Travel Abroad? Your Health Cover Stops at the Border

Most Indians don't know their domestic health insurance is useless abroad. International travel insurance fills this gap — covering medical emergencies, trip cancellations, and lost baggage when you fly overseas. Here's what to look for before you buy.

Here's what happened: Galaxy Health Insurance has launched an international travel insurance product targeting Indians travelling overseas for leisure, business, or education purposes.. The product covers overseas medical emergencies, trip cancellations, baggage loss, and passport-related issues, with global assistance handled through a partnership with Europ Assistance India.. This launch adds another player to India's growing travel insurance segment, giving consumers more options to compare alongside existing products from Bajaj Allianz, Tata AIG, and HDFC Ergo..

What you should do: Check your existing health insurance policy document — look for a 'geographical scope' or 'territorial limits' clause to confirm it does NOT cover overseas medical treatment.. Compare international travel insurance plans on IRDAI-regulated aggregator platforms before your next trip — compare sum insured, medical evacuation cover, and pre-existing disease exclusions across at least 3 insurers.. If you are applying for a Schengen visa, verify your policy explicitly meets the €30,000 minimum medical cover requirement and that the insurer is accepted by the relevant embassy..

Always buy travel insurance with a cashless hospitalisation network abroad — reimbursement claims for overseas treatment require you to pay first in foreign currency, which most travellers cannot afford in a crisis.

For readers weighing their credit and loan options, our personal loan guide and CIBIL score resources put this update in context.