What is an Overseas Mediclaim Policy?

What is overseas mediclaim policy? It is a health insurance cover that you get when you travel to a foreign country. You can avail this insurance cover when you travel for business or for pleasure. You can also get it for an extended period of time if you are going abroad to work or study. Take a look at this article to know exactly what is overseas mediclaim policy and what benefits it offers.

What is overseas mediclaim policy?

So what exactly is an overseas health insurance cover? As the name suggests, it is medical insurance that covers you when you travel abroad. There are two ways in which you can avail this cover. The first option is to buy an exclusive overseas health plan. The second option is to buy an international travel insurance plan, which, along with travel insurance benefits, also offers a health insurance cover. A third option available would be extended coverage under your existing health insurance plan. Some insurance providers offer an overseas health cover in their regular health plans. Check with your insurance provider to see if such a cover is available and what the guidelines and limitations are.

Getting an overseas health insurance plan

Many insurance companies offer specific health insurance plans for overseas travellers. If you are leaving the country, you must definitely consider getting such a cover. This is because the health care costs in some countries, especially the developed western countries such as the US or Canada, are extremely high. If you get sick while on their shores, your entire savings can get wiped away in just one go. To prevent this, you should consider getting an overseas health insurance plan.

Covers available under an overseas health insurance plan

Here are the covers you get under an overseas health insurance plan:

1. Medical emergencies
2. Emergency allowance of cash
3. Medical evacuation
4. Personal accident
5. Dental emergencies
6. Repatriation expenses (if applicable)

These are the important covers you get when you buy an overseas mediclaim policy. As you can see, any of the above events can happen when you travel and you may need financial assistance to cope with them. Buying an overseas health plan proves to be helpful as well as economical as you get to deal with the issues without having to worry about losing your hard-earned money.

Buying an international travel insurance plan

An international travel insurance policy is a very handy form of insurance. It is a plan that covers all aspects of your travel, including your health. Every travel plan has a health insurance component. All of the covers mentioned above are also available under the medical covers of an international travel insurance policy. In addition, you also get the following benefits:

1. Cover for flight delays
2. Cover for flight cancellations, trip cancellations, rescheduling of trips
3. Cover for hotel reservation changes
4. Cover for unplanned extra days of stay due to riots, etc
5. Cover for loss of passport

These are some of the most valuable covers an international health plan offers, in addition to the excellent overseas health cover. Buying a travel plan thus proves to be wiser and more economical as well.

Getting insurance before you travel

You know what is overseas mediclaim policy but do you understand why it is so important? Here are some reasons for you to get a good cover before you leave India:

1. To stay fit – Even if you do fall ill in a foreign land, you can quickly seek treatment and get back on your feet if you have the insurance cover to help you out. Without the insurance cover, you may not be able to get the required treatment.
2. To keep your money safe – As mentioned above, getting medical care without insurance abroad can drain out your savings in just one go. To prevent any such thing from happening, get a travel insurance plan or health insurance plan before you board the aircraft and keep your money safe.
3. To get a visa – You also need travel insurance or overseas health cover to get a visa. Some countries such as the US and UK do not issue visas unless the applicant has a valid and sufficient insurance cover.
4. To stay legally protected – Can you imagine the trouble you will get into if you lose your passport and visa while standing on foreign soil? But if you have an insurance cover, you will get prompt assistance and that will help you to stay out of legal trouble.

These are the reasons why everyone needs a good insurance cover before they travel abroad.

Summary

Troubles often come unannounced and you do not know what troubles can strike you when you travel to a new country. You can definitely stay prepared for all challenges by simply buying a good overseas mediclaim policy or a travel insurance plan that has a medical insurance cover in it.