Stranded! The case for international travel and medical insurance
AUDIO ONLY VERSION
When churches and nonprofits pack their missionary trunk, they shouldn’t overlook this essential: international travel and medical insurance.
Churches and nonprofit organizations travel thousands of miles in pursuit of helping others. The cause could be medical, spiritual or educational. Or it could be for pilgrimages or international conferences.
“While many preparations are necessary for these mission trips, often a key component is not addressed: international travel and medical insurance.”
U.S.-based health insurance, whether private or public, ends when you leave the United States. That includes public health care options such as Medicaid and Medicare. Faith-based mission teams, volunteers and others who encounter a medical emergency will be left to their own resources. Unless … they have purchased international medical insurance. In this interview with Mark Rogers of IMG (International Medical Group), Ministry Pacific explores the role of travel and medical insurance for faith-based organizations.
International travel and medical insurance can be valuable for:
• Missionaries
• Short-term mission teams
• People attending conferences
• Religious pilgrims traveling abroad
• Parishioners visiting missionaries
• Students traveling abroad for education
• Traveling pastors
• Nonprofit volunteer and medical teams
International medical coverage can provide for:
• Emergency medical care
• Emergency medical evacuation
• Flights for relatives to be on site for a loved one receiving care
International travel insurance can help recover funds when:
• A trip is cancelled by the airline
• A flight is delayed, resulting in hardships
• Political unrest makes it prudent to leave the area
• You must cancel for personal reasons such as job loss, illness or family needs
Ministry Pacific Insurance Services is a broker for IMG travel and medical insurance. You can get quotes for coverage quickly and easily on our international travel and medical page.
What’s in the video?
Chronological interview highlights:
1:07 – The escalating importance of international travel and medical insurance for churches and nonprofit organizations.
1:40 – The impact of the Sept. 11, 2001 , terrorist attacks on air travel and travel insurance.
3:00 – The public’s awareness of the worldwide pandemic, natural disasters and geopolitical unrest resulted in a heightened interest in international travel and medical insurance.
5:00 – Duty of Care is a principle meaning that a trip organizer has a moral and legal responsibility to protect those traveling under its supervision. This applies to church and nonprofit mission and service trips. Failure to provide and demonstrate provision of medical and travel care can result not only in hardship, but in litigation. For all these reasons, it’s important either to provide international travel and medical insurance to trip participants or to require them to purchase it on their own.
8:00 – U.S.-based health insurance is not recognized outside of the United States. In order to be covered outside of the U.S., an international policy needs to be purchased. These policies can provide for emergency medical care, emergency medical evacuation and transportation back to the traveler’s home country.
10:22 – Without international medical insurance, travelers with a health crisis face difficult circumstances. Payment in many countries must be made before treatment is given. Medical evacuation flights can cost up to $50,000 out of pocket. In addition, negotiating with physicians and clinics in a foreign culture is stressful. For all of these reasons, it pays to have an international medical team on your side.
11:05 – Medicare is not recognized outside of the United States. People who rely on Medicare for their health care need to purchase international travel and medical insurance to cover them while traveling out of country.
12:00 – Many nonprofit and church teams travel to risky locations to help people in need. This can mean their health care risks are even greater. This is another reason international travel and medical insurance makes sense for faith-based and volunteer travelers.
12:50 – Case study: An American experienced head trauma in Argentina but received quality care because of his IMG medical policy.
17:20 – An American woman serving in Africa required an emergency appendectomy. Her international medical insurance provided for her flight to Nairobi, Kenya, and successful emergency surgery. Her mother was flown from Oklahoma to Kenya to be of support. This was also covered under the IMG travel and medical policy.
19:30 – Ministry Pacific Insurance Services is a broker of IMG travel and medical policies. Contact us for a quote and for coverage.
20:00 – Provider networks function differently with international medical coverage than they do domestically. There is no specific network and care can be obtained wherever it is feasible. IMG provides 24-hour emergency service to advise travelers where to get care and to apprise their medical needs.
24:00 – Coverage is provided in all nations except, for the time being, Ukraine and Russia. Coverage can be purchased up to the day before departing the United States.
26:00 – Coverage can be purchased by groups or as individuals.
27:30 – Travel insurance is different than medical insurance. Travel is specifically tied to flights and the ability to cancel or reschedule. For this reason, travel insurance is more expensive than medical insurance. International travel insurance can help church and nonprofit travelers recoup funds when a flight is canceled or delayed. A comprehensive “cancel for any reason” policy can also be purchased.
31:35 – Travel insurance can help an individual or group leave a country that has been subject to political unrest. The exception is countries that have been identified by the U.S. Department of State as Level 4 “Do Not Travel” countries.
33:22 – International medical coverage applies to COVID-19, SARS and other epidemics and outbreaks.
39:20 – International medical coverage is generally for emergencies and does not cover chronic conditions, preventative care and wellness.
