Options For Digital Nomads Health Insurance

Digital nomads may also travel with equipment (e.g., laptop, camera, etc.), engage in adventurous activities, and demand access to health insurance, especially if they don't have it at home.

Given the prominence of remote work and the growing number of opportunities to live and work from abroad, we've compiled a list of some of the most popular travel health insurance alternatives for digital nomads.

Nomads Of The World

World Nomads is a travel insurance company that provides coverage for citizens of a variety of countries and also allows you to extend your coverage mid-trip. Nationwide Insurance underwrites it. The health insurance limits are reasonable regardless of the plan you select.

Importantly, there is no pandemic exclusion for the provider, therefore COVID-related claims are reimbursed. World Nomads, on the other hand, expressly specifies that fear of travel is not an acceptable reason for tour cancellation. If you wish to cancel a trip at your leisure, you should look into policies that provide Cancel For Any Reason coverage.

World Nomads offers two types of trip insurance policies: Standard and Explorer. The Standard Plan has fewer coverage limits and includes more than 200 sports (including several adventure sports), whereas the Explorer Plan offers 60 more activities and sports, including more dangerous ones like shark cage diving, skydiving, and paragliding.

Athletic activities are included in both World Nomads plans, which is unusual because most typical travel insurance policies prohibit them.

The following is a list of what is covered with World of Nomads coverage:

•Trip disruption, cancellation, and delay

•Emergency medical services, evacuation, repatriation, and 24-hour help are all available.

•Death and dismemberment by accident

•Transportation for non-medical emergencies.

•Baggage hold-up and loss

•Rental vehicle damage (Explorer Plan only).

•Sports and activities for adventure.

And here are a few notable exclusions (not an exhaustive list):

•Existing medical conditions

•War

•Intoxication-related self-harm or accidents

We evaluated a sample two-month trip to Italy by a 32-year-old New York resident to see how World Nomads compared to other travel health insurance companies.

The World Nomads Standard Plan costs $221, which is significantly less than the $341 Explorer Plan due to lower limitations and less coverage for adventure activities. It's worth noting that if your nonrefundable planned trip costs more than $2,500, the Standard Plan will only pay you up to $2,500 in case of trip cancellation. In this situation, you should pick the more expensive Explorer Plan, which gives trip cancellation coverage up to $10,000. Notably, the emergency accident and medical coverage on both policies are $100,000, which provides a lot of comforts, especially if you're abroad for an extended period of time.

A search on the insurance comparison site Square mouth revealed a variety of plans from various providers priced between $105 and $406 based on a $2,500 trip cost (to compare to the Standard Plan) and between $415 and $1,131 based on a $10,000 trip cost (to compare to the Standard Plan) (to compare to the Explorer Plan).

The most important benefit of World Nomads is coverage for adventure activities, something none of the Square mouth plans provided. In this scenario, determining the plan's eligibility has less to do with pricing and more to do with the type of coverage you seek. Because of the numerous benefits of World Nomads plans over those of other carriers, World Nomads was named the winner of our annual Best-Of Awards, in which we reviewed multiple insurers. Check out our complete reasoning here: Best Travel Insurance in 2021.

Safety Wing.

Another popular digital nomad travel health insurance option that includes COVID coverage is Safety Wing. You can purchase your policy while overseas, which is convenient for individuals who are already on the road and desire to add insurance coverage mid-trip. You can buy a Safety Wing policy unless you live in North Korea, Cuba, or Iran. The policy's default term of coverage is 28 days, and it will automatically renew unless canceled (the maximum policy length is 364 days).

Safety Wing also offers incidental coverage in the United States for up to 15 days every 90 days to U.S. citizens. Despite its US coverage, Safety Wing is intended to provide medical and travel insurance coverage while abroad; it does not meet the Affordable Care Act's health insurance requirement.

Included:

•Trip disruption and delay

•Medical and dental emergencies.

•Medical evacuation in an emergency, repatriation of remains, and accidental death

•Checked luggage was misplaced, as were visas and travel documents.

•Minor children and dogs have returned.

•Political exodus and border entrance security

Excluded (not an exhaustive list):

•Existing medical conditions

•Disorders of the mind

•Intentional acts or property destruction caused by drugs or alcohol.

The cost of a Safety Wing policy is determined by your age and if you want health insurance coverage while in the United States. A four-week policy, for example, will cost $42 for someone aged 30-39 who does not require health insurance in the United States. If you want coverage while in the United States, the policy costs $77.

We did a Square mouth search using a four-week vacation to Italy by a 32-year-old to compare the pricing of a four-week Safety Wing policy to that of other insurers. We searched for COVID-19 coverage but not for trip cancellation. The plans ranged in price from $12 to $90, with the difference due to different coverage limitations.

Overall, the ability to purchase a plan mid-trip and receive health insurance coverage while in the United States are two of the most significant advantages of a Safety Wing program.

Atlas Travel Protection

Atlas Travel Insurance provides health insurance policies for digital nomads and long-term travelers seeking medical coverage (including COVID-19) and some trip benefits (e.g., trip interruption). When choosing a policy, you must indicate if you want to include the United States in your coverage area. Coverage limits decline with age, and deductibles vary amongst plans.

Included:

•Medical bills and dental emergencies

•Medical and political evacuations are required in an emergency.

•Travel disruption- travel delay

•Checked luggage was misplaced, and a visa/passport was stolen.

•Natural disaster and border entrance safeguards

•Minor children and dogs have returned.

•Accidental death and dismemberment; repatriation of remains

Excluded (not an exhaustive list):

•There are numerous adventure sports.

•Existing medical conditions

•Disorders of the mind

•Cancer is one of several diseases.

•Injuries caused by oneself or while under the influence of drugs or alcohol

We used the same search as in the last example (which revealed travel insurance plans on Square mouth ranging from $12 to $90) to compare these options: a four-week vacation to Italy by a 32-year-old. Atlas has two plans: Atlas International and Atlas International Premium, both of which cost $43 and $105, respectively. The primary distinction between these two Atlas plans is that the Premium option provides greater coverage limitations.

Although Atlas plans are more expensive than Square mouth plans, Atlas plans to appear to provide better health insurance coverage, which is a significant issue for digital nomads, long-term travelers, and ex-pats.

In Conclusion

Expats and digital nomads have different travel health insurance needs than ordinary travellers, so it's best to pick a policy that fits your travel pattern. A World Nomads policy is your best option for adventure sports coverage. However, if such benefits aren't important to you and you'd rather have the option of medical care when abroad (and, to a lesser extent, while in the United States), try Safety Wing or Atlas. Importantly, all of these policies cover COVID-related medical claims, which is important to consider if you are already abroad or plan to travel soon.