Health insurance has become a crucial factor in coping with medical inflation. Your health must stay financially secure even if you travel abroad.
Travel medical insurance is typically an included criterion in travel insurance, covering unexpected health conditions while travelling. Meanwhile, health insurance is a policy that protects your health financially in your home country.
In this article, we go through the differences between travel medical insurance and regular health insurance in detail.
What are the Key Differences Between Travel Medical Insurance and Regular Health Insurance?
The basic differences between travel medical insurance and regular health insurance are the first one protects your health financially while travelling abroad and the later protects your health when you are in your home country. Find out the core differences between travel medical insurance and regular health insurance below:
| Feature | Travel Medical Insurance | Regular Health Insurance |
| Primary Purpose | Emergency medical care causing trip disruptions abroad | Ongoing comprehensive health plan and routine care |
| Geographical Consideration | Applicable abroad or for international trips | Applicable in your home country (Unless you add a rider) |
| Duration | Short-term insurance to cover the travel period | Long-term to cover almost lifelong |
| Pre-existing conditions | Pre-existing conditions are excluded (Unless you add an add-on) | Pre-existing conditions are included naturally |
| Cost | Limited one-time premium | Monthly or yearly recurring premium |
According to the features of travel medical insurance and regular health insurance, let us elaborate on the differences in detail.
Primary Purpose
Do you know what is the primary purpose of travel medical insurance? It focuses on unforeseen health crises abroad, such as emergency surgeries, accidents, and more. In contrast, regular health insurance supports your well-being through comprehensive medical coverage, including routine doctor visits, screenings, long-term treatments and more.
Geographical Consideration
Travel medical insurance covers you internationally, ensuring your health is never compromised while you are away from your home country. Conversely, regular health insurance operates within a strict domestic network of hospitals, offering limited to zero coverage once you travel abroad.
Duration
International travel insurance provides temporary protection when you are not in your home country. It protects your health financially for the exact dates of a specific trip. In case of multiple trips in a year, you may get a maximum of one continuous year. On the other hand, regular health insurance is a long-term commitment following a renewable cycle.
Pre-existing Conditions
Travel health insurance typically excludes pre-existing chronic conditions, including asthma. For instance, if you have asthma and you are admitted to hospital for a seafood allergy triggering breathing issues while travelling, you may not get coverage unless you have add-ons. However, a standard health policy covers it with a comprehensive plan.
Cost
Travel medical insurance is an affordable, one-time upfront payment. It is decided according to the duration of your travel, the age of the traveller, the destination, itinerary, and more. On the other hand, regular health insurance requires predictable monthly premium payments.
Choosing travel health insurance from a reputed company is necessary to maximise the inclusion criteria. You may opt for Bajaj General Insurance at an affordable rate, just ₹13 per day
Why Choose Travel Medical Insurance?
When you have regular health insurance, do you still need travel health insurance? Yes, it is necessary to stay protected from any adverse health conditions anywhere you go.
- Foreign countries offer different weather and foods, which may impact your health negatively.
- If you travel frequently or spend a long duration abroad, you must avail travel insurance.
- If you face major accidents such as fractured bones abroad, this policy will provide financial coverage, including surgery, doctor visits, medical bills and more.
- In case of emergency evacuation from a foreign country, this policy will cover the emergency expenditure.
Do not compromise your health when you are out of your country. You may choose a reliable travel insurer such as Bajaj General Insurance to get uninterrupted coverage for your health.
Final Thought
Both travel medical insurance and regular health insurance serve different primary purposes, including geographical considerations and more. However, each of them complements the other. When the regular health plan becomes inactive, travel medical coverage protects you financially for health issues.
Leave a Reply