Seeking best travel insurance, that will cover costs of medical and dental expenses

icebergx

Hi all,
I spend a lot of time (50%) abroad working and, as I'm getting older (34) the likelihood that something could go wrong is dawning on me. Could someone please recommend a policy/provider who will offer good annual travel insurance, especially covering medical and dental expenses. Things like loss of baggage and cancellation are less important to me but risk of personal injury is a big concern.

To what extent to travel policies cover injury? For example, if I were to go snowbording and break my arm and tooth, what will the policy cover? Will all the corrective expenses be covered?

Thanks.

InsideInsurance

Excluding the excess, and "within reason" assuming you have winter sports cover etc, all expenses would be covered up to £5m or £10m to get you well enough and back to the UK.

Once in the UK your cover would end and treatment would have to continue, if necessary, under the NHS or any private medical care you hold separately.

On the basis that dentistry is rarely life threatening it again would only cover treatment necessary to get you fit to fly. Any implants, crowns etc you subsequently decide to get to do long term repair would have to be NHS or private once you're back.

icebergx

Thanks for the reply... So in that case, the medical insurance is "only" going to remedy serious injury, up to the point where I'm fit enough to travel home (by myself or at the cost of the insurance company)?

InsideInsurance

It'll cover any injury/ illness not just "serious". So if you got a kidney infection it'd cover the doctor and the antibiotics, if you had a deep cut it'd cover the doctor and the stitches, if you lost a limb then they'd cover the doctor and surgery etc to stablise you and then medivac you back to the UK where the treatment, occupational therapy, prosthetics etc would be dealt with under NHS/ your own private medical

If your fit to continue the holiday post treatment and fit to take a standard flight then you'd just catch your plane as expected.

If your fit to do normal travel but have missed the plane due to treatment they'd cover your flight back.

If your unfit for normal travel then they will look at options such as medivac but only once medical professionals are sure your fit enough to be moved away from operating rooms etc again it would be covered by insurance.

If you died whilst abroad your remains would be imported back by the insurance.

The caveat to the above is in EU where the insurance picks up what the host country doesnt offer to its own citizens.

bouncydog1

Normal travel insurance is unlikely to cover you whilst working abroad for 6 months of the year as most of them will have a limit on trip time.

In addition I think that you would need a policy that covers you whilst working abroad (although happy to be corrected as travel not my specialist area).

k12479

Do you work in the UK and sent abroad as part of that or is your work 'based' abroad?

icebergx

I'm based in the UK, but go abroad for 4-8 week stints, at a time.

k12479

Are you an employee? If so, your company may well/should have insurance for this kind of thing. Have you checked?

bouncydog1

In addition if the Company does have such a policy in place, it may be possible for you to purchase additional cover under the policy to elements of cover - e.g. some may provide medical expenses but the dental element is voluntary and you would pay for this part of it.

Suggest you contact your department HR specialist and ask them. If they don't know (which they should do if you are working overseas) then ask them to refer and find out!