Travel insurance isn’t just an add-on to try to scoop more of your money. 60 countries now require tourists to carry at least a minimum level of travel insurance, with 12 having made the rule just in the past year due to COVID-19.
As borders reopen, some of them prematurely due to the economic pressures of losing all tourist revenue, some countries – particularly smaller ones like Bermuda, Jamaica, and the British Virgin Islands – are requiring that tourists carry enough insurance that if they catch COVID-19, their quarantine and potential medical care are covered.
“Countries are doing it so they don’t have to absorb any financial burden for treating uninsured tourists who may contract Covid-19,” said Clayton Coomer, vice president of insurer WorldTrips.
In some countries, mostly those with rules predating the pandemic, insurance is only required for tourists entering with a visa, which means Americans may be exempt (for instance, American tourists visiting the 26 Schengen Area countries in Europe aren’t required to have visas, and therefore travel insurance, but a tourist from Egypt would.)
In others, like Costa Rica, insurance is only required for travelers missing certain vaccinations, including those against measles and COVID-19. Some countries, like Belize, will let travelers buy insurance after arrival, while others require it in advance. Most of the 60 countries require travel medical insurance that will specifically cover medical treatment for COVID-19 (some insurance carves this out), while some require additional insurance sufficient to pay for food and lodging in the event of an extended required quarantine.
It’s more important than ever to do your research before you travel. With border closures and CDC recommendations that can change from one week to the next, the requirements for travel are ever in flux. And don’t count on your ordinary health plan to be enough, especially if it’s Medicare or Medicaid. Neither one of them covers international health expenses, and neither do plenty of private plans.
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