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What is important to know before purchasing travel health insurance?
What is important to know before purchasing travel health insurance?
Pedro avatar
Written by Pedro
Updated over a week ago

Travel health insurance, as Genki Explorer is suitable for frequent travelers like digital nomads, but it's important to know about the limitations and benefits of travel health insurance before purchasing.

You should know the following key factors:

  1. Coverage Limits: Understand what medical expenses are covered, including hospitalization, emergency care, doctor visits, medications, and medical evacuation. Genki Explorer covers both outpatient and inpatient medical costs, including repatriation to your home country without a maximum coverage limit. Prescribed medication, tests, examinations, medical aids and materials are also included.

  2. Pre-existing Conditions: Some insurance plans may exclude coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. Genki Explorer does not cover pre-existing conditions from the past 6 months. Important to know also is that, like any health insurance, it won't be possible to purchase insurance to cover an ongoing treatment or a treatment that you need coverage for before purchasing the insurance. You should always purchase health insurance before starting your travels so you can be covered for any emergency that happens after. If you wait to be sick or get into an accident before purchasing insurance, you need to know that no travel health insurance will cover treatments for emergencies that happen when you're not yet insured.

  3. Travel Destination: Different regions may have varying healthcare costs and quality. Ensure that the insurance provides coverage in the countries you plan to visit. Genki Explorer offers worldwide coverage, meaning, all countries are covered without exception. Take note that home country coverage is limit to 6 weeks per 180 consecutive days for accidents and life-threatening emergencies only.

  4. Duration of Coverage: Determine how long the insurance coverage lasts and if it aligns with the duration of your trip. Some plans may have limits on the length of coverage per trip or year. Genki Explorer offers a maximum coverage of 2 years, and you don't need to specify your travel duration during sign-up. You can cancel at any time after one month without any extra fees.

  5. Emergency Assistance Services: Check if the insurance includes 24/7 emergency assistance services, such as a helpline for medical emergencies, coordination of medical care, and medical evacuation if necessary. Genki Explorer offers a 24/7 emergency hotline that will cover inpatient (hospitalization) expenses by direct billing with any hospital in the world.

  6. Policy Exclusions: Review the policy exclusions carefully to understand what circumstances and treatments are not covered by the insurance. Learn more about the restrictions and exclusions in this article: What is covered (and not covered) by Genki Explorer?

  7. Repatriation Coverage: You can request a medical repatriation back to your home country if the duration of the treatment justifies the request, and if the responsible doctor clears you as fit-to-fly. However, you must know that your insurance is terminated as soon as you arrive back in your home country. This means any follow-up treatments once you've returned to your home country should be covered by a local insurance or national health system. You decide if you want to request the repatriation back to your home country, it’s completely your choice. You can keep receiving the initial treatment in the country where the accident or emergency happens until you're able to return to your travels, and you can resume any possible follow-up treatments in different countries with the prior knowledge of the insurer.

  8. Adventure Activities Coverage: If you plan to engage in adventure sports or activities, ensure that the insurance covers any potential injuries related to these activities. Genki Explorer offers coverage for almost all sports and activities, but there is a list of 8 extreme sports that are not covered.

  9. Policy Cost: Compare the cost of different insurance plans while considering the coverage provided. Cheaper plans may offer less coverage or have higher deductibles.

  10. Claim Process: Understand the procedures for filing a claim, including documentation requirements and claim processing times. With Genki Explorer, you can submit a claim through an online claim form in the Member Center the documents must include information about the diagnosis, treatment, period of treatment, and cost. Find more information here: I'm feeling sick. How can I use my insurance?

  11. Provider Network: Some insurance plans may have a network of healthcare providers where you can receive discounted rates or direct billing. With Genki Explorer you can choose any local doctor, clinic, or hospital in the world, there is no specific network you need to choose from. Using the Air Doctor app, you can book consultations in any location and avoid having to pay for costs upfront as the app works by direct billing.

  12. Policy Renewal and Cancellation: Know the terms for renewing or canceling the policy if your travel plans change. Genki Explorer offers a 2-year maximum contract which you can cancel after one month without any extra fees. After the insurance expires by the end of the 2 years you'll have to wait 6 months until you can purchase a new Genki Explorer policy. If you're an expat or if you simply require long-term to indefinite-term insurance, check out Genki Resident (international health insurance).

  13. Customer Reviews and Reputation: Research the insurance provider's reputation, read customer reviews, and check if there have been any complaints about claim denials or delays. You can check our reviews in Trustpilot.

  14. Travel Alerts and Advisories: Stay informed about travel advisories and alerts for your destination, as these could affect your coverage or travel plans. Genki Explorer offers worldwide coverage, all countries included, you don't need to worry about travel alerts or restrictions.


Have any questions? Check out more article in our help center or drop our support a message!

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