Do I need travel insurance?
There is a definite need for insurance when travelling abroad, and if you are heading off to Turkey for medical treatment you will probably be wondering what sort of insurance policy you will need. Will an ordinary travel insurance policy be sufficient, will you be covered by your existing medical insurance policy, or better still, is there is a special medical tourism insurance policy available?
Unfortunately, the insurance industry has been slow in responding to the growing trend of medical tourism and there are few insurance policies available for the purpose of medical tourism per se. Travel insurance companies are reluctant to cover medical tourists because they believe medical tourists are a greater risk and more likely to need medical help - which could get expensive for them. As a result, insurance companies have applied 'blanket exclusions', meaning that a person is not covered when travelling for medical treatment abroad, whether this is for an MRI scan or for a simple filling.
Luckily, specialist medical tourism insurance policies are arriving on the market as we speak. Health Traveller has been designed by insurance firm, Marcus Hearn, for people travelling abroad for cosmetic surgery, or medical/dental treatment. Current travel insurance policies automatically exclude all cover if you are travelling to obtain medical treatment but Health Traveller removes one of the standard exclusions about travelling for the purpose of medical treatment.
Additionally, newly launched Angelis Insurance offers travel insurance for dental and medical treatment and cosmetic surgery overseas. The policy covers medical tourists for all of the standard travel insurance terms as well as specific additional benefits relating to treatment such as extended stay, further consultations and expenses if a follow up appointment abroad is needed within 12 months of treatment.
Alternatively, if you already have health insurance you could check whether your policy will cover you for treatment abroad. At the very least you should consider taking out some travel insurance so that you are covered against theft and other risks associated with travelling abroad.
If you have an annual travel insurance policy check when the insurance lapses and read the small print to ensure it includes an emergency flight home. Check for any exclusions, and that it covers you for any activities you plan to do in Turkey. Don't forget that if you buy a simple travel insurance policy your travel agent will probably assume you are just going on holiday to Turkey so be clear about the purpose of your 'holiday' otherwise the cover may not be valid and could result in your insurer refusing to pay claims on any part of the policy. Remember also to mention any existing medical conditions.
Ask your medical tourism broker or hospital provider about their recommendations or view the list of insurance policy providers on the Private Healthcare website.
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