A family vacation abroad is an unparalleled experience. The chance to be with the people you love, enjoying all the wonders of a beautiful foreign country, is something every family dreams of. No one likes to think about potential emergencies on a family vacation, but it is essential to understand that they can occur and are often much harder to deal with when you are traveling in a foreign land. The nuances of a different country’s laws, language, and healthcare system can be impossible to navigate or afford if you do not have the correct travel insurance to protect you from any potential liability or medical issue that may come up. It is a lot easier to enjoy your vacation when you know you are adequately covered in case of an emergency. Here are a few things Arizona families need to consider before traveling abroad.

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Buy travel medical insurance

The most prominent misconception families have when traveling abroad is that they believe their health insurance will cover the healthcare they need outside of their home country. People with private insurance and Medicare often think this, but it is not true. If you are traveling abroad, you need to buy medical travel insurance because your standard plan will rarely cover medical issues abroad. Good travel medical insurance will cover unexpected injuries, illness, and hospitalizations. Most importantly, your medical travel insurance should cover medical evacuation. A medical evacuation is a medical flight from one hospital to another with better equipment. An out-of-pocket medical evacuation can range from $30,000 to $200,000. Everyone should purchase a plan that covers a minimum of $250,000 to ensure you and your family aren’t footing the bill with your cash if an emergency does occur.

If you and your family are traveling abroad, you need to have basic travel insurance that covers all your medical needs. Ideally, you will never need it, but it’s a good idea to have it.

Extreme travel coverage

A tropical vacation abroad often leads to fun activities such as jet-skiing, paragliding, scuba diving, and many other organized sports activities. If you plan to participate in these activities during your trip, you should provide your family with sports travel insurance. These organized activities are a lot of fun for families, but they are not typically covered in a standard travel health insurance plan. Sports travel insurance will ensure your family is covered if someone gets hurt doing an activity. You should consider this insurance if you plan to participate in any organized sporting activities. Despite the name, the sport does not have to be extreme to be denied coverage under basic travel health insurance.

Trip cancellation coverage

Sometimes things happen at the last second, and you can no longer go on the trip you spent so much time planning. This is always a possibility, and that means it is essential to purchase trip cancellation coverage anytime you pay for a vacation abroad. You want to purchase trip cancellation coverage well before your trip to maximize coverage and avoid known event exclusions. You should purchase coverage as soon as you make a non-refundable deposit. The longer you wait to get coverage, the worse that coverage will be.

A family vacation abroad is something every family should experience, and travel insurance is more than a checklist matter. It is essential coverage for your family in case of an emergency. Find the right plan for your family and give everyone peace of mind on a fantastic trip abroad.

Author: Doug Gulleson is the Co-Owner of Good Neighbor Insurance, a family-owned global insurance brokerage specializing in international medical coverage for travelers, expats, and organizations in Gilbert, Arizona.  Good Neighbor was founded in 1997 by Doug’s father, Jeff Gulleson, who served as a missionary with WEC International in Indonesia for over three decades.