What do I need to keep in mind in case of hospitalization during my travel abroad?

Overseas medical travel insurance covers hospitalization expenses.  When you are admitted to a hospital during your stay in abroad, you should inform the insurance company immediately. The doctor associated with the insurance company will discuss your medical condition with the doctor who is offering the treatment. The travel insurance company should get confirmation that the hospitalization is not related to the pre-existing condition or the conditions that are present in the exclusion list. The insurance will settle the payment with the hospital directly. 

Features of travel health insurance 

• The travel health insurance is different from other kinds of insurance plans. The plan focuses on emergency medical procedure or hospitalization. It will cover the evacuation as well. 

• If you met with an accident or become sick in abroad, the medical costs will be borne by the insurance company. 

• The medical insurance will cover the ambulance charges and airlifting charges as well. 

• In most of the cases, the emergency dental treatment will be included in the health insurance. 

• If you are located in a remote area, emergency evacuation will be done. You will be transported to an area where you can get medical treatment. 

• If you die on your trip, the mortal remains will be sent to your country. 

• Some travel health plans cover Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) benefits and they will be paid regardless of the coverage you have in your home country. The coverage will add additional benefit to your family. 

Locating healthcare providers 

• If you are very sick or met with an accident, you should consult the Indian embassy immediately. The official at the embassy will help you in finding the medical service centers. 

• The hotline provided by the insurance company should be contacted by which you will be connected to an assistance center. 

• You can also go through the ‘yellow pages’ of the local telephone book to get information about the list of doctors and hospitals. 

• The initial treatment will be offered by the hotel or resort doctors. You can also collect information about doctors from the recommendations of locals. 

Documentation 

To expedite the Travel Health Insurance claim, necessary documents should be sent to the insurance company by email or fax. 

• Filled-in claim form signed by the doctor and the policyholder 

• Name, address and contact details of the local doctor in India 

• A signed copy of Release of Medical Information Form (ROMIF) – The form will authorize the treating doctor and the local (family) doctor in India to share your medical information with the Insurance Medical Assistance Department.

• The medical report prepared by the treating doctor 

• Estimation of medical expenses

• Date of travel from India

• Domestic health insurance policy details (if any) 

• Copy of passport with exit stamp from India and entry into the foreign country 

By submitting the above-mentioned documents to the insurance company will help the medical assessment department to assess the claim. The company will confirm the claim process if the requirements are fulfilled by the policyholder as per the agreement. 

Medical coverage 

If you are covered by a Travel Health Insurance plan, your hospitalization expenses will be covered by the insurance company. You will be able to manage the emergency medical treatment very easily with the assistance provided by the insurance company. 

It is very much desirable to have an exclusive travel insurance plan so that all your medical expenses are covered properly. The emergency medical coverage and medical evacuation will be done by the company. Most of the medical insurance plans cover accidental death, permanent total disablement, dental treatment, personal accident, and medical expenses including repatriation. 

Precautions before leaving abroad 

You should take certain precautions before leaving abroad so that you can manage the medical emergency very easily. The healthcare contact information should be collected from the insurance company. 

If you are not familiar with the country of visit, you should collect information online. You should go through the authentic medical and health insurance information so that you can implement the best course of action during an emergency. 

Some countries warrant vaccination before leaving India. Hence, you should figure out the requirement of vaccination. 

If you are suffering from pre-existing diseases, you should carry a letter from your doctor. The letter should describe your medical condition and medications prescribed to safeguard your health. The generic names of those drugs should be mentioned in the health certificate. 

Conclusion 

As soon as you are admitted to a hospital due to sickness or accident, you should inform the insurance company. The insurance company will provide assistance as per the terms and conditions provided in the Medical Travel Insurance plan. The insurance company will process your claim and you can manage a relaxed trip. You will get access to a local person who knows the local language and further assistance and guidance will be provided by the local person. Thus, you will be able to deal the situation very easily while traveling abroad.

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Compare Travel Insurance With Medical Conditions

If you are buying a travel insurance policy, you are advised to compare the policy with the medical conditions to get maximum medical coverage. You should get the best cover for your needs by including the pre-existing conditions in the insurance policy. The common procedures will also cost you much. Hence, you are advised to go for a comprehensive policy to care of medical emergencies. You are advised to share complete information about your health condition so that there will not be any issues in settling your claim. 

Objective of travel insurance 

You can buy travel insurance for various purposes. There are various kinds of plans to cover students, families, groups. You can buy a plan to cover a pleasure trip as well as business trip. The following benefits are offered with travel insurance:

• Loss of luggage 

• Emergency medical treatment 

• Trip cancellation/trip postponement 

• Loss of baggage or loss of travel documents 

• Personal liability 

However, you should take measures to cover major contingencies with the Travel Health Insurance plan. There will be great peace of mind when you are covered by a comprehensive insurance policy. 

The contingencies that can be covered by the travel insurance plan are mentioned below: 

• Emergency medical assistance 

• Newborn cover 

• Maternity cover

• Critical illness cover 

• Rehabilitation 

• Medical check-ups 

You should assess the Medical Travel Insurance benefits before buying an insurance policy: 

Overseas travel insurance plan from TATA AIG

• Accident & sickness medical expenses – The medical expenses to the maximum possible extent will be paid by the insurance company as per the limits. The injury or sickness can be overcome very easily with the insurance policy. 

• Accident death and dismemberment – A percentage of the sum assured will be paid by the company if the risk is covered by the table of losses presented in the insurance document. 

• Repatriation of remains – The expenses involved for the transportation of the mortal remains of the policyholder will be borne by the insurance company. 

• Various kinds of plans – There are various kinds of plans implemented by the TATA AIG. These plans include Silver, Silver Plus, Gold, Platinum and Senior Plan. 

Travel insurance cover from Bajaj Allianz 

• Types of plans – Travel companion plan, Travel elite plan, travel prime plan 

• Medical expenses – The cost of medical treatment, repatriation, and evacuation will be borne by the insurance company subject to the terms and conditions mentioned in the insurance plan. 

• Emergency dental pain relief – you will get emergency dental treatment due to accidents or other reasons 

• Personal accident – If the death of the insured person is less than 18 years, 50% of the sum assured will be paid. 

Travel health insurance plan Bharti AXA

• Medical and dental expenses – Most of the medical and dental expenses are covered by the travel health insurance. 

• Personal accident – Permanent or partial disablement is covered by the insurance policy. The premium covers the death caused due to accidents. 

• Daily cash allowance – If the insured person is hospitalized beyond the specified number of days, the daily cash allowance will be awarded by the insurance company. 

Tips to choose the best travel policy that covers medical conditions 

• The reputation of the company – You should choose a policy from a reputed company. The financial condition and management of the company will certainly affect the selection of an insurance policy. 

• Claim settlement ratio – The claim settlement ratio of the insurance company should be very high. If the company maintains a very high claim settlement ratio, there will be an edge over other companies. 

• Additional riders – By including the additional riders, the value of the policy can be enhanced in a very efficient manner. 

• Sum insured – the premium will be high if the sum assured is higher.

Coverage of medical risks 

The insurance policy should cover medical risks in a prominent manner. You might face various health issues during travelling. If you met with an accident, you will want to bear hospitalization charges. The charges are very high in a foreign country. 

The medical coverage includes hospitalization charges, ambulances charges, and dental treatment. When you are covered by a comprehensive insurance policy, you can get immediate medical attention and you can make the most of your investment. 

The cashless treatment is a great bonanza that you can enjoy with the Travel Health Insurance. The sum assured will cover your medical expenses and there will be great peace of mind. 

Conclusion 

There are several reasons to compare various travel insurance plans. You will get maximum coverage at a minimum premium. Some countries will not allow you if you do not buy a Medical Travel Insurance. Further, the treatment in a foreign country is very expensive and you can avoid financial distress by choosing the best travel insurance plan that covers most of the medical conditions.

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Group Travel Insurance, Popular Travel Medical Insurance Plans

Group Travel Insurance

Ever seen a huge group of tourists roaming around and clicking pictures at famous spots? Those people were probably travel insured at that time. Group Travel Insurance is essential when travelling with a large group of people who are not directly their family. Those large group trips which are planned by agencies also have the group travel insured. 

Group travel insurance is a travel insurance policy that protects a large bunch of people who are travelling together at the same time but are not automatically family. Group travel insurance will get the entire group, all the members, insured rather than every individual getting their own separate insurance. If you’re going on a vacation with a with your college batch or going for a wedding with all your distant relatives, getting a group travel insurance will make the trip tension and stress free for everybody in case of any possible occurrences. 

Group travel insurance will cover all the things that a single travel insurance would but for a large group of people. It offers protection against unforeseen situations and events like trip cancellation, baggage loss, critical health issues, loss of money, loss of passport(s), loss of important documents while travelling internationally, loss of essential belongings, etc. 

Things to keep in mind while buying a Group Travel Insurance

If the holiday destination is a beach area or a hill station where you will indulge in adventure sports like parasailing, paragliding, scuba diving, jet skiing, swimming in the ocean, river rafting, rock climbing, river crossing, etc., you need to carefully read the document of the insurance as most insurances would not cover such situations if anything occurs causing damage or injuries or even death. In such a case, one can purchase a group travel insurance which covers these grounds or is specially designed to cater to adventure travelers or one can get the cover for the same by paying an extra premium. While travelling with a bunch of people, the best plan to get is a cheap medical travel insurance plan for the whole group. 

Group travel insurances usually provide more cover than the standalone covers. Opting for a group insurance while traveling is always a better option than getting separate travel insurances for each person. 

An additional premium can be paid in the case of the member travelling from different places; if a few members of the group plan to meet the other member of the group at the destination or if they live in different parts of the world and plan to meet at hallway or so.

Travel Medical Insurance Plans

Travel medical insurance plans are extremely important while travelling in a large group, especially to an international destination where the healthcare is expensive, for example, United States. Buying a cheap medical travel insurance plan can help you avail medical treatments and benefits in countries abroad. 

A member of the group might fall sick or get hurt and might be in need of care and medical expertise. In such cases, the cover provides the same.

In case of any emergency like evacuation or shifting to a better medical facility, the insurance policy will also look after that. 

Popular Travel Medical Insurance Plans

• Max Bupa International Medical Emergency Plan 

With the Max Bupa International Medical Emergency Plan, you can get medical support around the world. The insurance policy covers all types of travels like business, leisure and study. The policy holder is prolonged an emergency service for 24 hours to advice on the choice of hospitals and to settle claims. This policy also covers evacuation expenses. 

• Reliance Annual Multi-Trip Insurance Plan

The Reliance Annual Multi Trip insurance plan is targeted towards frequent travelers. It provides cover for multiple trips taken during the duration of the policy. The policy is for six months buy can be extended later. 

• Overseas Insurance Mediclaim (Business & Holiday)

The Overseas Insurance Mediclaim policy covers for people travelling overseas for business as well as leisure in the situation of them falling ill, contracting diseases or getting injured during overseas travel. This policy also provides cover for baggage loss or damage. 

• Apollo Munich Easy Travel Insurance

The Apollo Munich Easy Travel Insurance policy provides for travelers traveling to international destinations with an option to get financial aid in cash from the insurer in case of any emergency. The policy covers medical issues as well as other travel risks like trip cancellation or baggage loss or damage. It provides for the medical treatment which is usually extremely expensive abroad. Emergency dental procedures are also covered in this insurance policy. 

• Future Generali Travel Suraksha Plan

This travel insurance plan is beneficial as it provides cover for domestic as well as international travel and also includes travelers of any age group. This policy can be taken for a particular geographical area as well like Europe or Oceania. 

Conclusion

Group travel insurance plans are extremely important to take and are very helpful in unfortunate and unforeseen situations which might lead to loss of property or life or disable the traveler with injuries. Choose a travel plan with maximum benefits on medical claims to have a safe and healthy trip. Cheap medical travel insurance plans can help you through your travel disruptions.

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