as well as the age of the travelers and any extra coverage that’s added to the policy. 

Bottom line

Travel insurance can cover a range unexpected events on your trip, from lost baggage to emergency medical expenses. While costs vary based on age, type of coverage and trip costs, it can be useful if you need to cancel or cut your trip short.

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 .

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 travel insurance review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of travel 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. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best travel insurance.

Our methodology 

To determine the best travel insurance companies, CNBC Select analyzed dozens of U.S. travel insurance companies that come with a wide variety of policies and offer coverage for many situations. 

When narrowing down the best travel insurance companies, we focused on the coverage available, including the number of plans available, 24/7 assistance availability and cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage availability. We also considered financial strength ratings from AM Best and Better Business Bureau ratings for customer satisfaction. 

From there, we sorted our recommendations by the best overall and runner-up, best for cancellation coverage, best for travel medical plans, best for cruise insurance and best for luxury travel.

Note that the premiums and policy structures advertised for travel insurance companies are subject to fluctuate per the company’s policies.

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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Travel Medical Insurance Emergency Healthcare Coverage

Alex Carver is a writer and researcher based in Charlotte, N.C. A contributor to major news websites such as Automoblog and USA Today, she’s written content in sectors such as insurance, warranties, shipping, real estate and more.

Tori Addison is an editor who has worked in the digital marketing industry for over five years. Her experience includes communications and marketing work in the nonprofit, governmental and academic sectors. A journalist by trade, she started her career covering politics and news in New York’s Hudson Valley. Her work included coverage of local and state budgets, federal financial regulations and health care legislation.

Key Takeaways:

• Based on our comprehensive review, the companies offering the best travel medical insurance are Faye, IMG, Travelex, AIG Travel Guard and Allianz.
• Travel medical insurance is a specialized type of coverage that helps pay for medical bills and emergency evacuations if you’re hurt or become sick while traveling.
• Travel medical insurance might be worth considering for your next trip if you have a domestic health insurance policy that will not cover you in other countries.

What Is Travel Medical Insurance?

International travel medical insurance is a type of insurance that can help cover the cost of medical care abroad. If you’re on vacation and suffer a sudden injury or illness, you may need to receive care from a local facility, which your domestic health insurance might not cover. Depending on your location, you might even require transportation to a more advanced facility via Helivac or other specialized medical transport.

Without travel medical insurance, coverage is up to the discretion of your health insurance provider. If not covered, you could accrue thousands of dollars in medical bills by the time you return home, especially if you need emergency medical evacuation services. If you have a travel insurance plan with medical coverage, your insurance provider will cover certain expenses up to your coverage maximum.

Travel medical insurance is sold as a part of a larger travel insurance plan or as stand-alone coverage. When bundled with standard travel insurance, you’ll gain benefits like compensation for delayed baggage and nonrefundable trip costs if you’re forced to go home early. Most plans also include 24/7 assistance services that can help you communicate with local medical staff and arrange care payments.

Travel medical coverage is worth considering if your domestic health insurance does not extend to injuries and illnesses sustained abroad. For example, a private health insurance plan might provide coverage overseas, but Medicaid usually won’t . Consider a limited travel medical plan that provides secondary coverage if your health insurance has a higher deductible or out-of-pocket maximum. Like other types of travel insurance, travel medical coverage works on a reimbursement-based model — so it is important to keep documentation of all medical expenses you incur while on your trip.

Travel Health Insurance vs Traditional Travel Insurance

A medical-only travel insurance policy provides a limited range of benefits that can help cover the costs of emergency medical bills incurred while traveling.

Medical-only policies are typically more affordable than full travel insurance but will not provide trip delay and interruption benefits. For example, if you get sick on vacation and must go home, medical-only insurance will not compensate you for nonrefundable flights or hotel costs.

The table below summarizes the types of coverage you can expect from travel medical insurance policies versus a complete travel insurance plan.

The coronavirus pandemic shifted how most people travel worldwide, and travel insurance companies now typically include COVID-19 coverage within plans . Most reputable travel medical insurance companies list COVID-19 as a covered reason for medical coverage. If you are worried about the virus while traveling, we recommend reading your provider’s sample policy to ensure COVID-19 coverage is eligible for reimbursement.

What Does International Travel Medical Insurance Cover?

Travel medical insurance, also known as travel health insurance, is designed to cover various medical expenses incurred during your travels. Just as standard health insurance covers emergencies at home, travel medical coverage helps pay for hospital stays or healthcare expenses if you get hurt while traveling. However, most travel medical plans also include additional benefits beyond coverage for hospital bills.

Policies often have emergency medical evacuation coverage, which covers the cost of evacuation if you get hurt in a location without readily available medical care. Medical transport can become expensive, often costing tens of thousands of dollars , so this coverage can help keep you from paying out-of-pocket for life-saving services. Coverage may also include benefits for AD&D and repatriation of remains if you pass away abroad.

Also, pay attention to coverage levels and any deductibles when selecting a travel medical plan. Every travel medical plan should include a maximum amount your insurer should pay in the event of an accident, with some policy providers limiting coverage to as low as $5,000. Evaluate included coverages and limitations compared to policy pricing to ensure you’re getting a value for what you pay.

Most travel insurance plans state that the provider will not cover medical bills originating from a sporting injury. If you intend on backpacking, hiking, skiing or participating in another outdoor activity, look for an insurance provider offering a sports extension or add-on. The adventure sports add-on available from most travel insurance providers extends your medical benefits to include recreational accidents.

What To Know About Coverage Maximums, Exclusions and Deductibles

Understanding coverage maximums, exclusions, and deductibles is essential when purchasing a travel medical insurance plan. A coverage maximum is the most an insurer will pay for benefits such as emergency medical expenses. Exclusions include situations and procedures not covered under your travel medical policy. If your plan includes a deductible, it works like a domestic health insurance plan — you need to pay the deductible amount out-of-pocket before your insurance plan takes effect.

The Best Travel Medical Insurance Plans for 2024

Compare our top-rated travel insurers with medical coverage below:

While Faye only offers one general travel insurance plan with high medical coverage limits of up to $250,000, more than other competitors we reviewed. The company also offers the option to add up to $250,000 in adventure and extreme sports coverage. Also, as long as you purchase coverage within 14 days of your initial deposit and are medically able to travel, Faye will cover some pre-existing medical conditions. We found the average cost of a Faye travel insurance plan is $298.

• Pre-existing conditions coverage: Yes
• Medical deductible: Not applicable
• COVID-19 coverage: Yes (included under medical coverage)

International Medical Group

IMG is another one of our top picks for travel medical insurance. It offers a wide variety of medical coverage that caters to many travelers, with limits that go above and beyond other options if you purchase one of its highest-tier plans. The average cost of an IMG Travel Insurance plan is $217. However, it’s worth noting that our team found IMG was more expensive when choosing the highest medical coverage limits offered.

• Pre-existing condition coverage: Includes emergency care if a pre-existing condition becomes life-threatening or requires immediate treatment
• Medical deductible: $0–$25,000, depending on the plan.

We chose Travelex as one of our top travel medical insurance providers primarily for its low-priced, affordable coverage. Its travel insurance plans offer up to $50,000 in medical coverage, and you can purchase an adventure sports upgrade if you plan on participating in such activities. However, we found its Travel Med policy — which may benefit spontaneous travelers and is available to purchase the day of your departure. However, this coverage is not available to travelers residing in Pennsylvania.

• Pre-existing condition coverage: Available with a pre-existing condition exclusion waiver if you meet certain criteria
• Medical deductible: Not available for primary coverage plans

AIG Travel Guard

AIG Travel Guard’s standard plans offer high limits for emergency medical coverage and medical evacuation, along with trip interruption, baggage, and cancellation coverage. It also offers a plan known as Medevac that provides travel medical and evacuation insurance for trips lasting up to a year. Based on our research, the Medevac plan offers high limits for evacuation of up to $5 million, much more than many other insurers we reviewed.

• Pre-existing conditions coverage: Available with a pre-existing condition exclusion waiver if you meet certain criteria

Allianz Global Assistance

Allianz offers an affordable medical-only plan for travelers who may not need trip cancellation or interruption benefits or those with a credit card that already offers standard travel insurance benefits. This plan offers emergency medical benefits totaling up to $50,000 and emergency transportation benefits up to $250,000. Pre-existing coverage is also available if you meet the requirements.

• Pre-existing conditions coverage: Available with a waiver if you meet certain criteria

Our Ratings

Why trust us, how we ranked international health insurance providers.

When ranking international health insurance providers, we considered benefits that include emergency medical, evacuation and repatriation, pre-existing conditions and COVID-19 coverage. We also examined each company’s standard travel insurance plans and standalone medical coverage policies. Some providers offer higher medical limits through standard travel insurance policies versus others with standalone medical plans, which could appeal to travelers looking for medical coverage only.

How We Rate Travel Insurance Companies

Our team surveyed dozens of travel insurance providers and created a scoring system to judge each company based on coverage, quality and service. We also collected sample quotes from each company, both over the phone and on the Internet, to simulate an authentic customer experience. Here are the factors we take into consideration when rating providers:

• Cost (10%) : We obtained quotes for seven trips with varying destinations, number of travelers, traveler ages and trip costs. Travel insurance companies at or below our calculated average cost of $221 earn full points in this category
• Plan availability (10%) : We look for insurers that offer a variety of travel insurance plans and can customize a policy with coverage upgrades.
• Coverage details (29%) : A provider with robust coverage earns full points, including baggage delay and loss, COVID-19 coverage, emergency evacuation and medical coverage, trip delay and cancellation coverage, and more.
• Coverage times and amounts (34%) : Companies that offer customers reimbursement after fewer than 12 hours of delays earn full points in this category. We also reward travel insurance providers that cover more than 100% of trip costs in the event of cancellations or interruptions.
• Company service and reviews (17%) : We look for indicators that a company is well-prepared to respond to customer needs. Companies with an established global resource network, 24/7 emergency hotline, mobile app, multiple ways to file a claim and concierge services score higher in this category. We assess reputation by evaluating consumer reviews, third-party financial strength and customer experience ratings, specifically from AM Best and the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

A.M. Best Disclaimer

Who Needs Travel Medical Insurance?

Some travelers may benefit more from travel medical insurance than others. If you have a pre-existing health condition, for example, you may need medical services or assistance abroad. You may also consider coverage if you plan on participating in extreme or adventure sports such as bungee jumping, windsurfing, or scuba diving. While some companies exclude extreme sport-related injuries from coverage, others offer add-on protection. For this reason, it is important to check coverage exclusions associated with a travel medical insurance plan before purchase.

Other types of travelers who could benefit from a travel medical insurance policy include jet-setters with a credit card that offers coverage for travel delays or trip interruptions, as there’s no need to purchase a full trip insurance policy in this case. Travel medical insurance may also benefit those strictly concerned about covering potential health expenses abroad, not trip expenses.

When Is Travel Health Insurance Required?

When you travel outside your home country, travel medical insurance may be required or strongly recommended. Many countries, particularly those in the Schengen Area of Europe , require travelers to have sufficient travel insurance before issuing a visa or allowing entry. This became an especially prominent issue during the COVID-19 pandemic when more and more countries outside of Europe began requiring Americans to carry medical insurance as a condition of travel.

To verify whether travel health insurance is required where you’re traveling, research your destination using the U.S. Department of State website . The Department of State maintains a list of entry requirements for U.S. passport holders and permanent residents. Travel experts recommend shopping for coverage at least one month before your trip to ensure the documentation arrives before you travel.

Depending on entry requirements and your current health insurance provider, your primary health insurance may qualify as sufficient medical coverage for a visa entry. Even if travel medical insurance is not required, you may still choose to invest in some level of coverage. Even with standard health insurance, you might not have any or enough coverage when you travel abroad — meaning even a minor injury could leave you with thousands of dollars in bills when you get home.

Read More: Travel Insurance For Visitors To U.S.

How Pre-Existing Conditions Affect International Health Insurance

Some travelers deal with pre-existing health conditions that could impact their travels. Life-long conditions such as asthma and diabetes to a more recent temporary diagnosis can affect your international health insurance coverage.

A few providers will not offer travel medical insurance to people with pre-existing conditions to avoid responsibility for travelers with a greater risk of medical needs overseas. Most other companies ask you to sign a waiver before agreeing to cover potential medical bills related to recent or ongoing health issues. This waiver typically requires proof that you’re medically able to travel, so expect to provide a letter from your physician stating so.

Angela Borden, a product marketing specialist at Seven Corners , encourages travelers with pre-existing conditions to “contact your insurance provider to be sure you fully understand the pre-existing conditions coverage for the plan you choose. Being prepared and having the information before you need it in an emergency makes a huge difference.” Borden also noted, “There may be a requirement for when you receive treatment for your pre-existing conditions. For example, some Seven Corners travel medical plans require you to receive immediate emergency care within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms for that treatment to be covered.” 

We encourage you to read through your policy’s fine print to fully understand any requirements for travel coverage with pre-existing conditions. This way, you can enjoy your trip with peace of mind.

Types of Travel Medical Insurance Plans

When searching for travel health insurance plans, you may encounter primary, secondary, single-trip, and multi-trip insurance policies. In the sections below, we will explore each of these and detail which policies are best for specific travelers.

Primary vs. Secondary Health Insurance

Some travel medical insurance providers offer both primary and secondary health insurance plans. Primary plans pay for medical expenses before any other coverage you might have. This is especially useful for travelers whose primary plans only cover medical care domestically.

However, if you already have health insurance that extends abroad, consider a secondary travel medical insurance plan. This plan requires your existing health policy to pay first. Once you’ve hit your limits through your primary insurer, a secondary plan should cover the rest.

Do I Need U.S. Health Insurance To Qualify for International Travel Health Insurance?

You do not need U.S.-based health insurance to obtain certain international travel health insurance policies, such as most single-trip plans. However, note that domestic health insurance typically does not cover medical expenses abroad . However, some providers, such as HTH Worldwide , have separate policies available to travelers with and without a primary health plan.

If you do not have U.S. health insurance, we recommend purchasing a primary travel medical insurance plan. We also recommend considering primary travel medical insurance if your standard health insurance lacks international coverage.

Single-Trip vs. Annual Travel Medical Insurance

If you’re a frequent traveler and plan on taking multiple trips per year, you might consider annual travel medical insurance over a single-trip plan. Single-trip coverage only covers you for one trip. This trip could involve multiple destinations, such as traveling through various European countries over a few weeks. However, your coverage ends once you return home.

Annual travel insurance, also known as a multi-trip policy, typically covers policyholders planning to take several trips back-to-back, with coverage usually lasting up to a year. If you travel often, this coverage offers a cheaper and more ideal alternative to purchasing multiple single-trip policies. 

Note that your rates and coverage will vary based on your travel needs, so we recommend comparing quotes from multiple providers and deciding what’s most important to you in a travel medical insurance plan.

Health Insurance for Expats

If you plan to live and work abroad for more than a year, you may consider health insurance for expats over a standard travel insurance plan. These plans can provide long-term coverage for individuals and family members living overseas, and you can renew coverage annually for as long as you’re abroad.

However, travel medical insurance policies can provide additional protection not typically found through a standard international health insurance plan, such as emergency medical evacuation and repatriation coverage. If you’re an expat who plans to travel between countries often, then a long-term travel insurance plan that covers trip interruption or baggage loss along with medical emergencies may be ideal.

How Much Does Travel Medical Insurance Cost?

Insurers sell medical travel insurance as a package alongside other travel insurance protections, including trip cancellation and emergency evacuation insurance. When you purchase travel medical insurance as a part of a travel insurance package, expect to pay between 5% and 6% of your total trip cost in coverage.

The table below breaks down the average cost of the plans with the highest medical expense maximum from each listed travel insurance provider.

* Medical coverage is secondary to primary health insurance. Contact your travel insurance provider to learn more.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Travel Medical Insurance

Understanding what travel medical insurance companies evaluate when pricing policies can help you get the most out of your coverage. The following are the biggest factors that influence travel insurance prices :

• Trip duration
• Destination
• Coverage level

Travel Medical Insurance for People Visiting the USA

According to our research, travel medical insurance for people visiting the United States averages $89 to $115, based on quotes gathered for a 30-year-old Australian citizen traveling to the U.S. for 30 days.

The table below shows the average policy costs for top visitor travel insurance plans .

How To Purchase International Travel Health Insurance

Purchasing a travel health insurance plan is fairly straightforward across most providers, based on our experience. If you already know what you’re most concerned about regarding coverage, you can purchase a plan quickly by following the steps below, which we’ve outlined using IMG’s quote process.

Find Travel Medical Insurance Offerings

Most providers make it easy for you to navigate available plan options. IMG breaks down its coverage online by type of insurance, with its travel medical insurance front and center on its drop-down menu.

Choose a Plan

IMG lists its most popular travel medical plans first, with additional plans located toward the bottom of the webpage. Each plan either has a description of travelers it would suit best or plan highlights. You can also download plan brochures and browse through plan details to help make your decision easier.

Provide your Trip Information

Travel medical insurance companies need your trip information to provide you with a quote. Companies will ask questions about your travel dates, destinations, total trip cost, number of travelers and more.

Compare The Medication Coverage

We recommend comparing quotes from multiple providers for similar levels of coverage before deciding on a travel medical policy. Some providers, such as IMG, also allow you to compare plans against each other, which can be helpful in the decision-making process.

Complete Your Purchase

Once you’ve decided on a plan, you may have to fill in some additional information to buy a policy, such as your home address, first trip payment date and more. Companies may also ask whether you’d like to purchase additional add-ons with your policy. You’ll then provide a form of payment and complete your purchase.

While this guide details IMG’s purchasing process, most travel medical insurance providers follow a similar process. Be sure to have your trip and traveler information on hand before beginning the buying process.

How To Use Travel Medical Insurance

Say you’re taking a three-week trip to Germany . During your trip, your appendix bursts, requiring emergency medical care and surgery. If you have a travel medical insurance plan that provides $50,000 in emergency medical coverage, your insurer will cover up to that amount. If your medical bills extend beyond your purchased coverage limits, you must pay the rest out-of-pocket.

Suppose you suffer a medical emergency abroad in a remote location and require an airlift or transportation to a facility that can provide adequate medical care. A travel medical insurance policy would cover your expenses up to the maximum coverage amount, and you would pay the remaining balance.

Is Travel Health Insurance Worth It?

Travel health insurance is worth considering if you’re concerned about a medical emergency abroad. It offers worthwhile protection for medical emergencies and evacuations and can provide peace of mind. Many providers also offer pre-existing health condition waivers and policies that cover extreme or adventure sports, allowing different travelers to purchase a plan that fits their needs.

Borden, quoted earlier, encourages travelers to start by figuring out what their domestic health insurance does and does not cover when traveling. “Depending on the plan, you might not have any coverage out of the country,” she said. “Even if you do, it could be only for emergencies, and your health insurance company’s definition of an emergency might not be the same as yours.” 

Before you purchase travel medical insurance, we recommend you get quotes from at least three providers to compare costs and coverage limits. Also, read sample policies to familiarize yourself with coverage exclusions, and do not hesitate to contact a travel insurance agent with any questions.

Frequently Asked Questions Travel Medical Insurance

What is a security evacuation limit.

A security coverage limit is the amount a travel medical insurance plan will cover should you need to evacuate your destination due to political unrest, threats toward your well-being, war or natural disasters. Covered expenses include lodging, meals and transportation.

Does travel medical insurance cover visits to multiple countries?

Yes, travel medical insurance plans cover visits to multiple countries, so long as you specify which countries you will visit during the sign-up process.

Is there a cancellation fee with travel medical insurance plans?

Many travel medical insurance providers include a 10 to 15-day “free look period” where you can review a plan’s terms and conditions. If you are unsatisfied with the specified terms, you can cancel for a full refund within that period. However, the company may charge a cancellation fee if you cancel outside the set timeframe.

If you have feedback or questions about this article, please email the MarketWatch Guides team at  editors@marketwatchguides. com .

Related Travel Articles

The best travel insurance policies and providers

It's easy to dismiss the value of travel insurance until you need it.

Many travelers have strong opinions about whether you should buy travel insurance . However, the purpose of this post isn't to determine whether it's worth investing in. Instead, it compares some of the top travel insurance providers and policies so you can determine which travel insurance option is best for you.

Of course, as the coronavirus remains an ongoing concern, it's important to understand whether travel insurance covers pandemics. Some policies will cover you if you're diagnosed with COVID-19 and have proof of illness from a doctor. Others will take coverage a step further, covering additional types of pandemic-related expenses and cancellations.

Know, though, that every policy will have exclusions and restrictions that may limit coverage. For example, fear of travel is generally not a covered reason for invoking trip cancellation or interruption coverage, while specific stipulations may apply to elevated travel warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Interested in travel insurance? Visit InsureMyTrip.com to shop for plans that may fit your travel needs.

So, before buying a specific policy, you must understand the full terms and any special notices the insurer has about COVID-19. You may even want to buy the optional cancel for any reason add-on that's available for some comprehensive policies. While you'll pay more for that protection, it allows you to cancel your trip for any reason and still get some of your costs back. Note that this benefit is time-sensitive and has other eligibility requirements, so not all travelers will qualify.

In this guide, we'll review several policies from top travel insurance providers so you have a better understanding of your options before picking the policy and provider that best address your wants and needs.

The best travel insurance providers

To put together this list of the best travel insurance providers, a number of details were considered: favorable ratings from TPG Lounge members, the availability of details about policies and the claims process online, positive online ratings and the ability to purchase policies in most U.S. states. You can also search for options from these (and other) providers through an insurance comparison site like InsureMyTrip .

When comparing insurance providers, I priced out a single-trip policy for each provider for a $2,000, one-week vacation to Istanbul . I used my actual age and state of residence when obtaining quotes. As a result, you may see a different price — or even additional policies due to regulations for travel insurance varying from state to state — when getting a quote.

AIG Travel Guard

AIG Travel Guard receives many positive reviews from readers in the TPG Lounge who have filed claims with the company. AIG offers three plans online, which you can compare side by side, and the ability to examine sample policies. Here are three plans for my sample trip to Turkey.

AIG Travel Guard also offers an annual travel plan. This plan is priced at $259 per year for one Florida resident.

Additionally, AIG Travel Guard offers several other policies, including a single-trip policy without trip cancellation protection . See AIG Travel Guard's COVID-19 notification and COVID-19 advisory for current details regarding COVID-19 coverage.

Preexisting conditions

Typically, AIG Travel Guard wouldn't cover you for any loss or expense due to a preexisting medical condition that existed within 180 days of the coverage effective date. However, AIG Travel Guard may waive the preexisting medical condition exclusion on some plans if you meet the following conditions:

• You purchase the plan within 15 days of your initial trip payment.
• The amount of coverage you purchase equals all trip costs at the time of purchase. You must update your coverage to insure the costs of any subsequent arrangements that you add to your trip within 15 days of paying the travel supplier for these additional arrangements.
• You must be medically able to travel when you purchase your plan.

Standout features

• The Deluxe and Preferred plans allow you to purchase an upgrade that lets you cancel your trip for any reason. However, reimbursement under this coverage will not exceed 50% or 75% of your covered trip cost.
• You can include one child (age 17 and younger) with each paying adult for no additional cost on most single-trip plans.
• Other optional upgrades, including an adventure sports bundle, a baggage bundle, an inconvenience bundle, a pet bundle, a security bundle and a wedding bundle, are available on some policies. So, an AIG Travel Guard plan may be a good choice if you know you want extra coverage in specific areas.

Purchase your policy here: AIG Travel Guard .

Allianz Travel Insurance

Allianz is one of the most highly regarded providers in the TPG Lounge, and many readers found the claim process reasonable. Allianz offers many plans, including the following single-trip plans for my sample trip to Turkey.

If you travel frequently, it may make sense to purchase an annual multi-trip policy. For this plan, all of the maximum coverage amounts in the table below are per trip (except for the trip cancellation and trip interruption amounts, which are an aggregate limit per policy). Trips typically must last no more than 45 days, although some plans may cover trips of up to 90 days.

See Allianz's coverage alert for current information on COVID-19 coverage.

Most Allianz travel insurance plans may cover preexisting medical conditions if you meet particular requirements. For the OneTrip Premier, Prime and Basic plans, the requirements are as follows:

• You purchased the policy within 14 days of the date of the first trip payment or deposit.
• You were a U.S. resident when you purchased the policy.
• You were medically able to travel when you purchased the policy.
• On the policy purchase date, you insured the total, nonrefundable cost of your trip (including arrangements that will become nonrefundable or subject to cancellation penalties before your departure date). If you incur additional nonrefundable trip expenses after purchasing this policy, you must insure them within 14 days of their purchase.
• Allianz offers reasonably priced annual policies for independent travelers and families who take multiple trips lasting up to 45 days (or 90 days for select plans) per year.
• Some Allianz plans provide the option of receiving a flat reimbursement amount without receipts for trip delay and baggage delay claims. Of course, you can also submit receipts to get up to the maximum refund.
• For emergency transportation coverage, you or someone on your behalf must contact Allianz, and Allianz must then make all transportation arrangements in advance. However, most Allianz policies provide an option if you cannot contact the company: Allianz will pay up to what it would have paid if it had made the arrangements.

Purchase your policy here: Allianz Travel Insurance .

American Express Travel Insurance

American Express Travel Insurance offers four different package plans and a build-your-own coverage option. You don't have to be an American Express cardholder to purchase this insurance. Here are the four package options for my sample weeklong trip to Turkey. Unlike some other providers, Amex won't ask for your travel destination on the initial quote (but will when you purchase the plan).

Amex's build-your-own coverage plan is unique because you can purchase just the coverage you need. For most types of protection, you can even select the coverage amount that works best for you.

The prices for the packages and the build-your-own plan don't increase for longer trips — as long as the trip cost remains constant. However, the emergency medical and dental benefit is only available for your first 60 days of travel.

Typically, Amex won't cover any loss you incur because of a preexisting medical condition that existed within 90 days of the coverage effective date. However, Amex may waive its preexisting-condition exclusion if you meet both of the following requirements:

• You must be medically able to travel at the time you pay the policy premium.
• You pay the policy premium within 14 days of making the first covered trip deposit.
• Amex's build-your-own coverage option allows you to only purchase — and pay for — the coverage you need.
• Coverage on long trips doesn't cost more than coverage for short trips, making this policy ideal for extended getaways. However, the emergency medical and dental benefit only covers your first 60 days of travel.
• American Express Travel Insurance can protect travel expenses you purchase with Amex Membership Rewards points in the Pay with Points program (as well as travel expenses bought with cash, debit or credit). However, travel expenses bought with other types of points and miles aren't covered.

Purchase your policy here: American Express Travel Insurance .

GeoBlue is different from most other providers described in this piece because it only provides medical coverage while you're traveling internationally and does not offer benefits to protect the cost of your trip. There are many different policies. Some require you to have primary health insurance in the U.S. (although it doesn't need to be provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield), but all of them only offer coverage while traveling outside the U.S.

Two single-trip plans are available if you're traveling for six months or less. The Voyager Choice policy provides coverage (including medical services and medical evacuation for a sudden recurrence of a preexisting condition) for trips outside the U.S. to travelers who are 95 or younger and already have a U.S. health insurance policy.

The Voyager Essential policy provides coverage (including medical evacuation for a sudden recurrence of a preexisting condition) for trips outside the U.S. to travelers who are 95 or younger, regardless of whether they have primary health insurance.

In addition to these options, two multi-trip plans cover trips of up to 70 days each for one year. Both policies provide coverage (including medical services and medical evacuation for preexisting conditions) to travelers with primary health insurance.

Be sure to check out GeoBlue's COVID-19 notices before buying a plan.

Most GeoBlue policies explicitly cover sudden recurrences of preexisting conditions for medical services and medical evacuation.

• GeoBlue can be an excellent option if you're mainly concerned about the medical side of travel insurance.
• GeoBlue provides single-trip, multi-trip and long-term medical travel insurance policies for many different types of travel.

Purchase your policy here: GeoBlue .

IMG offers various travel medical insurance policies for travelers, as well as comprehensive travel insurance policies. For a single trip of 90 days or less, there are five policy types available for vacation or holiday travelers. Although you must enter your gender, males and females received the same quote for my one-week search.

You can purchase an annual multi-trip travel medical insurance plan. Some only cover trips lasting up to 30 or 45 days, but others provide coverage for longer trips.

See IMG's page on COVID-19 for additional policy information as it relates to coronavirus-related claims.

Most plans may cover preexisting conditions under set parameters or up to specific amounts. For example, the iTravelInsured Travel LX travel insurance plan shown above may cover preexisting conditions if you purchase the insurance within 24 hours of making the final payment for your trip.

For the travel medical insurance plans shown above, preexisting conditions are covered for travelers younger than 70. However, coverage is capped based on your age and whether you have a primary health insurance policy.

• Some annual multi-trip plans are modestly priced.
• iTravelInsured Travel LX may offer optional cancel for any reason and interruption for any reason coverage, if eligible.

Purchase your policy here: IMG .

Travelex Insurance

Travelex offers three single-trip plans: Travel Basic, Travel Select and Travel America. However, only the Travel Basic and Travel Select plans would be applicable for my trip to Turkey.

See Travelex's COVID-19 coverage statement for coronavirus-specific information.

Typically, Travelex won't cover losses incurred because of a preexisting medical condition that existed within 60 days of the coverage effective date. However, the Travel Select plan may offer a preexisting condition exclusion waiver. To be eligible for this waiver, the insured traveler must meet all the following conditions:

• You purchase the plan within 15 days of the initial trip payment.
• The amount of coverage purchased equals all prepaid, nonrefundable payments or deposits applicable to the trip at the time of purchase. Additionally, you must insure the costs of any subsequent arrangements added to the same trip within 15 days of payment or deposit.
• All insured individuals are medically able to travel when they pay the plan cost.
• The trip cost does not exceed the maximum trip cost limit under trip cancellation as shown in the schedule per person (only applicable to trip cancellation, interruption and delay).
• Travelex's Travel Select policy can cover trips lasting up to 364 days, which is longer than many single-trip policies.
• Neither Travelex policy requires receipts for trip and baggage delay expenses less than $25.
• For emergency evacuation coverage, you or someone on your behalf must contact Travelex and have Travelex make all transportation arrangements in advance. However, both Travelex policies provide an option if you cannot contact Travelex: Travelex will pay up to what it would have paid if it had made the arrangements.

Purchase your policy here: Travelex Insurance .

Seven Corners

Seven Corners offers a wide variety of policies. Here are the policies that are most applicable to travelers on a single international trip.

Seven Corners also offers many other types of travel insurance, including an annual multi-trip plan. You can choose coverage for trips of up to 30, 45 or 60 days when purchasing an annual multi-trip plan.

See Seven Corner's page on COVID-19 for additional policy information as it relates to coronavirus-related claims.

Typically, Seven Corners won't cover losses incurred because of a preexisting medical condition. However, the RoundTrip Choice plan offers a preexisting condition exclusion waiver. To be eligible for this waiver, you must meet all of the following conditions:

• You buy this plan within 20 days of making your initial trip payment or deposit.
• You or your travel companion are medically able and not disabled from travel when you pay for this plan or upgrade your plan.
• You update the coverage to include the additional cost of subsequent travel arrangements within 15 days of paying your travel supplier for them.
• Seven Corners offers the ability to purchase optional sports and golf equipment coverage. If purchased, this extra insurance will reimburse you for the cost of renting sports or golf equipment if yours is lost, stolen, damaged or delayed by a common carrier for six or more hours. However, Seven Corners must authorize the expenses in advance.
• You can add cancel for any reason coverage or trip interruption for any reason coverage to RoundTrip plans. Although some other providers offer cancel for any reason coverage, trip interruption for any reason coverage is less common.
• Seven Corners' RoundTrip Choice policy offers a political or security evacuation benefit that will transport you to the nearest safe place or your residence under specific conditions. You can also add optional event ticket registration fee protection to the RoundTrip Choice policy.

Purchase your policy here: Seven Corners .

World Nomads

World Nomads is popular with younger, active travelers because of its flexibility and adventure-activities coverage on the Explorer plan. Unlike many policies offered by other providers, you don't need to estimate prepaid costs when purchasing the insurance to have access to trip interruption and cancellation insurance.

World Nomads offers two single-trip plans.

World Nomads has a page dedicated to coronavirus coverage , so be sure to view it before buying a policy.

World Nomads won't cover losses incurred because of a preexisting medical condition (except emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains) that existed within 90 days of the coverage effective date. Unlike many other providers, World Nomads doesn't offer a waiver.

• World Nomads' policies cover more adventure sports than most providers, so activities such as bungee jumping are included. The Explorer policy covers almost any adventure sport, including skydiving, stunt flying and caving. So, if you partake in adventure sports while traveling, the Explorer policy may be a good fit.
• World Nomads' policies provide nonmedical evacuation coverage for transportation expenses if there is civil or political unrest in the country you are visiting. The coverage may also transport you home if there is an eligible natural disaster or a government expels you.

Purchase your policy here: World Nomads .

Other options for buying travel insurance

This guide details the policies of eight providers with the information available at the time of publication. There are many options when it comes to travel insurance, though. To compare different policies quickly, you can use a travel insurance aggregator like InsureMyTrip to search. Just note that these search engines won't show every policy and every provider, and you should still research the provided policies to ensure the coverage fits your trip and needs.

You can also purchase a plan through various membership associations, such as USAA, AAA or Costco. Typically, these organizations partner with a specific provider, so if you are a member of any of these associations, you may want to compare the policies offered through the organization with other policies to get the best coverage for your trip.

Related: Should you get travel insurance if you have credit card protection?

Is travel insurance worth getting?

Whether you should purchase travel insurance is a personal decision. Suppose you use a credit card that provides travel insurance for most of your expenses and have medical insurance that provides adequate coverage abroad. In that case, you may be covered enough on most trips to forgo purchasing travel insurance.

However, suppose your medical insurance won't cover you at your destination and you can't comfortably cover a sizable medical evacuation bill or last-minute flight home . In that case, you should consider purchasing travel insurance. If you travel frequently, buying an annual multi-trip policy may be worth it.

What is the best COVID-19 travel insurance?

There are various aspects to keep in mind in the age of COVID-19. Consider booking travel plans that are fully refundable or have modest change or cancellation fees so you don't need to worry about whether your policy will cover trip cancellation. This is important since many standard comprehensive insurance policies won't reimburse your insured expenses in the event of cancellation if it's related to the fear of traveling due to COVID-19.

However, if you book a nonrefundable trip and want to maintain the ability to get reimbursed (up to 75% of your insured costs) if you choose to cancel, you should consider buying a comprehensive travel insurance policy and then adding optional cancel for any reason protection. Just note that this benefit is time-sensitive and has eligibility requirements, so not all travelers will qualify.

Providers will often require CFAR purchasers insure the entire dollar amount of their travels to receive the coverage. Also, many CFAR policies mandate that you must cancel your plans and notify all travel suppliers at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure.

Likewise, if your primary health insurance won't cover you while on your trip, it's essential to consider whether medical expenses related to COVID-19 treatment are covered. You may also want to consider a MedJet medical transport membership if your trip is to a covered destination for coronavirus-related evacuation.

Ultimately, the best pandemic travel insurance policy will depend on your trip details, travel concerns and your willingness to self-insure. Just be sure to thoroughly read and understand any terms or exclusions before purchasing.

What are the different types of travel insurance?

Whether you purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy or rely on the protections offered by select credit cards, you may have access to the following types of coverage:

• Baggage delay protection may reimburse for essential items and clothing when a common carrier (such as an airline) fails to deliver your checked bag within a set time of your arrival at a destination. Typically, you may be reimbursed up to a particular amount per incident or per day.
• Lost/damaged baggage protection may provide reimbursement to replace lost or damaged luggage and items inside that luggage. However, valuables and electronics usually have a relatively low maximum benefit.
• Trip delay reimbursement may provide reimbursement for necessary items, food, lodging and sometimes transportation when you're delayed for a substantial time while traveling on a common carrier such as an airline. This insurance may be beneficial if weather issues (or other covered reasons for which the airline usually won't provide compensation) delay you.
• Trip cancellation and interruption protection may provide reimbursement if you need to cancel or interrupt your trip for a covered reason, such as a death in your family or jury duty.
• Medical evacuation insurance can arrange and pay for medical evacuation if deemed necessary by the insurance provider and a medical professional. This coverage can be particularly valuable if you're traveling to a region with subpar medical facilities.
• Travel accident insurance may provide a payment to you or your beneficiary in the case of your death or dismemberment.
• Emergency medical insurance may provide payment or reimburse you if you must seek medical care while traveling. Some plans only cover emergency medical care, but some also cover other types of medical care. You may need to pay a deductible or copay.
• Rental car coverage may provide a collision damage waiver when renting a car. This waiver may reimburse for collision damage or theft up to a set amount. Some policies also cover loss-of-use charges assessed by the rental company and towing charges to take the vehicle to the nearest qualified repair facility. You generally need to decline the rental company's collision damage waiver or similar provision to be covered.

Should I buy travel health insurance?

If you purchase travel with credit cards that provide various trip protections, you may not see much need for additional travel insurance. However, you may still wonder whether you should buy travel medical insurance.

If your primary health insurance covers you on your trip, you may not need travel health insurance. Your domestic policy may not cover you outside the U.S., though, so it's worth calling the number on your health insurance card if you have coverage questions. If your primary health insurance wouldn't cover you, it's likely worth purchasing travel medical insurance. After all, as you can see above, travel medical insurance is often very modestly priced.

How much does travel insurance cost?

Travel insurance costs depend on various factors, including the provider, the type of coverage, your trip cost, your destination, your age, your residency and how many travelers you want to insure. That said, a standard travel insurance plan will generally set you back somewhere between 4% and 10% of your total trip cost. However, this can get lower for more basic protections or become even higher if you include add-ons like cancel for any reason protection.

The best way to determine how much travel insurance will cost is to price out your trip with a few providers discussed in the guide. Or, visit an insurance aggregator like InsureMyTrip to quickly compare options across multiple providers.

When and how to get travel insurance

For the most robust selection of available travel insurance benefits — including time-sensitive add-ons like CFAR protection and waivers of preexisting conditions for eligible travelers — you should ideally purchase travel insurance on the same day you make your first payment toward your trip.

However, many plans may still offer a preexisting conditions waiver for those who qualify if you buy your travel insurance within 14 to 21 days of your first trip expense or deposit (this time frame may vary by provider). If you don't need a preexisting conditions waiver or aren't interested in CFAR coverage, you can purchase travel insurance once your departure date nears.

You must purchase coverage before it's needed. Some travel medical plans are available for purchase after you have departed, but comprehensive plans that include medical coverage must be purchased before departing.

Additionally, you can't buy any medical coverage once you require medical attention. The same applies to all travel insurance coverage. Once you recognize the need, it's too late to protect your trip.

Once you've shopped around and decided upon the best travel insurance plan for your trip, you should be able to complete your purchase online. You'll usually be able to download your insurance card and the complete policy shortly after the transaction is complete.

Related: 7 times your credit card's travel insurance might not cover you

Bottom line

Not all travel insurance policies and providers are equal. Before buying a plan, read and understand the policy documents. By doing so, you can choose a plan that's appropriate for you and your trip — including the features that matter most to you.

For example, if you plan to go skiing or rock climbing, make sure the policy you buy doesn't contain exclusions for these activities. Likewise, if you're making two back-to-back trips during which you'll be returning home for a short time in between, be sure the plan doesn't terminate coverage at the end of your first trip.

If you're looking to cover a sudden recurrence of a preexisting condition, select a policy with a preexisting condition waiver and fulfill the requirements for the waiver. After all, buying insurance won't help if your policy doesn't cover your losses.

Disclaimer : This information is provided by IMT Services, LLC ( InsureMyTrip.com ), a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 5119217) and a member of the Tokio Marine HCC group of companies. IMT's services are only available in states where it is licensed to do business and the products provided through InsureMyTrip.com may not be available in all states. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not create or modify any insurance policy terms in any way. For more information, please visit www.insuremytrip.com .

The Best Medical Travel Insurance of 2021

Best for solo travelers.

John Hancock

Best for Thrill Seekers

Best for Frequent Travelers

Allianz Global Assistance

Best for Long Trips

Seven Corners

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Reviews Report

• Reviews.com ranks IMG as the best medical travel insurance company, earning a 4.75 out of 5.
• Seven Corners is the best medical travel insurance for long trips and has the highest medical coverage at $5 million limits.
• The best medical travel insurance companies have pre-existing condition waiver options.

If you’re on the hunt for the best travel insurance , you’ll want to keep medical insurance at the top of your priorities. Medical travel insurance jumps in when your U.S. health insurance coverage falls short while traveling out of the country. Whether you get sick, injured, or need to be evacuated, some or all of your expenses may be covered with the right medical insurance policy.

Medical travel insurance doesn’t automatically cover logistical issues of your trip, like lost luggage or a delayed flight — although many policies do include these features as extra perks. 

We reviewed the four best medical travel insurance companies that suit a range of travelers, from adventure-seeking explorers to large families with a troop of pioneers.

The 4 Best Medical Travel Insurance Companies

• John Hancock : Best for Solo Travelers 
• IMG : Best for Thrill Seekers
• Allianz Global Assistance : Best for Frequent Travelers
• Seven Corners :  Best for Long Trips

Compare the Best Medical Travel Insurance Companies

Information accurate as of March 2021.

Why we chose it

• 4.2 Reviews Score Score is based on company’s customer experience, financial stability, and coverage options.
• A AM Best Rate AM Best rates insurance providers creditworthiness. Ratings are based on the provider’s ability to follow through with a payout when a consumer files a claim.
• $50K–$250K Medical Coverage Medical coverage is what the company will pay out to you if you were injured or ill on your trip and needed medical care abroad.
• 90 days Trip Length This is the maximum number of days the travel insurance company will cover your trip.
• High medical coverage limits
• High financial ratings
• $1M in medical evacuation
• Kids not included
• No adventure sports coverage

Add-ons & Coverage

• Trip cancellation: 100% of cost
• Cancel for any reason: 75% of cost
• Lost baggage: $750–$2,500
• Medical evacuation: $250K–$1M
• 24/7 emergency travel assistance

Best for Thrillseekers

• 4.75 Reviews Score Score is based on company’s customer experience, financial stability, and coverage options.
• $500K Medical Coverage Medical coverage is what the company will pay out to you if you were injured or ill on your trip and needed medical care abroad.
• 180 days Trip Length This is the maximum number of days the travel insurance company will cover your trip.
• High medical coverage
• Tailored to adventure sports
• Search and rescue coverage
• Few optional coverage options
• Higher cost than competitors
• Lost baggage: $150–$2,500
• Medical evacuation: Up to $1M
• Sports equipment rental: $2,000
• Patriot Travel Medical Insurance
• Patriot Platinum Travel Medical Insurance
• Patriot Multi-Trip Travel Medical Insurance
• 3.4 Reviews Score Score is based on company’s customer experience, financial stability, and coverage options.
• $10K–$50K Medical Coverage Medical coverage is what the company will pay out to you if you were injured or ill on your trip and needed medical care abroad.
• Year-round travel insurance
• Extra emergency evacuation coverage
• Coverage for kids is free
• No medical upgrades available
• Limited policy add-ons
• Lower medical coverage limit
• Trip cancellation: $5K–$100K
• Trip interruption:$5K–$150K
• Lost baggage: $500–$2K
• 24-hour hotline assistance
• AllTrips Basic, Executive, Premier, and Prime
• OneTrip Prime, Basic, Premier, Emergency Medical, and Cancellation Plus
• 4.5 Reviews Score Score is based on company’s customer experience, financial stability, and coverage options.
• $50K–$5M Medical Coverage Medical coverage is what the company will pay out to you if you were injured or ill on your trip and needed medical care abroad.
• 364 days Trip Length This is the maximum number of days the travel insurance company will cover your trip.
• Medical travel insurance throughout the year
• Includes COVID-19 exposure coverage
• Hazardous sports coverage
• Deductible must be paid in full and up front
• Lacks app support and interfacing
• COVID-19 treatment: $100,000
• Liaison International Travel Medical Insurance 
• Liaison Travel Plus (Covid-19 Coverage)

Medical Travel Insurance: What You Need to Know

Take activities into account.

Basic medical travel insurance includes things like emergency medical care and evacuation while traveling either at home or internationally . But if you plan on doing higher-risk activities, additional coverage may be warranted. Examples of these types of travel adventures include skydiving, mountain climbing, and scuba diving. 

Compare quotes

It’s important to compare medical travel insurance quotes because so many factors are evaluated to determine your offer. Premiums are based on total trip cost, coverage selections, and the number and age of travelers in your party, among other factors. If you want cheap travel insurance , opt for policies with lower limits and higher deductibles. 

Medical travel insurance companies will provide quotes on the amount of medical services covered under their policies. For example, if a company like Allianz only offers $50,000 in medical coverage, that’s how much it will cover before you have to pick up the rest of the bill for a hospital stay abroad. 

If you plan to scale mountains or dive deep into the sea, it’s recommended to opt for medical travel insurance that includes high limits near $750,000 or $1 million, depending on the adventure sport activity.

Medical Travel Insurance FAQ

What is medical travel insurance.

Medical travel insurance acts as your primary health coverage on international vacations . Just like your normal policy, it can be used to pay for treatments, medication, and even hospital stays.

Does travel insurance cover medical?

Basic travel insurance doesn’t include medical events. A travel insurance policy covers you for things like trip cancellations, lost bags, and flight delays instead.

How much medical travel insurance do I need?

Our best medical travel insurance providers cover a minimum of $50,000 for emergency medical care and at least $100,000 for emergency evacuation or repatriation. Add more if you plan to engage in higher-risk activities during your trip.

Why would I need medical travel insurance?

Medical travel insurance substitutes for your typical health insurance coverage when traveling abroad. Without it, you may be required to pay cash before receiving any type of medical care, which can cause serious problems that are better to avoid altogether.

How does medical travel insurance work?

Once you review plan options, just pick the one that fits your needs, make your payment, and submit your travel dates. If you need to file a claim, check to see what kind of documentation is required from the doctor or hospital who treated you during your trip.

Methodology

We evaluated medical travel insurance providers based on coverage, number of plans, optional coverage, medical coverage limits, and AM Best ratings to determine Reviews.com scores and create our best travel insurance provider reviews. To compare travel insurance providers with other brands across the board, we calculate each Reviews.com score based on the following:

• Essential Coverage: When comparing travel insurance providers, we considered essential coverage to be 24/7 assistance, trip cancellation/interruption, medical evacuation and more. Providers with more points of essential coverage scored higher. 
• Number of Plans: Flexibility and having options is important which is why Reviews.com awarded travel insurance providers with higher scores if they presented more plans. 
• Add-on Coverage: Travel insurance providers with more optional coverage add-ons scored higher in this metric — higher flexibility and customization in travel insurance is an indicator of the best travel insurance companies.
• Medical Coverage Limit: We compared the medical coverage limits of the best travel insurance companies and awarded providers with higher scores if they had higher medical coverage limits. 
• AM Best: Reviews.com utilized AM Best ratings to assign a score based on each home 

About the Authors

Amanda Push Contributing Writer

Amanda Push is a writer based in Colorado who covers personal finance, technology, safety and security, moving, and more. Her writing has also been featured at TheSimpleDollar.com, Interest.com, MyMove.com, and Safety.com.

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Table Of Contents

• Best overall
• Best for cruises
• Best for reputation
• Best for preexisting conditions
• Best for digital nomads
• Best low-cost
• Best for road trips
• How we reviewed travel insurance companies

Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Travel Insurance in June 2024

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate insurance products to write unbiased product reviews.

Traveling is an adventure, a leap into the unknown, a story waiting to unfold. But every story needs a safety net, and that's where travel insurance comes in. In this guide to the best travel insurance, we'll embark on a journey to help you better understand travel insurance and uncover the benefits that make it an indispensable companion for any traveler.

Our Picks for the Best Travel Insurance Companies

Best overall: nationwide travel insurance.

• Runner-Up: AXA Assistance USA
• Best for Cruises: Travel Guard
• Best Reputation:  C&F Travel Insured
• Best for Pre-existing Conditions:   Tin Leg Travel Insurance
• Best for Digital Nomads:   WorldTrips Travel Insurance
• Best Low-Cost Option:   Trawick International Travel Insurance

Best for Road Trips: Travelex Travel Insurance

How we rate travel insurance »

Compare the Best Travel Insurance Companies

The best travel insurance companies offer comprehensive coverage options for a wide range of people and needs. For this guide, we looked at coverage options, customizability, and the best companies for specific situations, such as pre-existing conditions.

Here are Business Insider's picks for the best travel insurance companies in 2024. 

• Trip cancellation coverage of up to 100% of trip costs (for cruises) or up to $30,000 (for single-trip plans)
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Three cruise-specific plans to choose from
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Annual travel insurance plans available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Strong trip cancellation coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Cancel for any reason coverage available
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. CFAR insurance not available with every single plan
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Medical coverage is lower than what some competitors offer

Nationwide Travel Insurance offers many of the standard benefits you might see with a travel insurance policy. This can include things like trip cancellation coverage, so you can recover pre-paid costs or trip interruption in the event your vacation is interrupted by an unexpected event. There's also baggage delay coverage and medical coverage.

• Cancel for any reason coverage available

Nationwide Travel Insurance is of the largest players in the travel insurance space, offering nearly endless options for any customer on the travel spectrum, including annual travel insurance plans which can offer frequent travelers the flexibility to "set it and forget it" on their travel insurance coverage.

Nationwide Essential also offers some of the most affordable policies in the market compared to similar plans from competitors, which makes it a great pick for just about anyone. Buyers can discuss bundling options as Nationwide also sells homeowners, auto, pet, and other insurance products. Its travel insurance quoting is just as easy as it has been with other Nationwide insurance products.

Read our Nationwide Travel Insurance review here.

Best Travel Insurance Runner-Up: AXA Assistance USA

• Trip cancellation coverage of up to 100% of the trip cost
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous medical evacuation coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Up to $1,500 per person coverage for missed connections on cruises and tours
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Covers loss of ski, sports and golf equipment
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous baggage delay, loss and trip delay coverage ceilings per person
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage only available for most expensive Platinum plan
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. CFAR coverage ceiling only reaches $50,000 maximum despite going up to 75%

AXA Assistance USA keeps travel insurance simple with gold, silver, and platinum plans. Emergency medical and CFAR are a couple of the options you can expect. Read on to learn more about AXA.

• Silver, Gold, and Platinum plans available
• Trip interruption coverage of up to 150% of the trip cost
• Emergency medical coverage of up to $250,000

AXA Assistance USA  offers consumers a great option for no-stress travel insurance: low-priced plans, generous coverage limits on key categories including primary insurance on lost luggage, and up to 150% reimbursement for qualifying trip cancellations.

While add-ons are limited and rental car coverage is not included by default on cheaper plans, AXA is a perfect fit for travelers who don't plan to drive (or who already hold a travel credit card with rental car coverage), and don't need any additional bells and whistles.

Read our AXA Assistance USA Travel Insurance review  here.

Best for Cruises: AIG Travel Guard

Trip cancellation coverage for up to 100% of the trip cost and trip interruption coverage for up to 150% of the trip cost

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Trip cancellation coverage of up to 100% of the cost, for all three plan levels
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. CFAR covers up to 75% of total trip costs (maximum of $112,500 on some plans) 
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Medical coverage of up to $500,000 and evacuation of up to $1,000,000 per person
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Includes COVID coverage 
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Above average baggage loss and delay benefits
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. High medical evacuation coverage
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Premiums may run slightly higher than competitors

Travel Guard is a well-established and highly rated name in the travel insurance industry. It offers three main coverage options to choose from, and in general its policies have above-average coverage for baggage loss and baggage delays, plus high medical evaluation coverage limits.

• Trip cancellation coverage for up to 100% of the trip cost
• Trip interruption coverage for up to 150% of the trip cost
• Preexisting medical conditions exclusions waiver must be purchased within 15 days of initial trip payment
• Annual travel insurance plan and Pack N' Go plan (for last-minute trips) available

Travel Guard is well-known insurance provider, and a great fit for travelers who want to ensure that they can get their money back in the event of canceled or interrupted travel plans.

While the company's policies can be pricey compared to its competitors, the high medical and evacuation limits make AIG a solid choice for older travelers who value peace of mind and simplicity over highly customizable plans that may be bolstered with medical upgrades.

Read our AIG Travel Guard review here.

Best for Reputation: C&F Travel Insured

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Offers 2 major plans including CFAR coverage on the more expensive option
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Cancellation for job loss included as a covered reason for trip cancellation/interruption (does not require CFAR coverage to qualify)
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Frequent traveler reward included in both policies
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Up to $1 million in medical evacuation coverage available
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Medical coverage is only $100,000
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Reviews on claims processing indicate ongoing issues
• C&F's Travel Insured policies allow travelers customize travel insurance to fit their specific needs. Frequent travelers may benefit from purchasing an annual travel insurance plan, then adding on CFAR coverage for any portions of travel that may incur greater risk.

While every travel insurance company has negative reviews about its claims process, C&F Travel Insured 's claims process has a consistent stream of positive reviews. One customer wrote that C&F processed a claim within 48 hours. Additionally, C&F regularly responds to customer reviews within one business week, making reviews a consistent way to reach the company.

Additionally, in C&F's fine print, it mentions that any claims that take more than 30 days to pay out will begin to accrue interest at 9% APY.

C&F's reputation isn't the only thing to speak highly of. It offers an array of add-ons uncommon in the travel insurance industry, such as Interruption for Any Reason insurance and CFAR coverage for annual plans. C&F also offers discounts for children on its Protector Edge plan and free coverage on its Protector plan.  

Read our C&F Travel Insured review  here. 

Best for Pre-Existing Conditions: Tin Leg Travel Insurance

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Policy coverage includes most pre-existing health conditions
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous medical and evacuation amounts for peace of mind
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. COVID coverage included by default on all insurance plans
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Offers a wide range of plans for various budgets and travel needs
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Some plans offer CFAR, “cancel for work reasons,” financial default, and unemployment coverage
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Limited add-on coverage options
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Baggage loss and delay coverage is low compared to competitors

Tin Leg travel insurance offers eight travel insurance plans to meet the unique needs of travelers.

• Tin Leg was founded in 2014 by the travel insurance industry experts at Squaremouth. Designed to meet the most common needs of travelers, these policies offer comprehensive Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption benefits, and a range of Emergency Medical and Medical Evacuation limits.

Tin Leg Travel Insurance is a great fit for travelers with medical issues in particular. Seven of Tin Leg's eight travel plans include coverage for pre-existing conditions as long as you purchase your policy within 15 days of your initial trip payment.

Thanks to coverage for pre-existing medical conditions as well as for potential COVID-19 infection while traveling, this company offers some of the best financial investment options for travelers who are or will be exposed to higher health risks and issues.

Read our Tin Leg Travel Insurance review here.

Best for Digital Nomads: WorldTrips Travel Insurance

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Affordable base plans that can be customized with add-ons including rental car, pet care, hunting and fishing, and vacation rental coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Insurance plans available for international student travelers
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Trip delay coverage benefit that kicks in after just five hours
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Pre-existing conditions waiver can be purchased within 21 days of initial trip payment
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Lower medical, evacuation and accidental death limits
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Limited, secondary baggage loss coverage although baggage protection can be upgraded at a low cost
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No special coverages for pets, sports equipment, etc.

WorldTrips has been a reputable travel insurance provider for more than 20 years. Unsurprisingly, it boasts an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and positive reviews from thousands of customers.

• Travel medical insurance (Premium, Group, Annual, and International Student options)
• Trip cancellation insurance
• Trip protection insurance

WorldTrips Travel Insurance has affordable premiums, highly customizable add-ons, and generous coverage for core categories of travel insurance. All this makes it a great option for digital nomads, students studying abroad and backpackers.

However, travelers should keep in mind that plans are not particularly flexible, and coverage amounts are limited unless you plan ahead to pay for the areas and amounts that you need.

Read our WorldTrips Travel Insurance review here.

Best for Affordability: Trawick International Travel Insurance

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Useful for adventurous travelers headed to higher-risk destinations
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Affordable plans with varying levels of coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. 10-day free look option
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous baggage loss replacement policy
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Trip delay coverage kicks in after just six hours
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Some policies allow a CFAR add-on
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Up to $1 million medical evacuation coverage limit
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Baggage and trip delay coverages don’t kick in until after the 12-hour mark
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. International student policies available for temporary stints abroad
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Complaints about claims not being paid or involving an intermediary to resolve claims

Trawick International travel insurance offers plans customized to diverse travelers' needs. We look at coverage options, claims processing, pricing, and other important factors for savvy travelers.

• Travel medical insurance
• Trip protection and cancellation
• International student insurance
• Visitor medical insurance (for traveling to the US)

Trawick International Travel Insurance is another insurance provider with robust medical travel insurance that can help higher-risk and anxious travelers find peace of mind while on the road. This company offers one of the most generous medical evacuation policies in the market, although travelers will need to remember to add on rental car coverage if they need it.

Read our Trawick Travel Insurance review here.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Options to cover sports equipment
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Option to increase medical coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Can cancel up to 48 hours before travel when CFAR option is purchased
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Affordable coverage for budget-conscious travelers
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Includes generous baggage delay, loss and trip delay coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Optional "adventure sports" bundle available for riskier activities
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Only two insurance plans to choose from
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Medical coverage maximum is low at up to $50,000 per person
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Pricier than some competitors with lower coverage ceilings
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Some competitors offer higher medical emergency coverage

Travelex travel insurance is one of the largest travel insurance providers in the US providing domestic and international coverage options. It offers a basic, select, and America option. Read on to learn more.

• Optional CFAR insurance available with the Travel Select plan
• Trip delay insurance starting at $500 with the Travel Basic plan
• Emergency medical and dental coverage starting at $15,000

Travelex Travel Insurance  offers three plans:

• Travel Basic
• Travel Select
• Travel America

The Travelex America plan is meant for trips limited to the U.S., but it has the highest coverage limits in many areas compared to its other programs. If you're flying somewhere, the lost baggage limits are higher. Its natural strengths shine for road trippers, though. Travelex America adds coverage for roadside service and rental car coverage for unexpected accidents. It also covers pets should you be involved in an accident while on the road.

While your standard auto insurance does extend to car rentals within the U.S. for a limited time, any accident would affect future rates. Travelex would eliminate the risk of reporting to your auto insurance provider for minor incidents within its purview.

Read our Travelex Travel Insurance review  here.

Introduction to Travel Insurance

Why travel insurance is a must-have.

The unpredictable nature of traveling – from flight cancellations to medical emergencies – can turn your dream vacation into a nightmare. Travel insurance acts as a personal safeguard, ensuring that unexpected events don't drain your wallet or ruin your trip.

Understanding Different Types of Travel Insurance

Not all travel insurance policies are created equal. From single-trip travel insurance policies to annual travel insurance plans , from minimal coverage to comprehensive protection, understanding the spectrum of options is your first step in finding the right fit for your journey.

Key Features to Look for in Travel Insurance Coverage

Travel insurance for medical emergencies.

Imagine falling ill in a foreign country; daunting, right? A robust travel insurance plan ensures you don't have to worry about how much emergency medical care while traveling will cost, even in the most remote corners of the globe. This coverage will often come in tandem with emergency medical evacuation coverage.

Trip Cancellation and Interruption Benefits

Life is full of surprises, some less pleasant than others. Trip cancellation and interruption coverage ensures that you're not left out of pocket if unforeseen circumstances force you to cancel or cut your trip short. You may also look for cancel for any reason and interruption for any reason options, which will reimburse you for a percentage of your nonrefundable fees, but expands the covered reasons you can cancel a trip. You can find our guide on the best CFAR travel insurance companies here.

Coverage for Personal Belongings and Baggage Loss

Losing your belongings is more than an inconvenience; it's losing a piece of your world. Insurance that covers personal belongings and baggage loss ensures that you're compensated for your loss, helping you to rebound and continue your adventure.

Support and Assistance Services

In times of trouble, having a lifeline can make all the difference. Look for insurance that offers 24/7 support and assistance services, giving you peace of mind that help is just a phone call away. Also, check websites that field customer reviews like Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau, and InsureMyTrip , to see how well a company responds to customer requests.

Choosing the Best Travel Insurance

Reputation and reliability of the travel insurance provider.

A provider's reputation is not just about being well-known; it's about reliability, customer satisfaction, and the ability to deliver on promises. Researching and choosing a reputable provider is a cornerstone in ensuring your safety and satisfaction.

Understanding the Policy's Fine Print

The devil is in the details, and understanding the fine print of what your travel insurance policy covers is crucial. Be aware of coverage limits, exclusions, and the process for filing a claim to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

Customer Reviews and Feedback

In the age of information, customer reviews and feedback are goldmines of insight. Learn from the experiences of others to gauge the reliability and customer service of the insurance provider you're considering. While the ratings are important, you should also look at whether or not a company responds to customer complaints.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Travel Insurance

Knowing your policy inside out.

Familiarize yourself with every aspect of your policy – what it covers, what it doesn't, how to file a claim, and who to contact in an emergency. Being informed means being prepared. 

Steps to Take When a Problem Arises

If you face an issue during your travels, knowing the immediate steps to take can make all the difference. Keep important contacts and your policy details handy, and remember, your insurance provider is there to assist you.

How to Pick the Best Travel Insurance Company for You

There isn't a one-size-fits-all policy that works perfectly for every traveler. Young, healthy solo travelers can opt for much cheaper plans that offer bare-bones coverage, while families juggling complex itineraries will do best by investing in a robust policy that can help defray any costs associated with lost baggage, delayed transportation or other trip-impeding obstacles.

That being said, you can't go wrong with a travel insurance provider that boasts a reputable history and offers a wide range of customizable plans. In some cases, you may be comparing plans that are only a few dollars' apart from each other. In such situations, you should generally opt for the insurance company that offers the strongest customer service. It's also worth considering whether or not the travel insurance provider has been reviewed by other travelers with similar itineraries to your own. 

An insurance aggregator like InsureMyTrip or Squaremouth is one of the best tools for searching travel insurance policies. Once you input the specifics of your travel itinerary, you'll be able to see hundreds of search results to compare the ones that catch your eye. If the options are too overwhelming, use the filters to the left of your search page to eliminate as many irrelevant plans as possible.

How We Reviewed the Best Travel Insurance Companies

To come up with our list of the best travel insurance companies, we evaluated each insurer based on the following factors:

Guide Methodology: What We Considered

Policy Types

Travel insurance is essential, but often underused partly because people aren't getting what they want. Business Insider's 2023 travel study showed 10.65% of travelers surveyed bought cancel for any reason insurance. Cost may be a factor, but in many cases, the coverage is more affordable than you might think. Regardless, companies must offer a diverse range of coverage options. We award five stars to companies offering all standard coverages and additional options like pet and sports equipment protection.

Our 2023 travel study indicated the majority of purchases were made through the travel provider (ex: flight protection insurance when you're purchasing your airline tickets). While these may be sufficient for some customers, we look for companies offering a more comprehensive range of services.

According to the U.S. Travel Insurance Association, the average cost of travel insurance will be between 4% and 8% of total travel expenses. Anything beyond that price point should include additional benefits beyond the standard inclusions, such as CFAR protection or upgraded medical coverage. Anything below that 4% threshold may leave you lacking important or sufficient coverage in an emergency.

Convenience and Flexibility

Whether you're an infrequent traveler or a suitcase warrior, a good travel insurance company should have you covered. In many cases, you might not even have to talk to a person in order to purchase your policy.

Many people think of travel insurance in context with specific trips, but most of these top contenders sell both single-trip and multi-trip policies, also known as annual travel insurance. Some companies also offer plans specifically designed for cruisers, students abroad, and business travelers. (Read our guide to the best cruise travel insurance companies for more details.) Finally, all of these providers offer multiple options for getting the specific areas and amounts of coverage that you want.

Claims Handling

Most travelers never have a large claim. Premiums are low, and it provides peace of mind for the just in case situations. So they leave reviews based on their reduced stress levels. But what happens if you lose your luggage or have to stay a few extra days due to an unexpected accident? Will your insurance carrier cover your claim without all the hassle? We check real customer reviews to sort this out for you.

Ease of Use and Support

When purchasing, during your trip, and throughout the claims process, you may need extra support. Does the company have a 24/7 help line? Does it have an online or mobile system allowing you to self-manage? Essentially, what are the options when you need help? We look at the big picture to evaluate the average customer experience with each company.

You can read our full insurance rating methodology for even more details.

Best Travel Insurance FAQs

There isn't a one-size-fits-all solution for every traveler. Determine the benefits that are most important to you, like baggage delay coverage, medical coverage, and trip delay coverage, then look for a company with solid customer ratings, especially when it comes to processing claims.

Travel insurance will pay out if you experience a covered event, such as a travel delay or delayed or lost baggage. If you're looking to get travel insurance for a specific reason, such as needing to potentially cancel your trip due to work reasons, make sure your policy will cover you in that situation before purchasing it. You should also check customer reviews to see other travelers' claims experiences, as it varies wildly from company to company.

The average cost of travel insurance is 4% to 8% of your total trip cost, so it could vary widely depending on where you're traveling and the length of your trip. Your age, the number of people in your group, and other factors can also influence how much you'll pay.

Most comprehensive travel insurance policies include travel medical coverage that can come in handy if an emergency occurs and you need medical evacuation. Some travel insurance plans offer more specialized coverage for travelers with pre-existing conditions , so shop around if medical coverage is a top priority for you. 

$100,000 should be a sufficient medical coverage limit for travel insurance. If you're planning on doing extreme sports or anything particularly risky on your trip, you may want to increase your coverage level. A high medical coverage limit is especially useful when you're purchasing cruise travel insurance, since medical evacuations are more involved at sea.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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Best Travel Insurance Companies for June 2024

Travel insurance is an important product to consider when booking a trip, especially if it's a pricy one or you believe there's a chance it could be canceled. If you're like the 40% of people who told Nationwide Travel Insurance they plan to travel more in 2024 than in 2023, then travel insurance could be key to making those plans a reality.

According to our research, Travelex is the best travel insurance company because its comprehensive coverage comes at a relatively low cost. We chose the best travel insurers in our list based on an analysis of 31 travel insurance companies across several areas that are most important to travelers, including options available for your coverage, claim and policy limits, what the policy does and doesn't cover, and typical policy costs. We took time to research insurance coverage limits and what the policies covered and rank companies accordingly.

Our list of top travel insurance companies can help you choose the right provider, but you should also do your research to make sure the policy covers your particular trip. And if general travel insurance isn't enough, you may be able to add cancel for any reason (CFAR) travel insurance to your policy to ensure an unexpected situation comes up, like a last-minute work or family obligation, or safety concern.

• Best Overall: Travelex
• Runner-Up, Best Overall: Allianz Travel Insurance
• Best Value: InsureMyTrip
• Most Comprehensive Coverage: World Nomads
• Best for Older Adults: HTH Travel Insurance
• Best for Cruises: Nationwide
• Best for Medical Coverage: GeoBlue
• Our Top Picks

Allianz Travel Insurance

InsureMyTrip

World Nomads

HTH Travel Insurance

• See More (4)

The Bottom Line

• Compare Providers
• What Is Travel Insurance?

Is Travel Insurance Necessary?

How to get travel insurance, what does travel insurance cover.

• How Much Does Travel Insurance Cost?
• What Happens When You Cancel a Trip?

Best Overall : Travelex

• Number of Policy Types: 3
• Coverage Limit: Up to 100% up to $50,000 for cancellations
• Starting Price: $24

Travelex is the best overall travel insurance company because it offers coverage (up to 150% for interruptions) for you or your family members at a competitive price—and kids are included at no extra charge. A relatively low price for the high levels of coverage made it our top choice. Look for the Travel Select plan for the best coverage.

Competitive pricing for comprehensive coverage

Multiple plan options with customizable features

Children younger than 21 covered at no extra cost

Mixed pre-existing medical condition coverage depending on the policy purchase date

No annual plan available

Basic coverage plan features minimal coverage

Travelex Insurance Services is a well-known travel insurance provider based in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1996, Travelex offers several insurance packages depending on the coverage you need for your trip. Policies are underwritten by Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, which earns an A++ rating from AM Best and AA+ from Standard & Poor’s.  Coverage is available to customers worldwide.

The Travel Select plan starts at about $36 and includes trip cancellation insurance, trip interruption, and emergency medical and evacuation, but there also are several ways to customize and upgrade coverage.

Travel is covered up to 100% up to $50,000 for cancellations. You can receive up to 150% of the trip cost, up to $75,000, for trip interruptions. Emergency medical limits are $50,000, and emergency evacuation coverage is good for up to $500,000.

In addition, Travel Select has a 15-day pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver. If you purchase your policy within 15 days of paying for your trip and insure the full cost of the trip, your pre-existing injury or illness is likely covered.

Runner-Up , Best Overall : Allianz Travel Insurance

• Number of Policy Types: 10
• Coverage Limit: Varies depending on annual or single-trip plan
• Starting Price: $138

Allianz is the runner-up best overall travel insurance company because it offers coverage for frequent travelers with a low cost per trip. Get the best coverage from the AllTrips Executive Plan. Individual trip coverage is also available.

Annual- or single-trip plans are available

Many policy types fit varying needs

Cover yourself and your household all year even if you’re not traveling together

Does not cover extended travel periods

Some annual plans have per-trip limits while others have annual limits

Limit for emergency medical transportation coverage is only $250,000

Allianz Travel is a subsidiary of Allianz, which traces its history back to 1890 in Germany. Travel policies are underwritten by insurers with AM Best ratings of A to A+ and are available only to legal U.S. residents.

Travelers who want to hit the road many times per year should consider annual travel insurance rather than individual per-trip policies. Allianz Travel offers four different annual plans with varying benefit levels. We particularly like its AllTrips Executive Plan, which has the highest limits and coverage.

The AllTrips Executive Plan provides tiered limits starting at $5,000 for trip cancellation insurance or interruption coverage. It also offers $50,000 for emergency medical and $250,000 for emergency transportation per insured per trip. There is a lengthy list of exclusions, including extreme sports, so make sure to read the fine print before jumping into adventure activities.

Quotes for a single traveler, a couple, and a family of four had a price point of $500 per traveler per year. If you pay for comprehensive coverage at $120 per person per trip and are going to travel at least five times per year, you will break even with this plan. If you’re looking for lower costs, the AllTrips Basic, Premier, and Prime options are also available from Allianz.

Best Value : InsureMyTrip

• Number of Policy Types: Multiple options from over 20 providers
• Coverage Limit: Varies
• Starting Price: $25 to $100

InsureMyTrip is the best valued travel insurance company because it allows you to compare policies from more than 20 different travel insurance providers with one form so you know you’re getting a good deal for the coverage you need. You can find low-cost trip coverage or customize a plan to meet your needs so you don’t overpay for coverage you won’t use.

Search for quotes from multiple reputable insurers

Shop around with one application for multiple trip types

View multiple plans from eligible insurers for your planned trip

Many popular insurers are not included in listings

Initial listing pages don’t show policy limits

Includes some policies with low coverage limits

Founded in 2000, InsureMyTrip is a travel insurance comparison website that searches from more than 20 insurers using one intake form. It offers an easy-to-use sign-up tool to quickly compare multiple policies based on your specific needs. Filters are available to pick policies that cover adventure sports, higher limits, increased medical coverage, and more.

A quote for a family of four taking a 14-day trip that costs $4,000 and includes plane and hotel expenses resulted in three suggested plans with costs of around $100 to around $400 for varying levels of travel protection. Basic features included luggage coverage, travel delay, and medical care. Note that rates will differ based on where customers are originating from and where they are vacationing, as well as other variables.

The insurers you'll find while using InsureMyTrip have earned a variety of industry ratings and are generally considered reputable and financially stable. Still, as with policies bought directly from insurers, it’s a good idea to read the policy details before clicking the buy button. Each underlying insurer has different claims processes, exclusions, and limits. InsureMyTrip makes it easier, however, to be an informed travel insurance buyer.

Most Comprehensive Coverage : World Nomads

• Number of Policy Types: 2
• Coverage Limit: Up to $10,000 for trip cancellation
• Starting Price: $100 to $200

World Nomads is the best comprehensive coverage travel insurance company because adventure travelers and digital nomads will get coverage of up to $100,000 for accidents for some of the most extreme adventures.

Extensive coverage with high limits for medical and emergency evacuation

Protects your bags, computers, and sports equipment when traveling

Explorer plan covers adventure sports

Only single-trip plans are available

Most pre-existing medical conditions are not covered

Not all policies cover adventure sports

World Nomads is a good insurer for those looking for adventure. The Australia-based provider was founded in 2000 and is a solid choice for worldwide travel with few excluded activities. Policies are underwritten by various insurers including the financially strong and well-known Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, Generali Global, AIG, and Lloyd’s.

Coverage includes terrorist attacks, assault, medical repatriation, equipment and baggage, and overseas medical and dental. The high-end Explorer Plan covers activities including snow sports, water sports, aviation, motorsports, athletics, and high-adventure experiences. It names more than 200 activities, many of which other insurers specifically exclude.

For the Explorer Plan, a solo 35-year-old would pay around $200, depending on inputs like state of origin, for a month in Thailand, which is reasonable for such extensive coverage. The Standard Plan costs around $100 for the same trip, but it makes sense to choose higher coverage levels if you’re worried about something going wrong.

This U.S.-based policy is underwritten by Nationwide (rated A by AM Best) with a $100,000 limit for emergency accidents and illnesses, $500,000 for emergency evacuation, $10,000 for trip cancellation insurance (or interruption), and much more.

Though it doesn’t have the same insurance reputation as some other providers, it works with reputable companies to underwrite policies.

Best for Older Adults : HTH Travel Insurance

• Number of Policy Types: 5
• Coverage Limit: Up to $50,000 for trip cancellation
• Starting Price: Varies

HTH Travel Insurance is the best travel insurance company for older adults because its medical coverage is excellent and you get flexible options while on a budget.

High levels of medical coverage for adults up to 95 years old

Up to a $1,500 allowance for someone to visit you in the hospital

May be expensive depending on your needs

Best plan for older adults requires existing health insurance

Lowest policy has a $50,000 maximum benefit per person

Headquartered in Pennsylvania, HTH Worldwide was founded in 1997, and HTH Travel Insurance offers plans with high levels of medical coverage. That’s a big concern for older adults leaving the country , as they could end up in a doctor’s office or hospital with an expensive bill to follow. HTH Travel Insurance offers up to $1 million in total coverage for medical.

Policies for travelers with existing primary insurance enjoy 100% coverage for typical hospital charges, including surgery, tests, office visits, inpatient hospital stays, and prescription drugs outside of the U.S., among other coverage.

Medical evacuation is available up to $500,000, but trip interruption and baggage coverage are pretty light. Most people will choose this plan for medical rather than travel benefits. This policy is available to applicants who are 95 years old or younger.

Travel insurance is also available for people without existing health coverage. Most older adults in the U.S. are covered by some existing coverage, such as Medicare, but Medicare doesn’t work outside of the United States, leaving people uninsured when abroad. HTH Travel Insurance provides policies for those without existing medical coverage. The age limit is 95, but there is a 180-day pre-existing medical condition exclusion.

Best for Cruises : Nationwide

• Number of Policy Types: 8
• Coverage Limit: Up to $30,000 for trip cancellation
• Starting Price: $100

Nationwide is the best travel insurance for cruises because it offers multiple options to protect your cruise vacation with tailored coverage for common cruise trip issues. Make sure to review the benefit levels so you pick the right coverage for your needs.

Large insurer with a strong reputation

Three different cruise insurance plans to choose from

Coverage for common cruise issues like missed connections and itinerary changes

Some plans have low coverage levels for some incidents

Benefit limits are low for trip interruption for any reason

Pre-existing medical conditions may not be covered

Nationwide has been around since 1925. The Columbus, Ohio-based insurance company offers the most popular types of insurance including auto, home, and life. It also offers a few types of travel insurance coverage for individual trips, multi-trips, and cruises.

For single trip protection, Nationwide offers trip cancellation insurance of up to $10,000 with its Essentials plan and $30,000 with its Prime plan. Travelers may also get an annual travel insurance package for just $59 a year to cover delays, medical expenses, medical evacuation, lost luggage, and travel assistance.

Its custom-tailored plans for cruises, however, are what landed it in this category. The Universal Cruise plan, Choice Cruise plan, and Luxury Cruise plan make it easy to pick the right coverage for your individual needs. The cost for a couple on a 10-day cruise to Mexico, for example, was quoted at around $200 for both the Universal and Choice plans.

Cruise insurance from Nationwide covers what you worry about most with a cruise. Things like broken-down ships and itinerary changes can lead to missed excursions and flights or other costs. For the Universal Cruise plan, emergency medical expenses are covered up to $75,000 with medical evacuation benefits up to $250,000.

Additionally, all plans include coverage for the weather, an extension of school sessions, work emergencies, and terrorism. The luxury plan also covers the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warnings in effect at your destination.

Travelers in 2024 have concerns over trip cancelations due to unprecedented events. Nationwide's survey showed that 51% are still worried about a resurgence of COVID-19, while 54% worry about weather-related delays or cancellations. Other worries include technology issues (38%), unruly fellow travelers (37%), and employee strikes (25%). Travel insurance can help alleviate some stress about a trip being canceled.

Best for Medical Coverage : GeoBlue

GeoBlue is the best travel insurance company for medical coverage because it offers multiple options to buy travel medical insurance coverage for a lower price than a full travel insurance package. It offers medical coverage on its own if you don’t want or need additional travel coverage.

Up to $1 million in medical coverage

Gives a la carte medical coverage when other trip costs are already covered

Different policies allow you to cover various needs and pre-existing medical conditions

Primarily covers medical costs

Additional primary medical coverage required

GeoBlue, headquartered in Pennsylvania, is part of Worldwide Insurance Services, and policies come with a license from Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Policies are issued by 4 Ever Life International Limited, a company with a history of more than 60 years and an A rating (Excellent) from AM Best.

If you just need coverage for medical needs, GeoBlue is a good choice. This insurer offers only travel medical coverage. Paying for medical coverage means you aren't paying for the rest of your travel insurance, which you already may have covered. If you already have a credit card with travel insurance included, your card's terms likely protect things like lost luggage and missed flights, for example. Instead, you get covered just for medical, and the costs for that are as low as a few dollars per day.

Because you’re mostly getting travel medical coverage, you will pay a lot less than most other insurers on this list. Just make sure you completely understand what it does and doesn't cover. You will receive only minimal luggage protection and travel interruption coverage with GeoBlue's plans.

GeoBlue has two general plans for single trips, multiple trips, and long-term travel. Additionally, there are five specialty policies for niche travel medical insurance needs, like study abroad. It doesn’t cover everything related to your trip, but it makes medical coverage much more affordable.

Travelex is the best travel insurance company because it offers competitive pricing for comprehensive travel insurance. Policies from Travelex cover everything from canceled or interrupted trips to medical emergencies and evacuations. It also features a 15-day pre-existing medical conditions waiver, which means that as long as you book your trip several weeks in advance, you and your family members will likely still be covered.

There are many options to choose from when it comes to travel insurance. It can provide you with peace of mind and save you thousands of dollars if your travel plans are canceled or interrupted at the last minute. With world events like pandemics, natural disasters, and wars that could easily throw an unexpected wrench in your travel plans, travel insurance helps you to stay prepared. Overall, our top choice for travel insurance is Travelex.

Why You Can Trust Our Expert Recommendations for the Best Travel Insurance

Investopedia collected several key data points from over 30 travel insurance companies to identify the most important factors for readers choosing a travel insurance company for their trips. We used this data to review each company for cost, coverage limits, exclusions, customer service, and other features to provide unbiased, comprehensive reviews to ensure our readers make the right decision for their needs. Investopedia launched in 1999, and has been helping readers find the best travel insurance companies since 2020.

Compare the Best Travel Insurance Companies

Travel insurance covers common problems when traveling. From trip interruptions to full cancellations, it can help protect the money you put down for your travel experience.

Common coverage includes more than just an unexpected trip stoppage. It can also cover lost or damaged luggage and changes to your itinerary for covered reasons, among other benefits.

Medical coverage is an important factor to consider because your current health insurance may not work away from home. The best travel insurance includes coverage for medical treatment, dental emergencies, and medical transportation. If you have any pre-existing medical conditions or are at risk, it’s important to make sure your policy covers these, too.

If you're traveling locally, such as within your state or within your country, you likely do not need travel insurance. You may be covered with some sort of trip insurance through the credit card you paid for your trip with, and you may have adequate health insurance that can cover you if you need medical attention away from home.

Some credit cards , especially those premium travel rewards cards, may provide the following coverages: 

• Trip cancellation insurance
• Trip delay reimbursement
• Emergency evacuation and transportation
• Accidental death and dismemberment
• Lost or delayed luggage reimbursement
• Auto damage waivers
• Roadside emergency assistance

And if you book a refundable trip, travel insurance may not be necessary.

However, if your trip is expensive or it's in another country, travel insurance will come in handy if something unexpected were to happen. You may also need travel insurance if you're traveling to a particular country such as Antarctica, Egypt, Chile, Turkey, and more.

Travel insurance can give you peace of mind that you'll get some of your money back or that you're insured in case you need medical attention or another type of help while away from home.

Tips for Picking the Best Travel Insurance for You

When picking the best travel insurance policy, there are a few things you should consider. Here are some tips and factors to think about:

• Look for low pricing and good coverage : Pricing is one of the most significant factors when comparing travel insurance policies. Look for a provider that offers low rates and doesn’t skimp on coverage.
• Don't settle for the first policy type : Depending on where you’re traveling and how long you’re staying there, different types of travel insurance policies may work best for your situation. For instance, you may need a different policy for a weeklong trip than you would if you plan to travel abroad for several months.
• Match your coverage limits to your travel costs : Travel insurance plans have coverage limits for trip cancellation, interruption, and medical expenses. Look for a plan whose coverage limit matches the amount you’ve spent on your travel plans.
• Don't forget to look at the exclusions : Some travel insurance plans come with exclusions. If you’re worried about a particular event or accident, make sure it’s covered before you pay for a plan.
• Look for high customer satisfaction ratings : Customer satisfaction is also an important factor when purchasing a travel insurance plan. Look for a provider with high customer satisfaction ratings and a history of good customer service.

"As someone who is always purchasing travel insurance, and has been for years, the thing that matters to me the most is mainly coverage and customer service. I want to know what my policy will cover, especially if I am taking a trip that involves a lot of activities, as well as how easy it will be to contact the company should I need to do so. I have found in the past that the price is always very reasonable and you can shop around, so it has never been the biggest concern for me." -Alice Morgan, Senior Digital Art Director, Dotdash Meredith

• Select a travel insurance company.
• Apply for the travel insurance plan of choice on the company's website or over the phone.
• Provide basic info about who is traveling and travel plans, like name, age, location of trip, and travel expenses and costs like hotels or airfare.
• Wait to be approved.
• Create an online account for easy access while you travel. Some companies may have an app, too.
• Enjoy your trip, and file a claim online or over the phone if needed.

When you’ve selected a travel insurance plan that meets your needs, the next step is to apply for travel insurance. You’ll need to provide the insurance company with some basic information about yourself and your travel plans, including your age, where you live, the date and location of your trip, and your total travel expenses, including things like flights and hotel stays.

Many insurance companies let you apply for a policy entirely online. When your application has been approved, you can typically manage your account online and add details about your trip. If you do need to file a claim, you can typically complete the process online.

Travel insurance may include many different benefits. Here’s a look at some common situations covered by many travel insurance plans:

• Trip cancellation
• Trip interruption
• Missed connection
• Baggage and possession loss, damage, and theft
• Delayed luggage
• Emergency medical treatment
• Emergency medical evacuation
• Accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D)

Emergency medical treatment may include things like ambulance services, x-rays, doctor bills, dental work, lab work, and more. It'll depend on the travel insurance company, so be sure to ask before paying for the insurance and/or additional benefits.

There are additional specialty coverages as well, such as customized policies for cruises. It’s a good idea to shop around and compare before making a final decision.

What Does Travel Insurance Not Cover?

Just as homeowners insurance often excludes damage from things like earthquakes and floods, travel insurance has common exclusions you need to know about. Here are some types of coverage you may not get with travel insurance:

• Weather-related cancellations and delays
• Trip cancellations or changes due to acts of terrorism
• Trip cancellations or changes due to a pandemic
• Injuries from extreme sports and high-adventure activities

Though most policies have limits and exclusions around these circumstances, not all do. Some insurers on this list have special coverage for these exact causes or include them in standard plan terms. Again, this is why it’s so important to read your policy documents before paying for and locking in your policy.

Best Cancel-for-Any-Reason Travel Insurance

The best cancel-for-any-reason (CFAR) travel insurance company is USI Affinity because it offers seven different insurance plans at the lowest premiums of all CFAR insurance companies we researched.

Travel insurance costs vary widely by coverage and insurer. You can expect to pay anywhere from a few dollars a day to more than $10 a day for short-term and single-trip coverage. The cost of your trip is another major factor in the insurance rate.

That means insurance for a single trip could cost anywhere from around $20 to hundreds of dollars. Annual policies cost around $500 per year for high levels of coverage.

There are many inexpensive travel insurance plans available, but most travelers are best protected with comprehensive coverage. It costs a bit more, but if you need to file a claim, you’ll be glad you have it.

Is Travel Insurance Worth the Cost?

If you pay a lot for a trip or vacation, then travel insurance should be worth the cost because you don't want to lose out on that investment. It won't always be necessary, but if travel insurance costs just a fraction of what you paid for the trip, then you'll be happy you had it if you have to cancel a trip worth hundreds or thousands of dollars. For example, if you book a European vacation worth $4,000 and your travel insurance costs just $400, it might be worth it so that if anything happens and you need to cancel, you still get $3,600 back in your pocket.

How Does Travel Insurance Work When You Cancel Your Trip?

When canceling your trip, you'll want to contact the travel insurance company right away. The policy and travel insurance company you selected will cover certain parts of your trip. It's important to review this policy and details to understand exactly what you need to do to get your money back for your trip.

Don't cancel your trip until you read your policy and know what is required for your claim.

For example, if you are ill and a doctor tells you not to travel, you may need to get a written note from the doctor and submit it with your trip cancellation claim.

Before you submit a claim and cancel your trip, consider if you can delay it and reschedule it instead. If you can't, then make sure you have all the required documents (receipts, proof of hotel booking, airline ticket confirmation, etc.). Once you submit your claim, it could take days (Allianz says up to 10 business days, sometimes) for you to receive notice that the claim was processed.

Frequently Asked Questions

In which countries is travel insurance required.

Travel insurance is not mandatory or required by all countries, but some do. For example, Cuba requires people traveling from the U.S. to Cuba to have non-U.S. medical insurance, which may be covered through travel insurance or an airline. Other countries that may require or strongly encourage travel insurance include Antarctica, Egypt, Chile, Turkey, and more. Check a country's specific travel requirements before booking your trip to understand if travel insurance is required.

How Many Days Before a Trip Should You Buy Travel Insurance?

You should always buy travel insurance as soon as you book your trip. If you forgot to buy travel insurance when you booked, it's OK—aim to buy it at least 15 days before traveling to ensure you're eligible for coverage.

Do I Need Travel Insurance for a Cruise?

Just as with any kind of trip, whether you need cruise insurance largely depends on the cost of the trip, and where you're going. If you're paying more than $1,000 for a cruise, travel insurance is probably worth it. For instance, you may want international medical insurance if you're traveling to other countries because some health insurance policies do not cover international travel—Medicare and Medicaid in particular.

Just be aware that if you buy cruise insurance (as opposed to a general travel insurance policy), it may not cover travel before and after the cruise, such as your flight to the port and any hotel expenses you may have pre- or post-trip.

Does State Farm Offer Travel Insurance?

State Farm does not offer travel insurance. State Farm offers car insurance, motorcycle insurance, boat insurance, motorhome insurance, off-road vehicle insurance, homeowners insurance, renters insurance, condo insurance, life insurance, liability insurance, small business insurance, and more.

Can You Buy Travel Insurance After Booking a Flight?

Yes, you can book travel insurance after booking a flight. This may be a great time to book travel insurance because you'll know what coverage you need in case something happens and your trip is canceled. Signing up for travel insurance as soon as possible will always be your best bet.

Which Travel Insurance Is Best?

The best travel insurance company is Travelex because it offers comprehensive coverage at a relatively low price. Travelex has multiple plan options and family members younger than 21 are covered at no extra cost. Another perk is Travelex's Travel Select plan which has a 15-day pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver. If you purchase your policy within 15 days of paying for your trip and insure the full cost of your trip, your pre-existing injury or illness is likely covered.

Does Travel Insurance Cover Canceled Flights?

Most travel insurance covers canceled flights, as well as delayed flights. If your flight is delayed by a certain number of hours, your travel insurance may reimburse you for the additional money you spent as a result of that delay or cancelation.

What Is the Best Rate for Travel Insurance?

The best rate for travel insurance will be whatever it costs for comprehensive coverage for your trip. While you can get travel insurance that costs just $10 per day, it may not come with the coverage you need for your trip—especially if it's an expensive trip or if you're worried it could be canceled or interrupted.

How We Found the Best Travel Insurance Companies

To come up with this list of the top travel insurance providers, we looked at more than 30 different travel insurance companies and plans. Major areas of focus included coverage options, claim and policy limits, what’s covered, and typical insurance policy costs.

The biggest focus was on insurance coverage limits and what each policy covers. Cost is important, but a difference of $20 for much better coverage is often negligible. The most important features examined in this review are the ones that make your policy valuable and easy to use if you ever need it.

Your Guide to Travel Insurance

• Do I Need Travel Insurance?
• How to Get the Cheapest Travel Insurance
• Best Travel Insurance Options for Older Adults
• Best Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) Travel Insurance
• How Much Is Cancel for Any Reason Travel Insurance?
• How to Buy Cancel for Any Reason Travel Insurance

Nationwide. " Survey: U.S. Consumer Travel to Surge in 2024 ."

Travelex. " About Travelex ."

S&P Global Market Intelligence. " Insurance Ratings Actions: S&P Acts on Berkshire Hathaway’s Insurance Segment ."

AM Best. " AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Berkshire Hathaway Life Ins Co of Nebraska and First Berkshire Hathaway Life Ins Co ."

Travelex. " Travel Select ."

Allianz. " History of Allianz ."

AM Best " AM Best Upgrades Credit Ratings of BCS Financial Group Members ."

AM Best. " AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Allianz SE and Rated Subsidiaries ."

Allianz Travel. " AllTrips Executive ."

InsureMyTrip. " About ."

World Nomads. " About World Nomads ."

World Nomads. " What's Covered for Americans? "

World Nomads. " Summary of Plan Benefits: Explorer Plan ."

AM Best. " AM Best Downgrades Credit Ratings of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Its Property/Casualty Subsidiaries; Affirms Credit Ratings of Life Affiliates ."

HTH Travel Insurance. " About Us ."

U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. " Travel Outside the U.S. "

HTH Travel Insurance. " Options for Travelers Without a Primary Plan ."

Nationwide. " About Nationwide ."

Nationwide. " Nationwide Single-Trip Insurance ."

Nationwide. " Nationwide Annual Travel Insurance ."

Nationwide. " Cruise Travel Insurance ."

4 Ever Life. " About Us ."

AM Best. " AM Best Upgrades Credit Ratings of BCS Financial Group Members ."

GeoBlue. " Travel Medical Insurance Plans ."

InsureMyTrip. " Which Countries Require Travel Insurance? "

Squaremouth Travel Insurance. " Emergency Medical ."

Allianz. " Trip Cancellation Checklist ."

U.S. Embassy in Cuba. " Medical Assistance ."

Travelex. " Frequently Asked Questions ."

State Farm. " Types of Insurance Coverage ."

Travelers. " When to Get Travel Insurance ."

Travelex. " Trip Delay Coverage ."

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Travel health insurance will cover the costs of getting medical attention in case of an emergency abroad. Plans also include medical evacuation, repatriation, trip interruption, and more. This type of coverage is necessary when you’re going outside your country for periods of up to a year or more. Even if you have a domestic medical plan, there is no guarantee that it will be accepted abroad.

Learn more about travel medical policies in this article and get to know which plans for traveling abroad fit your needs.

What is International Travel Health Insurance?

When traveling outside your home country, buying medical insurance as part of your international travel plan is vital to protect yourself against accidents or illnesses. Even if you have private medical insurance issued in your home country, it will most likely not cover you on your trip abroad. And even if it does, there is a chance that the coverage will be insufficient to provide the care you might need during your trip.

What Does Travelers' Medical Insurance Cover?

Depending on the plan you choose, your travel insurance policy can offer:

• Freedom to seek treatment with a hospital or doctor of your choice
• Maximum limits from $50,000 to up to $8,000,000
• 24/7 access to an emergency assistance medical hotline to speak with medical experts
• Deductible options from $0 to up to $25,000
• Renewable for up to 36 months
• Other benefits like travel delay/cancellation, baggage loss/delay
• Universal Rx pharmacy discount savings
• Repatriation and emergency evacuation

Is Travel Health Insurance Worth It?

The best travel medical insurance plans combine the benefits of travel insurance plans with additional health and medical coverage. Whenever you travel to another country, it is a necessity to have the right international plan that will cover you in case the unexpected happens.

Recommended Medical Travel Insurance Plans

We offer great options to cover you and your family during travel abroad. The Atlas plan is an affordable policy for travelers from most countries. GeoBlue's Voyager plan is a comprehensive plan tailored to US citizens. The Trawick Safe Travels plan includes comprehensive coverage for trip cancellation, trip interruption, emergency medical, and post-departure travel coverage, among other benefits. Trawick's Safe Travel USA is designed specifically for foreigners visiting the USA .

Pro Tip: Visit our Travel Insurance Guide to find which type of plan is best for your situation.

Recommended Plan for US Citizens Traveling Abroad

GeoBlue's Voyager Travel Insurance plan is designed specifically for US citizens traveling abroad. The benefits are excellent while remaining a very affordable option. Most importantly, the customer service is outstanding, which is essential when you need to reach someone in a medical emergency.

GeoBlue Voyager Plan

• For U.S. citizens up to age 95
• Includes pregnancy coverage, baggage loss, trip interruption & more
• 24/7/365 service and assistance

Option for All International Travelers

Trawick offers a great plan for all other nationalities traveling abroad to any country in the world. Coverage options are global, benefits are comprehensive, and they have a range of coverage levels to meet all budgets.

Safe Travels International

• Desinged for non-U.S. citizens traveling outside their home country (excluding the U.S.)
• Coverage for an unexpected recurrence of a Pre-Existing Condition
• Coverage from 5 days to 364 days - extensions are available

Recommended Plan for International Visitors to the US

Safe Travels USA from Trawick is the best plan option for international citizens visiting the United States. In addition to those listed above, benefits include limited coverage for wellness visits and "acute onset of pre-existing conditions".

• Desinged for non-U.S. citizens traveling to the U.S. and addiitonal countries
• Includes comprehensive medical, evacuation, & repatriation coverage

Affordable Plans with Great Coverage and Benefits

Our suggested plan based on affordability, benefits, and service is the Atlas Travel Insurance Plan. Don't be fooled by the price - the benefits are very comparable to those offered by more expensive insurers.

• 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

Or See for Yourself: Compare Travel Medical Insurance Plans

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does travel health insurance cost.

You can see in the table below that plans can cost from as low as $0.80 per day to as high as $5 a day , sometimes more. Monthly rates, ranging from $40 to $60, are also available, sometimes providing better value. How much an international travel health insurance plan costs will depend on the length of the trip, your age, medical limits, complications, and the deductible you choose by the time you purchase the plan.

Emergency medical plans for travelers are surprisingly affordable. The average cost of an international travel medical insurance plan is $2 per day. It is very affordable compared to the high cost of medical care should something go wrong on your trip.

Plans are often of a sort duration, within the travel period you have indicated, so the risks are less for insurers. As a result, medical insurance costs for traveling abroad are also significantly lower. Travel health policies also do not cover trip cancellations , so their premiums are lower than usual.

Costs and Benefits of a Travel Medical Insurance Plan

The cost of your plan will cover several benefits, all under one policy. For the low price listed here, you get emergency medical coverage abroad, trip interruption benefits, repatriation, medical evacuation, 24/7 travel assistance, and coverage for lost or stolen items. Some plans include personal liability coverage, natural disasters, political evacuation, and more.

How Optional Coverage Adds to the Cost of Your Policy

Many plans offer additional optional benefits for an additional cost. For example, you can add coverage for adventure trips, mountaineering, or Accidental Death and Disability (AD&D). Each additional benefit will increase the price of your plan. In general, the increase in premiums is affordable and worth the added expense if you feel you need that additional coverage.

What Are the Different Levels of Health Insurance for Traveling Abroad?

There are various levels of international travel health insurance plans from some of today’s leading insurers. These plans can range from very basic emergency health coverage to comprehensive health care, including prescriptions, medical evacuation, and insurance for high-risk activities.

• The most basic level of travel insurance covers emergency medical needs while you’re away from home. If you fall ill or get injured while traveling, this type of policy will usually cover your treatment. Some plans let you add higher maximums for medical coverage so you can get care for significant medical expenses.
• You can add features to your policy like prescription plans, repatriation, emergency evacuation, and coverage for pre-existing conditions. Depending on the plan, some of these might already be covered. 
• You can also add riders for so-called “extreme sports,” which cover you if you want to paraglide, climb mountains, or do zipline tours in the jungle. 
• Yet another type of travel insurance is trip cancellation, which pays you back if your vacation is interrupted or called off for a set list of reasons. A more expensive version of this is called Cancel For Any Reason or CFAR, which reimburses your trip costs if you suddenly can’t go for a reason that’s not otherwise covered. These plans include medical coverage, but you should check how much and whether you need more.

Among our most popular plans for US citizens is the GeoBlue Voyager Plan , which allows travelers to customize their coverage with different medical maximums and deductibles. You can be confident that your coverage, benefits, and service will be excellent.

Atlas Travel Insurance is a comprehensive travel medical policy that includes hospitalization and doctor coverage. It also includes coverage for lost luggage. You can customize the policy to include optional coverage for extreme sports .

The Patriot Platinum Insurance provides optional coverage for extra riders, including personal belongings and and extreme sports. This is perhaps the best medical policy for traveling abroad because it provides world-class coverage and access to the best service and assistance for traveling outside your home country.

You can review the list we made of the Best Travel Insurance Companies to get a better idea of which provider to choose.

For long-term travelers, expats, or individuals moving abroad for a year or longer, an international medical insurance plan might be a better option. These plans provide more comprehensive medical benefits but lack some of the coverage offered in travel health plans, such as trip interruption.

What Is the Cheapest Travel Medical Insurance Plan?

We offer a variety of medical plans for traveling abroad, and they come at a range of different price points.

When it comes to medical coverage, the best value travel insurance plan is one that covers specific benefits you need at a price you can afford. Some inexpensive plans do not cover the most important benefits or cover them with limited value. Other low-cost policies provide considerable travelers' medical insurance coverage, but their service is not as good, so it will be frustrating to use it in emergencies.

International Citizens Insurance has filtered the best insurance providers that offer affordable plans with good coverage and excellent service. For the most affordable and reliable plans, we recommend the following options:

How Do I Purchase an International Travel Medical Policy?

Applying for a travel health plan is easy. Just answer a few questions about yourself and the planned trip to get the initial quote. From there, you can refine the plan and see how much the travelers' medical insurance will cost by selecting and deselecting different benefits and their maximum coverage amounts. You can also tweak the deductibles, optional add-on features, and other portions of the policy, if possible.

Use our Plan Picker to get started!

When you are satisfied with the quote after adjusting the cost and benefits of the plan, you can proceed with the online application and pay for the plan using your credit card. A confirmation email will be sent along with policy documentation and relevant contact details should you need emergency medical assistance on your next trip.

We have listed some of the best medical insurance for international travel. Just follow the links on each one to learn more about the plan.

Do These Plans Cover My Visa Requirements?

In most cases, they do. The short term medical insurance plans we offer are designed to meet, and even exceed, most visa requirements of most countries. We also have plans that can meet Schengen Visa Insurance requirements.

Before traveling to a country, check the visa requirements to ensure you purchase the maximum benefit and deductible amounts required. Most countries require at least $50,000 of coverage in medical benefits, along with a specific deductible amount.

Check the visa requirements for the country you are traveling to, and then when purchasing your policy, you can select the level and benefits that meet those requirements.

Read More: Insurance for Your Travel Visa

Can You Buy Just Travel Medical Insurance?

Yes, definitely.

International travel medical insurance plans are designed to cover emergency medical expenses should you get sick or injured while traveling abroad. Suppose you are in an accident and need medical care. In that case, these plans are designed to help you find a doctor, get you treated in the best facilities available, cover necessary medical prescriptions, and provide continuous care.

Note: These plans will typically not cover any pre-existing conditions you might have. Before you sign up for a policy, check the part pertaining to pre-existing conditions to clarify any questions or concerns regarding that portion.

Your policy may not cover treatment for accidents or illnesses that occur while participating in certain dangerous activities. Some plans offer adventure sports coverage as an optional add-on. If you plan to partake in hazardous activities or sports events that pose a high risk of getting injured, it is best to get this add-on on top of your base-level coverage.

Some policies, known as trip cancellation plans , also cover the cost of your trip if you have to cancel, and are typically more expensive. If you only want coverage for medical emergencies, a travel medical plan is right for you.

Not sure where to start? Use our Pick a Plan tool.

How Does International Travel Medical Insurance Compare to Trip Insurance?

With the wide variety in names and coverage of travel, trip, and medical plans, it can be confusing to select which one is the most appropriate for your needs. Different service providers offer several levels of coverage, so a travel insurance plan provided by one insurer could be completely different from those offered by competitors.

Trip insurance is a short-term solution that covers trip cancellation, protection, and limited emergency medical coverage. This type of policy is usually available only for up to 62 days.

A travel health insurance plan is more comprehensive. It provides increased medical coverage from what a regular trip or travel insurance policy does. This type of policy is best for travel periods lasting from 5 days up to a year.

If you are considering longer-term coverage or more comprehensive medical benefits, read these guides to help you see the available options:

• Expatriate Insurance or Travel Insurance: What is the Difference?
• Overseas Health Insurance Coverage

Do I Need to Buy Health Insurance for Traveling Abroad?

Travel health insurance is a short-term solution for those who are traveling outside their home country anywhere between 5 days and a year. Whether it is for business or pleasure purposes, getting adequate coverage is an essential part of ensuring safe travels.

Having a health plan at home will not guarantee you coverage when you travel to other countries. And usually, if it does provide coverage, it will be limited and will not cover the most important areas that need to be addressed.

The plans we offer can work for a broad range of traveling individuals, including international vacationers, immigrants, relatives visiting from overseas, and foreign au pairs and nannies.

The best part about global travel health insurance policies is that they are available to all nationalities traveling abroad.

Which Countries Require Travel Medical Insurance to Enter?

Most countries that were requiring medical travel insurance with COVID-19 coverage at the height of the pandemic are no longer requiring it. However, it is still highly recommended. (Read our guide for more specific details on the latest travel insurance requirements.) Double-check all requirements before booking your travel policy. Below is a list of countries that still require travel medical insurance as of December 2023.

• Saudi Arabia
• the Czech Republic
• Liechtenstein
• the Netherlands
• Switzerland

Recommended Travel Medical Plan Options for US Citizens

The following rate tables below show the cost per day for U.S. citizens traveling outside of the U.S.

GeoBlue Voyager Choice

IMG Patriot International

WorldTrips Atlas International

Trawick Safe Travels Outbound

Rates were last updated on March 4, 2024

Recommended Travel Medical Plan Options for All Nationalities

The following rate tables below show the cost per day for international (non-U.S.) citizens traveling abroad, including trips to the U.S.

The plans, IMG Patriot America, WorldTrips Atlas America and Seven Corners Travel Medical, provide coverage worldwide, including inside the U.S. and outside the U.S.

Trawick Safe Travels USA only provides coverage inside the U.S.

IMG Patriot America

WorldTrips Atlas America

Seven Corners Travel Medical Plus

Pro Tip: Visit our Plan Picker to find the best plan at the right price for your trip.

How Much Travel Medical Insurance Do I Need?

It depends on where you’re going, what your home coverage is like, and what you plan to get up to!

• For shorter trips, you can probably get away with less coverage. But if you’re traveling extensively, you might think about a more thorough policy. If you are taking several trips throughout the year, consider annual travel insurance so you’re always covered.
• How’s your health? If you have conditions that need regular treatment or medications, make sure your policy is up to the level of care you need while abroad. Most plans will exclude coverage for pre-existing conditions, so be aware of that. 
• If you’re going somewhere with a high level of medical care easily available, you probably don’t need medical evacuation or repatriation. Consider adding it if you’re going into the wilderness, staying somewhere rural and far from care, or making an adventure trip.
• Speaking of, what are you planning to do on your vacation? You might be surprised by some things insurance companies consider “extreme sports.” If you’re planning anything outdoorsy, check if your activity requires special coverage.
• Some countries require a travel policy to get a visa. For instance, the Schengen visa requires a minimum of $50,000 in medical coverage. Check the visa rules for the place you’re traveling to.

Different Types of Health Plans for Travelers

Here at International Citizens Insurance, we provide a wide range of travel health plans from some of the leading insurers. Among our most popular plans are the Atlas and Patriot Plans, which have different levels to choose from, each designed to suit the needs of various travelers.

Atlas Travel Insurance is a comprehensive policy that includes hospitalization and doctor coverage. It can also include insurance on lost luggage. You can customize the policy to include optional coverage for extreme sports .

With Patriot Platinum Insurance , you can get coverage for extra riders and extreme sports when you add them. This is one of the best travel medical insurance plans for traveling abroad, providing world-class coverage and access to the best service and assistance for traveling outside your home country.

Annual, Multi-Trip Travel Insurance Plans for Frequent Travelers

International coverage for travel is available as a single-trip plan that covers a specific trip for a specified number of days.

But a multi-trip or annual travel insurance plan can cover all trips outside your home country during the year. This is usually valid for a year and up to a certain number of days per trip. This is a more cost-effective medical insurance for traveling abroad, especially if you are a frequent traveler.

If you are looking for one of the best travel health insurance policies we offer, consider the GeoBlue Trekker annual travel insurance plan. See the link below for more details on the policy and how you can get a quote before your purchase online.

Annual Plan for any Nationality

Seven Corners Travel Medical Annual Multi-Trip

• Buy annually and travel as often as you want.
• Choose from 30-, 45-, and 60-day trip lengths.
• Emergency medical evacuation benefit of $1,000,000.

GeoBlue Trekker Plan for US citizens

Trekker MultiTrip Travel Insurance

• Up to $500,000 for sickness and accidents
• $500,000 medical evacuation benefit
• Unlimited Trips Outside the U.S. for trips up to 70 days

Buy One of Our Recommended Travel Medical Plans

Atlas Travel Insurance: Learn More | Free Quote / Apply (Best for All Nationalities Traveling Abroad)

GeoBlue Travel Insurance: Learn More | Free Quote / Apply (Best for US Citizens Abroad)

A message from the Center for Disease Control : Severe illness or injury abroad may result in a financial burden on you and your family. Although planning for every possible contingency is impossible, travelers can reduce the cost of a medical emergency by considering the purchase of 3 types of insurance for their trip: trip insurance, travel health insurance, and medical evacuation insurance. These insurance policies can be purchased before a trip to provide coverage in the event of an illness or injury and may be of particular importance to individuals with chronic medical conditions. Basic accident or travel insurance may even be required for travelers to certain destinations.

Author: Joe Cronin , Founder and President of International Citizens Insurance . Mr. Cronin, a former expat, is an authority in the areas of international travel, and global health, life, and travel insurance, with expertise in advising individuals and groups on benefits for today's global workforce. Follow him on LinkedIn or Twitter .

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Best Travel Insurance for Visiting the U.S.

Tiffani Sherman is a Florida-based freelance writer and producer who works to support her travel habit. After many years producing television newscasts and training videos, she realized working for herself gave her more time to travel and explore the world. She has taken more than 30 cruises and has visited more than 80 countries.

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Table of Contents

Travel insurance basics

Best visitors insurance policies, for the lowest price: trawick international, for customizing options: worldtrips, for pre-existing conditions: worldtrips, for highest medical coverage limit: img, other options to consider, the bottom line.

Since health care can be expensive in the U.S., it’s important that visitors have insurance coverage, aka visitors insurance or travel medical insurance, in case something happens that requires medical attention mid-trip.

Whether you have coverage for travel in the U.S. depends on your health care plan in your home country. But if you don't, you'll need to buy a policy from a third-party insurance provider. Several companies sell this kind of visitor insurance, and each company and policy is a bit different. Let’s look at which is best for you.

First, a few basics about visitor insurance. Two kinds are available: travel medical insurance and trip insurance.

Travel medical insurance covers medical expenses that you may incur while traveling internationally, like a visit to the doctor, a trip to the hospital and medical evacuation and repatriation.

Trip insurance usually covers limited medical expenses like emergency care and can compensate you if your trip is delayed, you need to leave the trip early or you have to cancel the trip. It is designed to help you protect the investment you’re making as you prepare to travel.

Standard trip insurance might not cover a visit to the doctor unless it is an emergency.

It’s important to make sure any pre-existing conditions are covered if the visitor has any. Some policies exclude them.

» Learn more: How to find the best travel insurance

With so many kinds of visitors insurance policies, which is the best?

To make comparisons, we got quotes from several companies using Squaremouth , a website to search for different types of travel insurance in one place.

The parameters we set are for a 49-year-old citizen and resident of Spain traveling to the U.S. on May 1-31, 2024.

The quotes don't include cancellation coverage; these examples are for medical coverage only. To get a quote, the hypothetical deposit for the trip was paid on Feb. 15.

Since we’re looking for a policy that will cover medical care for visitors, there are several medical filters to select: emergency medical ($100,000 or more), medical evacuation ($100,000 or more) and coverage for pre-existing medical conditions.

The search came up with nine results ranging in price from $74.40 to $179.18.

The policy with the lowest cost was the Trawick International 's Safe Travels USA Cost Saver at $74.40.

Trawick policies use the FirstHealth PPO network.

The policy as quoted has a $250 deductible and includes $100,000 in emergency medical, $2 million in medical evacuation and $5,000 in interruption coverage. It has limited coverage for pre-existing conditions.

It is possible to change the deductible to as little as $0 or raise it to $5,000.

The same company has another policy, the Trawick International Safe Travels USA Comprehensive policy, that is better at covering pre-existing conditions and costs a little more — $89.59.

The general coverage is the same as the less expensive policy, and the Safe Travels USA Comprehensive option adds coverage for acute onset of a pre-existing condition. it is possible to change the deductible amount to $0 or go up to $5,000.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

Some policies are sold as is, while others allow some flexibility depending on what is important to you.

The WorldTrips Atlas Premium America policy for $179.18 allows a lot of customization.

It was also the most expensive of the nine policies Squaremouth suggested.

It’s possible to customize the emergency medical coverage and pre-existing condition coverage and medical deductible. The policy also includes $15,000 in trip interruption coverage, the highest of any of the nine policies available.

If the traveler has a pre-existing condition, policies from WorldTrips Atlas America are your best bet. The WorldTrips Atlas America policy in our comparison costs $101.06.

The policy as quoted covers $100,000 in emergency medical care and $25,000 in medical evacuation for an unexpected recurrence of a pre-existing condition.

The deductible is also available for customization from $0 to $5,000.

The PPO network for Atlas America Insurance is United Healthcare.

The WorldTrips Atlas Premium America policy mentioned above is also good for pre-existing condition coverage.

While eight of the nine policies had $100,000 in secondary medical coverage, one had a limit of $2 million.

The IMG Patriot America Platinum policy has a premium of $172.36 along with a high medical evacuation limit of $2 million and interruption coverage of $10,000.

If $2 million in medical coverage is not enough, it’s possible to increase that amount to an $8 million policy limit.

It’s not possible to change the level of coverage for preexisting conditions from the high $1 million limit in emergency medical care and $25,000 in medical evacuation for an unexpected recurrence.

It is possible to change the deductible from $0 all the way up to $25,000.

Our comparison also included policies from two additional companies, Seven Corners and Global Underwriters .

Seven Corners had two policies come up in the results, the Seven Corners Travel Medical Basic for $98.27 and the Seven Corners Travel Medical Choice policy for $136.71. Both of the Seven Corners policies include coverage for hurricane and weather, and the less expensive policy covers acts of terrorism.

Having insurance to cover unexpected medical expenses for anyone visiting the U.S. can be a smart money move.

An illness or accident could cause financial problems for visitors because of potentially having to pay for full health care costs. When planning your travel, be sure to check your current health insurance to find out if it will cover you in the U.S.

For a monthlong stay in the U.S., the lowest-priced visitors insurance policy was around $75 (Trawick International Safe Travels USA Cost Saver) and the highest was about $180 (WorldTrips Atlas Premium America). That’s about $2.42 or $5.81 a day, depending on the policy.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-10x Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1x-2x Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1X points on all other purchases.

85,000 Earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

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Travel insurance

Cheapest travel insurance of June 2024

Mandy Sleight

Heidi Gollub

“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.

Updated 4:47 a.m. UTC June 10, 2024

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Editorial Note: Blueprint may earn a commission from affiliate partner links featured here on our site. This commission does not influence our editors' opinions or evaluations. Please view our full advertiser disclosure policy .

Aegis is the best cheap travel insurance company of 2024 based on our in-depth analysis of the cheapest travel insurance plans. Its Atlas Journey Preferred and Atlas Journey Premier plans offer affordable travel insurance with high limits for emergency medical and evacuation benefits bundled with good coverage for trip delays, travel inconvenience and missed connections.

Cheapest travel insurance of 2024

• Aegis : Cheapest travel insurance.
• WorldTrips : Best cheap travel insurance.
• Travel Insured : Cheap travel insurance for cruises.
• Nationwide : Best cheap travel insurance for seniors.
• TravelSafe : Best cheap travel insurance for missed connections.
• Travelex : Best cheap travel insurance for families.
• AIG : Best cheap travel insurance for add-on options.

Why trust our travel insurance experts

Our team of travel insurance experts analyzes hundreds of insurance products and thousands of data points to help you find the best travel insurance for your next trip. We use a data-driven methodology to determine each rating. Advertisers do not influence our editorial content . You can read more about our methodology below.

• 1,855 coverage details evaluated.
• 567 rates reviewed.
• 5 levels of fact-checking.

Cheapest travel insurance

Top travel insurance plan

Average cost, medical limit per person, medical evacuation limit per person, why it’s the best.

Go Ready Choice by Aegis has the cheapest travel insurance of the best-rated travel insurance companies in our rating. This is based on the average cost of seven international trips of varying lengths and values for travelers of different ages.

Pros and cons

• Cheapest of our best travel insurance plans.
• Pet care benefit of $500 with travel delay benefits.
• Low emergency medical benefit of $50,000 secondary coverage.
• Low emergency evacuation limit of $250,000.
• Low baggage and personal items loss benefit of $500 per person.
• Low missed connection benefit of $500 per person for cruises and tours only.

Customer reviews

Aegis has a rating of 4.06 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 1,136 reviews of policies purchased on the travel insurance comparison site since 2013.

Best cheap travel insurance

Top-scoring plan

WorldTrips tops our rating of the cheapest travel insurance with its mid-tier Atlas Journey Explore plan. It comes with $150,000 per person in emergency medical benefits as primary coverage and is also our pick for the best travel insurance for cruises .

• $150,000 in primary medical coverage.
• $750,000 per person in medical evacuation coverage.
• Upgrades include medical evacuation coverage of $2 million and rental car damage and theft.
• No non-medical evacuation coverage.

Cheap travel insurance for cruises

Travel insured.

Travel Insured offers cheap travel insurance for cruises and its Worldwide Trip Protector plan gets 4 stars in our rating of the best cruise travel insurance .

• Worldwide Trip Protector offers $1 million in emergency evacuation coverage per person and a rare $150,000 in non-medical evacuation per person. It also has primary coverage for travel medical insurance benefits, which means you won’t have to file medical claims with your health insurance first.
• Cheap trip insurance for cruises.
• Offers a rare $150,000 for non-medical evacuation.
• $500 per person baggage delay benefit only requires a 3-hour delay.
• Optional rental car damage benefit up to $50,000.
• Missed connection benefit of $500 per person only available for cruises and tours.

Best cheap travel insurance for seniors

Evacuation limit per person

Nationwide has the best cheap travel insurance for seniors — its Prime plan gets 4 stars in our best senior travel insurance rating. However, Nationwide’s Cruise Choice plan ranks higher in our best cheap travel insurance rating.

• Cruise Choice has a $500 per person benefit if a cruise itinerary change causes you to miss a prepaid excursion. It also has a missed connections benefit of $1,500 per person after only a 3-hour delay, for cruises or tours. But note that this coverage is secondary coverage to any compensation provided by a common carrier.
• Coverage for cruise itinerary changes, ship-based mechanical breakdowns and covered shipboard service disruptions.
• Non-medical evacuation benefit of $25,000 per person.
• Baggage loss benefits of $2,500 per person.
• Travel medical coverage is secondary.
• Trip cancellation benefit for losing your job requires three years of continuous employment.
• No “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) upgrade available.
• Missed connection coverage of $1,500 per person is only for tours and cruises, after a 3-hour delay.

Best cheap travel insurance for missed connections

TravelSafe has the best cheap travel insurance for missed connections because coverage is not limited to cruises and tours, as it is with many policies.

• Best-in-class $2,500 per person in missed connection coverage.
• $1 million per person in medical evacuation and $25,000 in non-medical evacuation coverage.
• Generous $2,500 per person baggage and personal items loss benefit.
• Most expensive of the best cheap travel insurance plans.
• No “interruption for any reason” coverage available.
• Weak baggage delay coverage of $250 per person after 12 hours.

Best cheap travel insurance for families

Travelex offers the best cheap travel insurance for families because kids under 17 are covered by your policy for free when they travel with you.

• Free coverage for children 17 and under on the same policy.
• $2,000 travel delay coverage per person ($250 per day) after 5 hours.
• Hurricane and weather coverage after a common carrier delay of any amount of time.
• Only $50,000 per person emergency medical coverage.
• Baggage delay coverage is only $200 and requires a 12-hour delay.

Best cheap travel insurance for add-on options

AIG offers the best cheap travel insurance for add-on options because the Travel Guard Preferred plan allows you to customize your policy with a host of optional upgrades.

• Travel Guard Preferred upgrades include “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage , rental vehicle damage coverage and bundles that offer additional benefits for adventure sports, travel inconvenience, quarantine, pets, security and weddings. There’s also a medical bundle that increases the travel medical benefit to $100,000 and emergency evacuation to $1 million.
• Bundle upgrades allow you to customize your affordable travel insurance policy.
• Emergency medical and evacuation limits can be doubled with optional upgrade.
• Base travel insurance policy has relatively low medical limits.
• $300 baggage delay benefit requires a 12-hour delay.
• Optional CFAR upgrade only reimburses up to 50% of trip cost.

Cheapest travel insurance comparison

Via TravelInsurance.com’s website

How much does the cheapest travel insurance cost?

The cheapest travel insurance in our rating is $305. This is for an Aegis Go Ready Choice travel insurance plan, based on the average of seven quotes for travelers of various ages to international destinations with a range of trip values.

Factors that determine travel insurance cost

There are several factors that determine the cost of travel insurance, including:

• Age and number of travelers being insured.
• Trip length.
• Total trip cost.
• The travel insurance plan you choose.
• The travel insurance company.
• Any add-ons, features or upgraded benefits you include in the travel insurance plan.

Expert tip: “In general, travelers can expect to pay anywhere from 4% to 10% of their total prepaid, non-refundable trip costs,” said Suzanne Morrow, CEO of InsureMyTrip.

Is buying the cheapest travel insurance a good idea?

Choosing cheaper travel insurance without paying attention to what a plan covers and excludes could leave you underinsured for your trip. Comparing travel insurance plans side-by-side can help ensure you get enough coverage to protect yourself financially in an emergency for the best price. 

For example, compare these two Travelex travel insurance plans:

• Travel Basic is cheaper but it only provides up to $15,000 for emergency medical expense coverage. You’ll also have to pay extra for coverage for children.
• Travel Select will cost you a bit more but it covers up to $50,000 in medical expenses and includes coverage for kids aged 17 and younger traveling with you. It also offers upgrades such additional medical coverage, “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage and an adventure sports rider that may be a good fit for your trip.

Reasons to consider paying more for travel insurance 

Make sure you understand what you’re giving up if you buy the cheapest travel insurance. Here are a few reasons you may consider paying a little extra for better coverage. 

• Emergency medical. The best travel medical insurance offers primary coverage for emergency medical benefits. Travel insurance with primary coverage can cost more than secondary coverage but will save you from having to file a claim with your health insurance company before filing a travel insurance claim.
• Emergency evacuation. If you’re traveling to a remote location or planning a boat excursion on your trip, look at travel insurance with a high medical evacuation insurance limit. If you are injured while traveling, transportation to the nearest adequate medical facility could cost in the tens to hundreds of thousands. It may make sense to pay more for travel insurance with robust emergency evacuation coverage. 
• Flexibility. To maximize your trip flexibility, you might consider upgrading your travel insurance to “ cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage . This will increase the cost of your travel insurance but allow you to cancel your trip for any reason — not just those listed in your policy. The catch is that you’ll need to cancel at least 48 hours before your trip and will only be reimbursed 50% or 75% of your trip expenses, depending on the plan. 
• Upgrades. Many travel insurance plans have optional extras like car rental collision and adventure sports (which may otherwise be excluded from coverage). These will cost you extra but may give you the coverage you need. 

How to find the cheapest travel insurance

The best way to find the cheapest travel insurance is to determine what you’re looking for in a travel insurance policy and compare plans that meet your needs.

 “Travel insurance isn’t one-size-fits-all. Every trip is different, and every traveler has different needs, wants and concerns. This is why comparison is key,” said Morrow.

Consider the following factors when comparing cheap travel insurance plans.

• How often you’re traveling. A single-trip policy may be the most cost-effective if you’re only going on a single trip this year. But a multi-trip travel insurance plan may be cheaper if you’re going on multiple international trips throughout the year. Annual travel insurance policies cover you for a whole year as long as each trip doesn’t exceed a certain number of days, usually 30 to 90 days. 
• Credit card has travel insurance benefits. The best credit cards offer perks and benefits, and many offer travel insurance-specific benefits. The coverage types and benefit limits can vary, and you must put the entire trip cost on the credit card to use the coverage. If your trip costs more than the coverage limit on your card, you can supplement the rest with a cheaper travel insurance plan.
• The coverage you need. When looking for the best travel insurance option at the most affordable price, only buy extras and upgrades you really need. A basic plan may only provide up to $500 in baggage insurance, but if you only plan to take $300 worth of clothes and accessories, you don’t need to pay more for higher coverage limits.

Is cheap travel insurance worth it?

Cheap travel insurance can be worth it, as long as you understand the plan limitations and exclusions. Taking the time to read your policy, especially the fine print, well before your trip can ensure there won’t be any surprises about what’s covered once your journey begins.

“If a traveler is looking for coverage for travel delays, cancellations, interruptions, medical and baggage — a comprehensive travel insurance policy will provide the most bang for their buck,” said Morrow. But if you’re on a tight budget and are only worried about emergency medical care and evacuation coverage while traveling abroad, stand-alone options are cheaper.

Before buying travel insurance, you should also consider what your health insurance will cover. 

“Most domestic health insurance plans, including Medicare, will not cover medical bills abroad,” said Morrow. Even if you’re staying stateside, you may find value in an affordable travel insurance plan with medical coverage if you have a high-deductible health plan (HDHP). 

A cheap travel insurance plan is better than none at all if you end up in a situation that would have covered some or all of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses.

Methodology

Our insurance experts reviewed 1,855 coverage details and 567 rates to determine the best travel insurance . From those top-scoring travel insurance plans, we chose the most affordable for our rating of the cheapest travel insurance.

Insurers could score up to 100 points based on the following factors:

• Cost: 40 points. We scored the average cost of each travel insurance policy for a variety of trips and traveler profiles.
• Medical expenses: 10 points. We scored travel medical insurance by the coverage amount available. Travel insurance policies with emergency medical expense benefits of $250,000 or more per person were given the highest score of 10 points.
• Medical evacuation: 10 points. We scored each plan’s emergency medical evacuation coverage by coverage amount. Travel insurance policies with medical evacuation expense benefits of $500,000 or more per person were given the highest score of 10 points.
• Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver: 10 points. We gave full points to travel insurance policies that cover pre-existing medical conditions if certain conditions are met.
• Missed connection: 10 points. Travel insurance plans with missed connection benefits of $1,000 per person or more received full points.
• “Cancel for any reason” upgrade: 5 points. We gave points to travel insurance plans with optional “cancel for any reason” coverage that reimburses up to 75%.
• Travel delay required waiting time: 5 points. We gave 5 points to travel insurance policies with travel delay benefits that kick in after a delay of 6 hours or less.
• Cancel for work reasons: 5 points. If a travel insurance plan allows you to cancel your trip for work reasons, such as your boss requiring you to stay and work, we gave it 5 points.
• Hurricane and severe weather: 5 points. Travel insurance plans that have a required waiting period for hurricane and weather coverage of 12 hours or less received 5 points.

Some travel insurance companies may offer plans with additional benefits or lower prices than the plans that scored the highest, so make sure to compare travel insurance quotes to see your full range of options.

Cheapest travel insurance FAQs

When buying travel insurance, cheapest is not always the best. The most affordable travel insurance plans typically offer fewer coverages with lower policy limits and few or no optional upgrades. Add up your total nonrefundable trip costs and compare travel insurance plans and available features that cover your travel expenses. This strategy can help you find the cheapest travel insurance policy that best protects you from financial loss if an unforeseen circumstance arises.

Get the coverage you need: Best travel insurance of 2024

According to our analysis, Aegis , WorldTrips , Travel Insured International and Travelex offer the best cheap travel insurance. Policy coverage types and limits can vary by each travel insurance provider, so the best way to get the cheapest travel insurance plan is to compare several policies and companies to find the right fit for your budget.

A good rate for travel insurance depends on your budget and coverage needs. The most comprehensive travel insurance plan is usually not the cheapest. But cheap trip insurance may not have enough coverage or the types of coverage you want. Comparing different levels of coverage and how much they cost can help you find the best cheap insurance for travel. 

The average cost of travel insurance is between 5% to 6% of your total travel expenses for one trip, according to our analysis of rates. However, you may find cheaper travel insurance if you opt for a plan with fewer benefits or lower coverage limits. How much you pay for travel insurance will also depend on the number of travelers covered, their ages, the length of the trip and any upgrades you add to your plan.

Travel insurance covers nonrefundable, prepaid trip costs — up to the policy coverage limits — when your trip is interrupted or canceled for a covered reason outlined in your plan documents. Even the cheapest travel insurance policies usually provide coverage for:

• Medical emergencies.
• Trip delays.
• Trip interruption.
• Trip cancellation.
• Lost, stolen or damaged luggage.

However, if you’re looking to save on travel insurance, you can shop for a policy that only has travel medical insurance and does not include benefits for trip cancellation .

Even when you buy cheap travel insurance, you can often use upgrade options to customize your policy to meet your specific needs. 

Some common travel insurance add-ons you may want to consider include:

• Rental car damage coverage. 
• Medical bundle.
• Security bundle.
• Accidental death and dismemberment coverage.
• Adventure sports bundle.
• Pet bundle.
• Wedding bundle.
• “Cancel for work reasons” coverage.
• “Interruption for any reason” (IFAR) coverage.
• “Cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage .

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy . The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Mandy is an insurance writer who has been creating online content since 2018. Before becoming a full-time freelance writer, Mandy spent 15 years working as an insurance agent. Her work has been published in Bankrate, MoneyGeek, The Insurance Bulletin, U.S. News and more.

Heidi Gollub is the USA TODAY Blueprint managing editor of insurance. She was previously lead editor of insurance at Forbes Advisor and led the insurance team at U.S. News & World Report as assistant managing editor of 360 Reviews. Heidi has an MBA from Emporia State University and is a licensed property and casualty insurance expert.

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Travel Insurance for Seniors & Retirees: 5 Top Picks

Allianz Travel Insurance »

Trawick International »

GeoBlue »

IMG Travel Insurance »

WorldTrips »

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 for Seniors and Retirees.

Table of Contents

• Allianz Travel Insurance
• Trawick International

While anyone planning a trip overseas can benefit from having a travel insurance plan in place, older travelers need to prioritize this coverage more than others. The fact is, senior travelers and retirees have unique worries and risks to think about any time they travel far from home. These risks increase their need for travel health insurance and emergency medical coverage, as well as coverage for emergency medical evacuation that applies anywhere in the world.

Which travel insurance options work best for seniors? There are many travel insurance plans that were created with retirees in mind, although you'll want to compare them side by side. For example, you may want to look at coverage limits for medical expenses and coverage for preexisting conditions above all else.

U.S. News editors compared more than 20 of the top travel insurance companies to find the best plans for seniors. This list does the heavy lifting for you as you search for the best senior travel insurance of 2023, so read on to learn about the top picks.

• Allianz Travel Insurance: Best Annual Coverage
• Trawick International: Best Premium Travel Insurance for Seniors
• GeoBlue: Best Travel Medical Coverage for Expats
• IMG Travel Insurance: Best for Short-Term Travel Medical Coverage
• WorldTrips: Best for Flexibility

Available to senior travelers of all ages

Coverage for preexisting conditions is offered

Relatively low limits for emergency medical expenses

• Coverage for COVID-19
• Trip cancellation coverage up to $3,000
• Trip interruption coverage up to $3,000
• Emergency medical coverage up to $20,000
• Emergency medical evacuation coverage up to $100,000
• Baggage loss coverage up to $1,000
• Baggage delay insurance up to $200
• Travel delay coverage up to $600 ($200 daily limit)
• Rental car damage and theft coverage up to $45,000
• Travel accident coverage up to $25,000
• 24-hour hotline for assistance
• Concierge service
• Preexisting condition coverage (must be added to plan within 14 days of first trip deposit or payment)

SEE FULL REVIEW »

Customize plan with optional CFAR coverage

Incredibly high limits for medical expenses and emergency evacuation

Coverage is for trips up to 30 days if you're age 80 and older

• Up to $15,000 in trip cancellation insurance
• Up to $22,500 in trip interruption coverage
• Up to $1,000 for trip delays ($200 daily limit for delays of 12-plus hours)
• Up to $1,000 for missed connections
• Up to $150,000 for emergency medical expenses
• Up to $1 million in emergency medical evacuation coverage
• $750 in emergency dental coverage
• $2,000 in coverage for baggage and personal effects
• $400 in baggage delay coverage
• 24/7 noninsurance assistance services

Get comprehensive health insurance that applies overseas

Preventive and routine care included

Age limits apply for new applicants and renewals

• Preventive and routine care
• Professional services like surgery
• Inpatient medical care
• Ambulatory and therapeutic services
• Rehabilitation and therapy

Get overseas medical coverage for single trips or multiple trips

Plans were created with seniors and retirees in mind

Lower maximum coverage limits for travelers ages 80 and older

Limited nonmedical travel insurance benefits

• Inpatient and outpatient medical coverage such as for physician visits, hospitalization and surgery
• Emergency and nonemergency medical evacuation coverage
• Coverage for emergency reunions
• Return of mortal remains
• Trip interruption coverage worth up to $5,000
• Lost luggage coverage worth up to $250 (up to $50 per item)
• Coverage for terrorism worth up to $50,000
• Accidental death and dismemberment coverage worth up to $25,000

Customize your deductible and premiums

Generous medical limits for travelers ages 65 to 79

Limited medical coverage for travelers older than 80

• Up to $1 million in emergency evacuation coverage
• Medical benefits like hospital room and board, chiropractic care, and more
• Coverage for repatriation of remains
• Up to $25,000 in personal liability coverage
• Up to $10,000 in trip interruption insurance
• Up to $1,000 in coverage for lost checked luggage
• Up to $100 per day in coverage for travel delays of 12-plus hours
• Up to $1,500 in coverage for bedside visits
• Up to $100,000 in coverage for emergency reunions

Frequently Asked Questions

You can purchase some travel insurance plans (but not all) if you're older than 80 years old. However, your premiums may be higher and you'll typically qualify for lower coverage limits overall. Make sure you compare the best travel insurance plans for seniors to find the right fit for your needs.

Since seniors and retirees are more likely to face a medical emergency during a trip, most travel insurance plans for seniors include coverage for emergency medical expenses and emergency medical evacuation. Coverages vary among plans, as do limits, so make sure to compare options before you book a trip overseas.

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Holly Johnson is a professional travel writer who has covered international travel and travel insurance for more than a decade. Johnson has researched and compared all the top travel insurance options for her own family for trips to more than 50 countries around the world, and she has successfully filed claims during that time. Johnson lives in Indiana with her two children and her husband, Greg, a travel agent who has been licensed to sell travel insurance in 50 states.

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