International travel medical, trip protection, and coverage for visitors to the United States. Real benefit limits, live pricing, and a broker who answers the phone.
Most people assume their medical coverage travels with them. It usually does not. Medicare does not cover care received outside the United States in almost all cases, and most domestic plans exclude international claims or pay only a limited emergency benefit. Meanwhile a single hospital stay abroad can run into the tens of thousands, and a medical evacuation home can cost more than a new car.
Travel insurance closes that gap. There are two jobs to be done, and they are not the same product: travel medical coverage pays for getting sick or hurt while you are away, and trip protection pays you back when the trip itself falls apart. Most travelers who want peace of mind end up with both.
Doctor visits, hospital stays, surgery, prescriptions, and urgent care abroad, paid up to the plan maximum instead of out of your pocket.
Air ambulance and transport to the nearest qualified facility, plus repatriation. Limits run up to $1,000,000, and up to the full policy maximum on Patriot Platinum.
Get your prepaid, non-refundable trip costs back if illness, weather, or another covered reason forces you to cancel.
Coverage up to 150% of trip cost if you have to come home early, plus reimbursement for delays that force extra hotel and meal costs.
Reimbursement when luggage, a phone, a camera, or travel documents are lost, stolen, or damaged along the way.
Coverage for non-U.S. residents traveling to the United States, including parents and family visiting from overseas.
Travel medical insurance is health coverage for the time you are abroad. It pays medical bills, evacuation, and related emergency services, and it is what people traveling outside the country actually need. The Patriot series is the workhorse here, with plans for travelers going overseas, for visitors coming into the United States, for students, and for crews and groups.
Trip protection insurance protects the money you have already spent. It refunds prepaid trip costs when you cancel or interrupt for a covered reason, and it usually bundles in some medical, baggage, and delay benefits. The iTravelInsured series covers this side, from an economical Choice plan up to Travel LX for remote and exotic destinations.
If you are spending real money on the trip and going somewhere with limited medical care nearby, you want both.
Live pricing and online applications are available on every plan below. Your quotes come from IMG, one of the largest international travel insurers in the country, and I am your contact for questions, claims help, and renewals.
Short-term travel medical insurance for non-U.S. individuals, families, and groups staying in the United States.
The highest benefit level in the Patriot series for travelers who want the widest coverage available.
Straightforward travel medical coverage for individuals, families, and groups, from five days up to two years.
Trip cancellation and interruption protection paired with strong medical benefits, for international trips up to 180 days.
The top tier for remote and exotic destinations where medical care and evacuation are hardest to arrange.
Well rounded coverage at an economical price for domestic and international vacations, weekend getaways, and cruises.
Travel medical insurance designed specifically for older travelers, available as Single-Trip or Multi-Trip.
Long-term medical coverage for international students and scholars in a sponsored study abroad program, one month up to five years.
Annually renewable major medical coverage for people living or working abroad long term.
Annual multi-trip travel medical insurance for travelers who take several trips a year instead of one big one.
When you book a flight, you are usually offered one travel insurance product at checkout. That plan is fine, and it is the most common way people buy coverage. It is also usually the thinnest medical coverage in the market, because it is built for trip cancellation first and medical second.
Here is the comparison that matters, using published benefit limits from the carriers:
| Benefit | Typical checkout upgrade (Allianz OneTrip Prime) |
Travel protection (IMG iTravelInsured SE) |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency medical | Up to $50,000 | Up to $250,000, primary |
| Emergency medical transportation | Up to $500,000 | Up to $500,000 per person |
| Trip cancellation | Up to $100,000 | Up to 100% of trip cost |
| Trip interruption | Up to $150,000 | Up to 150% of trip cost |
| Travel delay | $800 | $2,000 ($125 per day) |
| Baggage loss or damage | $1,000 | $1,500 ($250 per item) |
| Telehealth for non-emergency care | Not included | Included |
Benefit limits as published by each carrier on their own plan pages and comparison charts in 2026. Coverage varies by plan and by state, and sublimits apply. Compare the actual policy documents before you buy. We will send them to you.
The one thing to remember: medical limits are where travel plans differ most, and medical is the risk that can actually ruin you financially. A $50,000 limit is consumed by a few days in a foreign hospital. If you are going anywhere with expensive or limited medical care, buy the higher limit.
Europe, Asia, Latin America, cruises, and long-haul trips where your domestic plan will not follow you.
Parents and relatives visiting the United States from overseas, who have no U.S. health coverage at all.
Study abroad, exchange programs, and J-1 or J-2 visa requirements that specify minimum medical coverage.
Frequent international travel, with annual multi-trip plans that cover every departure under one policy.
People living or working abroad long term who need annually renewable major medical coverage.
Mission organizations, professional marine crews, and employer-sponsored groups traveling or working overseas.
You can buy travel insurance in ten minutes online, and you are welcome to use the quote links on this page to do exactly that. What I add is the part that matters when something goes wrong.
Independent broker with 30+ carriers for life and health. For travel, I will walk the IMG options with you and tell you honestly when a smaller plan is enough.
Travel problems do not respect business hours. You get my direct line for claims questions, evacuations, and renewals, on top of IMG's 24/7 assistance desk.
These are direct IMG quote and application links. You see live pricing and buy straight from the insurer, with no markup and no middleman fee.
Destination, dates, travelers, ages, and whether you want medical only or trip protection too. A short conversation is usually enough.
I pull real quotes for your actual dates and travelers, then explain the differences in limits so the choice is obvious.
You apply online and get your ID card and certificate by email, often within minutes. Save my number for the trip.
The questions I get asked most about travel insurance.
Probably yes, and this is the part most people miss. Medicare does not cover care received outside the United States in almost all cases, and most domestic health plans either exclude international claims or only pay limited emergency benefits. A travel medical plan fills that gap for accidents, illness, and emergency evacuation while you are away.
The best time is within 14 to 21 days of your first trip deposit. Buying early does two things: it activates the pre-existing condition waiver on the plans that offer it, and it locks in Cancel For Any Reason coverage if you want it. Some coverage types, including Cancel For Any Reason, can only be purchased before your trip starts.
Coverage for the acute onset of a pre-existing condition is built into most Patriot travel medical plans, and a full pre-existing condition waiver is available on several plans when you buy within the required window. Acute onset means a sudden, unexpected flare-up that requires immediate treatment, not routine or ongoing care for a known condition.
Evacuation pays to move you to the nearest qualified hospital, or home, when local care is not adequate. A single air ambulance can run from $20,000 to $200,000 depending on where you are. Patriot plans carry evacuation benefits up to $1,000,000, and on Platinum plans up to the full policy maximum.
Yes. Patriot America and Patriot America Plus are built for non-U.S. residents visiting the United States, with maximum limits from $10,000 up to $1,000,000, coverage for the acute onset of pre-existing conditions, and renewability up to 24 months. These are the plans families in the U.S. commonly buy for parents visiting from overseas.
Schengen countries require proof of travel medical insurance with a minimum of 30,000 euros in medical coverage, including emergency medical evacuation and repatriation, valid for the whole stay. Travel medical plans that meet the Schengen requirements are issued with the visa letter you need.
Cruises concentrate your prepaid, non-refundable costs up front, and a medical emergency at sea is expensive because treatment and evacuation happen far from your network. Trip protection plans cover cancellation and interruption up to 100% and 150% of trip cost, and travel medical plans handle the onboard and ports-of-call medical side.
Yes on both counts, with limits. GlobeHopper Senior is designed specifically for travelers age 65 and older with deductibles from $0 to $2,500 and maximum limits from $50,000 to $1,000,000. Travel medical coverage cannot be backdated, though, so call us as soon as you know you are traveling.
It depends on your age, trip length, destination, and the maximum limit you choose. Travel medical plans are typically priced per day of coverage and are often a modest addition to the cost of the trip. Travel protection plans are priced as a percentage of your prepaid trip cost. We will pull live pricing for your actual dates and travelers rather than quote from a chart.
Every IMG plan includes 24/7 multilingual assistance staffed by nurses, doctors, and case managers who handle emergencies, evacuations, and provider referrals. You also have my direct line. If you are filing a claim or need help reaching the right desk, call me at 214-272-2769 and I will get you to the right person.