Health insurance is vital to your well-being and your wallet, but comparing health insurance companies isn’t straightforward. We evaluated large, small and regional health insurance providers to find the best health insurance companies across the country. With volatile prices, a changing labor market and the pandemic fresh in our minds, the risks can’t be overlooked. That’s where travel insurance comes in.
Whether you’re going on an impromptu road trip or heading out for the month-long adventure you’ve been planning for years, travel insurance gives you peace of mind in these unpredictable times. Here are the nine Benefits of Private Health Insurance in UK so you can protect yourself, your finances, and your belongings while abroad.
If you’re considering traveling domestically or internationally, you might want to invest in a travel insurance policy. In this guide to the best travel insurance companies, you can learn more about travel insurance and see how investing in a policy can help protect your next trip.
We at the Guides Home Team have researched dozens of Health Insurance Companies and compiled our top picks based on policies offered, cost, customer service and other important factors. Explore some of the best travel insurance companies and plans using our guide below.
Below is an at-a-glance look at how the best travel companies compare in terms of cost and coverage. We collected costs for a single 35-year-old traveler from Alabama with plans to spend a week in the Bahamas. The trip’s total value is $2,000.
What Is Health Insurance?
Health insurance is a contract that requires an insurer to pay some or all of a person’s medical expenses in exchange for a monthly premium. “It’s to prevent you from hitting financial ruin should you run into an emergency,” says Molly Moore, co-founder and chief health plan officer at health insurance start-up Decent. “Some people get health insurance because they know they have ongoing health care issues that need to be taken care of, and some people get health insurance because they’re scared of something that could happen that they can’t plan for,” she says.
Going without health insurance coverage poses a risk to both your potential to get care and an even bigger risk to your personal finances, explains Noah Lang, chief executive officer and co-founder of Best Health Insurance Companies, a benefits platform for independent workers. People who aren’t insured (or who are under-insured) tend to be hesitant to get care, which can risk their health, he adds.
People who have health insurance are often more likely to go to the doctor when they need to because they know what it will cost, says Katie Roders Turner, executive director of the Family Healthcare Foundation in Tampa Bay, Florida. They tend to follow up on medical concerns their doctors flag, such as high blood pressure, before they turn into bigger problems, and they’re more likely to obtain necessary prescription drugs since they’re available at a more affordable rate.
Health Insurance Coverage
All health insurance plans sold on the federal marketplace are compliant with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), meaning they cover a set of 10 categories of services. These essential benefits that must be covered include:
- Outpatient care
- Emergency services
- Hospitalization, such as for surgery and/or overnight stays
- Pregnancy, maternity and newborn care before and after birth
- Mental health care and substance use disorder services
- Prescription drugs
- Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices for those with disabilities, injuries or chronic conditions
Laboratory services - Preventative and wellness services, including cervical cancer screening and HIV screening and counseling
- Pediatric services, including vision and dental care
Outside these essential benefits, what a plan covers will vary, which is why it’s important to read the fine print.
Best 5 Health Insurance Companies
Best for Large Groups: Seven Corners Travel Insurance
PROS
- Coverage from five up to 364 days
- Allows coverage extensions
- Provides COVID-19 coverage
- Website includes sample scenarios so customers have an idea of how the coverage works.
CONS
- Hazardous activities not included in coverage (add-on only)
- Not available to MD, WA, NY, SD, or CO residents
Seven Corners’ simple and budget-friendly RoundTrip Choice plan covers trip cancellation, interruption or delays for specific reasons, including COVID-19 for groups of 10 or more. Its emergency medical protection goes up to $500,000 and offers up to $1,000,000 for medical evacuation and repatriation of remains.
In addition to its group trip plans, Seven Corners Best Health Insurance Companies has three travel medical plan tiers with comprehensive medical coverage for emergency room visits, hospital room and board, and onset of pre-existing medical conditions, among others.
Best for Emergency Support Services: Generali Global Assistance
PROS
- 24-Hour Emergency Assistance Services
- No out-of-pocket medical expenses*
- Available car rental damage insurance add-on.
CONS
- Pre-existing condition coverage only available in the Premium plan
- High premium costs
- “Cancel for any reason” only available for Premium plan
All of Generali’s policies include 24-Hour Travel Support, which can provide immediate assistance for problems that might arise during a trip. The service includes an emergency hotline where travelers can receive help with medical emergencies, identity theft resolution, emergency cash transfer, replacing lost or stolen medication, as well as assistance locating lost or stolen items.
Travelers can choose between three plan tiers— Standard, Preferred and Premium — that cover trip cancellation, trip interruption, travel delay, and baggage damage, loss, or theft. The plans also cover medical and dental emergencies up to $50,000 maximum under the Standard, $150,000 under the Preferred and $250,000 under the Premium.
Best for Adventure Sports Coverage: World Nomads
PROS
- Emergency medical $100,000 (accident and sickness)
- Buy more while traveling
- 24/7emergency support (Generali Global Assistance)
CONS
- Does not cover pre-existing conditions
- No CFAR option offered
- Trip Cancellation/Interruption coverage low compared to other providers ($2.5K-$10K)
While most travel insurance companies shy away from covering adventure sports and other off-the-beaten-path activities, WorldNomads offers policies specifically tailored to more adventurous travelers.
Its Standard and Explorer plans offer coverage for scuba diving, skiing, surfing, biking, and 200+ other activities. Its policies include $100,000 coverage for accidents or sickness and 24/7 emergency support to help you find local physicians or medical facilities.
Best Health Insurance Companies only let you purchase policies before your trip, and your coverage is restricted to the dates of the policy you bought. WorldNomads, on the other hand, really stands out for its “Buy While Traveling” policy, which offers insurance to those who forgot to buy before their trip and allows travelers to extend their trip if they wish to keep exploring.
Best Cruise Travel Insurance: Nationwide
PROS
- Pre-existing condition waiver
- 24 hour assistance
- Multi trip plans
CONS
- Must wait 12 hours before bag delay coverage
- Cancel for any reason is only available in premium plan
- Few options for additional coverage.
Nationwide has three cruise insurance tiers (Universal, Choice and Luxury) that fit any budget and insurance needs.
Its emergency medical coverage starts at $75,000 and all three include “cancel for work reasons” coverage, $500 for return-home-early benefit, $200 for shipboard service disruption, and $25,000 for non-medical evacuations.
Among the covered reasons for cancellation and interruption are inclement weather, extension of school schedule and work-related emergency issues.
Best for Families with Children: Travelex
PROS
- Flight insurance plans available
- Pre-existing conditions waiver
- Several upgrades available
CONS
- Upgrades not available for the Basic plan
- Customer service has limited operating hours
Travelex Insurance features two main plans for international trips –Travel Basic and Travel Select–plus a Travel America plan for trips in the USA. Both the Travel Select and Travel America include children 17 and under in its pricing.
The Travel Basic is an affordable plan perfect for students, backpackers, small groups or those on a budget. These plans cover trip cancellation and interruption at 100% of trip cost and offer up to $2,000 for trip delays or missed connections.
Travel Select allows travelers to customize their plans with upgrades such as additional medical benefits, a “cancel for any reason” option, car rental collision insurance and adventure sports coverage. Travelex also offers a pre-existing condition waiver when you buy the Travel Select plan within 15 days of the first trip payment.
The Bottom Line:
The Best Health Insurance Companies will vary depending on your budget, the price of your trips and your coverage needs. Get a quote from at least three competing travel insurance providers before investing in coverage — we recommend starting with a quote from each of the providers listed above.
Every travel insurance company uses its own formula to determine how much you’ll pay for coverage, which means that the only way to know you’re getting the best price is to know what’s out there.
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