What is travel insurance?
Travel insurance is multi-risk insurance. This means that it covers a wide range of claims that may occur during a stay abroad (health problems, repatriation, loss of luggage, civil liability…). In the event of gastroenteritis in Spain, a fall in Switzerland or the flu in Mexico, travel insurance offers you coverage and reimbursement of your health expenses. The main mission of travel insurance is to cover health needs throughout your stay. Whether it’s for urgent medical care or a consultation in the event of illness contracted on the spot. Its other main mission is to offer more specific travel options: it insures you in the event of baggage and/or flight problems. Some insurances also offer repatriation cover, or include civil liability (in the event of damage to others). Insurance acts both as an insurance policy and as a means of advancing costs, reimbursing and/or compensating you. At the same time, it helps you in the event of difficulties abroad (loss of documents, for example). They’re all different: the nature of the cover offered, the reimbursement terms and conditions, and the rates all differ, depending on the type of insurance you choose.
Note: taking out travel insurance for a trip abroad is your choice. However, depending on the nature of your stay, and in order to obtain certain visas, it is sometimes compulsory to take out travel insurance (this is the case, for example, when obtaining a working vacation visa in Australia).
Focus on reimbursement of medical expenses
As we said, covering medical expenses is the main mission of travel insurance: it takes care of reimbursing expenses in the event of a medical emergency. The term is important, as the situation must be unforeseeable in order to be covered (i.e. in the event of an accident or illness contracted during the trip). Medical expenses are those incurred for treatment that does not require a trip to the hospital or emergency room (or for less than 24 hours). The exact definition of medical expenses, as well as what they cover and how they are reimbursed, is defined in your contract. It’s a good idea to find out before you sign. Don’t forget to check the maximum cover (generally between €75,000 and €300,000, depending on the company you choose) and whether the insurance offers reimbursement from the 1st euro or in addition to the health insurance.
Other healthcare reimbursements
In addition to medical expenses, travel insurance generally offers coverage for hospitalization (as opposed to medical expenses). Once again, the definition of this term depends on the insurance company and your contract. Here too, coverage is subject to a ceiling and often includes a deductible, either from the 1st euro or in addition to health insurance. Everything is described in the contract, and we advise you to find out everything you need to know before signing.
Note: in the event of serious illness, your travel insurance policy can arrange for you to be repatriated to a foreign healthcare establishment. It can also take care of all related expenses.
Choosing the right travel insurance
Choosing the right travel insurance is above all a matter of selecting a policy that meets your needs. This means focusing on the coverage offered, as well as any exclusions. You should be aware, for example, that all travel insurance policies exclude coverage for medical expenses related to a pre-existing illness (declared before the trip). Other clauses may exist depending on the insurance policy, so it’s up to you to check them. In addition to the reimbursement of health expenses, it may also be interesting to know what other coverages the insurance policy offers, particularly for flight-related issues (plane delay/cancellation, loss/theft of baggage, etc.). Depending on the length of your stay, and the reason for your trip (business, vacation, round-the-world), all these elements may be important. Also check the policy on repatriation insurance and what it offers in terms of civil liability. Finally, to make the right choice of insurance, you can compare the cover offered, and the compensation, with the price of the insurance. Visit our website Santexpat.fr for comparisons of the best offers on the market.
For travel within the European Union: don’t forget the EHIC!
For a stay in one of the member countries of the EU or the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), you can apply for your European Health Insurance Card. The card reimburses you on the basis of the reimbursement rates offered in your country, and is not incompatible with travel insurance. You can therefore take advantage of EHIC health insurance reimbursements and top-up with complementary travel insurance. To find out more, we invite you to visit Santexpat.fr: depending on your situation, age or destination country, our team of health experts will propose a list of suitable offers.
