✈️ Is it worth it to buy travel insurance vs. international medical?

One of the biggest decisions you will face as an American traveling long-term is whether to buy a full international medical policy or a cheaper travel medical policy. As Chris puts it, you can either buy a full medical policy, which is great, or you can buy a travel medical policy, which is just going to cover you for hit by the bus scenarios. This calculator compares the true cost of an underwritten full policy against buying emergency coverage and paying cash for pre-existing conditions.

A full policy like Genki Native covers everything but requires strict underwriting. As Chris notes, if they include those pre-existings, your premium gets much higher (often upwards of $350 per month). A travel medical policy like Mondial is much cheaper (typically around $60 monthly) but specifically excludes pre-existing conditions.

If you don't have pre-existings or if you don't want your current conditions covered by a policy, then you can go with a travel medical policy. Enter your quoted monthly premiums below to establish the baseline costs for both options.

If you choose the cheaper travel medical policy, you will need to pay cash for any routine care. As Chris explains, let's say you have a pre-existing condition of diabetes and you need to see a doctor every 3 months. Just Google up how much it costs to see a specialist in Bangkok. It is often just $75 a visit.

You might find that the cost of that is much better than having to pay a premium to cover that. Enter your expected local cash prices for specialists and ongoing medications in your destination to estimate these costs.

Your overall savings depend heavily on how long you plan to stay abroad. Set your travel timeline below to calculate your cumulative insurance and healthcare costs.

For trip interruptions, lost baggage, and travel delays, Chris recommends using a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred for its built-in trip protections. These benefits are entirely distinct from your medical health coverage.

Based on content by Chris on Nomad Life. Full-Time Travel (EatWalkLearn) (YouTube).

Original: Leaving the U.S.? Here’s the Insurance You ACTUALLY Need (Travel vs. Medical Insurance)

For further related reading, check out:

• Genki • Health Insurance for Digital Nomads
• Assistant – MondialCare.eu