Backpackers are different from other travelers in many ways. Because of this (and because of the growing population of backpackers), insurance companies have created a policy specifically designed for them. The two things nomadic travelers desire the most are freedom and cheap travel in order to see more of the world around them. International travel medical insurance plans for backpackers are created with these values in mind.
Ask any backpacker where they are headed and they will likely tell you one or two destinations. However, once they return, ask where they have been. The former and the latter answers rarely ever match completely (with the latter usually being the more exciting outcome). This is because backpackers wander. They start out for one location and just keep going. That’s why a backpacker’s insurance policy is ideal: it covers you regardless of where you end up in the world. Also, because a backpacker occasionally needs his rest from his vacation, many companies offer a complementary “home trip,” in which they let you return home while maintaining your coverage. And what if your month-long trip turns into six months…or a year? Many insurance companies allow you to extend your coverage while you are abroad.
What else makes backpacker’s medical insurance different from your standard travel policy? The inclusion on adventure sports is a popular choice. If you decided to ski, scuba dive, bungee jump, kayak, or go white-water rafting, you would likely be covered (though covered sports vary from company to company). You could even hop onto a camel or elephant for a desert or jungle ride, respectively. If you fall off and break your neck, no worries. You’re covered. Good news! You are even allowed to walk! Yes, it’s true. Walking is a covered adventure sport. However, don’t get all excited just yet. There are plenty of excluded sports like football. Strangely, shark cage diving and stilt walking are not covered either. Next time, pal…next time.
Speaking of risky endeavors, there are many reasons why international health insurance is a necessity and not just something you bought to ease your mom’s mind. As a backpacker, you are vulnerable to many risks. To start, you carry all of your possessions on you…including your cash. This fact is obvious to anyone, and to the wrong person, this just screams a walking opportunity. Moreover, you may find yourself passing through developing countries which have high crime rates and poor hygiene. This lack of sanitation can make its way into your food preparations, instantly making you sick. Yet if you are able to get by without catching a food-borne illness, you have high chances of getting a bad sunburn, frostbite, windburn, or another elemental danger.
Lastly, as a traveler, you may not carry much money with you, maybe just enough to get by. So what do you do if you find yourself in a small, ramshackle hospital in which the doctor won’t treat you until you pay him? Good think you have that insurance, O Weary and Sick Traveler!
