Insurance claims, medical care and getting treated abroad

A meaningful proportion of travellers require medical attention during a trip, and the experience varies enormously depending on preparation.

Before you need it

The information worth having.

Your insurer's emergency assistance number, stored where you can reach it without a phone.

The policy number and the level of cover.

The local emergency number, which differs by country.

Whether any reciprocal healthcare arrangement applies between your country and the destination, and what it covers.

And, for anything beyond a short trip, the location of a hospital with capability appropriate to your circumstances.

The assistance line

The most under-used resource in travel insurance.

These operate continuously and do considerably more than process claims.

They will direct you to an appropriate facility, arrange payment guarantees so that you are not asked for money upfront, provide interpretation, coordinate with treating clinicians, and organise evacuation or repatriation where required.

Contacting them before obtaining treatment is generally required by the policy for anything substantial, and it is also practically the best first call.

Where to go

The options differ by country and by severity.

Pharmacies, which in many countries have broader scope than travellers expect, with pharmacists able to advise on and dispense for minor conditions that would require a doctor elsewhere.

This is frequently the fastest and cheapest route for minor problems.

Clinics and general practices, for non-urgent matters.

Private hospitals, which in many countries provide faster service and English-speaking staff at higher cost, and which insurers frequently direct travellers to.

Public hospitals, which vary enormously in quality and waiting times.

Emergency departments, for genuine emergencies.

Hotel reception and the consulate can both generally identify appropriate local facilities.

Payment

Where the practical difficulty is.

Many facilities require payment upfront or a guarantee before treating, particularly private ones.

Which is why contacting the insurer first matters — they can issue a guarantee of payment directly.

Where payment is made personally, keeping every document is essential: itemised bills, receipts, the medical report and any prescriptions.

Reimbursement requires them, and obtaining them retrospectively from abroad is difficult.

Communication

Practical measures.

A written summary of any existing condition and current medication, using generic drug names, ideally translated.

Translation applications work for basic communication and are unreliable for anything clinical.

Many private facilities in tourist areas have English-speaking staff; public facilities frequently do not.

Insurers can generally arrange interpretation.

Evacuation and repatriation

The provisions that justify insurance.

Medical evacuation from a remote area, or repatriation to your own country for treatment, can cost very large sums.

These decisions are made by the insurer's medical team in consultation with treating clinicians, and are based on whether adequate care is available locally.

Which means the traveller does not generally choose, and the process is managed rather than arranged individually.

Medication abroad

Several practical points.

Drug names differ between countries, which is why generic names matter.

Availability differs, and a medication routine at home may not be obtainable.

Some medications available over the counter in one country require prescription in another, and vice versa.

And counterfeit medication is a genuine problem in some markets, which argues for obtaining medication from established pharmacies rather than informal sellers.

After returning

Two things worth doing.

Submitting the claim within the policy deadline, with complete documentation.

And seeing your own clinician if you were treated abroad or became unwell, particularly after travel to areas with malaria or other endemic disease, since some conditions present after return and the travel history is essential information.

Any fever within a period after travel to a malaria area warrants urgent assessment and mention of the travel history.

Dental and routine care

Worth noting separately.

Dental problems are among the more common travel medical events and are generally excluded or limited under travel insurance, which typically covers emergency pain relief rather than treatment.

Which means a dental check before a long trip is worthwhile, since a problem that develops abroad is both painful and expensive.

Routine care — repeat prescriptions, ongoing treatment — is generally not covered by travel insurance at all, which is a specific consideration for extended trips.

General information about travel, not medical advice. Seek qualified medical attention for any health concern, and consult your insurer before obtaining non-emergency treatment abroad.