Emergency Medical Evacuation Coverage Does your HMO or PPO offer this?

Travelers insurance may be the only way for most Americans to insure they are fully protected in case of emergency medical evacuation while traveling abroad, because for 70 percent of these U.S. resident HMO and PPO medical insurance plans do not cover such an event.

Some travelers’ insurance plans offer transportation to a safe location during emergency medical evacuation but do not offer medical insurance for the duration. Others offer both.

One travelers insurance site that we looked at, for example, offers travelers insurance for medical emergency evacuation, for a single person, a couple, or a family, for a designated time period of three, six or 12 months. Online you can get a quote instantly and can purchase the travelers insurance. While this company was clear that it offered no medical coverage it did link to other travelers insurance providers that did so.

One offered trip insurance - in other words, for one designated trip - that provided trip delay, interruption or cancellation insurance, protection against lost or delayed baggage, traveler assistance as well as missed connection travelers insurance coverage.

The trip insurance site asked your departure and return dates, the number of people traveling in your party, the age of each, the cost of the trip for each and whether you are a U.S. resident. We indicated two U.S. residents would be traveling, one 55 years old, the other 56, and each was spending $1800 for the trips. The results: nine different travelers’ insurance firms offered plans ranging in price from $166 to $293 per person. Three of these offered additional flight insurance - one for $100,000, the others ranging between $300,000 and $1 million. One also offered rental car insurance for $6 a day.

If you'd prefer travelers insurance that covers more than one trip, the site offers a quote on this as well. Here you indicate your citizenship, your residency, and the state in which you reside if in the U.S. You can choose domestic travelers insurance coverage or international coverage that does or does not include U.S. travel. You can choose coverage from $25,000 to $2 million. You indicate the dates of travelers’ insurance coverage, your age, the age of your spouse if applicable, and the number of children under 18. The travelers insurance firms displayed in the results now allow you to choose deductible and then offer you their firms' quotes as well as a handy comparison chart.

Clearly, you'll find a variety of affordable travelers’ insurance options, including emergency medical evacuation coverage, when you decide to travel overseas.

Steve Cogger, an active traveler, has developed the 1 Happy Traveller website for your convenience. Visit today for all of your travel insurance needs.