Last updated on August 2, 2025 by Shannon
When you’re planning world travel—either a quick trip or long-term travel—you have a dizzying number of options to review when it comes to picking the best travel insurance.
I first used World Nomads in 2008, and I continued using it for more than a decade—but since then, I don’t think it’s the best travel insurance for most travelers. I stopped recommending World Nomads back in 2022.
I’ve done extensive research over the years—I’ll review who I think World Nomads is still right for—including what’s covered and the types of trips where it’s ideal. Then I’ll discuss why I use IMG travel insurance and SafetyWing on my travels now, both of which offer travel medical insurance.
Of the three, my most recent personal experience with a travel insurance claim is with IMG Global in 2022, and it was seamless. So I’ll go into what you should know about that, too.
Note: I stopped buying World Nomads policies in 2017—I personally felt like the quality of coverage changed. Other travel insurance companies offer better coverage at a better price for the many months I spend traveling every year—that’s what informs this review of World Nomads. I share my own personal considerations: what I look for in coverage when choosing travel medical insurance for me and my son in 2024. I may receive a commission from some of the links in this post, which does not affect my recommendations.
Should You Buy World Nomads Travel Insurance in 2024?
Only you can make the call of if travel insurance is worth it for you in general, but travel insurance provides essential medical, gear, and trip protection for everything from short vacations to long-term, adventurous backpacking trips. I think travel insurance is worth it, when you understand what exactly you’re insuring, and which company will best protect you.
What you’re looking for is the best travel insurance for your specific trip. If you drill down to understand how they differ, and review each policy for how it would work on the trip you have planned, then you can find the right one—it might not be World Nomads. Slick marketing does not mean it’s right for your trip.
You want a company that successfully pays claims, has an easy online system for making those claims, and fewer loopholes than competitors.
Because every insurance company has sneaky loopholes in place to ensure you were following the rules, so I review the specific advice needed to successfully make a travel insurance claim—there are a few loopholes you should know before buying any travel insurance!
Below I’ll review why I bought a World Nomads insurance policy for my eight years of long-term world travel, and why I use IMG Patriot Platinum or SafetyWing for my travels now.
What is the Best Travel Insurance?
Let’s review which types of world travels pair best with the different travel insurance companies. The basics of who should generally pick each insurance company looks like this:
What Types of Travelers Should Buy World Nomads?
| Traveler | World Nomads | SafetyWing | IMG Global |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long-term travelers | x | x | x |
| Backpackers | x | x | x |
| Digital nomads | x | x | |
| One-month vacations (or less) | x | ||
| Expats | x | x | |
| Senior travelers | x* | x | |
| World travels including the U.S. | x** | x** | x |
** World Nomads and SafetyWing offer limited U.S. coverage for those primarily traveling outside the U.S. and just doing short trips stateside. IMG sells medical travel insurance for non-residents visiting the U.S. for longer periods of time.
Anyone claiming they know the flat-out best travel insurance is wrong: You have to review travel insurance policies based on your exact circumstances.
World Nomads
World Nomads was once the only viable option for backpackers—it was the top name in insuring world travel when there was no real competition. It’s both travel insurance and travel medical insurance.
It includes the adventurous activities common on long-term trips and while backpacking, and the plans are designed with just a couple customizable add-ons, so you get a package that works for a generally large average of people.
The policies cost a lot though—it’s the most expensive of the three I reviewed here, and its claims process leaves a lot to be desired. In more recent years, travelers are less-than-thrilled—a dismal 3.3 rating on Trustpilot leaves a lot to be desired.
IMG Global
IMG Global isn’t well known in the backpacker world since its marketing isn’t as shiny, but its 4.6 rating on Trustpilot is well deserved. It’s an insurance company with both travel insurance and travel medical insurance policies designed for long-term travelers, expats, seniors, volunteers, and more.
Everything I loved about World Nomads is available with IMG Global, but it’s also a lot more flexible—when you pick a policy, you can choose deductibles and coverage levels. The Patriot Lite policy is a travel medical insurance that would work for many travelers, or the iTraveledInsured policies provide excellent coverage if you’ve booked a lot of expensive aspects of your trip—cruises, tours, etc—and want to protect that investment.
SafetyWing
SafetyWing is a newbie to the market (2018) and rose alongside the remote work movement, as more digital nomads and travelers hit the road for months at a time. Those who use it rave—it has a 4.2 rating on TrustPilot, and the company has huge goals to make long-term travel a lot easier on the insurance front. As far as I can tell, the negative comments are all from those who don’t understand things like having selected a policy with a deductible.
The company’s Nomad Insurance provides travel medical insurance specifically, so it’s a combination of some travel coverage (for some delays and lost checked luggage) and emergency medical on your trip. The fact that you pay monthly is a boon for those on more open-ended trips.
The company also offers a Nomad Health policy that acts as actual medical insurance—checkups, doctors visits, and you can even add on dental and vision coverage. This full-fledged global health insurance is ideal for those living outside their home country, but maybe not expat-ing in one single spot (where you could then buy local insurance as I have done living in Spain). This insurance would be ideal for digital nomads traveling on tourist visas and staying months rather than years in one spot—especially since there is some coverage for your home country too (not including the U.S.).
Why are travel insurance policies prices so wildly different?
It all comes down to what’s covered, and who the insurance companies both target and cover. SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance is inclusive, meaning many older travelers can use it, but its primary audience is 18-39 year olds—those are the cheapest policies. The insurance also has a $250 deductible and a lower policy maximum than World Nomads, for example.
World Nomads, on the other hand, has built a handful of policy options and you can’t customize the quote much, so they’re making money on people who choose a plan and are actually over-insured for their planned trip.
One of the reasons I love using IMG Global is because I can choose the exact deductible I want, and the policy maximum too—it’s the only one of the three to allow that. And so the prices are competitive. World Nomads does not allow that option; the policies are packaged up and sold as-is, including coverage limits, deductibles, adventure sports, and more.
Backpackers and long-term travelers need the flexibility and security of knowing they won’t go bankrupt if something happens on the road. It’s why I can unequivocally say that travel insurance is useful, and I like both IMG Global and SafetyWing as ideal options for backpackers and long-term travelers.
With both companies, in addition to buying a policy online, you can extend your insurance policy, or even buy one when you’re already traveling. They both offer a nice online interface so you can take care of business and get back to traveling—a good travel insurance lets you travel without the worry, that’s the entire point!
What’s Covered by World Nomads (And What’s Not)?
The coverage on your travel insurance policy is the most important part—so this is where it’s vital you take time to understand exactly what buying travel insurance can get you on a trip. It’s everyday protection for you, for your luggage, and also in the event of BIG issues with a capital B (think catastrophic weather event, traumatic injury, etc).
Let’s review the five key coverage areas on any World Nomads policy:
- Overseas medical care
- Medical evacuation (Medevac)
- Baggage claims
- Theft on some belongings and electronics (read the policy details!)
- Trip cancellation coverage
Beyond these five areas that any good travel insurance policy must have, these are a few other things that are bonuses and also included—at least to some extent. Coverage on these areas depends on your country of residence:
- Natural disasters
- Pregnancy complications (but not birth)
- Emergency dental
- Stolen passport
Once you know what is covered by World Nomads, it comes down to the extent of coverage. You should not sign up for a policy that skimps in any of these areas. But some coverage does really depend on your trip, especially when we get into limits.
IMG allows you to tweak and adjust coverage limits—this is essential for me when I’m traveling home to the U.S. as an expat. I usually pay extra for a low deductible if I am traveling in places with expensive healthcare systems, and I’ll pick a higher deductible traveling in places where a medical visit might cost $50 and I probably wouldn’t go through the hassle of claiming that on the insurance anyway. Note that this is my calculus when buying travel insurance—your situation my vary!
Adventure Activity Coverage
Before I left on my world travels, I made a list of all of the crazy and wild adventure activities that I wanted to participate in while traveling—then I used the World Nomads’ A-Z List of Adventure Activities to check they were covered in a policy.
Each and every activity I hoped to experience was on the list of what’s covered. In later years, I’ve done the same with the sports rider for IMG Global—and some things aren’t covered by IMG that are covered on World Nomads, but they were all very dangerous things like canyoning, which I wasn’t going to do anyway.
While not all of your activities may be covered—there are some things travel insurance will just not cover—the complete list is comprehensive, online, and broken down by country. This is an important step! I really wanted to know that rock-climbing in Laos was covered just as fully as scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef.
On my first long-term backpacking trip, I was active and adventurous, and it was dead-simple to verify on World Nomads’ checklist if an activity was covered. Note that what World Nomads covers for each policy is clearly outlined online—it’s easy to check before you do the activity; that’s imperative!
You don’t want to be waiting for an email from your insurance company while the boat leaves on your planned scuba diving adventure. With other policies (like the expat insurance I use with IMG), adding any adventure sports requires paying for an additional rider, and the coverage is not as robust.
World Nomads‘ coverage was designed by a world traveler—a Aussie named Simon Monk who wanted to demystify the entire travel insurance process. That’s why the policies seem single-handedly designed for long-term travelers and backpackers—they are! Rather than being left to choose your own coverage limits, the policies are designed to give you maximum protection for the type of things most travelers face on the road.
Only some travel insurance policies offer adventure sports riders (and even basic outdoor travel activities may fall under that!). Review the activities carefully—be positive that you’re selecting one that covers everything you have planned.
Does Your Travel Insurance Cover COVID-19?
I think what we all learned from the sudden shutdown of the world in March 2020 is that you just don’t know what will happen. Since Covid lockdowns and restrictions are lifted in all of the world, you likely don’t need to concern yourself with this. That said, if you somehow escaped catching Covid-19 and get sick on your trip, most travel insurances, including IMG and World Nomads consider this illness endemic now, and include coverage if you fall sick.
There are caveats though, in case this situation were to spring out of control again. According to IMG: “Travelers who purchase coverage on or after August 6, 2020 may be eligible for benefits directly or indirectly related to COVID-19, as long as the DOS or CDC have not issued a Level 3 or higher Travel Warning for your destination country. In addition, if a government agency from your country of residence has not issued a similar travel warning, you may be eligible for coverage for COVID-19 coverage.”
Is World Nomads Travel Health Insurance?
Insurance companies do not, by default, offer regular health insurance as a part of their travel medical policies. Coverage is provided for emergency medical expenses—that’s a key reason you’re buying the policy, but note that this is not the same as health coverage like regular doctor visits.
Travel medical insurance is not designed to mimic health insurance. That’s why, written into the policy, your travel insurance will end either once you step foot on home soil, or within about two weeks—check your policy.
World Nomads will not provide to regular checkups, it’s only meant as a backstop to emergencies that crop up while traveling.
Buying Global Medical Insurance for Travelers
IMG Global and SafetyWing offer health insurance policies meant for expats with a residence overseas, or living on the road as a digital nomad or remote worker. The IMG Global Medical Insurance plan does cover many of the same aspects as traditional health insurance, and you can even buy them with a $0 deductible (I bought a $0-deductible expat policy for my first year living in Spain, which was a condition of my visa).
IMG & SafetyWing Coverage for Global Healthcare Policies
| Covered Health Emergencies | Not Covered by Traditional Travel Insurance |
|---|---|
| Hospitalization | If you’ve taken drugs or alcohol |
| Day surgery and outpatient treatment | Minor rashes/non-emergencies |
| Visits to registered medical practitioners | Reckless behavior |
| Prescribed medicines | Non-emergency treatment that can wait until you return home |
| Ambulances | Certain pre-existing medical conditions |
| Extra expenses to get you home, if medically necessary | Ongoing treatment at home |
Making Travel Insurance Claims Online
Most insurance companies now allow you to file your claims online. A seamless system is a huge must for long-term travelers and backpackers especially because you can’t wait until the end of your trip to sort it all out—you’re going to have to file your insurance claim on the road.
For World Nomads, SafetyWing and IMG Global, you can process all of your claims online, and there are no caps on the length of time you can be insured. This is not the case with all travel insurance policies. Some max out at three months and a few still don’t have an entirely online claims process.
For most insurance companies, if it’s a medical emergency and you have time, you are obligated to contact them and let it go through their authorized providers—that speeds up the process. Either way, I found the online claims process easy and the company offers 24 hour helplines for immediate assistance, as well as helplines for figuring out the sometimes bureaucratic process of filing a travel insurance claim.
travel tip
Travel Insurance Coverage When Riding a Motorbike
If you’re going to pilot a motorbike, you need a motorcycle license in your home country as well as an international driver’s license with motorcycle certification (this requires a prior motorcycle license, at least in the U.S.). Without these things, your travel insurance may not cover you whatsoever should you get in a wreck or injure yourself or others while on a motorbike.
TL;DR: World Nomads Coverage Review Recap
- Having travel insurance through World Nomads and then IMG Global made my life easier as a digital nomad living on the road for 15+ years by offering an entirely online process.
- The adventure sports coverage is included in World Nomads policies by default, meaning there’s no chance you overlooked a crucial coverage step in the select-it-yourself policies. With IMG, make sure that you add this rider into your policy if you’re doing anything more than sunning yourself on a beach.
- IMG Global and SafetyWing are my travel insurances of choice for long-term travelers. It’s during my solo backpacking trips that I’ve used World Nomads to the best success, but then for the last decade IMG Global has offered me the flexibility I needed to live and travel overseas.
- You are only covered for those things you are legally allowed to do—no drugs or drunk driving, and no driving without a proper license.
- Wondering what the best travel insurance is for anyone visiting the U.S. as a non-resident? I like IMG Global, because this is where World Nomads and SafetyWing coverage have huge gaps for many international travelers (because the U.S. healthcare system is so whack, citizens of most countries aren’t offered the type of full coverage I believe essential to long-term travels in the U.S.).
How to Help Your Claims Get Approved
Travel insurance is the single best way to protect yourself against the unknown facing you on the road. During my more than a decade of travel, I’ve had dysentery, Giardia, scabies, strep throat, and a host of health issues. I’m a healthy person, but travel sickness is a part of long-term travel.
Although I’ve never had major catastrophic health problems, nor been robbed of any key gear, I would never take the risk of backpacking the world without emergency help available. Travel insurance companies have a huge network of providers, and once you activate them, they negotiate (often in the local language) with those providing your help or care. That’s a huge relief when things are going south.
You can find terrible reviews online for all travel insurance companies. There are some circumstances where the traveler just didn’t fit within the policy wording and they weren’t covered. That’s tough. It is imperative that you read the requirements for making a claim if something goes wrong on your trip.
When reviewing any policies, even the best travel insurance has some loopholes. Here are key cautions and warnings to heed:
- Document your valuables. To make a claim, you must prove you bought it (receipts), that it was with you (take a photo of all valuables before you leave), and that it was stolen (a police report). Each step here is vital. Many negative travel insurance reviews are from people who didn’t have a copy of the police report, or couldn’t generate ownership proof. Read your policy and understand exactly what it requires to make a claim.
- Document your illness. Call your insurance company as soon as you are ill; they will help you find the best providers in the region. Plus, it states in your policy that you have to do that! When buying a policy, you agree that they will choose a provider and be involved in the process—this is true for selecting hospital care, medevac providers, and more. If you don’t do this, they may not cover your bills. Also, keep your paperwork! There will be a lot of back-and-forths as you make the claim—the more information you have the better.
- Follow the law. One sticky situation for backpackers is the rampant use of motorbikes in Asia. If you are not licensed to drive the vehicle in your own country, then even the best travel insurance may not cover you in an accident. This is a huge loophole. And it sucks. But double check things like this before assuming you’ll be covered if something serious happens on a remote stretch of mountains on a winding Thai road .
- Read your policy. Seriously. It’s dry and boring. It will take at least an hour. But read it, understand what it covers, and highlight anything that isn’t clear. If you’re unsure, email or call them! They answer questions before, during, and after you’re a client. There is also extensive Q&A in the comments below as other travelers and I hash out the fine print.
- Understand what’s not covered. From pre-existing conditions to extreme sports, there are a few things you’re just not guaranteed in a general travel policy. But, every travel insurance company is different. The high-end Select plan from TravelEx covers pre-existing conditions, so if that’s a huge factor for you, then the significantly higher cost might be worth it. But if you’re a backpacker planning a long-term trip that will include adventure sports, then you should instead look for policies from IMG and World Nomads that are designed to meet that need. If you’re a family planning to travel the world for a year, and you will do adventurous things, World Nomads might still work—they have family plans—but also look to an IMG policy with the sports rider (you must add the sports rider, truly).
- Understand the target market of your future insurance company. This helps you understand if it provides the breadth of coverage generally needed by someone of your age, health, and style of travel.
Cheatsheet of Coverage Comparison
| What’s Covered? | World Nomads | SafetyWing Nomad Insurance | SafetyWing Nomad Health | IMG Patriot Plus | IMG iTravelInsured | IMG Global Medical |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency medical | x | x | x | x | x* | x |
| Routine healthcare | x | x | ||||
| Lost luggage, trip delay | x | x | x | x | ||
| Trip expense reimbursement | x | x* | x | |||
| Gear theft | x | x | x | x | ||
| Adventure sports | x* | x | x* | |||
| Adjustable maximums and deductibles | x | x | x |
FAQ About World Nomads & Travel Insurance
After more than ten years on the road, I moved to Europe in early 2018, now I have local Spanish health insurance and I use IMG Patriot Platinum when I travel back to the U.S., or to cover me and my son when we travel Europe and the world.
Generate an IMG quote to see if it’s a good fit for your travel situation, and look at SafetyWing if you’re heading out on a long-term trip.
A bit about this World Nomads review
I am travel writer and online marketer—I am not an expert and you should always conduct your own research. I write from my lived experience, as well as 18+ years of feedback from friends and readers. The fact is, I’ve used both World Nomads and IMG Global for well over a decade, so this is a first-hand, honest travel insurance review and no one paid me to use them—my hard-earned money bought a policy on every trip.
Disclosure: I am not a licensed insurance agent, nor a medical professional. While all of the information in this post is accurate to my knowledge, you must do your own research and verify all aspects of your travel insurance before securing a policy. I cannot be held responsible for your use of any of the information provided.
*Please note that I make a small commission—at no additional cost to you—on purchases you make through a select few product links. This never affects my recommendations.
Hi Shannon,
Thank you so much for the elaborated article and your patience with queries.
Mine is : trying to get travel insurance for my 22yo daughter ( aus citizen) who’s been backpacking/traveling for the past 4 months . Initially had insurance w an aus insurer( Bupa ) which just ended. Future plans are open , possibly Europe then Asia .in Israel atm for the coming month visiting family . Is a surfer so thought of WN as used them in the past .
Any recommendations?
Thank you .
I had food poisoning in Thailand. Spent three days in the hospital. Cost $1000. Missed $2800 dollar flight. World Nomads refused to cover any of this. The reason? I had only a PO Box in my home country.
Also lost my luggage. World Nomads would not covered the lost luggage without a receipt for every item including under and socks
Take the word Patriot off the name. Because it is used by MAGA Trumpers I associate the insurance with right wing extremist. I will not buy that insurance.
You mentioned you use Clements to protect your electronics. I’m curious if you’ve used their travel insurance as well. Are they on par with the other companies you reviewed here? Or would you only suggest them to cover personal gear/electronics? Thanks for all the info!
I have never used them for travel insurance in that manner, partly because when I started traveling I did not meet their stricter requirements for what an “expat” is. They are designed really specifically for those actually living abroad, and my understanding is that it’s less of a travel insurance than an expat insurance. If that is your situation, then you should definitely look into them further! I have only good things to say about my gear insurance through them—the rates are fair. The online renewal process is a bit of a pain, it’s not very modernized, but that’s my only gripe with Clements in the 10+ years I’ve used them.
Hi! an fyi. I’m looking at Safety Wing, but for US citizens, adventure sports are not included/available…..
Hi Shannon, great article and good advice. I am heading to the USA on a green card visa and planning to look for a job over there. Would I be better off with the WN policy including the extra cost for ‘work’ component in my policy or with a Patriot America Platinum? If I don’t find a job over there I will head back to Australia after a few months. Appreciate any advice you can provide.
Hi Gwen—I think that IMG works better for emergency medical, and I have several friends who have successfully used their plans in the U.S. That said, I recommend that you call IMG and have them offer some additional advise on the best plan for your situation. They are responsive and fast if you give a quick call—then you’ll know you’re covered for your exact situation.
Thanks for this very helpful article Shannon.
However, i’m still kinda undecided what to get for my upcoming Nepal trek. Nothing too fancy, only the Langtang Valley trek, but i’m still required to get insurance otherwise my guide won’t take me. IMG Patriot Platinum is a lot cheaper than WN, but it has no mention about altitude and the height that it covers unlike WN, which covers up to 5000m for the plan on offer. I’m not a US citizen. Does Patriot Platinum cover emergency helicopter evacuation (e.g. from AMS) even if there’s no physician present ? Appreciate your advice/suggestions please. Cheers !
Hey Shannon, thanks for condensing all this information down! I am planning on going on a thru hike of the Pacific Crest Trail this year and have been looking at World Nomad insurance to cover me while I am out there. I am quitting my job to get the 6 months time off that I need to do this, and so will not have a primary insurance plan. If I am reading this correctly, I would still be able to use WN in the even of an emergency, is that right? I am seeing different things about whether or not I would need to file with my primary coverage first before WN would kick in, and if that is needed, then I would be out of luck so I am just trying to make sure that is not the case. Thanks again for your help!
Hi Holly—my understanding is that you have to file first with your primary insurance if you have it—most plans that are not essentially “travel healthcare” plans have this stipulation. That said, I highly recommend you get that in writing from WN. And have you looked at IMG? They have domestic insurance called ITravelInsured that could work, or global medical that would also act a bit more like health insurance. For the last few years I use IMG for all of my US travels because it’s such an expensive destination to get sick, and I have a lot more positive experience (personally and those I know directly) with claims on IMG. Consider just getting a quote and comparing what’s offered: https://www.imglobal.com/img-producer-insurance-plans/?IMGAC=537536 —if they will cover some of the more “adventure sports” aspect of your trip (you’d need to add an adventure sports rider onto either WN or IMG).
Hi Shannon
Our daughter and her friends have booked a week-long trip to Cancun, Mexico over their Spring Break and we are considering purchasing a WN policy for her. She is not covered under her current policy if she travels anywhere outside of the US. . . . WN states that when filing a claim, one must first file with their primary provider; however, doing this would be a moot point. Is it still advisable to seek out a travel plan with WN?
So, generally all travel policies require that—they are secondary insurance, so if you have a health problem that your primary insurance does cover, then you go through them first. Without primary insurance, then your WN insurance would kick in right away. That said, as I noted above, I generally think that IMG Global is a better option for most travelers these days. WN’s policies tend to have a lot of loopholes, and too many readers in 2022 wrote me with stories of issues that came down to tiny, unforseeable issues (like they mentioned a having stomach ache the week before their trip and the traveler’s diarrhea they got wasn’t covered for a preexisting condition…) I’d take a look at IMG and adding the sports rider (and likely the mobile phone one)—it’s likely similarly priced to WN and I have firsthand experience with easy, successful IMG claims in the past year.
Thank you.
Hi Shannon! Great educative post. If my birthday is the day before the trip, would I put my age as that new age or the age I am on the present date/the day I purchase the policy?
Thank you in advance for your time!
MASSIVE LOOPHOLE WARNING
Conditions that are “similar”, but unrelated to, a condition that was subject to a previous claim ARE NOT COVERED. In their own words:
“If you were to develop a new stomach condition not related to the previous stomach issue but a similar condition you would not be covered due to it would be considered pre-existing unless it was due to an injury or something totally unrelated.”
I would be happy to share their email to me with anyone who wants it – I would post a screenshot if the site allowed it.
This is a shocking and appalling loophole, especially for a policy that is marketed towards long term travellers, who are likely to get separate but “similar conditions” – such as stomach issues, the most common travelers’ ailment. This company is unethical and anyone who promotes it without mentioning this loophole is irresponsible. I can only assume they didn’t know. World Nomads will not provide any further details on how they define a “similar condition”, so maybe save your one claim for any condition for something life-threatening/expensive. Of course they don’t issue any refunds after policy holders have discovered this loophole the hard way – it certainly is not explicitly stated anywhere in the policy!! Who would buy it if it was? I have confirmed this loophole multiple times, so I know it wasn’t just one agent giving incorrect information. Please share this with other travellers – we have to have each other’s backs!
WARNING
World Nomads only covers one instance of any type of illness. Confirm this with them if you are considering buying this insurance. When I called the emergency number about stomach issues, I was warned that this would be the only claim about “stomach issues” I would be able to make in the 9 months of travel covered by the policy. Note that this is not even a specific illness, just a general category of symptoms.
I followed up with World Nomads on this and have confirmation in writing that they only cover one instance of an illness, including one instance of general categories of symptoms such as stomach issues. Given that stomach issues are the most common travel health issue, this policy is shocking and appalling, especially as it is marketed to long term travellers. When I asked them by email if I would be covered should I make a claim and then have stomach issues again later in the trip, they confirmed that I would not be covered. Essentially, any general category of illness is only covered for a single occurance with one follow up visit.
Here is confirmation in their words when I asked them whether I would be covered should I have stomach issues again later in the trip :
“First, the World Nomads policy covers you for Sudden and Unforeseen illnesses and injuries that are unforeseen and unexpected. If this stomach issue existed 90 days prior to departing there would not be any coverage.
If you presented with a stomach issue that is sudden and unexpected, you would be covered for this issue. There is a follow up visit that is permitted after the initial consultation. This is described as follows in the policy wording:
Covered Risk 1: Emergency Medical Coverage for Injury and Sickness:
Expenses incurred as a consequence of an Emergency and resulting from Injury, Sickness or death occurring on a Trip. This includes one (1) Follow-up Visit (not including ongoing Treatment), when the medical process in dealing with the Emergency requires such a Follow-up Visit. The Follow-up Visit must take place within 14 days of the initial Emergency. In the case of Hospital confinement any coverage related to the Hospital confinement terminates upon release from Hospital.
In summary, when traveling they have an incident related to a specific condition then normally the plan only covers for one instance of that condition, and one follow up treatment, but nothing past that”. I am happy to forward the original email to anyone who is interested.
Just wanted to chime in since usually only negative experiences are the ones posted because when things work out, people forget about them. I personally had a good experience (relatively). It does take a long time to process a claim and pay out (30-45 days) so keep that in mind. Also, it is radio silence- though calling/emailing; I eventually got through to get an update on our claim. Also in my case even though I purchased via WorldNomads they actually seem to farm out the actual claim to various providers depending on locality, and for me it was TripMate- so this review ends up being more about TripMate than anything- though WorldNomad’s website was pretty nice (even though it had a couple quirky bugs) and it help my hand through the claim process which was very helpful.
I notice a lot of people didn’t really read their policy or understand the limits. MAKE SURE YOU DO. My wife tested positive for COVID-19 just a few days before our trip, we got a doctor’s note, we also had to have their attending physician statement signed by a doctor. Honestly collecting the evidence (receipts, statements, and signed doctor’s notes) was the most tedious part. Probably spent a few hours on that.
It also wasn’t great they weren’t proactive communicating and it took a while to process/receive our claim money. ALL THAT SAID, they DID come through and I was very happy to get my check. I bought them through WorldNomands for ~$286 and the claim payout was over $3,500- so it was money VERY well spent in my book!
Hi There,
After a brilliant nonsense questionnaire and a requested price that ended up with a message saying that WN could not provide a plan for a person aged 24 living in France, I consider myself lucky to have no chance to contract their services.
Kind regards
Sorry to hear you had that experience. World Nomads has temporarily suspended coverage for Europeans as they change the underwriters. It’s still a brilliant option, but it may be some months before they’ve sorted out their coverage for those in the European Economic Area.
I used world nomad but will NEVER again! They do not honor your policy and take every opportunity to shoot holes in your claim to get out of paying… even my super small claim, so DON’t waste your money. The money you give you might as well throw into a hole.
I’m sure the pandemic has been hard for them. My issue is that I called them prior to making what should have been reimbursable expenses. Rather than tell me he didn’t know; the rep made it sound as if the emergency purchases would all be covered. I’ve left reviews and they asked me to email them but guess what? No response. Rather than purchase insurance, I’d put the money aside so you have that extra cash to cover any unexpected expenses. Personally, if I’m going to make a charitable donation, I’d prefer it go to refugees or abused animals, rather than big business. Bloggers seem to all be in favor of WN. While most who have actually used their services (from comments on this and other blog sites) would never do business with them again. People are posting numerous warnings about this company for a reason.
My trip was interrupted due to covid complications. I called their rep before booking alternate transportation and crashing at an emergency hotel for the night. He advised me I was eligible to file a claim under both trip interruption and trip delay. Now that I’ve paid upfront out of pocket based on his advice, they don’t want to reimburse me. World Nomads seems like a scam to me. Advise everyone to stay far away from them, as others have mentioned in this thread.
Any business is aiming at maximising profit. Nothing wrong with it. Travel insurance is a business, sometimes a very profitable business. Given digital technologies available today, the most effective insurance solution for so called Global Nomads would be Mutual Insurance (also known as Peer to Peer protection). In this case, insureds and insurers have converging interests while retaining the benefit of potential positive margins. In the very preliminary stage of a project on P2P travel and life. It would be great to talk about it with some Digital Nomads.
I hired World Nomads and it was the biggest waste of my money.
I had specifically hired an insurance to go skiing, broke my arm on a ski slope and rang world nomads straight away. They said not to worry all good. I mentioned i needed an operation, all good. I mentioned going back home, no comments on that but of course when you are in pain with a broken arm you are not reading all the small print of your insurance, so I flew home and instead of being treated abroad I was treated at home. The night I got home I received a phone call from World Nomads during the night, ensuring I was home and in the middle of my sleep I was informed I would not be paid for the treatment since I was home and this person established that by waking me up and asking me whether i was home. The rules are you do not get paid because you have your health system. OK. The thing is I then read the whole policy very carefully and it is good for nothing. With or without this insurance you get to pay the same so don’t bother.
I’m sorry you had a tough time, but it’s unfortunate that you decided to read the policy after you needed it. The stipulation that insurance runs out when you’re home is pretty classic—it’s travel insurance for when you’re away not health insurance. It’s one of the reason I recommend that travelers who leave the U.S. to travel for a time keep catastrophic back home because in the event of a major accident where they airlift you home, your travel insurance stops on home soil.
World Nomads is the worst! They do not answer the phone or their emails and I expect like the rest you are getting paid an affiliate fee to help them scam people! You should be ashamed.
Furthermore they outsource the insurance to TripMate one of the worst on the web. I have tickets for next month on South African Airways — all of the news out of business, doesn’t answer the phone and no way to get anything out of them. The policy clearly states bankrupt providers are covered and they refuse to cover the claim. I am an attorney and can read the policy fine.
Get any praise of them down immediately!
My understanding is that South African Airways is not actually bankrupt—it received a government bailout and is in the long process of becoming solvent again. WN can’t payout on a situation that didn’t happen. For your sake, I wish that they had formally gone bankrupt so that you could quickly receive reimbursement. But from the online news looks like summer it might restart—perhaps then the airline will honor your ticket and offer a refund.
Hi Shannon! Thanks for your helpful post. I am actually trying to figure out what insurance to buy for myself. I have full coverage in my home country (where I am a citizen).
However I have been working as a contractor in the US for a few years now. As an expat contractor I have to purchase my own medical insurance. I am a little confused as to whether WN considers my country of residence to be the US or my home country – since I do have an address in the US, but I am on a temporary work visa (tied to my job, so if I end the contract I end the visa immediately). My contracts are never more than 6-11 months long.
In an emergency I would be more than okay being evacuated to my home country though since that is where my family is (and full medical coverage) and would prefer to be if something were to happen to me and I needed further medical attention beyond an emergency. So I’m really looking for insurance that will cover me for emergencies. Thankfully I have no chronic issues that require regular medical attention and I have checkups when I go back to my home country twice a year.
So my question is: Would I qualify to buy WN? Or should I get IMG? The Patriot Plan link doesn’t seem to work anymore.
Really appreciate your advice!
If you have a residency and can be brought back to your home country, that should work to have a policy as a citizen of that country. If you want to be considered for a US policy, you should email them directly with the question since it sounds like you have residency but not citizenship there. IMG’s site was down a bit in Feb, but it’s back up. I think a Patriot plan sounds more like what you need based on what you said, because you’re based in one place. But that said, a WN plan would work as well, if you truly don’t think you want any regular checkups, and you might be doing some more adventurous travel on the side during your contract. But likely the IMG plans are a good fit!
Hi Shannon! Thanks for your helpful post. I am actually trying to figure out what insurance to buy for myself. I have full coverage in my home country (where I am a citizen). However I have been working as a contractor in the US for a few years now. As an expat contractor I have to purchase my own insurance. I am a little confused as to whether WN considers my country of residence to be the US or my home country – since I do have an address in the US, but I am on a temporary work visa (tied to my job, so if I end the contract I end the visa). In an emergency I would be okay being evacuated to my home country though since that is where my family is (and full medical coverage). Would I qualify to buy WN? Or should I get IMG?
Really appreciate your advice!
Thank you so very much for the great information. My husband and I are 65 and older, US residents, on Medicare. When looking at medical insurance abroad, it is our understanding, Medicare will not cover us. Therefore, would we need to seek a medical insurance policy that covers as a primary? We are on a 3 week trip Bali, Australia’s, and New Zealand. My husband has Parkinson’s, well under control, do not see any issues that could come up due to pre-existing . Would greatly appreciate your guidance.
Hi Allison, that’s a good question. I think that the Globe Hopper plan from IMG is likely a good fit. You’ll want to read the plan details of course to make sure that it fits your situation, but I think it could be a good option and since it’s specifically designed for seniors with Medicare, and it will offer coverage in the right areas (and even has language about coverage if something were to unexpectedly happen with a pre-existing, which is ideal).
Hi there,
Really appreciate all your time for answers and the wonderful blog!
We are considering WN for an upcoming two week January trip to Nepal. We will be doing some remote hiking/trekking to some small villages, but at lower altitude so it is covered by WM. We are also Americans.
The main concern is if one of us is injured while hiking in a remote area, and unable to continue (say fall and hit a head or break a leg, etc…) will WN cover the expense of a helicopter evacuation TO the closest medical care facility?
I have called and looked at their policy, but it states there is “cover for emergency medical evacuation as long as it is ordered by the attending physician” and “The emergency assistance team’s medical consultant will work in consultation with you and your attending physician to decide and arrange the most appropriate transportation.”
It does not state that an evacuation is covered based on the point of illness or injury. If one is critically injured in a remote area, there will not be an attending physician. So far all plans I’ve seen who promote emergency evacuation all state it covers evacuation/transportation FROM medical facility to another facility or back to the USA if necessary.
Any further knowledge you may have? Thanks for any insight and help!
Hi Steph, thanks for reaching out and for the great question. I actually went straight to a contact I have at WN to ask them. The short of it is yes, you are covered for medically-necessary evacuations. The long of it is that you do have to make every attempt to have them arrange the transport—someone is being called to arrange the transport, so you have to make sure they are called to. I also found this outlined more on their site (so it’s more official than just hearing it from me). My contact noted:
“In regards to remote location medical evacuation, our 24 hour medical emergency team will assist in finding the nearest licensed facility, so that may be an hospital or local clinic. For all of our location, we require our travelers or someone else to call 24 hour medical emergency team in a case of an emergency. These two articles should help as well:”
Travel Insurance: Trekking in Nepal and Helicopter Evacuation
Travel Insurance and medical transport, Evacuation and Repatriation
Does that help? If you were doing a very risky hike, then you would want to go with a separate policy for remote hiking (that’s what EBC hikers usually need), but for the more basic Annapurna Circuit hikes I think WN will cover what you need!
For US-based travelers, try Globalrescue.com. It’s not insurance; it’s a fraternal membership club run by ex-military pilots because it’s not cost effective in the USA for ANY insurance company including WN or IMG to offer unconditional medevac coverage (though I believe the World Nomads policy for travelers based in Australia and maybe New Zealand does or did–the policy terms were written very differently). Global Rescue members include foreign aid workers in disaster zones who come in after you leave and World Nomads has already reimbursed you for the fact that you couldn’t have your holiday trek during a war or hurricane. We got a 1-month Global Rescue membership for Madagascar. My wife fell ill with food poisoning on a remote mountain hike. We still needed her brother’s satellite phone to reach GlobalRescue, which wouldn’t have worked in Alaska or Patagonia owing to the angle, but from Madagascar they picked up right away and starting asking about her symptoms. If she’d have needed it, they would have sent a helicopter to a clearing on the mountaintop based on our coordinates. I wouldn’t have wanted anyone on the phone telling us we had to first ask our guides to find a witch doctor in some nearby base village to pick us up and haul us to their hut near a paved road leading to some airport and check us out there first. That could get complicated and someone could have died.
My experience with WN was in 2017 so this may be outdated but when I called them I did not get the response Shannon got for the US Standard or Explorer policy underwritten by TripMate (Nationwide Mutual). They assured me they are NOT an emergency first responder policy so if you are in a remote area and need a helicopter evacuation you are actually on your own/out of luck. To use their policy you have to get sick in a town with a doctor and a road to an airport they can fly you out from by plane, to the nearest facility that can treat you properly, which may be in the country you are visiting, not your home country. Good luck with that.
Shannon — thank you, thank you for your in-depth information. And I have to say that you’re a most amazing aunt, too. You have lucky nieces and nephews!
At the ripe old age of 67 I have never bought trip insurance and am floored at the amazing pricing from both IMG and World Nomads ($415 and $320 respectively). I have gotten pricing from both the operator of the Patagonia trip we’re going on and a big insurance company ($2104 and $1,467 respectively for two of us). How could there be such a discrepancy between the two companies you have provided info for and the two I obtained before stumbling onto your blog? I even specified a zero deductible and million dollar cap with IMG, and still — it’s a fraction of my initial research. I’m very glad I found your blog!
Hi Julie! So glad that you found some good policies through both IMG and World Nomads! As far as quotes, I’m not sure why the policies differ. Have you looked at the terms of U.S. coverage for those two versus the other ones that you’re looking at? Some of them, for Americans, include a couple of weeks of coverage on home soil in the fine print, while for others your coverage ends on U.S. soil, or within a certain radius of your home address. If these other policies include any U.S. coverage, that would really jack up the price (but if you have healthcare in the States you don’t need travel insurance to cover you at home as your health insurance would kick in once you landed in an emergency. Other than that, I really can’t think of anything, but you could always get on the phone with the expensive ones, see what their pitch is for the difference, and then call IMG or WN to compare.
Safe and happy travels Julie!
In an email to World Nomads (I was a Silver Nomad) I confessed that I did not own a house or apartment in the USA any longer and that I had a room at a friends house that I receive mail at and where I stay when I am in the USA. I am actually a “nomad” or an expat who is traveling the world in my 70’s. This was quite unsatisfactory to World Nomads as they have canceled my current policy with them. As one of the World Nomads CSR’s say in their email to me “The World Nomads plans are based on residence, not your citizenship. As you do not reside in the US, you would not be able to purchase one of the plans for residents of the US.”
So, as you can see, being an expat, an actual “nomad” with no home ownership or apartment rental in the USA disqualifies me from their policies. Why I need to own a home or have an apartment in the USA escapes me considering I return to my “room” at my friend’s house several times a year but for World Nomads I guess real “nomads and expats” at not customers they want. Apparently, the word “nomad” is a marketing phase aimed at short travel tourists, not actual nomads.
That really surprises me Tom! I know many, many people firsthand who have used WN for years of world travel, where they are back stateside just once a year or so—nomadic, like you. They also let you extend your policies for well over the year mark (I had a policy with them that I extended for close at least two years before I let it lapse for a few months while I was stateside). I am so sorry that you’ve hand them cancel on you like that.
Travel insurance for those over 70, from what I’ve read include Geo Blue insurance and Global Insurance (backed by Lloyd’s of London), among others. Sending you good vibes and I hope you can quickly secure new insurance. (If you have any sort of homebase overseas, you might look into options for expats—these can be pretty good and still have coverage from when you are not at your “home.”)
I think the real problem for those like me who somehow still have WN policies and are as you say “back stateside just once a year or so” is that if WN found out those policyholders were actually nomads or expats and not living full time in the USA and only traveling as a tourist short trips from the USA, those people would have claims denied and policy cancellations just like me. As you can see from my experience all I had to do was tell WN the truth about me that I have a room and come back a few times a year, and because I do not live full time in the USA, WN does not want to grant policies to those type of people. What is happening is those who are expats and nomads simply have never told WN the truth about their travels and that is why they still have WN coverage. Otherwise, they will be canceled just like I have been.
I hear what you’re saying, but it’s not entirely true as I know countless people who have used them for long-term round the world trips—and have communicated that—and had no issue. I wonder what if their requirement is intention to return home? I have read policies that only cover if your intention is still to live in the U.S. at the end of your policy. I will be following up with them though to find out, as they market themselves to—and are popular within—the year+ travel/backpacker audience. All of whom generally have a room at a house somewhere in the U.S., not a full-time residence.
Hi, thanks for keeping this post up to date – your actual experiences with the companies is highly valued. Just to confirm, have you successfully filed claims with both IMG and WN (and received reimbursement)? Also, for emergency medical care, do either pay the hospital directly (or do they require travelers to go out of pocket and submit a claim afterwards)?
Finally, any views regarding the ease of use (ie submitting and receiving reimbursement of claims) of IMG’s global (non-travel) medical coverage for covered claims? Thanks!
Yes, so I’ve managed only smallish claims, under $500, but it’s gone smoothly. I have more claims experience with IMG because last summer I actually needed to go to an ER twice, and I had to pay out of pocket for the ER visits (about 350 euros each), and it took about three months once I submitted my documents for them to deposit money straight into my account. A non-American friend also used IMG for U.S. coverage and ended up needing very significant medical insurance coverage—in that case, since it wasn’t an emergency, IMG talked with the hospital to organize pre-approval and to authorize payments so the out of pocket was lower compared to the $20K+ bills that could have been there.
For both companies, if it’s medical and you have time you’re supposed to contact them and let it go through their authorized providers—that speeds up the process from what I am told. Either way, I found the online claims process pretty easy and both companies have helplines that help when filing your claim and figuring it all out.
Thanks for all the information here.
IMG is looking promising as I’m too old now for WN (66 and living in Thailand).
Not being from US (so no Silver Nomads) and residing in Asia seems to limit my options somewhat.
Do you have any suggestions for medical only because that is all that matters to me.
Thanks
An expat policy from IMG sounds like it would fit your situation exactly. The travel policies include things like trip cancelation, but the expat policies are meant to act as health insurance where you are living and they can be affordably priced. The only heads up is that, like travel insurance, if you are not in one of the hospitals they list in your destination then you have to pay upfront and then submit for reimbursement, which in my case came within three months both times that I claimed it. (start exploring plans here: https://www.imglobal.com/expat-insurance )
Hi Shannon, thank you SO much for all your helpful information. I am so glad I stumbled across your blog post. I am currently on Covered California (Obamacare) and am going on a trip for a few months. I was looking into getting World Nomads. I am confused in this post/people’s comments if I will be covered with World Nomad abroad? Also, is World Nomad truly the best option? I get confused if people are only recommending them because they’re affiliates or if they’re truly the best coverage for price as it’s pretty expensive compared to other companies. I saw some policies for Seven Corners. Have you heard/know anything with that insurance company? Your help would be greatly appreciated!
Also, how do you call World Nomad when you’re abroad? Typically I don’t have minutes on my phone plan when I buy a local SIM card.
Hi Kimberly! I can completely understand your confusion about the information about Obamacare—if you are not leaving the U.S. and stopping your U.S. insurance than ignore all of those comments (those long-term travelers were looking for a plan that would include everything Obamacare does PLUS travel insurance to avoid the U.S. fine that used to be imposed on those without health insurance). None of that sounds like it applies to you.
For you, yes, many reviews are biased by the affiliate commission and if a blogger doesn’t explain when WN isn’t the best option, then don’t trust their endorsement. For the record, I have no affiliate or monetary relationship with IMG at all and am as honest about them as I am about WN. As for the best policy for you, it really depends on the type of trip you’re taking. The reason that you might see such wide variations in costs is because some are “trip protection” and not “travel insurance” (I did a cursory look at Seven Corners, and that’s all I could find?). In short, trip protection is about recouping prepaid, non-refundable trip costs like flights, tour fees, hotels etc. Travel insurance is about providing coverage for your health, your person, and your gear once at your destination.
Other variations in cost come down to the deductibles and limits. Some policies might have you paying out the first $250 for a hospital bill. Or they may cover only up to $25,000 for a major hospital visit. Or perhaps only $500 in gear coverage (which doesn’t go far if you travel with a laptop, phone, camera, etc). So pay close attention to that when comparing policies. And lastly, the nature of your trip should determine coverage—all good policies either include adventure activities outlined, or they allow you to add a rider for certain activities you might do (ziplining, off-roading, scuba).
When you’re comparing policies for your own trip, consider what activities you need covered, the amount of gear, and the potential cost of healthcare in your destination. I would make sure I had higher coverage limits in Europe than Southeast Asia, for example (although even SEA would be a huge bill if something catastrophic happened). If you’re going really remote, look closely at Medevac coverage and how much.
Once you’ve taken those things into consideration, it should be easier to narrow down which policies best fit your trip. WN has very decent coverage limits (higher than most student-focused or low-cost policies) and automatically covers a range of adventure activities (and allows you to pay a bit more if you need the riskier activities covered). That’s part of why the policy is more expensive to start. On the other hand, IMG lets you build a policy for yourself, choosing your own deductibles and coverage limits, and also choosing if you need adventure activities covered (if you’re eating your way through Italy for two weeks, it’s probably not necessary!).
I have bought and paid out-of-pocket policies from WN every single year for more than 10 years, and I started using IMG in 2011 when I began traveling with my nieces and nephews. I can’t tell you which policy is best for your trip, but as I have said in the post: When I am doing a backpacker style trip, I go with WN, and I sometimes switch to IMG when traveling with family, or for a short business trip where I am in offices most days.
I hope that helps! My quick look at Seven Corners left me unimpressed, but mostly because I couldn’t see where they offer travel insurance versus trip protection? Let me know if I can help with anything else!
I just wanted to thank you for this very educational article! My boyfriend & I are planning a multi-year international trip, leaving our US roots (and insurance) behind us for a while. The research on international health and auto (we’ll be driving a GlobalX RV!) insurance options is so overwhelming (yet so critically important). Both World Nomads and IMG are on my list, but comparing them has been challenging. You gave me a lot to think about. Thank you for sharing your insights and experiences!
Hi Melanie! So glad to hear that it’s helped you figure out some things to consider. And congrats on the multi-year trip! That is a big undertaking for sure, I remember how much planning went into my first year on the road. Don’t hesitate to reach out if there is ever anything I can do to help as you plan. :)
Shannon, thanks for your review. After doing research it looks like WN is one of the best options out there. I was scared off initially by several bad reviews, but the more I read them the more I see its because people don’t understand the coverage they are buying and then complain when they aren’t covered for something that they were told they wouldn’t be covered for in the first place.
Here’s my question. I just paid a deposit on a hiking trip in New Zealand that is 1.5 years away. They require travel insurance and said to beware that some companies require insurance to be purchased within 7 days of making the initial deposit. Some other companies I researched required you to input the date of your first deposit for the trip, so I’m guessing that applies with them. I have not seen that with WN and they won’t let you book over a year in advance anyway. Do you have any experience with this? I submitted a question online but haven’t heard back from them yet.
I have this same question—does coverage begin immediately or only on trips booked after purchasing insurance. Did you ever find an answer?
Hi Shannon,
We are planning on quitting our jobs and spending next year traveling both internationally and within the U.S. We understand the distinction between medical insurance and the more traditional health insurance (that we will not be able to go in for routine visits, etc.), and World Nomads seems great for our international legs, but I am having a hard time determining whether it could be our only medical coverage for the time that we are in the U.S. Now that there is no individual mandate, we are not worried about that aspect of getting ACA coverage, but if we include the U.S. as one of the countries to which we are traveling, will WN reimburse for medical expenses the same way they would if we were in Australia or Spain (assuming we are at least 100 miles from home)? Thanks!
Hi Matthew! Congrats on the decision to travel for a year! What an incredible adventure you both have ahead of you. For your question—first, this is a big enough question that you absolutely want to have the answer straight from them, so I recommend that you email their team. Secondly, if the policy is the same as the last time I really read it closely two years ago, then the answer to your question is both yes and no (but again, you really must ask). The yes—they say as long as you are 100 miles from home that you are covered—I would confirm this in writing and in your policy. BUT, the no comes in because if you are medevaced back the U.S., coverage once you land on U.S. soil ends (you may have a two-week grace period, but it’s specifically worded not to imply medical coverage once “home”). And, importantly, coverage varies by U.S. State for U.S. citizens, so check where based on your residency/driver’s license, tax address, etc.
If you are under 30, one option is catastrophic coverage like what UnitedHealthcare offers—this is usually lower cost and has huge deductibles but I have digital nomad friends who use if for their U.S. travels. You could always do something like that for you U.S. travels and then buy WN once you head out. Good luck! :)
A complete scam from top to bottom!! For what it is worth I have used them since 2006 and paid them many times without ever contacting them or filing a claim. 12 years later I need to contact them; not for a claim but just to buy a policy as I was getting error messages. I reached out to “24/7” customer service and the only thing the lady said was we can’t help you, we are after hours only and can only put in a request for emergencies during normal business hours. Thank god I didn’t actually need their help!
Let me get this straight? You had a non-emergency, non-medical, policy-related question—and you were not a current customer—and they didn’t connect you to the 24 hour EMERGENCY hotline. That’s a win, because as someone who HAS used their 24 hour medical hotline for medical advice and assistance, it heartens me to know that my money is going toward assisting me at that point in the process and not paying for tech and clerical staff on to call to help you figure out what can clearly be sorted the next day. In what world does every single company have to provide every single service you desire day and night? Let me save you a step: IMG (a company I recommend here and have no financial relationship with), also does not have clerical staff on call 24 hours a day, but they also DO have a 24 hour hotline for medical assistance, which they answer even when it’s 3am and you’re crying, confused, and sick. Within the past two years, I have personally used both World Nomads and IMG for emergency medical problems and both responded exactly as I could have hoped—quickly, compassionately, and efficiently. THAT is why I recommend them.
This is a great review, Shannon. Thank you for your insight.
We are considering WN for our travels next year. But our trip is simply a week cruise from the UK to Europe, and I am wondering if WN is overkill (or underkill??). Any thoughts?
Glad it was helpful! I don’t think it’s overkill, but you likely don’t need the activities & sports rider that you can select as you check out. That rider extends coverage to more adventure-type activities, which it doesn’t sound like you will likely need for the cruise. Because Europe has more nationalized healthcare, it’s on the more affordable side. Other plans like IMG let you adjust the coverage maximums and deductibles and such, but that really comes in handy if you were doing something where you knew bills could mount up quickly (like a remote safari in Africa). WN basic could be a good option for your situation—the maximums are in a good range for covering Europe, and you will still have bigger things covered if you needed medevac or some such (hopefully not!).
Hi Shannon, I was considering Word Nomads before I read your article but am more confident now about going with them for a lengthy family trip to Sydney and New Zealand. If the total per person cost exceeds their maximum $10K limit, is it possible to break the trip up into two segments get two policies? Or, is it better to get the supplemental coverage with someone else? If either is possible, should I break the trip up by dates or by activity/locations? It’s the airfare getting to Sydney and back that puts us over, but I want to include the airfare.
Thanks for any recommendation you can provide.
Interesting question! My gut says that buying two policies might now be the right answer, but the complexity here makes me think you should absolutely contact them directly. It’s the sort of thing where you want their confirmation on the best way to handle. If you call, then I also suggest that you request they email you a summary of what you talked about on the call—that way you have it in writing that your approach is the right one. If they don’t get back to you quickly, shoot me an email at alittleadrift@gmail.com and I can ask a contact that I have there and help you get some answers!
Hi Shannon,
Thanks for the quick reply. I will check out “Silver Nomads”. I too am from Fl. Have a wonderful holiday and safe travels. Be well and be safe .. Hugs
Hi Shannon
I will be away Jan-March 2019. I want to buy insurance with WN and it gave me a quote with my age of 69. However, I will be 70 before the trip. Will I be covered turning the big 70 !!!
Good question. I am not an expert on this, but I believe you are outside the requirements since you turn 70 before your trip. But! WN has a partner program called “Silver Nomads” listed here. That page should give you a quote for coverage that has many of the same inclusions (it lets you select for adventure trips, etc). I hope that is helpful! And you can always send WN a message, they are often quick to respond. :)
Thank you, Shannon!
Hi Shannon. Thank you for all your insights. Any thoughts on how good WN is for Bhutan? Or is there someone else you’d recommend?
Hi Doug, good question. WN does cover Bhutan in its policies, you would just list it as one of your destinations. Coverage within the destinations only varies in that Bhutan itself is remote, but your policy is based off of your own nationality. So, your coverage in Bhutan won’t differ than if you bought it to cover you somewhere else—the rates and limits are the same based on your policy document. The only things that do change are the activities covered, so you still will need to be sure any trekking or adventure activities are covered on either the standard or more active plan you select when you purchase.
My husband and I are leaving the country and we were trying to decide what to do about travel insurance. I appreciate your advice that travel insurance will pay for a hotel if the flights get cancelled or fly us home if a family member passes away. This is something I think is very important, and I definitely want to have this type of coverage!
So glad that it was helpful, it is important to have insurance for those circumstances where you might feel trapped by circumstances, but you have the right plan in place to cover you so you can stay comfortably while you sort out the travel situation!
Hi Shannon we are travelling South America next year 2 are US citizens and 3 are from the Philippines but with US tourist Visa. We are visiting La Paz Bolivia, Lima Peru and Brazil. I am looking a coverage that only fit with our tour we are not doing any hiking etc. Just a plain tour, we just need a basic coverage, where can I find a fine print for the details of the terms and conditions without buying the coverage yet. Thank you o
HI Evenlyn! Good question, actually just start the application process a tad—enter your details of home country and trip duration into the quote form (no email or anything needed, they just need your nationality as the policies differ). Then, on the next screen there are two policy options (standard and explorer), and you can directly view the entire policy from a link under each one. It’s very clear and easy to spot, and that way you can read the fine print and figure out which is the better fit for the trip you have planned! Hope that helps!
Shannon, I see above that you were going to do some “digging around” and see if WN was still a great insurance to choose. My daughter is traveling to China next week and I want to purchase something asap. She is American and traveling from the USA. Thank you! Lisa
Hi Lisa! Yes, I actually have done some digging around, and I recommend World Nomads. I may have responded too late, as it sounds like your daughters’ trip was imminent, but I followed up with WN directly, got a contact on the phone and talked to them. It seems like their US underwriter wasn’t communicating well with clients making claims, even though they were processing the claims. But after some training, the communications issues are resolved, and the insurance itself is still solid as ever. I would use them in a heartbeat to insure the type of trip your daughter has planned.
Shannon, just wanted you to know that World Nomads is no longer a reviews.com on the best budget travel insurance list. The list now includes; Travelex, Hancock, IMG and Allianz. No discussion of WN at all.
Oh! I didn’t realize that, thank you for letting me know! I will go do some digging around and see why they dropped off and update the post. :)
It would be best to put a warning at the top of this article about this company (ah, I see you have regarding 2018).
It’s now putting travelers at risk, as they have bad faith and obstruct the claims process, even for small claims, so they cannot be relied on to actually pay up, especially if something serious and expensive happens.
The only value of insurance is peace of mind: if something happens, they’ll protect you. These bunch only CLAIM they’re protecting you. It’s travel insurance in words only. So it’d actually be safer to have none than have it with them.
Best regards, thanks for the good blog
Hi Bob, thank you for sharing your experience. Can you share your home country? World Nomads polices are unwritten by different companies in every country, so it would be helpful to know where you encountered this bad experience. Many thanks for weighing in.
Dear Shannon,
I came across your article while looking for travel insurance that covers mountaineering. I would like your insights on WN and IMG.
i) are claims with your supporting documents submitted via a secure website dashboard with encrypted transmission to protect the claimant’s personal data from 3rd party view? Submitting documents with personal data is a big no no via regular emails as its not encrypted.Some insurers I know communicate such matters via email – unfortunately.
ii) how are the claims paid to you. Directly to your bank a/c or via cheque?
iii) What is the speed of the claim process?
Thank you
Mack 18/06/18
Hi Mack! Good questions.
i) Yes, both of them use a secure portal that you have to log into and directly upload documents there. Then when you have new information on the status of your claim, the emails only notify you of a message, you have to log in to see it. Just last week I made a claim on my IMG expat plan and it was easy to log the claim and upload my documents.
ii) Depends on what happened for IMG. On some plans, and for massive procedures they will pre-approve you at the doctor/hospital and you can have the hospital bill the insurance company — no out of pocket there until your co-pay is due, if it’s a covered expense. For smaller bills, it’s by check on IMG, and I am honestly not sure on WN — you’ll have to ask them.
iii) I can only speak from my own experience and that of friends. As mentioned, major claims may be pre-approved with IMG if you know you are going into medical treatment, but even then it’s likely that the claims team will ask for other details if there’s even a remote chance that you don’t fit the bill. I find that speediness increases with the size of the bill. I know friends who were paid out in six weeks with both companies for bills sub $2K. A friend is currently in the claims process with IMG for bills upwards of 90K for emergency treatment in the US, and that is unresolved after 10 months (but was not paid upfront). Your mileage is going to vary depending on how clearly your situation adheres to the letter of their rules. It takes longer if there is a chance that your treatment is from a pre-existing condition or things of that nature. Or if you didn’t have a license to drive the motor bike that caused the injuries — that sort of thing. As you can expect, if it’s complicated why you needed treatment then it’s complicated to get it approved and they may need a lot of documentation. If it’s a straight-forward travel situation and you have all the required reports (doctors, police reports, etc), it can be speedy with both.
I’m an American and I have appreciated your advice but am concerned that you are not impartial?
I work for myself as a freelance travel writer and I have independently bought and paid for every one of my WN policies these past 10 years. Same with the IMG plans I recommend, every dollar came from my bank account. As I say in the post, WN is who I use for the bulk of my travels. Now that you say you are an American, you do have other considerations. I thought by your comment about a Spanish phone that you were not, but a WN policy def doesn’t cover you stateside for more than two weeks if you’re outside of your home state. For years I have carried a lowcost US plan alongside my WN since I was mostly outside of the U.S. traveling. Now, however, as I mention in the post, I use an IMG expat policy because I am living in Spain since last month.
There are only a few travel insurance plans that met the mandate for primary coverage according to the ACA, and WN is not one of them (neither is IMG). If you need one of those, they cost SIGNIFICANTLY more. My advice is to buy catastrophic to cover you if you’re only stateside for a couple of weeks and a travel policy for the rest of your time outside the US. As I said that is not something I have done as I carry US health insurance in addition to my travel policies. (although from 2008-2012 I had no US policy and would have been up the creek if something major had happened).
*As before, I am not a medical or insurance professional please reach out to verify (I add this clause not bc I work for anyone, but so that you recognize that I am a person who has done her own research and can only offer my opinion on what I found and my advice as to the policies I personally have bought. Your milelage may vary.)
Thanks for the response. I wrote them an email about 26 hours ago and they never answered. My old policy expired last night so I felt I had to hurry, and bought a policy. Unsure about international data, never thought of that. I tried WhatsApp and also regular dialing.
Oh I understand if you have lapsed that you are concerned. I don’t know much from what you’ve said, but if you are Spanish you booked a Worldwide policy and specifically paid for the one that includes U.S. and North America, then that is your “primary” insurance if you have an accident stateside. It doesn’t cover anything like regular checkups and stuff, but covers emergencies.
The stuff I talk about here, primary and secondary, applies chiefly to Americans who are not covered if they book WN policy and then get medically evacuated back to the states — our policies (the ones that companies sell to Americans like me) are not intended as primary coverage when we are back home; for that many Americans carry U.S. insurance as well as their travel policies. Does that help at all?
*This is to the best of my knowledge and you should definitely Skype them to verify.
I am going crazy trying to reach World Nomads. My Spanish operator says the number doesn’t exist ! Help. Just trying to find out if I need a primary policy in the US.
That sounds frustrating! Have you reached out via email? https://pp.worldnomads.com/contact-us — they have a form where you can submit a question and they will likely get back to you pretty quickly! The phone number is Australian, so perhaps you don’t have international data on your phone, or you could use Skype to call the Aussie number during their business hours. I think email is your best bet though.
Thanks for the review. Can I ask who you get your expat policy through. We don’t really need travel insurance, but we need basic health care coverage as we live in Central America.
Yes, I went with IMG Global, my policy says Patriot International®. I like the coverage and it was the most affordable of the options. I also chose it though because it specifically had some of the specific limits and $0 deductible where it was required for my Spanish visa. I wasn’t allowed to have just any plan, and so this one was an expat policy that did function like healthcare, it lets me get annual checkups, well visits, things like that. Could definitely be something that would work well for living CA.
Thanks so much for the reply. If you don’t mind I have a couple more questions ???? Does the hospital bill IMG directly or do you have to pay out of pocket first and then get reimbursed by them later? I forget my other question now. When I remember I will ask you. Thanks a lot for all of your help ????
I am not sure how it works on the road since every healthcare system is not the same, but a non-American friend had it when she was in the U.S. and needed procedures, and from the ER to the planned surgeries, the US insurers accepted IMG as insurance and did not require cash upfront. In developing countries, you may have to pay out of pocket first, esp for smaller things like checkups since they don’t cost as much, but I would really suggest that you send a note to the IMG team with these questions as they will be able to better detail it all. For catastrophic and emergency coverage, I know that you have to contact them asap so they can help navigate the billing and treatment and all of that.
Dear Shannon,
Thanks for the comprehensive review. I’m glad I came across your review. I have been going through some insurance website myself for the last 1 month, looking for the most suitable one for my need.
I am a general surgeon from Malaysia, going to Milan, Italy for 11 months for a fellowship in cancer surgery. Within that period I will be travelling to some other countries for courses, conferences and of course vacations. I have been in contact with some insurance brokers regarding that, receiving input from the brokers is not enough and satisfying to me, and I feel but I must take my time to do my own research , read through the policies and address my concerns / questions to the respective insurance companies till I am crystal clear with what my needs are and which plan fits my requirements the best.
As per requirement for Italian VISA application, I need to purchase a travelling medical insurance. I’m now weighing between Patriot International by IMG and Atlas Travel by HCC MIS ( Tokyo Marine). I am more incline towards IMG at the moment. Travel Atlas (Tokyo Marine) seems to have a lot of negative comments, mainly regarding the process of insurance claims. I have emailed my inquiries directly to IMG and hopefully will receive the answers soon. After reading your review, I’m glad and happy that my research for the past one month concurs with your opinion on IMG. This is my first time staying abroad alone, hence I am extremely cautious and want to be 100% sure before purchasing any plan.
I haven’t heard of the Travel Atlas one, but it sounds like you have really done your research well. All travel insurances have some bad reviews, but if you are noticing a lot then I really would look elsewhere — they’re always going to make you submit receipts and records before paying out, but if they take it too far and are bad about paying claims then you wouldn’t want to be in Italy for that long without a solid choice. Like you, I came around to IMG for the broad and detailed coverage, and also the generally favorable reviews. I hope the fellowship goes wonderfully!
Hi Shannon. I’m 67 and going to the Yucatan for 9 weeks in the spring to study Spanish at the local language school, my longest trip thus far. I’ll be in Puerto Morelos (I know the town from previous visits). I don’t plan on anything extreme, a few day long tours to nature preserves/Mayan ruins/other cities; definitely snorkeling and I’m considering learning how to scuba because of the reef there; maybe zip-lining; renting a bicycle. Mostly I just want to live in the village, buying and cooking my own food, and getting to know the people and practicing my Spanish with a few adventures on the side. World Nomads sounds like it’s a good fit for more extreme travelers. Do you think it could be a good fit for me? If not any other recommendations? I have a couple of months before I leave so plenty of time to research. Any advice would be much appreciated! Not even sure where I heard about World Nomad, on a TV travel show I think….Thanks Shannon!
Hi Alison! Good question. WN is pretty much general travel insurance that happens to also cover adventure activities — so it could work well for you with since you will be doing some of the temple visits, zip-lining, and water activities — insurance companies consider those adventure activities and it’s actually extreme things that aren’t covered base jumping, etc). The scuba especially is considered an adventurous activity by most insurance companies, so you will want to definitely check that it’s covered by whichever you choose. For WN, you have to buy the Explorer upgrade, and I think you have to buy an adventure rider on others (like IMG) as well. These generally are not a whole lot more on the policy but you should absolutely add it if you’re learning to dive (which you should! I love scuba and the Yucatan has some gorgeous dive sites). I think WN could be a good bet for you since it’s affordable and the explorer ride will likely cover the activities you mentioned (they have a handy list of activities covered as you’re booking so you can check — that way there are no surprises if you need coverage on the road). :)
Thanks Shannon. Feliz viajar!
Hi could you clarify, is WN a Primary coverage? I am abroad and do not have primary insurance currently. what would you suggest..THANKS for a great BLOG!
Tough question. This post in their forums answers it officially from the company: https://answers.worldnomads.com/questions/all-locations/16195/will-worldnomads-honor-my-claims-even-if-i-dont-have-a-primary-insurance-provider . Basically, you can claim on their policy first, but becuase it is not intended to cover you in your home country, it’s not *technically* primary coverage. So, anything that happens overseas, yes it’s primary. But if you have to be flown home for medical treatment, it will only cover you there for the amount of time stated in the policy before your home insurance takes over. And if you are American, WN does not meet the terms of the ACA to count as primary to cover you for the individual mandate.
Hi Shannon,
Real quickly here, great post, you echo a lot of what others say about WN but I find it helpful you shed some light on IMF and policies for families or children. In your referral mention, I’m happy to pay it back, for all your help and sharing, but how does the WN site associate with your name, like where is the/your referral link?
Well, I haven’t read the WN policies in a while, but when I did, if you compare what they say about minors and guardians, IMG had clearer and more favorable terms (at the time that I compared, so please double check) about in what circumstances they would authorize and pay for a guardian to be flown overseas for the child (if something happens to the travel guardian, like serious illness, injury, etc). IMG allows you to select coverage levels and deductibles and all of that, whereas WN is a set policy, so with kids involved I did a low deductible and the clear coverage so that my nieces and nephews would always be covered. As for referral links, I don’t have any for IMG, and the WN one is built into the link. :)
Hi!
I really need your advice:
My BF and I are leaving for 4 month in South America (stoked).
The first two months will be spent in Buenos Aires (just being city people, nothing too extreme, high theft there, but just hanging out enjoying the culture.)
The next two months we will be backpacking through Patagonia, then fly to Cusco, do Machu Picchu (mostly backpacking, maybe white water rafting)
I’d like to book with World Nomads for the entire trip, but it’ll be $575 per person for the whole 4 months!
My question is, do you think we should book a cheaper insurance the first two and then switch to World Nomads for the last two to cut down on cost? Would that mess up any use of insurance at all?
Please let me know your thoughts :)
Nevermind! It is $575 ttl. not per person! I think we’ll end up going with that…
Thanks for the post!
I would be stoked too! Four months is a great length of time to really dive deep and explore. And I am so glad you sorted out the insurance question, $575 definitely sounds more doable for a four month trip, and I am glad to know that you guys will be protected, especially with the outdoor activities that you have planned. Of note, WN is one of the few companies that definitely allows to purchase even while you are on the road, or even if you don’t have a return ticket yet, so you will be OK if you decide to leave and wing it for a few weeks before buying insurance (although double check to be sure if you go that route!). :)
UGH! Insurance is so wonderful to have and such a pain to research and acquire. Thank you for this review to make figuring out insurance for long-term travel easier. I hadn’t thought about needing to meet requirements of the Affordable Care Act- I’m glad you brought that up!
Glad you found it helpful, it’s such a headache of a topic! I actually just bought insurance for next year that should cover me if the ACA requirements are still in place, and it will also act as an expat policy for me if I successfully secure a visa to live in Europe. It’s more a traditional plan, but with coverage all over the world too. But far less travel-focused than the travel insurance ones like World Nomads, that rarely work back home (so you often want or need to keep something in place), but travel ones tend to cover more of the adventure activities you might do on a RTW trip (trekking, diving, etc). That’s the main differences I have found in the past few months when I have been researching and buying an expat policy (I went with IMG Global in the end). Good luck!
Thanks for your response Shannon. So if leaving a job, and losing health insurance, you would obviously recommend both a health insurance plan in US and a travel insurance plan (through WM, for instance…)?
Yes, I do recommend that you either carry both, or you choose one of the more expensive plans from IMG, which *can* fulfill the ACA requirements while also providing travel insurance (you would have to research and check that, but as far as I know, IMG is among the only that hits that middle ground). That said, I found it cheaper this past year to carry a US policy, and then a travel policy that excludes the U.S. If the individual mandate is removed from ACA, you could also choose to risk it and not carry U.S. insurance. In that case, travel insurance would cover you for mild to moderate issues, but if it was severe or catastrophic travel insurance would pay to return you to U.S., where you would no longer have travel coverage and you would need U.S. insurance to kick in. I hope that makes sense! Good luck! You can also call WN or IMG and ask them to explain some areas if you aren’t totally clear on it.
Great article, thanks for sharing this!
Just wanted to drop by to say: your comment on motorbiking in Asia without a proper license at home is spot on.
For anyone that’s curious about motorbiking, the rule is this: if you’re going to pilot a motorbike in Asia (or really anywhere in the world), you need a motorcycle license in your home country as well as an international drivers license with motorcycle certification (this requires a prior motorcycle license, at least in the US). Without these things, your travel insurance will NOT cover you whatsoever should you get in a wreck or injure yourself or others while on a motorbike. And people wreck and hurt themselves ALL the time, especially when they haven’t had proper safety training and find themselves wearing clothing that provides them no projection from motorbike mishaps. Be safe out there everyone!
Thank you for chiming in to confirm this and add info!! My husband and I had thought about international drivers license, but hadn’t thought of getting motorcycle certification … which is a really great idea. This will save us headaches and disappointment later- thanks!
Does this include vespas/scooters, or just actual motorcycles?
It’s my understanding that you have to be licensed to drive the automotive in your own country for coverage on your travel insurance policy, and since both vespas and scooters in the U.S. require a separate license to drive, then yes. But, you should call and confirm before taking my word on it.
Thanks for the info, Shannon. However, there are tons of bad reviews of World Nomads. I myself had a very very bad experience with them just a week ago. I will spare you the details. These guys are either massive liars or just totally disorganised – I think both. I used them once and never again!!
Ah well, I do wish that you would share specifics. Too often in those reviews (including ones you had linked to), people are upset that claims are not paid even though it amounts to them not actually understanding what was covered in their policy. I don’t link to those negative reviews because I haven’t yet found a story where everything was submitted as required and the WN insurer didn’t pay. I am sure it has happened, I just haven’t found that to be the case in the vast majority of reviews that bash insurance companies, no matter which one it is. I hope that you can find resolution for your situation, it is so awful when you are out money that you had anticipated you would have returned, it is a situation I hope befalls few travelers no matter their insurer.
I’ve used WN for years on and off. I’ve spent thousands of dollars on their policies, and had to make 3 claims. My experience is that they are so far the lesser of the evils, but they’re still evil. Especially with their new policies as of this year which restricts activities and forces you to itemize each country you’ll be visiting before hand.
Specifically: I had one $8000 medical claim that involved a trip to ER, surgery and an overnight stay. WN were amazing, paid everything, the hospital liased directly with them, all I had to do was sign a couple of documents. This alone has pretty much paid up for all my insurance policies with them over the years.
I had one trip cancellation claim when I had to return home due to a death in the family. They did require a death certificate (fair, I guess) and did pay up, though it wasn’t really a very significant amount.
I had one theft claim that they denied on a technicality and I had to threaten legal action. After the threat, they then paid. But that was quite unpleasant and left a sour taste in my mouth.
I’m really not a fan of theirs anymore (used to love them), but have yet to find a better alternative – that’s why I was reading this post!
No, they do not pay me to review it. If you buy a policy I make a commission, which I started years after I first posted this review (the first version of this review was in 2008). I have paid for my own policies and used World Nomads for eight years (they are covering me right now while I am in Vietnam for the past three months, and I pay for it). My review policy is linked in the footer of the site; I only review and recommend products I personally use and believe in. Likewise, I have used IMG when traveling with minors under my care and I recommend them for families (and I make no money if you buy IMG, I just think they have better family policies than WN if something catastrophic happens). Good luck finding the right policy for your trip and situation!
One of your tips is to buy primary policies. Doesn’t World Nomads only sell secondary insurance policies? I believe Travel Guard gives you the option to choose primary or secondary. I didn’t see that choice for WN.
Good point although WN doesn’t require that you have primary insurance, just that you claim the primary first if you do. You can use them without a primary coverage from my understanding. Which could be wrong, but I did verify that back in the day when I started traveling in 2008 and before I had ObamaCare stateside. I’ve heard from expats that Aetna also carries a policy that works as a primary for travelers who want to also meet the terms of the Affordable Care Act, and then there may be state-by-state policies that cover travel too, but it’s highly varied by state and my state, Florida, does not have a travel one on the healthcare exchange. IMG Global has one too, it’s primary and travel, and it let’s you select if you need coverage while in the U.S., and Cigna Health had a wicked pricey travel one that would also meet the ACA requirements. I carry both travel insurance and ObamaCare. Good luck!
I”m wondering about some of the wording in the policy. It asks for “your country of permanent residence”. Basically, I don’t have a country of permanent residence. I am Canadian, but gave up my residence, and I currently live in South Korea as a temporary resident. Anyone have any insight into this, or who is in a similar situation? Cheers!
That does sound pretty tricky Anna. I would check with the policy and see what they prefer you to list. Many travel friends stick with listing the place of their nationality and they use parents’ or friends’ addresses to meet that qualification. I have a Canadian travel friend who is in a similar situation but uses her parents house in a pinch, though she is not technically a resident for years now. Check with the policy though, as you would not want to be caught in a loophole and stuck with a big bill!
Oh no, this is bad advice! Once you give up residency in Canada you’re no longer entitled to free health care. (In BC you can maintain it for up to two years, but in other provinces, it’s 3 or 6 months usually). If you suffer a severe medical issue while overseas, WN is under no obligation to fully treat you. They can, at their election, choose to fly you back to your stated country of permanent residence (even if this requires medical transport) if they think this will be cheaper for them. If you state Canada as your home country, and they do that – you will have no medical care available to you for 3 months (the waiting time before your Canadian health care kicks back in).
Also, now when you file a claim you have to state that you are entitled to health care, and if you’re not, your policy is limited to $40k of medical care.
I’m a diver, as well, so always have DAN coverage. I’m looking for a plan that covers non-dive medical to augment my DAN coverage and for when we’re on non-dive trips, so am considering World Nomads or Patriot. Do you have DAN coverage in addition to your World Nomads (Explorer plan, I assume) policy?
Good question! I haven’t been diving in a few years, so I don’t maintain dive coverage, but I did have DAN coverage my first year traveling when I was diving often. Now though, I just use the explorer plan/adventure sport coverage if I am heading somewhere and I think I might dive.
Nicely written Shannon, I've been meaning to do a similar post as I too am with World Nomads and haven't a complaint so far. Although I've not made a claim myself I met someone who has and they said it went through fine, and they paid up promptly, that's all you need to know when it comes to insurance companies at the end of the day.
Precisely! And there are those few odd negative reviews out there from people, but I really did find that WN had great feedback from other RTW travelers and backpackers :-)
Nicely written Shannon, I've been meaning to do a similar post as I too am with World Nomads and haven't a complaint so far. Although I've not made a claim myself I met someone who has and they said it went through fine, and they paid up promptly, that's all you need to know when it comes to insurance companies at the end of the day.
Hey Brian, based on what I've read and what I understand, it depends on the level of the emergency. If you are in and out for something small, then you pay and submit for reimbursement. But, in the case of a medical emergency, they ask that you contact them immediately, or have the hospital do it, and they will pay – same for med evac, they will arrange if it is necessary. No specific places to go, but once they are talking with your hospital, they will help determine the next actions (transfer to a diff hospital, etc). I'm pretty sure that's how it goes down! :-)
Precisely! And there are those few odd negative reviews out there from people, but I really did find that WN had great feedback from other RTW travelers and backpackers :-)
So true, thanks for that tip Mark, I rarely go through agents, but a few people have told me that some agents can be really high pressure as they try to make a commission.
This is killer advice, thanks Shannon. I know nothing about insurance and the whole process is daunting. Will definitely keep this in mind for the future.
Ooo – that's such a great tip – I'm going to add it to the article actually (w/attrib ;-) Thanks! I was pretty lucky to not have to make any claims w/them yet so it's nice to hear from other travelers that their claims have been paid out, and timely too. :-)
World Nomads do seem to be the popular choice among travellers. I've used them and they seemed fine though I've never had to make a claim. My understanding is that insurance is at times an agent's biggest earner so you do need to check prices to make sure you are getting a fair deal.
So true, thanks for that tip Mark, I rarely go through agents, but a few people have told me that some agents can be really high pressure as they try to make a commission.
Thanks for the comprehensive review Shannon. World Nomads is the one most people seem to recommend when traveling. Good questions to ask and ideas to think about when picking a company.
Do you know if you have to pay and then they reimburse or can they pay the medical clinic/hospital directly? Do they have a list of places you can go for medical treatment, or is it wide open?
Hey Brian, based on what I've read and what I understand, it depends on the level of the emergency. If you are in and out for something small, then you pay and submit for reimbursement. But, in the case of a medical emergency, they ask that you contact them immediately, or have the hospital do it, and they will pay – same for med evac, they will arrange if it is necessary. No specific places to go, but once they are talking with your hospital, they will help determine the next actions (transfer to a diff hospital, etc). I'm pretty sure that's how it goes down! :-)
We've been using World Nomads insurance for the three years of our rtw journey…and I just renewed it again. While we have fortunately not had to make much use of this insurance, the two claims we did file were quickly addressed and money arrived in my bank account within a week of a decision.
One piece of advice if you can't get a police report for stolen equipment – you can get a statement from your hotel, tour company or someone in authority instead.
Ooo – that's such a great tip – I'm going to add it to the article actually (w/attrib ;-) Thanks! I was pretty lucky to not have to make any claims w/them yet so it's nice to hear from other travelers that their claims have been paid out, and timely too. :-)
World Nomads do seem to be the popular choice among travellers. I've used them and they seemed fine though I've never had to make a claim. My understanding is that insurance is at times an agent's biggest earner so you do need to check prices to make sure you are getting a fair deal.
We've been using World Nomads insurance for the three years of our rtw journey…and I just renewed it again. While we have fortunately not had to make much use of this insurance, the two claims we did file were quickly addressed and money arrived in my bank account within a week of a decision.
One piece of advice if you can't get a police report for stolen equipment – you can get a statement from your hotel, tour company or someone in authority instead.
Thanks for the comprehensive review Shannon. World Nomads is the one most people seem to recommend when traveling. Good questions to ask and ideas to think about when picking a company.
Do you know if you have to pay and then they reimburse or can they pay the medical clinic/hospital directly? Do they have a list of places you can go for medical treatment, or is it wide open?