NEVER assume your health plan provides coverage when you travel internationally.

Understand your risks. Not sure? Read the FAQs below!

Affordable coverage from around $5 per day!

  • $1,000,000 Emergency Medical Evacuation
  • $150,000 International Medical Health coverage
  • Trip cancellation, delay and interruption
  • COVID-19 health and quarantine coverage
  • Underwritten by Nationwide®
GET A QUOTE FAQS PLAN DETAILS

Affordable Peace of Mind for the International Traveler from $5 per day

The world of travel insurance can be confusing. Too many choices with plans that offer inadequate coverage for health and safety emergencies or are simply too complex or expensive.

At TravelCare, we've done the work for you. You can buy with the confidence that comes from TravelCare's over 20 years of experience in travel medicine and our relationship with one of the most trusted brands in insurance, Nationwide®. By combining the strength of TravelCare's experience with Nationwide's financial strength, together we offer unparalleled peace of mind for the International traveler.

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Nationwide and the Nationwide N and Eagle are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions (16)

All you need to know to understand why you should never leave the U.S. without a TravelCare protection plan.

WHY DO I NEED A TRAVELCARE® PROTECTION PLAN?
  • Many U.S. health plans do not provide adequate – if any – coverage overseas.
  • U.S. health plans generally do not cover emergency evacuations, which can cost you up to $200,000 or more, depending upon your circumstance and location.
  • Medicare does not provide coverage for hospital or medical costs outside the United States (except in rare emergency circumstances on our borders with Canada and Mexico) or emergency evacuations.
DOES TRAVELCARE COVER COVID-19 MEDICAL EXPENSES?

Yes. If medical treatment or evacuation is necessary for an insured with COVID-19 during their trip, the plan covers related expenses. Make sure to purchase both the TravelCare evacuation plan and the optional medical plan to cover both evacuation and medical expenses.

DO FOREIGN HOSPITALS REALLY REFUSE TO ADMIT PATIENTS IF THEY DON'T HAVE CASH OR A PLAN THAT WILL GUARANTEE IN ADVANCE TO PAY?
Unfortunately, that situation is not uncommon. Here in the U.S., where most our healthcare is financed by private insurance, people can receive medical treatment and admission to a hospital by presenting their health plan ID card. In other countries, where healthcare is generally provided under state-financed or state-provided health systems, that is not the case. Their financial infrastructure is not set up to provide care and then send a bill to a third-party to pay the costs after-the-fact. That is why it is common for foreign hospitals to require an up-front payment – often ten thousand dollars or more – or a "guarantee of payment" from a travel insurance provider they are familiar with, like Nationwide. You do not want treatment delayed or denied because you are having difficulty quickly coming up with the cash or sufficient credit balances on your credit cards.
WON'T MY REGULAR HEALTH PLAN COVER ME OUTSIDE THE U.S.?

It is highly unlikely that your regular medical plan will:

  • know the best place to get treatment in your foreign location;
  • pay a hospital in advance if necessary to assure your admission or treatment;
  • immediately speak with your treating doctor in his/her language to assess your condition, your treatment plans, and their ability to provide appropriate care;
  • pay tens (or even hundreds) of thousands of dollars to evacuate you to a higher level of care if you cannot receive adequate care where you are;
  • accept medical records in a foreign language or pay claims in foreign currencies;
  • be available 24/7 to receive calls to assist you and advocate for you in any language.

Most people need emergency travel assistance and evacuation services, and Travel Medical insurance, to get proper protection – even if they have great health coverage here in the U.S.

I HAVE MEDICARE. DOES MEDICARE COVER ME WHEN I AM OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY?
Medicare does not cover medical expenses incurred while traveling abroad except in rare circumstances. (Medicare may cover you if you're in the U.S., but the closest hospital is across the border, or if you have a medical emergency while traveling through Canada between Alaska and another state).
I HAVE A MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT IN ADDITION TO MEDICARE, DOES THAT COVER ME WHEN I AM OUTSIDE THE U.S.?
Only some Medicare Supplement plans cover emergency health care provided in a foreign country. For those that do, the coverage: (1) is limited to 80% of $50,000 after you pay either a $250 or $2,000 deductible, (2) does not apply for emergencies after you have been on a trip for 60 or more days, and (3) does not provide any coverage at all for emergency medical evacuations.
CAN THE U.S. GOVERNMENT ASSIST ME IF I BECOME DISABLED OVERSEAS?
The government does not take financial responsibility to cover the costs of Americans that become ill or that are seriously injured abroad. While a consular officer can assist in the transfer of funds from the United States, payment of emergency services including evacuation, repatriation, hospitalization and other expenses is the responsibility of the traveler.
WHY DID TRAVELCARE SELECT NATIONWIDE MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY ("NATIONWIDE®") AS ITS PREFERRED INSURANCE CARRIER?
Before selecting Nationwide as our preferred carrier, we considered most of the top U.S. providers of international travel medical insurance. We feel Nationwide offers the best combination of broad benefits, affordable rates, financial strength and high-quality customer service. People know and trust the Nationwide brand.
WHY DID TRAVELCARE SELECT UNITED HEALTHCARE GLOBAL ("UHG") AS ITS PREFERRED ASSISTANCE PROVIDER?
We selected United Healthcare Global as our preferred travel assistance provider as they are a worldwide leader in their field and provide services to many of the U.S. leading multinational and global companies. We feel UHG offers the best combination of financial strength, operational excellence and medical and security expertise to manage any situation that a traveler may experience while in a foreign country. People know and trust the United Healthcare brand.
TELL ME MORE ABOUT TRAVELCARE'S PROVIDERS?

United Healthcare Global is a global medical, safety and security travel assistance company that delivers:

  • a fully integrated solution focused on prevention, intervention and response
  • a world-class, worldwide assistance infrastructure
  • first-world standards of primary and emergency medical care in remote and hazardous locations
  • a strengthened global network of practicing medical specialists and resources
  • robust medical, safety and security protocols
  • emergency medical and security evacuation and crisis response capabilities
  • extensive travel intelligence, insurance and protection services
  • specialized technical and operational health and safety expertise

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor's. The company provides customers a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto insurance, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, pet, life insurance, farm, commercial insurance, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, public and private sector retirement plans, long-term savings plans and specialty health services.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE ASSISTANCE COMPANY AND HOW DO THEY HELP ME?
The assistance company is a 24/7 multilingual service available to assist you when you are traveling internationality. They have the expertise and resources to help you when you are faced with travel, medical, legal, personal security and other emergencies or concerns when traveling internationally, regardless of the severity. You simply call a toll-free phone number from within the country (or you can call them collect from anywhere in the world), and they will assist you.
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE EVENT I NEED TO BE HOSPITALIZED?
It is important that the assistance company is notified as soon as possible. They will monitor your care and work through the complex details of foreign hospitalizations. They will immediately speak with your treating doctor to assess your condition, your treatment plans, and whether or not an evacuation is necessary. They will update your family, employer and personal physician as appropriate. In addition, they will coordinate all insurance verifications and admission details.
HOW DOES THE ASSISTANCE COMPANY HELP ME GET ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL?
The assistance company can direct you to the hospital in your locale that is most capable in getting you treatment. If you elected to purchase the TravelCare Travel Medical Insurance, they will coordinate all Nationwide insurance verifications and billing, including making advance payment arrangements with the hospital, like issuing a "guarantee of payment" on behalf of Nationwide. This ensures that there is no delay or denial of medical treatment because you are unable to make the up-front payment or because your regular insurance is not recognized. The assistance company will settle any guarantees of payment with the hospital on Nationwide's behalf.
WHAT IF THE LOCAL HOSPITALS ARE NOT CAPABLE OF PROVIDING TREATMENT?
The assistance company has expertise in knowing the capabilities of international hospitals and clinics. That information, in conjunction with their assessment of the treating physician's diagnosis and treatment plans, will enable the assistance company's physicians to make an evaluation of whether the local hospital is capable of providing you the treatment you need. If the assistance company's doctors are of the opinion that you cannot receive appropriate care there, they will make arrangements to have you evacuated to either: (1) the nearest hospital where adequate treatment can be obtained or (2) to a hospital of your choice near your home in the U.S. to obtain further treatment or recover (or both). The assistance company will consult with all parties involved and fully manage all logistics of the evacuation.
WHAT IF I HAVE A SECURITY PROBLEM?
In the event of a security situation, you can call the assistance company for help at any time. Additionally, if the situation is deemed to require Non-medical Emergency Evacuation, you are covered up to $100,000.
WHAT IF I HAVE A GENERAL TRAVEL RELATED PROBLEM?
You can call the assistance company for help at any time. They will assist you with lost or stolen passports, legal referrals, translation services, emergency transfers of funds and a variety of other travel related issues.

Questions About the Plan (11)

See below for answers to the most commonly asked TravelCare plan questions. For claims or more information, call (866) 223-2835. (M-F 8:30AM to 5:00PM EST)

WHY TRAVELCARE®?

For over twenty years, major Corporations, Hospitals, University Health Centers, Government Agencies and Travel Clinics have relied on TravelCare's travel medicine software and content to counsel their patients and to ensure their wellbeing when traveling internationally. Over the years, hundreds of thousands of travelers have been helped by the expertise of TravelCare and our travel medical professional customers.

As a natural extension of our health and safety expertise, it became increasingly apparent that we also needed to make it easier for the medical community to convey the importance of securing Emergency Evacuation services and Travel Medical Insurance to ensure that our travelers are not left:

  1. stranded without access to appropriate resources in the event of a medical or security emergency, or
  2. unable to secure medical treatment or admission to a hospital because their primary insurance at home does not provide adequate coverage or services when overseas
CAN YOU GIVE ME A SUMMARY OF THE COVERAGES?

Sure, in plain English, here's a summary of what TravelCare plans cover:

If you need to be evacuated for emergency medical reasons, the Emergency Assistance Services will make all the arrangements and cover the costs of transporting you with appropriate medical supervision to the nearest appropriate medical facility and/or taking you home. Costs for air ambulance services can run over $200,000 depending upon your location and circumstance.

In addition, if you need to be evacuated for political or emergency security reasons, the Emergency Assistance Services will make all the arrangements and cover the costs up to $100,000 to transport you in a secure fashion to the nearest safe place, and when conditions allow, then return you back to your point of origin or take you home.

There are also a variety of additional services included and available 24/7 that help you with the kind of problems international travelers often experience. Click here for Complete Emergency Assistance Service details.

When you purchase the optional Travel Medical Insurance, it will make advance payment arrangements to get you into the best foreign hospital in your locale (generally foreign facilities will not agree to provide care, then bill your insurance at home), and then pay your foreign hospital and medical expenses directly, up to $150,000. They deal with the medical records in foreign languages, the foreign currencies, etc., and you have no deductibles or co-pays. Click here for Complete Travel Medical Insurance details including plan maximums based on your age at time of purchase.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO PURCHASE THE PLAN?
U.S. residents traveling outside of the U.S.
WHAT METHODS OF PAYMENT ARE ACCEPTED?
Coverage may be purchased with VISA, MasterCard or American Express.
WHAT ARE THE MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM TRIP LENGTHS COVERED?
A trip can be as short as 1 day or as long as 90 days; however the minimum premium equals 7 days of coverage.
THE TRAVEL MEDICAL INSURANCE IS "EXCESS COVERAGE". WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
Nationwide will pay your providers directly for your covered expenses, or will reimburse you for covered expenses if you paid the providers directly. If Nationwide then determines the benefits paid under their plan are eligible benefits under any other benefit plan, they may seek to recover expenses from the other plan to the extent the other plan would have covered as well. Any recoveries Nationwide makes helps to keep the cost of their coverage down.
WHEN DOES COVERAGE UNDER TRAVELCARE PLANS BECOME EFFECTIVE?
The Effective date is 12:01 A.M. local time, at Your location, on the day after the required premium for such coverage is received by the Company or its authorized representative.
WHEN DOES COVERAGE UNDER THE TRAVELCARE PLANS END?
Your coverage will end at 11:59 P.M. local time on the date that is the earliest of the following: (a) upon Your return to Your Home Country; (b) when Your Trip exceeds ninety (90) days.
DO THE TRAVELCARE PROTECTION PLANS HAVE ANY DEDUCTIBLES OR COPAYMENTS?
No. Both the Emergency Evacuation and Assistance plan and Travel Medical Insurance plan will pay 100% of the reasonable and customary charges for the expenses they cover up to the plans' maximums.
DOES THE EMERGENCY EVACUATION AND ASSISTANCE PLAN HAVE EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS?

Yes. Please click here for a complete listing of the Emergency Evacuation Service exclusions and limitations, and all other terms and conditions of the coverage. You can also call TravelCare's insurance plan administrator, at (800) 753 1000 option 6 - Monday to Friday between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm Eastern Time.

DOES THE TRAVEL MEDICAL INSURANCE PLAN HAVE EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS?

Yes. Please click here for a complete listing of the Travel Medical Insurance exclusions and limitations, and all other terms and conditions of the coverage. You can also call TravelCare's insurance plan administrator, at (866) 223-2835 option 4. (M-F 8:30AM to 5:00PM EST)

Plan Details

Underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, Columbus, Ohio; In WA coverage is underwritten by Nationwide Life Insurance Company, Columbus, Ohio and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, Columbus, Ohio.

EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLAN - Schedule of Benefits (purchased first)

see full plan details

COVERAGES MAXIMUM BENEFIT PER PERSON PER TRIP
Emergency Medical Evacuation $1,000,000
Hospital Companion $1,500
Return Unattended Vehicle $1,000
Repatriation of Remains $1,000,000
Non-Medical Emergency Transportation (Security) $100,000
UPGRADE PLAN - Schedule of Benefits (added as upgrade to Emergency Evacuation Plan)

see full plan details

COVERAGES MAXIMUM BENEFIT PER PERSON PER TRIP
Emergency Accident and Sickness Medical Expense $150,000
Trip Interruption $5,000
Trip Cancellation $2,500
Trip Delay $3,000 ($200 per day)
Accidental Death & Dismemberment - Common Carrier (Air Only) - Principal Sum $25,000
Dental Expenses $750
Baggage/Personal Effects $500 (per article $250)