Summary of this article
Global coverage in travel insurance means geography, not uniform medical benefits.
High-cost countries impose caps, co-pays, and sublimits reducing real claim value.
Maternity, mental health, and pre-existing conditions often face tighter exclusions abroad.
Country-wise caps, hospital networks, and evacuation cover determine true protection.
When a travel or international health policy says “global coverage,” it usually means geographic eligibility, not uniform benefits. In high-cost destinations (USA, Canada, parts of Europe, Japan, and Australia), insurers quietly control exposure through country-specific caps, exclusions, and cost-sharing, which can drastically reduce what families actually receive. “Global coverage is not equal to global protection. In high-cost destinations, caps, co-pays, and network limits often matter more than the headline sum insured,” says Pradeep Funde, senior vice president, Anand Rathi Insurance Brokers.
What May Not Be Covered
Hidden clauses don’t just reduce a claim—during a medical emergency abroad, they can fundamentally change what “coverage” means in practice. Families often discover that the policy protects the insurer’s risk more than the patient’s finances. As per process sublimits, co-pay, and restricted benefits quietly reshape the real value of coverage when something actually goes wrong. In emergencies abroad, the policy doesn’t fail—expectations do. The real value of cover is defined by what survives the fine print, not by the sum insured.
Certain types of care, including maternity care, mental health care, and pre-existing conditions, may also not be covered or may have different limits based on location. “Therefore, families who travel to higher-cost countries may discover that much of what they spend is more than what the policy limits cover, even when they have an ‘international’ insurance policy,” says Arun Ramamurthy, co-founder, Staywell.Health.
What Should You Check
Before leaving India, families should read the policy wording like a claim assessor would, not like a brochure. International covers often work legally, but still leave families paying large sums because key clauses were missed.
“Be practical; use a claim-focused checklist of what to verify to avoid unexpected out-of-pocket expenses, even when you have international cover.” International cover fails financially, not because it doesn’t exist, but because its limits are invisible until claimed. The real protection lies in: Country-wise caps, low co-pay, minimal sublimits, strong hospital network, clear continuation-of-care wording,” says Funde.
In addition to what is covered under an international health insurance policy, families should also understand whether the local hospital network in their destination country will provide cashless services, as some hospitals may require families to pay out of pocket for treatment outside of their cashless hospital network and submit a claim for reimbursement later.
“Finally, it is important for families to verify whether the international health insurance policy covers emergency evacuation, repatriation, and follow-up care, as these types of services frequently create considerable unexpected costs for families during their travels abroad,” says Ramamurthy.
