Traveling the world is exciting, but unexpected illnesses can quickly turn your trip into a stressful experience. Whether you’ve purchased travel insurance or travel medical insurance from IMG, your plan may provide coverage for medical expense reimbursement for accidents, sicknesses, and other medical emergencies.

This guide walks you through the key steps to ensure you receive the care you need while making the most of your insurance benefits.

What Illnesses Are Typically Covered by Travel Insurance?

Travel insurance plans generally include medical benefits that provide coverage for unexpected accidents, illnesses, and medical emergencies rather than routine or preventive care. Common covered conditions can include:

• Sudden illnesses such as food poisoning, infections, or respiratory illnesses
• Injuries from accidents, falls, or minor mishaps
• Hospitalizations due to serious health events (not related to any pre-existing conditions)
• Emergency medical evacuations for life-threatening injuries and illnesses
  

Always review your plan documents prior to traveling to understand which conditions may be covered.

What to Do Immediately If You Get Sick Abroad

• Assess Your Symptoms: Determine whether you need urgent medical care or if you can visit a walk-in clinic or schedule a telehealth appointment (if included in your plan). If you’re experiencing life-threatening symptoms, contact local emergency services immediately.

• Check Your Insurance Plan: Review your plan documents to understand your medical benefits and potential out-of-pocket costs including your deductible and coinsurance (if applicable).
• Contact IMG: IMG’s customer care team can help you find a provider, verify coverage requirements, and coordinate medical referrals and emergency assistance services.
  

When you contact IMG, have the following items ready:

• Your ID card or policy number
• A brief description of your symptoms
• Location details to help identify the nearest medical provider
• Any pre-approval requirements for treatment or hospitalization
  

How to Find Appropriate Medical Care Abroad

Navigating healthcare in a foreign country can feel overwhelming, but IMG provides support in identifying hospitals and providers that accept your insurance.

• Contact IMG for medical referrals and emergency assistance services.
• Search IMG’s provider database to find an in-network doctor or hospital.
• Use telehealth services if included on your plan.
  

If you don’t have an in-network provider nearby, you can still seek treatment at an out-of-network provider. The costs incurred will be subject to the terms and conditions outlined in your plan wording.

Precertification

Before any proposed hospital admission or surgery, you may need to have the procedure precertified for medical necessity. Contact IMG’s customer care team to see if precertification is required by your plan. You can initiate a precertification in the MyIMG customer portal.

Understanding Your Policy’s Coverage Limits and Exclusions

Travel insurance typically covers emergency treatment but may exclude:

• Pre-existing conditions
• Non-emergency doctor visits
• Preventive care or routine check-ups
• Certain high-risk activities (e.g., extreme sports)
  

The Schedule of Benefits in your plan documents will specify a maximum limit—this is the maximum amount your plan will pay for eligible medical expenses. Review your plan documents for full details and exclusions to avoid unexpected costs.

Filing a Claim: What You Need to Know

• Collect Documentation: Keep all medical records, receipts, and reports from your provider.
• Use an In-Network Provider: It’s recommended that you use an in-network provider (in the U.S.) or direct billing provider (outside the U.S.) as they will handle the claims process for you. You can search for in-network and direct billing providers using our Find a Provider tool.
• File a Claim via MyIMG: If a provider doesn’t submit a claim on your behalf, the easiest and most efficient way to file claims is via the MyIMG portal. You’ll be guided through a step-by-step process to submit your claim and supporting documentation.
• Submit Your Claim Promptly: Some plans require you to file a claim within a certain number of days after your treatment. Delays can slow reimbursement, so aim to file as soon as possible.
• Review our Claims Center for more information on how to file a claim, tips on filing a quick claim, frequently asked questions, and more.
  

Tips for Documenting Your Illness and Treatment

• Take clear photos of medical bills, prescriptions, and hospital records.
• Keep a timeline of symptoms and treatments received.
• Request itemized receipts to avoid confusion during the claims process.
  

Real Customer Story

IMG customer Philip Mitchell fell nearly 20 feet into a river gorge during a hike in Greece. He suffered a concussion, broken ribs, a punctured and collapsed lung, several broken bones, and more. After a month-long hospital stay and rehab, Philip has made a full recovery and is grateful for the help he received from IMG and the fact he had very few medical bills to worry about in the aftermath. Read Philip’s full story.

This is a summary of a selection of plan benefits offered only as an illustration and does not supersede in any way the Certificate of Insurance and governing policy documents (together the “Insurance Contract”). The Insurance Contract is the only source of the actual benefits provided. CM00502550A250624