Health insurance abroad guide
Taking a break from the stresses of daily life can do wonders for our wellbeing. But if you’re travelling outside of the UK, it’s important to understand what type of insurance you’ll need if you get ill or have an accident.
In this guide we talk about the differences between private health insurance and travel insurance. We explain how you can make sure you’re covered for medical emergencies when on holiday. And how health insurance abroad works. This should help you decide which type of cover is most suitable for you, your partner or your family.
Does private health insurance cover me abroad?
Most private health insurance companies only offer cover in the UK. They don't provide the same type of health insurance abroad. This includes when you travel overseas on holiday.
Private medical insurance is usually taken out so that you can get access to private health treatment in the UK. It can cover seeing a private GP, physiotherapist, or mental health professional. It also can cover treatment in private hospitals, as well as access to specialist drugs. It's not designed to cover treatment outside of the UK.
However, at Vitality we offer an add-on to our private health insurance plan called Worldwide Travel Cover. With our Worldwide Travel Cover, you will have access to emergency medical treatment whilst travelling abroad. You can also get reimbursed for travel vaccinations and medications, as well as unexpected travel costs like lost luggage.
How can I get health cover when I'm travelling abroad?
There are several ways to get covered while travelling abroad: travel insurance, Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), or private health insurance that includes additional international travel cover.
Many people buy travel insurance because it's the easiest and most convenient way to get medical care when they are traveling in another country.
Travel insurance is most suitable for people who are away from home for a short period of time, up to 8 weeks. If you plan to be away longer, you can get long-term policies that will provide cover for up to 18 months. And if you're relocating to a different country, you could consider international health insurance. This acts like UK private health insurance, but you can use it overseas.
To make sure you're well insured, you should look for travel insurance that covers the cost of:
- Emergency medical care - if you become ill or have an accident
- Repatriation - if you die or your illness means you need to get home this covers special requirements needed for your return journey
- Lost or stolen passports and baggage
- Cancellations or delays of flights and accommodation
- Cutting short or extending your stay because of circumstances outside of your control
- Legal costs if you're responsible for an accident, for example
- Has 24-hour access to a helpline for assistance with medical emergencies, and other urgent needs while abroad.
You can also apply for a GHIC. This stands for Global Health Insurance Card. It gives you access to state healthcare in many European countries on the same basis as a resident of that country.
So, for some types of treatment, this may be free, but for others you may need to pay. It includes emergency treatment and routine medical care for long-term or pre-existing conditions. But it only covers you if the treatment is considered medically necessary and won't wait until you get home.
Types of travel insurance
You can buy travel insurance for all types of holiday, including short-term and long-term trips. You can also get cover that's tailored to the type of holiday you're taking. The main types of travel insurance you'll find are:
| Trip type | Description |
|---|---|
| Single trip | This insurance provides cover for one trip for a certain amount of time. So, for example you can get single trip insurance for your two week break to Italy. When you come back home after two weeks, the insurance ends. |
| Annual multi-trip | This covers you for multiple holidays in 12 months. So, you can go on your two week break to Italy, come home and later in the same 12 months, go for a long weekend in Berlin. You'll be covered for both trips on the same policy. You can get single trip and multi-trip insurance as an individual, a couple and a family. |
| Worldwide insurance | This insurance covers you in countries across the globe. Not every country is included, as travel insurance generally won't cover you in areas where there's conflict or a high risk of certain diseases. It sometimes won't include the US either, as their health system can be very expensive. If you want to travel to the US, you will probably need to pay more for your cover. |
| European insurance | Works in a similar way to worldwide cover but you'll be insured only in countries in Europe. Double check the list of countries covered by your provider. They may include countries not in Europe and exclude others that are in Europe. |
| Specialist travel insurance | Specialist cover that provides insurance for specific types of trips or activities. Such as backpackers or cruise insurance that covers you for an extended trip to multiple countries. And winter sports or golf cover that insures your sports equipment as well as provides medical cover. |
| Senior travel insurance | This type of travel insurance addresses the unique needs of seniors, often including cover for pre-existing medical conditions, so you can travel with confidence and peace of mind. |
What medical costs does travel insurance cover?
Travel health insurance will usually only cover medical expenses that are unexpected. For example, if you have a car accident and need to be taken to hospital. Or you become unwell with a condition you've not had before and need medical treatment.
Many policies will also reimburse you for lost medication or if you need emergency dental treatment. And most provide emergency cover if you're travelling when pregnant and you need treatment for your pregnancy.
There's also usually a lump sum paid if you die whilst abroad. As well as cover for the cost of bringing your body home. For minor treatments, you may be able to pay the hospital or practitioner directly and then claim when you get home.
Most insurers will expect you to pay an excess before you're reimbursed for the cost of your treatment. This is usually taken out of the amount repaid to you.
Will travel insurance cover pre-existing medical conditions?
There are travel plans for people with pre-existing conditions, but most travel insurance won't cover you for pre-existing medical conditions.
A pre-existing condition is any medical problem you've had before applying for travel insurance. Such as:
- physical health conditions
- mental health issues
- long-term conditions
- one-off medical events.
For example, it includes conditions like high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes and arthritis. Also, depression and anxiety, as well as broken bones, migraine, back ache, hip and knee pain.
When you apply for travel insurance, you'll need to let the insurer know if you have any medical conditions. They can decide at this stage whether they'll provide cover if you become unwell with that condition when you're travelling abroad.
They may offer to provide cover but exclude your pre-existing condition. For example, you have diabetes and become unwell with this condition while you're on holiday. As it's a pre-existing condition, the insurer won't pay for any medical expenses associated with that condition.
If you make a claim for a pre-existing condition that you haven't declared, the insurer won't reimburse you for the costs you've incurred. And you may even have your policy cancelled.
Learn more: Health insurance and pre-existing conditions explained
Will travel insurance cover me for sports and other activities?
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy that helps you cope with your thoughts and feelings. It investigates how your thoughts about a problem affect how you feel and behave.
Cognitive therapy focuses on what you think, and behaviour therapy looks at what you do.
For example, if you have negative thoughts about a situation, you may also have negative feelings towards that situation. This in turn leads you to behave in a certain way.
CBT provides you with the skills to challenge your negative thoughts and change your behaviour in a positive way. It breaks down your problems into manageable chunks and helps you find practical ways to deal with each one. CBT tends to deal with current issues rather than focus on what's happened in the past.
Read more: Types of therapy and how they can help you
How much is travel insurance?
The price of your travel insurance depends on many factors, including:
- Your age – older travellers tend to pay more as they're more likely to make a claim.
- Your health and lifestyle – travellers with pre-existing conditions may pay more.
- Where you're travelling to – health insurance for the US can be more expensive as their medical costs are high.
- How long you're away – the longer your break, the more you'll pay.
- Whether you're taking part in any extreme sports – you may have to take out additional cover for this.
- Whether you're travelling with expensive equipment – check if it's included in your cover.
- How many people are to be covered on the plan.
Key takeaways
- Health insurance abroad is different to health insurance in the UK.
- Most UK private health insurance companies only offer cover in the UK. The best way to make sure you can get access to medical care when you're abroad is to take out travel insurance, get Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or take private health insurance with additional worldwide travel insurance cover.
- If you become ill or have an accident in a country where you have to pay for medical care, travel insurance can cover the cost of that care.
- This type of health insurance will usually only cover unexpected medical expenses. For example, if you have a car accident and need to be taken to hospital. Or you become unwell with a condition you've not had before and need medical treatment. However, most insurance companies will not cover unexpected medical costs from failed cosmetic surgery abroad.
- Many policies will also reimburse you for lost medication or if you need emergency dental treatment. And most provide emergency cover if you're travelling when pregnant and you need treatment for your pregnancy.
- Insurance companies will also cover the cost of getting your body home if you die whilst abroad.
