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Many countries are making Travel Insurance a mandatory item before they allow a foreigner in their country. That’s a precaution countries are taking to reduce the losses suffered when foreigners leave without paying medical bills incurred during their stay. The money owed can be claimed from the insurance providers in case the visitor leaves without paying.
In the same breath, there are some countries where service providers will not accept Travel Insurance. In such states, service providers will require all medical bills incurred to be paid in cash. Some of them might need you to pay before you can be attended to. In case you need to travel to these countries, you’ll need to ensure you’ve saved enough to cover you against any eventuality.
If you never heard of such countries, read along and learn about a couple of them.
India
India is mostly a cash economy, and you need cash to pay for anything. Many medical service providers will not be willing to accept travel insurance when you seek their services. They require you to pay in cash. As such, when traveling to India, you need to ensure you have saved enough money to ensure you are well covered in case anything happens.
That does not mean that you should overlook travel insurance. Even when traveling to India, the insurance might come in quite handy. You may need to go back home and get medical services from there, and the insurance cover would cushion you from some of the costs.
China
Travel insurance does not cover medical expenses. If you are traveling to China, you need to ensure you have enough cash for any medical services you may need. You can still get insurance if you are involved in risky activities and for other optional covers such as baggage loss.
China has a developed economy that is not cash-bound, but the economy is rather closed. Companies from different countries are, at times, unable to do business with Chinese companies dues to trade restrictions. This is what makes it difficult for some health providers in China to accept travel insurance. They would not be able to claim the payments.
Many other countries will require you to pay for medical services in cash. India and China are just two of the most notable ones. There are particular indicators that you should look out for, to know whether travel insurance alone is enough for you to be safe out there. First, if you are traveling to a country that is faced with civil strife, you should have enough cash, instead of just depending on the insurance. If you have to go to countries such as Syria and Libya, the money will come in quite handy if anything happens. Also, take time to determine how the economy of the country you are traveling to works. If it is mainly a cash economy, covering yourself with enough cash is going to be necessary.
