Come to think of it, traveling abroad is a little bit of a complicated issue, mainly when it comes to health. Considering this, many insurance companies as well as credit card companies have rushed in to offer the potential travelers with insurance coverage while they stay in a foreign land. When you decide to take these policies the premiums can add on to your travelling bill and if you’re tight budgeted, it may make you think twice. Do I really need medical cover while abroad? What should determine the necessity of such insurance?…etc are the prudent questions that may arise from a discerning traveler whom is trying to make the most practical decision.
One of the factors that you should be concerned of, is your own health. Are you prone to develop illnesses while travelling? Are you prone to allergies and wheezing? Are you having an ongoing illness that worsens from time to time?…etc, would be the things that you need to think. Apart from abstaining from travelling abroad the next best choice would be to obtain travel insurance.
Your financial status would be another important factor to consider and if you are in a position to meet up with any medical emergency at the place you intend to travel or else if you have relatives or friends who can take care of these medical bills whom are living in that country; medical insurance would not be something which would be worthwhile taking. At the same time, if you’re planning to go abroad on a scholarship, it would be better to find out if your medical expenses would be met by the same funding agencies.
Before purchasing a travel insurance, you should also do some research on the health care services available in the country that you intend to travel. In certain countries, the healthcare services would be free of charge and in certain others the services would only be free to the locals. In certain parts of the world the healthcare would be very expensive whereas in another place it would be relatively cheap. Knowing these things would immensely be helpful in making a decision to buy an insurance cover or not.
In certain instances, you should remember that, remote parts of the world would require people to be air lifted in order to attend to medical emergencies and inevitably this can lead to a hefty bill. Thus, make sure the medical services are available closer to your intended place of stay or else obtain a cover than accommodate such air passage as well.
Finally, you should make the decision not only by looking at your current health but any other health related events that may crop up depending on your age as well as due to many other factors. Thus, following carefully scrutinizing these factors, you should decide on the necessity to obtain the medical insurance cover unless you are compelled to obtain one as a requirement for issuing visa.