globestethIt’s a haunting fear that most of us share in one form or another: You step off the curb in a foreign city, trip, and a sharp pain shoots up from your ankle. It might be broken. In another version, you’re enjoying a Caribbean cruise, and suddenly you have a high fever and feel nauseated. It could be something you ate or the flu, or it might be appendicitis. There are other scenarios too: you leave your carry-on bag with your prescription medicines in the taxi in Melbourne, or you crack a tooth chewing the ice in your drink in Puerto Vallarta.

All these scenarios share a common element—you’re abroad and you need medical help. Fortunately, friendly people guide you to the help you need. In addition, you are able to pay your bills with a credit card or a pile of traveler’s checks, or you arrange a wire transfer of funds from your bank. But now, you have a whole new set of concerns and questions:

  • Will your insurance cover the bills?
  • What do you need to do to get reimbursed?
  • Should you have gone to a different doctor or hospital?
  • Is there a network provider over here, and did you cost yourself extra by not asking?

Since plans differ in what they cover and how they process overseas claims, there is no standard answer to these questions. For those with Group Insurance Trust plans—ProtectPlus, Delta Dental, and Vision Service Plan—there is good news.

Your policies will reimburse you for emergency care while out of the country.

You will, of course, have to provide the appropriate paperwork, and that will be easier if you are prepared in advance and know what to ask for. Below is a broad outline of how ProtectPlus coverage works and how you can make the most efficient use of it.

If you are not covered by GIT plans, you should make a point of reading your policies and asking your agent questions before traveling abroad. Of course, if you’re not covered when out of the country, or if your coverage is too limited and you travel frequently, you might want to find a different plan, or you can get a short-term travel medical insurance policy.

ProtectPlus Coverage Abroad

All ProtectPlus policies cover claims for emergency and urgent care outside the U.S. and U.S. Territories.Moreover, these policies generally waive out-of-network charges and pre-authorization requirements for inpatient hospital admissions and certain outpatient services.

All treatment, however, must qualify as either a medical emergency or an urgent care situation. The latter is defined as a “sudden, serious, or unexpected illness, injury or condition…which requires immediate care for the relief of severe pain or diagnosis and treatment of such condition.”

There are in-network or recommended providers in most foreign locations. For a list online of hospitals and doctors worldwide, go to BlueCares. Left click on BlueCard Worldwide, and follow the instructions there. ProtectPlus prescription drug benefits are the same abroad as those provided in a subscriber’s policy. Nevertheless, because it can be difficult to get a prescription filled overseas, it is advisable to obtain an adequate supply of medications before leaving.

Physicians will usually write “vacation” prescriptions with a 30-day supply. Since dispensing regulations vary from country to country, if your medications are lost or stolen when abroad, inquire at local pharmacies about their procedures and/or contact your medical provider at home.

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