Best travel insurance companies November 2023
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BLUEPRINT
Updated 1:08 p.m. UTC Nov. 20, 2023
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Travel Insured, TravelSafe and WorldTrips are the best travel insurance companies, according to our analysis.
We evaluated 53 plans to determine the best travel insurance companies based on cost and coverage options. Use this rating to compare top travel insurance plans and find the best match for your next trip.
Best travel insurance companies of 2023
- Travel Insured: Best travel insurance
- TravelSafe: Best for missed connection coverage
- WorldTrips: Best for extension of travel insurance coverage
- AXA Assistance USA: Best for baggage and personal items coverage
- Nationwide: Best for tour and cruise missed connection coverage
- Seven Corners: Best “cancel for any reason” travel insurance
- Arch RoamRight: Great for customer satisfaction
- Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection: Great for hurricane and weather coverage
- Cat 70: Great for lower-cost medical and evacuation coverage
- Generali Global Assistance: Best for trip interruption coverage
- HTH Worldwide: Great for travelers with layoff concerns
- IMG: Great for comprehensive travel insurance coverage
- John Hancock Insurance Agency: Great for transportation problems
- Tin Leg: Great for travel insurance value
- Travelex Insurance Services: Great for family-friendly travel insurance pricing
- Trawick International: Best senior travel insurance
- USI Affinity Travel Insurance Services: Great for high-level travel insurance coverage
Why trust our travel insurance experts
Our team of experts evaluates hundreds of insurance products and analyzes thousands of data points to help you find the best product for your situation. 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.
- 2,332 coverage details evaluated.
- 385 rates reviewed.
- 5 levels of fact checking.
Travel insurance comparison: Best rates and plans
Top-rated travel insurance companies
Travel Insured
TravelSafe
WorldTrips
AXA Assistance USA
Nationwide
Seven Corners
Arch RoamRight
Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection
Cat 70
Generali Global Assistance
HTH Worldwide
IMG
John Hancock Insurance Agency
Tin Leg
Travelex Insurance Services
Trawick International
USI Affinity Travel Insurance Services
Compare the best travel insurance companies of 2023
| Travel insurance company | Top-scoring plan | Our rating | Medical benefits per person | Evacuation limits per person | LEARN MORE | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TravelSafe | Classic | 5.0 stars | $100,000 | $1 million | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Travel Insured | Worldwide Trip Protector | 5.0 stars | $100,000 | $1 million | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| WorldTrips | Atlas Journey Preferred | 5.0 stars | $100,000 | $1 million | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| AXA Assistance USA | Platinum | 4.5 stars | $250,000 | $1 million | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Nationwide | Cruise Choice | 4.5 stars | $100,000 | $500,000 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Nationwide | Cruise Luxury | 4.5 stars | $150,000 | $1 million | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Seven Corners | RoundTrip Choice | 4.5 stars | $500,000 | $1 million | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Arch RoamRight | Pro Plus | 4.0 stars | $50,000 | $500,000 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection | LuxuryCare | 4.0 stars | $100,000 | $1 million | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Cat 70 | Travel Plan | 4.0 stars | $500,000 | $500,000 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Generali Global Assistance | Premium | 4.0 stars | $250,000 | $1 million | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| HTH Worldwide | TripProtector Classic | 4.0 stars | $250,000 | $1 million | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| IMG | iTravelInsured Travel SE | 4.0 stars | $250,000 | $500,000 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| IMG | iTravelInsured Travel LX | 4.0 stars | $500,000 | $1 million | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| John Hancock Insurance Agency | Silver | 4.0 stars | $100,000 | $500,000 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Tin Leg | Adventure | 4.0 stars | $100,000 | $1 million | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Tin Leg | Gold | 4.0 stars | $500,000 | $500,000 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Travelex | Travel Select | 4.0 stars | $50,000 | $500,000 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Trawick International | Safe Travels First Class | 4.0 stars | $150,000 | $1 million | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| USI Affinity | Ruby | 4.0 stars | $250,000 | $500,000 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| GoReady | Choice | 3.5 stars | $50,000 | $250,000 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website |
Methodology
Our insurance experts reviewed 42 aspects of 53 policies to find the best travel insurance plans. We used data provided by Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison provider. For travel insurance companies offering more than one travel insurance plan, we shared information about the highest-scoring plan (or two, in case of a tie).
The factors we scored out of a possible 100 points include the following.
Cost: 30 points. We scored the average cost for each travel insurance policy for a variety of trips and traveler profiles.
Medical expenses: 15 points. We scored travel medical insurance by the coverage amount available. Travel insurance policies with travel medical expense benefits of $250,000 or more per person were given the highest score of 15 points.
Medical evacuation: 15 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 15 points.
“Cancel for any reason” upgrade: 5 points. We gave travel insurance plans with the option of a “cancel for any reason” upgrade 5 points.
Trip interruption travel insurance: 5 points. We gave 5 points to travel insurance plans that offer trip interruption reimbursement of 150% or more.
Travel delay required waiting time: 5 points. We gave 5 points to travel insurance policies with travel delay benefits that kick in at 6 hours or less.
Baggage delay required waiting time: 5 points. We gave 5 points to travel insurance policies with baggage delay benefits that kick in at 12 hours or less.
Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver: 5 points. We gave policies that cover pre-existing medical conditions if purchased within a required timeline 5 points.
Non-medical evacuation: 5 points. If a policy provides coverage for non-medical evacuation, such as for political or security reasons, we gave it 5 points.
Cancel for work reasons: 5 points. If a 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.
Employment layoff: 5 points. Travel insurance policies that allow you to cancel your trip because of layoff at a company where you have worked for one continuous year were scored 5 points. If a plan requires that you had the job for more than a year to qualify, no points were given.
Some travel insurance companies may offer plans with additional benefits or lower prices than the plans which scored the highest, so make sure to compare travel insurance quotes to see your full range of options.
Why some companies didn’t make the cut
Travel insurance companies selling policies at above-average cost when compared to competitor plans may not have scored enough points to make the cut. Plans with low limits for medical expenses and medical evacuation were also less likely to receive top scores.
What does travel insurance cover?
Travel insurance covers your prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs — as well as extra money you may need to spend due to unforeseen circumstances and emergencies — both before and during your trip.
Travel insurance coverage varies by plan, but in general travel insurance covers costs associated with these problems:
- Bankruptcy of a travel company, such as your airline or tour operator.
- Dangerous weather conditions.
- Delayed and lost luggage.
- Illness or death in your family that requires you to stay home or cut your trip short.
- Illness that needs medical attention.
- Injury requiring medical evacuation.
- Jury duty.
- Travel delays and missed connections.
- Terrorism.
- Theft of your personal belongings while traveling.
- Unexpected job loss.
A comprehensive travel insurance plan bundles several types of travel insurance coverage, each with its own limits. To ensure you have adequate financial protection for your trip, your travel insurance policy should include the following travel insurance coverages.
Trip cancellation insurance
As soon as you buy a travel insurance plan that includes trip cancellation insurance, you’re covered if you need to call off your trip because of a reason listed in your policy. These reasons generally include unexpected illness, injury or death of you, a family member or a travel companion, severe weather, jury duty and your travel supplier going out of business.
If you cancel your trip for a covered reason, you can expect to be reimbursed for 100% of your prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses.
For even greater flexibility, some travel insurance plans offer a “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) upgrade. This optional coverage allows you to pull the plug on your trip for any reason at all, as long as you do so at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure.
Adding CFAR coverage will increase the cost of your plan and it’s important to note that this coverage typically only reimburses 50% or 75% of your expenses, depending on the policy.
Travel delay insurance
Once your trip is underway, inconvenient delays can be expensive. Travel delay insurance reimburses you for unexpected expenses you incur after a certain waiting period, such as five hours. If your travel is delayed longer than that time because of a reason in your policy, such as severe weather, your benefits can cover needs like airport meals, transportation and even overnight accommodation.
This coverage usually has daily limits as well as a maximum limit. For example, a travel insurance plan may provide trip delay coverage of up to $150 per day with a $2,000 maximum.
Trip interruption insurance
If you need to end your trip early — again, for a reason listed in your policy — trip interruption insurance comes into play.
Say a close family member back home is involved in an accident and you need to rush back to be by their side. Trip interruption benefits can reimburse you for any prepaid, nonrefundable payments you’ll lose by leaving early. It can also pay for a last-minute one-way ticket home.
Travel medical insurance
Emergency medical benefits are especially important if you need international health insurance for travel outside of the country. Your domestic health insurance may provide limited coverage once you leave the U.S.
The best senior travel insurance provides ample travel medical coverage because Medicare does not cover health care outside of the U.S., except in very limited circumstances.
Travel medical insurance pays for ambulance service, doctor visits, hospital stays, X-rays, lab work and prescription medication you may require while traveling.
Many travel insurance plans cover medical treatment for COVID-19, but not all do. The best COVID travel insurance has generous emergency medical and emergency medical evacuation benefits.
When comparing plans with medical travel insurance for international trips, check to see if the coverage is primary. If the travel medical insurance coverage is secondary, you will need to file a claim with your health insurance before you can file a travel insurance claim.
Emergency medical evacuation
If you’re traveling to a remote area, or planning excursions such as boating to an island, emergency medical evacuation coverage is a good idea. This coverage pays to transport you to the nearest adequate medical facility if you are injured or sick while traveling.
Depending on your location and medical condition, emergency transportation could cost tens of thousands of dollars. Our top-scoring travel insurance plans all offer coverage of $1 million.
Baggage delay coverage
If you arrive safely at your destination but your bags do not, this coverage can help. After a certain waiting period, such as six or 12 hours, this coverage will reimburse you for necessities you may need while waiting for your bags to arrive. Be sure to save your receipts and look at your coverage limit, as some caps are low, like $200.
Baggage loss and personal effects coverage
Baggage insurance can reimburse you if your bag never arrives, or if your personal belongings are stolen during your travels. Coverage limits apply here, as well as exclusions for certain items such as electronics. If you’ll be traveling with your laptop or other valuables, read your policy carefully to make sure they’re covered.
What travel insurance doesn't cover
Travel insurance policies often exclude or limit “foreseeable” losses. Typical travel insurance exclusions include:
- Accidents or injuries caused by drinking or drug use.
- Canceling your trip because you changed your mind.
- Ending your trip early because you changed your mind.
- Losses caused by intentional self harm, including suicide.
- Losses due to war, civil disorder or riots.
- Medical tourism.
- Medical treatment for pre-existing conditions.
- Mental health care.
- Natural disasters that begin before you buy travel insurance.
- Non-medical evacuation.
- Normal pregnancy.
- Medical treatment related to high-risk activities.
- Routine medical care, such as physicals or dental care.
- Search and rescue.
Most travel insurance companies offer a free look period when you buy a policy. Take this time — which might be anywhere from 10 to 21 days — to carefully review the plan’s coverages and exclusions, and request a full refund if it doesn’t meet your needs.
“For trip cancellation coverage, travel insurance plans will only cover you for very specific covered reasons listed in a plan’s description of coverage,” said Stan Sandberg, co-founder and CEO of TravelInsurance.com. “If an event is not listed as a covered reason, it won’t be covered unless the consumer opts for a ‘cancel for any reason’ policy.”
“Cancel for any reason travel insurance” upgrade
For the greatest flexibility to cancel, consider adding “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage to your travel insurance plan. This will increase the cost of your policy, but will typically reimburse you for 75% of your trip expenses if you decide to cancel your trip.
A CFAR upgrade also usually has a number of requirements, such as buying it within seven to 14 days of making your first trip payment and insuring the full amount of your travel costs. But, it will give you the freedom to cancel your trip for any reason, as long as you do so at least two days before your scheduled departure.
“This year, about 6% of travelers who bought travel insurance on squaremouth.com are purchasing a policy with the ‘cancel for any reason’ upgrade,” said James Clark, spokesperson for Squaremouth. “This is on par with pre-COVID levels, when ‘cancel for any reason’ was included in roughly 5% of all travel insurance sales.”
According to Clark, CFAR sales fluctuated greatly during the pandemic. “At one point, almost 1 in 3 travel insurance customers opted to upgrade their policy to include CFAR,” he said. “Since then, CFAR sales have steadily returned to the norm.”
Adding CFAR coverage typically increases the cost of your travel insurance plan by 50%.
Make sure you’re covered: Best COVID travel insurance
How much travel insurance should I buy?
Travel insurance companies typically offer several plans with varying maximum limits. The higher the coverage limits, the more you’ll pay for travel insurance.
Squaremouth recommends the following coverage limits for international travel:
- Emergency medical coverage: At least $50,000.
- Medical evacuation coverage: At least $100,000.
If you’re going on a cruise, or to a remote location, Squaremouth recommends:
- Emergency medical coverage: At least $100,000.
- Medical evacuation coverage: At least $250,000.
When evaluating travel insurance plans, our team of insurance analysts gave full points to plans with at least $250,000 in emergency medical coverage and at least $500,000 in medical evacuation coverage.
What is the best travel insurance for international travel?
The best travel insurance for international travel is Travel Insured’s Worldwide Trip Protector plan, according to our analysis. But the best travel insurance for you depends on the trip you are planning and the coverage areas that are most important to you.
Best travel insurance for cruises
The best cruise travel insurance is Trawick International’s Safe Travels First Class plan. This budget-friendly plan has top-notch medical evacuation coverage of $1 million.
Best travel insurance for COVID
The best COVID travel insurance is also the Safe Travels First Class plan sold by Trawick International. In addition to its stellar medical evacuation benefits, it has trip interruption coverage of 150% and offers an optional “cancel for any reason” upgrade that reimburses up to 75% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses.
Best travel insurance for “cancel for any reason”
The best “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) travel insurance is Seven Corners’ RoundTrip Basic. Adding CFAR coverage to a RoundTrip Basic plan only increases the cost by about 40%, which is lower than other plans we analyzed. For the extra cost, you get coverage of 75% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses, as long as you cancel at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure.
Best travel insurance for seniors
The best senior travel insurance is the Safe Travels First Class plan by Trawick International. It has high coverage limits for travel medical insurance, emergency medical evacuation and trip interruption, as well as a pre-existing conditions waiver if you insure the full amount of your trip within 14 days of your first trip deposit.
Is travel insurance worth it?
Travel insurance may be a smart purchase if you’ve planned an expensive, nonrefundable trip. It can also be worth buying if you need health insurance for international travel.
“Almost all claims stem from cancellations, delays and medical emergencies,” said Clark. “These are major concerns for travelers, and the main reasons why most travelers buy travel insurance.”
According to Clark, travel delay was the most common claim in 2022, accounting for just over 24% of all claims. Clark said the top five most common claims last year were:
- Travel delay: 24.04%
- Emergency medical: 21.73%
- Trip cancellation: 18.99%
- Trip interruption: 18.48%
- Baggage delay: 4.98%
Your credit card and your existing health insurance may provide the insurance you need. If not, dozens of travel insurance companies are competing for your business.
How much is travel insurance?
The average travel insurance cost is 5% to 6% of your trip costs.
How much you pay for travel insurance will depend on how expensive your trip is, how many benefits the insurance provides and the age of the covered travelers.
Here are average costs per trip by travel insurance plan, based on our analysis of rates.
Travel insurance costs by insurance company plan
| Best travel insurance plan | Average travel insurance cost per trip | LEARN MORE | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GoReady Choice | $291 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Trawick International Safe Travels First Class | $294 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| WorldTrips Atlas Journey Preferred | $316 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Nationwide Cruise Choice | $330 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Travel Insured Worldwide Trip Protector | $336 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| John Hancock Insurance Agency Silver | $346 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| IMG iTravelInsured Travel SE | $351 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| HTH Travel Insurance TripProtector Classic | $353 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Cat 70 Travel Plan | $360 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Tin Leg Gold | $360 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Arch RoamRight Pro Plus | $361 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Travelex Travel Select | $363 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| USI Affinity Ruby | $366 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| TravelSafe Classic | $384 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Nationwide Cruise Luxury | $393 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| AXA Assistance USA Platinum | $409 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Generali Global Assistance Premium | $419 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Seven Corners RoundTrip Choice | $422 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Tin Leg Adventure | $629 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection LuxuryCare | $683 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website | |
| IMG iTravelInsured Travel LX | $828 | Compare Rates | Via Squaremouth's website |
*Average travel insurance cost come from sample rates for five different trips with a range of traveler ages, destinations and trip lengths. Different levels of benefits can (but don’t necessarily) account for price differences. These average prices do not include CFAR coverage.
How travel insurance works
“Typically, travelers are expected to pay their expenses out of pocket, and then file a claim for reimbursement,” said Clark. “However, there are medical situations in which a provider may be required to pre-authorize payment to make sure the policyholder receives the treatment they need.”
According to Clark, “Providers can pre-authorize payment for medical care and emergency evacuations. With that said, every circumstance is unique, and providers will handle each situation on a case-by-case basis.”
How to get travel insurance
To buy travel insurance, you’ll need to submit an online application with information about yourself and your trip, such as your name, age, permanent address, destination, travel dates and total trip cost per person. Since the application is simple, you can easily get quotes from multiple companies on your own.
Even easier, you can get multiple quotes by submitting a single application online through a travel insurance comparison site like Squaremouth.
How to choose the best travel insurance policy
When shopping for travel insurance, consider the coverages that are most important to you. For example:
- Travel medical insurance. If you need travel health insurance for international travel, you’ll want a high limit for medical expenses, such as doctor and hospital bills, ambulance, X-rays and medicine. The best travel insurance for seniors includes ample travel medical insurance because Medicare generally does not pay for health care outside of the U.S.
- Emergency medical evacuation. If you’re planning a trip to a remote destination, make sure your travel insurance plan has high limits for emergency evacuation. Squaremouth suggests $50,000 to $100,000 of medical evacuation coverage for most trips but recommends $250,000 for travel to remote locations.
You’ll also want to consider common exclusions, such as:
- Adventure sports. Many travel insurance plans exclude coverage for risky activities such as skiing and scuba diving. Read the fine print of a policy to see what is excluded, or look for a travel insurance company that specializes in covering adventure sports trips, such as World Nomads.
- Named storms. If a hurricane is named before you buy travel insurance, it’s too late to buy coverage and cancel your trip because of the storm.
- Normal pregnancy. Normal pregnancy typically isn’t covered by travel insurance. If you get pregnant after you buy travel insurance, you may be covered for pregnancy-related reasons, but you’ll need to provide medical proof that pregnancy started after your purchased travel insurance.
- Pre-existing medical conditions. If you have dealt with a health issue — even allergies or asthma — look closely at this common exclusion. Travel insurance plans typically have look-back periods, which could be 60, 90 or 180 days before you bought the policy. If you had symptoms during that time, your claim could be denied if your condition flares up while you’re traveling. If you’re shopping for the best travel insurance for pre-existing conditions, consider our top-scoring travel insurance plan, Worldwide Trip Protector. With this plan sold by Travel Insured, you may be eligible for a pre-existing medical condition waiver if you purchase your travel insurance within 21 days of your first trip deposit, insure the full value of all prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses and are medically able to travel at the time of buying the policy.
When to buy travel insurance
The best time to buy travel insurance is immediately after making your first nonrefundable travel payment, whether it’s for a plane ticket, hotel stay, cruise or excursion. Like other types of insurance, your policy needs to be in place before something goes wrong. It won’t cost you any extra to buy travel insurance far in advance of your trip, and it will cover a longer period of time.
“Purchasing a travel insurance policy at the time of making an initial trip payment offers travelers the most peace of mind,” said Clark.
“Knowing they are protected if unforeseen events such as medical emergencies, inclement weather, natural disasters and other trip disruptions occur allows travelers to approach their trip with less worry and more confidence.”
You’d have a hard time buying travel insurance before booking anything because you’d have nothing to insure, Clark said. “With that said, travelers are able to purchase a policy and make modifications, such as updating travel dates or adding expenses to the insurance policy, as they continue to make their travel arrangements.”
You can buy travel insurance up to the day before you leave on your trip, but waiting may cost you the opportunity to qualify for a pre-existing condition waiver or to buy a “cancel for any reason” upgrade.
Where to buy travel insurance
You can purchase travel insurance directly from any of several dozen travel insurance companies. You may also be able to purchase travel insurance through a travel agent, travel insurance broker, airline, cruise, hotel, rental car company or other provider you book a ticket with.
Using a travel insurance marketplace that will give you quotes for multiple policies is a great way to compare coverage options and pricing to find the best policy for your trip. Buying a policy directly from a travel provider is convenient and might be fine, but it might not meet your needs.
“If a traveler is heading to the Caribbean with the intention of going scuba diving, it’s unlikely that the policy offered by the airline would cover that activity,” Clark said. “Shopping around for insurance opens the door to other policy providers that may offer a policy that checks all of a traveler’s boxes.”
In addition, while flight insurance, which may be offered through a partnership with a travel insurance provider like AIG or Allianz, may cover travel delays and cancellations, it might not protect you if you get sick during your trip, Clark said. “We highly recommend travelers read the policy’s fine print before making a purchase so they know what’s covered,” he added.
Top 10 travel destinations
Americans are changing the way they travel and this includes buying travel insurance when they might have skipped it in the past. As spending on trips continues to rise, travelers have more to lose if their plans are disrupted.
Here are the top destinations travel insurance customers are traveling to — and how much they’re spending on these trips — according to Nov. 2023 data from Squaremouth.
Source: Squaremouth. Based on travel insurance purchased from Oct. 16 to Nov 15, 2023.
The best travel insurance is offered by Travel Insured (Worldwide Trip Protector), TravelSafe (Classic) and WorldTrips (Atlas Journey Preferred). These are the three top-scoring plans in our review of 53 travel insurance policies.
The best travel insurance policy for you will depend on what type of coverage you need. With so many different policies and carriers, the policy that was best for your friend’s trip to California might not be ideal for your trip to Japan. If you’re buying travel insurance for international travel, you may be willing to pay more for higher coverage levels.
Your U.S. health insurance may provide little or no coverage in foreign countries. Check with your health insurance company to see if you have any global benefits. If your health care does extend across the border, the benefits it provides abroad may not be the same benefits it provides domestically.
Medicare usually won’t pay for health care outside of the United States and its territories.
Even if your plan does cover international health care, you may have to pay out of pocket and file for reimbursement. If you wouldn’t be able to pay up front (or don’t want to take the risk), you’ll want travel medical insurance.
It’s also possible that doctors at your destination won’t accept your insurance and you’d be better protected with a travel insurance policy.
The best time to buy travel insurance is immediately after booking your trip and making a nonrefundable payment — in other words, as soon as you’re at risk of losing money. This way, you’ll know the total cost that you need to insure and you’ll have the longest window to take advantage of your policy’s benefits if something goes wrong.
You can’t wait until something goes wrong and then buy travel insurance to get reimbursed for your loss. Travel insurance only covers unexpected losses.
Travel insurance companies are free to choose not to cover travel to certain countries. For example, you may find that certain trip insurance carriers don’t offer coverage if you’re headed somewhere with a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory from the U.S. State Department. Examples of such countries as of March 2023, include Venezuela, Iraq, Somalia, Haiti, Ukraine, Russia and about a dozen others. You may still be able to insure your trip to these countries with a high-risk travel insurance policy.
Another possibility is that your policy will not exclude travel to certain countries, but it will exclude certain risks that you’re more likely to encounter in Level 4 or Level 3 countries. For example, your policy may not cover losses related to declared or undeclared wars or acts of war or losses related to known or foreseeable conditions or events.
Some credit cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, offer benefits such as trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance and trip delay reimbursement when you use your card to pay for your trip.
Ask your credit card issuer for your card’s benefits guide to see what coverage you may have. Keep in mind that it may not cover all the risks you want to protect against, such as the cost of international health care or emergency medical evacuation.
Business travel insurance makes sense if you are self-employed and paying for your own travel expenses, or if you are traveling internationally and want medical coverage abroad.
You might also consider buying travel insurance for a business trip if your company won’t cover extra expenses if your flight is delayed or you need to head home early.
Cruise travel insurance can help protect you financially if you need emergency medical care in a remote location, or if a delayed flight causes you to miss embarkation and you need to pay extra to catch up to your cruise.
Experts caution that travel insurance you buy through a cruise line may not be as comprehensive as plans you can buy directly from travel insurance companies.
Some travel insurance plans cover rental cars as an optional upgrade, for an additional cost. The 5-star rated travel insurance plans in our rating offer these optional rental car benefits:
- TravelSafe Classic — Car rental damage of $35,000.
- Travel Insured Worldwide Trip Protector — Rental car damage and theft coverage of $50,000.
- WorldTrips Atlas Journey Preferred — Rental car damage and theft coverage of $50,000 with a $250 deductible.
Travel insurance typically only covers a single trip, although your insured trip can have multiple destinations.
If you’re looking to insure several trips in the same year, annual travel insurance may be a good option for you.
Editor’s Note: This article contains updated information from previously published stories:
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