Is Government-Sponsored COVID Insurance Enough?

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, some countries still have mandates in place that require visitors to purchase travel health insurance covering COVID-19 directly through one of their government agencies. 

The reason for this is understandable. These countries want to remain open for tourism, yet don’t want to be stuck subsidizing healthcare for tourists needing COVID treatment who may leave the country without paying their medical bills, as many of them arrive without COVID insurance for travel. These mandates ensure that all visitors pay for a minimum amount of medical coverage in case they need treatment or quarantine due to COVID-19. 

Why Purchase Your Own Insurance if You’re Already Buying it from the Government?

If you’re traveling to a country that requires you to purchase travel insurance from the government, you might think it’s all the coverage you’ll need. However, this could be a costly mistake. There are several reasons why you should always purchase your own travel medical insurance policy in addition to government-mandated COVID insurance. Let’s explore those reasons.

Higher Policy Maximums

While these government-mandated insurance policies do offer some level of coverage, the policy maximum often isn’t very high. For instance, government-sponsored insurance may only provide $25,000 or $50,000 of coverage. That might seem like a lot, but it could get used up quickly if you require long-term treatment, or emergency medical evacuation. If your medical costs go beyond this policy maximum, you could be stuck paying all the remaining costs yourself. 

While asking: "Does insurance cover COVID hospitalization?" is important, it's also important to understand how much is covered. 

In contrast, a comprehensive travel medical insurance plan can offer a far higher policy maximum, and a much greater scope of coverage. This means you can be protected from massive out-of-pocket medical expenses, even if you require intensive treatment or evacuation.

Coverage for More than COVID

Government-sponsored insurance plans were put in place as a response to COVID-19, and that’s all they’re designed to cover. But what happens if you break your leg? What if you get a serious case of food poisoning, dengue, or influenza? You may not be able to depend on the government plan to provide coverage in these situations. That means the cost of treatment would be solely your responsibility.

Remember, people were buying travel medical insurance long before COVID-19, and for good reason. Accidents and illnesses happen when we’re on vacation, sometimes at greater rates than when we’re at home. It only makes sense to have a travel medical insurance policy that can provide coverage for any eligible medical condition that occurs after the effective date of the policy. 

Extendable Coverage

The majority of government-sponsored COVID insurance plans only cover you up to a certain number of days; usually no more than two or three weeks. However, travel plans can change. You may decide to extend your stay, or end up testing positive for COVID and be required to quarantine abroad. In either case, if your stay takes you beyond the government travel insurance time limit, you could be left without coverage, and at risk of significant expenses.

On the other hand, many travel medical insurance plans are extendable, meaning you can adjust your coverage dates if your trip runs longer than you’d originally anticipated. Different plans have different rules about extending coverage, and not all are extendable. You are encouraged to read their policy documents carefully before making a purchase.

Much Broader Benefits

In addition to inpatient and outpatient medical coverage for any new eligible medical condition that occurs after the effective date of the policy, travel medical insurance plans can offer a host of other useful benefits. Depending on the plan, these benefits can include telemedicine, coverage for acute, unexpected dental pain, return of mortal remains, and even optional hazardous sports coverage, if applicable. None of these are benefits you can be sure you’ll receive with a government-sponsored COVID insurance plan.

In the end, we all have different priorities and concerns. Therefore, it makes much more sense to get travel medical insurance tailored to your specific needs, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all plan you’re required to buy from a government that only covers one illness.

So, do your research, and find the plan that offers the right coverage for you. This way, you’ll have the confidence of knowing you can be covered, regardless of what may happen during your trip.