Singapore Expats

Do you need travel insurance if you have international health insurance with a medical evacuation/repatriation rider?

Discuss the different insurance options from car to health insurance.
Post Reply
hershey
Member
Member
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu, 08 May 2008 12:40 pm

Do you need travel insurance if you have international health insurance with a medical evacuation/repatriation rider?

Post by hershey » Sat, 10 Jul 2021 6:14 pm

I believe that travel insurance is important and would buy it, but I am wondering if one needs travel insurance if one already purchased a comprehensive international health insurance plan that includes outpatient, dental and medical evacuation/repatriation riders.

My understanding is if I get sick while traveling, even if I need to be evacuated to the nearest hospital by air ambulance, the international health insurance plan I describe already covers this. Adding travel insurance plan would cover not medical expenses, but thefts and lost baggage, and the costs of cancelling or rebooking flights or hotels. Unless you planned a major expensive trip, you might just decide to self insure for these, because medical costs are covered.

Is my understanding correct, or are there good reasons to generally buy travel insurance even if you have the kind of comprehensive international health insurance plan I described?

JWNYsg
Regular
Regular
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed, 04 Apr 2018 12:33 pm

Re: Do you need travel insurance if you have international health insurance with a medical evacuation/repatriation rider

Post by JWNYsg » Sat, 27 Nov 2021 11:39 pm

I would comment. No

Travel insurance is more essential only if you frequently travel (which has not been a breeze since Covid)

A good and comprehensive health insurance that covers you worldwide is much better at this stage

Lisafuller
Governor
Governor
Posts: 6211
Joined: Sat, 07 Nov 2020 11:45 pm
Answers: 3

Re: Do you need travel insurance if you have international health insurance with a medical evacuation/repatriation rider

Post by Lisafuller » Sun, 28 Nov 2021 4:27 am

You would only need to purchase an additional insurance plan if there are exclusions in your existing plan. From your description, the word comprehensive should give you the answer- if it really is comprehensive, you wouldn’t need any additional plans.

Lisafuller
Governor
Governor
Posts: 6211
Joined: Sat, 07 Nov 2020 11:45 pm
Answers: 3

Re: Do you need travel insurance if you have international health insurance with a medical evacuation/repatriation rider

Post by Lisafuller » Sun, 28 Nov 2021 4:28 am

JWNYsg wrote:
Sat, 27 Nov 2021 11:39 pm
I would comment. No

Travel insurance is more essential only if you frequently travel (which has not been a breeze since Covid)

A good and comprehensive health insurance that covers you worldwide is much better at this stage
True, at the point travel insurance is pretty much a useless expense.

User avatar
ProvenPracticalFlexible
Chatter
Chatter
Posts: 491
Joined: Thu, 13 Apr 2006 8:50 pm
Answers: 1
Location: East Coast

Re: Do you need travel insurance if you have international health insurance with a medical evacuation/repatriation rider

Post by ProvenPracticalFlexible » Tue, 28 Dec 2021 4:07 pm

Lisafuller wrote:
Sun, 28 Nov 2021 4:28 am
JWNYsg wrote:
Sat, 27 Nov 2021 11:39 pm
I would comment. No

Travel insurance is more essential only if you frequently travel (which has not been a breeze since Covid)

A good and comprehensive health insurance that covers you worldwide is much better at this stage
True, at the point travel insurance is pretty much a useless expense.
I would say the opposite. Good travel insurance that covers extra cost related to possible Covid rules and regulations is more important than ever before.

Health insurance would not cover new flight tickets or your housing while you wait to come negative if one in family gets omicron and can't board the VTL flight as planned.

JWNYsg
Regular
Regular
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed, 04 Apr 2018 12:33 pm

Re: Do you need travel insurance if you have international health insurance with a medical evacuation/repatriation rider

Post by JWNYsg » Tue, 28 Dec 2021 9:55 pm

ProvenPracticalFlexible wrote:
Tue, 28 Dec 2021 4:07 pm
Lisafuller wrote:
Sun, 28 Nov 2021 4:28 am
JWNYsg wrote:
Sat, 27 Nov 2021 11:39 pm
I would comment. No

Travel insurance is more essential only if you frequently travel (which has not been a breeze since Covid)

A good and comprehensive health insurance that covers you worldwide is much better at this stage
True, at the point travel insurance is pretty much a useless expense.
I would say the opposite. Good travel insurance that covers extra cost related to possible Covid rules and regulations is more important than ever before.

Health insurance would not cover new flight tickets or your housing while you wait to come negative if one in family gets omicron and can't board the VTL flight as planned.
However, a travel insurance usually works in the ambit of a travel insurance period. In current circumstances there is not much travel per se

So it depends which coverage trigger one is looking at.

PamelaTunstall
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue, 28 Dec 2021 10:17 pm

Re: Do you need travel insurance if you have international health insurance with a medical evacuation/repatriation rider

Post by PamelaTunstall » Tue, 28 Dec 2021 10:23 pm

ProvenPracticalFlexible wrote:
Tue, 28 Dec 2021 4:07 pm
Lisafuller wrote:
Sun, 28 Nov 2021 4:28 am
JWNYsg wrote:
Sat, 27 Nov 2021 11:39 pm
I would comment. No

Travel insurance is more essential only if you frequently travel (which has not been a breeze since Covid)

A good and comprehensive health insurance that covers you worldwide is much better at this stage
True, at the point travel insurance is pretty much a useless expense.
I would say the opposite. Good travel insurance that covers extra cost related to possible Covid rules and regulations is more important than ever before.

Health insurance would not cover new flight tickets or your housing while you wait to come negative if one in family gets omicron and can't board the VTL flight as planned.
You have to look, but I found insurance that covers part of the payment for housing and plane tickets if you suddenly have Covid. And in this world situation, this is very good.

User avatar
ProvenPracticalFlexible
Chatter
Chatter
Posts: 491
Joined: Thu, 13 Apr 2006 8:50 pm
Answers: 1
Location: East Coast

Re: Do you need travel insurance if you have international health insurance with a medical evacuation/repatriation rider

Post by ProvenPracticalFlexible » Wed, 29 Dec 2021 8:14 am

JWNYsg wrote:
Tue, 28 Dec 2021 9:55 pm
ProvenPracticalFlexible wrote:
Tue, 28 Dec 2021 4:07 pm
Lisafuller wrote:
Sun, 28 Nov 2021 4:28 am


True, at the point travel insurance is pretty much a useless expense.
I would say the opposite. Good travel insurance that covers extra cost related to possible Covid rules and regulations is more important than ever before.

Health insurance would not cover new flight tickets or your housing while you wait to come negative if one in family gets omicron and can't board the VTL flight as planned.
However, a travel insurance usually works in the ambit of a travel insurance period. In current circumstances there is not much travel per se

So it depends which coverage trigger one is looking at.
I'd would disagree on that too. I did travel in December and quite sure I will travel again more than once in in next 11 months what is the normal 1 year travel insurance coverage time. I never used those per trip or relied on credit cards so called free travel insurance packages.

Work travel is of course different and covered in different insurance/expense.

But yes of course if you don't have any flights booked and not planning to book any than you definitely don't need a travel insurance. But that's a bit different question. I don't need a car insurance as I don't own a car, but I'm not saying having a car insurance doesn't make sense if you have a car.

Lisafuller
Governor
Governor
Posts: 6211
Joined: Sat, 07 Nov 2020 11:45 pm
Answers: 3

Re: Do you need travel insurance if you have international health insurance with a medical evacuation/repatriation rider

Post by Lisafuller » Wed, 29 Dec 2021 11:22 pm

JWNYsg wrote:
Tue, 28 Dec 2021 9:55 pm
ProvenPracticalFlexible wrote:
Tue, 28 Dec 2021 4:07 pm
Lisafuller wrote:
Sun, 28 Nov 2021 4:28 am


True, at the point travel insurance is pretty much a useless expense.
I would say the opposite. Good travel insurance that covers extra cost related to possible Covid rules and regulations is more important than ever before.

Health insurance would not cover new flight tickets or your housing while you wait to come negative if one in family gets omicron and can't board the VTL flight as planned.
However, a travel insurance usually works in the ambit of a travel insurance period. In current circumstances there is not much travel per se

So it depends which coverage trigger one is looking at.
That’s what I thought as well. Good travel insurance is important, but only useful if one is actually traveling.

Lisafuller
Governor
Governor
Posts: 6211
Joined: Sat, 07 Nov 2020 11:45 pm
Answers: 3

Re: Do you need travel insurance if you have international health insurance with a medical evacuation/repatriation rider

Post by Lisafuller » Wed, 29 Dec 2021 11:23 pm

ProvenPracticalFlexible wrote:
Tue, 28 Dec 2021 4:07 pm
Lisafuller wrote:
Sun, 28 Nov 2021 4:28 am
JWNYsg wrote:
Sat, 27 Nov 2021 11:39 pm
I would comment. No

Travel insurance is more essential only if you frequently travel (which has not been a breeze since Covid)

A good and comprehensive health insurance that covers you worldwide is much better at this stage
True, at the point travel insurance is pretty much a useless expense.
I would say the opposite. Good travel insurance that covers extra cost related to possible Covid rules and regulations is more important than ever before.

Health insurance would not cover new flight tickets or your housing while you wait to come negative if one in family gets omicron and can't board the VTL flight as planned.
My point was not to discredit the importance of comprehensive travel insurance, but rather that it is only useful and therefore important if one is traveling, which judging by the current COVID situation is unlikely.

Lisafuller
Governor
Governor
Posts: 6211
Joined: Sat, 07 Nov 2020 11:45 pm
Answers: 3

Re: Do you need travel insurance if you have international health insurance with a medical evacuation/repatriation rider

Post by Lisafuller » Wed, 29 Dec 2021 11:24 pm

ProvenPracticalFlexible wrote:
Wed, 29 Dec 2021 8:14 am
JWNYsg wrote:
Tue, 28 Dec 2021 9:55 pm
ProvenPracticalFlexible wrote:
Tue, 28 Dec 2021 4:07 pm


I would say the opposite. Good travel insurance that covers extra cost related to possible Covid rules and regulations is more important than ever before.

Health insurance would not cover new flight tickets or your housing while you wait to come negative if one in family gets omicron and can't board the VTL flight as planned.
However, a travel insurance usually works in the ambit of a travel insurance period. In current circumstances there is not much travel per se

So it depends which coverage trigger one is looking at.
I'd would disagree on that too. I did travel in December and quite sure I will travel again more than once in in next 11 months what is the normal 1 year travel insurance coverage time. I never used those per trip or relied on credit cards so called free travel insurance packages.

Work travel is of course different and covered in different insurance/expense.

But yes of course if you don't have any flights booked and not planning to book any than you definitely don't need a travel insurance. But that's a bit different question. I don't need a car insurance as I don't own a car, but I'm not saying having a car insurance doesn't make sense if you have a car.
Completely agree with the last paragraph, I believe that encapsulates my stance.

Post Reply
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to “Insurance”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 19 guests