What is Global Health Insurance Cover? Know Benefits and Features of Global Health Insurance

If you’re a travel bird, you ought to be well-prepared always for any uninformed contingencies, especially related to your health when abroad. Buying a global health insurance cover ensures that your healthcare expenses are taken care of, whether in India or any place in the world.

Health insurance has become every person’s absolute necessity, especially in the post-COVID times, when everything around is changing every minute. New infections and viruses are on the prowl at all times and there seems to be no escape from this never-ending twirl of diseases. Buying health insurance plans ensures that you stay protected financially in the face of a health attack.

But why just ensure financial coverage in India when healthcare costs are always on the rise everywhere in the world? What would happen if you need urgent medical care on a tour abroad? Who would bear the exorbitant cost of medical care in a foreign country? And would it mean burning a hole in your pocket if at all you end up in need of treatment abroad?

Absolutely not! To help you stay financially protected even when abroad, there is the option of global health insurance policy. Let’s read more about it in detail in this blog.

What is Global Health Insurance Cover?

As is clearly evident in its name, global health insurance ensures that your medical expenses incurred on a treatment taken abroad are covered under the health insurance plan. This means that in case you decide to travel abroad, getting yourself a global health insurance plan is wise as it would help cover your financial expenses in case of any medical treatment that you choose to get done in that country. 

Considering that medical care costs can be quite high abroad, it only helps to buy this cover. In case of an unfortunate event of any disease or health condition diagnosed during your stay abroad, you need not worry about spending a fortune on its treatment. By getting a global or international medical insurance policy, you would be able to save a considerable amount of money, since the treatment cost would be covered by the health insurance company.

Benefits of Availing Global Health Insurance

There are a number of advantages to buying a global health insurance policy when traveling abroad. Some of these are listed below:

You can avail the best treatment option for your condition and high-quality medical services in the foreign country without worrying about the exorbitant cost factor involved. 
Global health insurance plans generally offer a high coverage amount so you can comfortably make claims for even higher medical bills (in case the need arises).
The premium for global health insurance is generally paid by the employer, since it is purchased mostly by people traveling abroad for work-related reasons. This is beneficial both to your employer and you. 
This is because global health insurance policies would also cover for insurance needs within your home country, since a single health insurance plan provides coverage both for domestic and international healthcare needs. So, the employer is saved from the expense of paying for two different policies. As for the employee, they can avail the benefit of the mediclaim plan both in their homeland as well as abroad.

Features of a Global Health Insurance Cover

1. Sufficient coverage during emergency:

Considering that the cost of availing services like ambulance or a rescue helicopter in case of a critical medical emergency is very high abroad, a global health insurance cover provides adequate coverage for such unforeseeable expenditure. Owing to the rate of currency exchange, these essential services can sometimes get quite unaffordable. However, with the global mediclaim plan, you can avail the best-quality treatment without any financial stress.

2. Coverage for pre-existing diseases:

Most global health insurance plans would cover pre-existing health conditions as well, such as chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, heart conditions, and the like. This can be particularly helpful to cover medical care costs involved in the treatment of these conditions in case an emergency arises when you’re abroad.

3.Coverage for frequent travel abroad for treatment:

The cost involved in the treatment of conditions abroad is itself quite high. Adding up to it is the cost involved in the frequent travel between the two countries for this purpose. Your global health insurance plan generally covers this expense so traveling to and from India does not seem a burden.

4. Coverage for OPD consultations:

You’re more likely to require doctor consultations for minor illnesses or injuries than emergency hospitalization during your stay abroad. This is why a global health insurance policy covers consultation costs for visits to the doctor’s office and other OPD-related charges as well in addition to covering emergency hospitalization expenses. This is because even doctor consultations abroad can be quite expensive.

Tips to Choose the Best Global Health Insurance

When traveling abroad, even for a short stay, it’s wise to purchase a global health insurance plan to keep yourself financially covered and stress-free during your visit. Here’s how you can choose a plan that best suits your financial needs during your international travel:

Always look for the maximum coverage of the policy. It should ideally be adequate to cover the cost for both emergencies as well as minor medical care needs that may arise during your stay.
Do check the premium-payment policy of the insurance company for the global health insurance cover – monthly, 3 months, 6 months, or annually. This would help you plan better keeping your travel duration in mind. Also check for the global health insurance cost before deciding to buy one.
Make sure to check for the policy’s waiting period, i.e., the waiting time before the purchased plan becomes effective for use. This would also help ensure that your travel plans are in line with your purchased health policy.
Always read the exclusions section carefully before buying the global health insurance policy. You would need to know these in case of emergency medical care needed during your foreign stay and save you from unnecessary embarrassment and financial stress when the need arises.