Travel health insurance plans typically only provide coverage during the time that you are traveling. When applying for a travel health insurance policy, you will often need to submit the dates you will be departing and returning. The travel health insurance plan will give you coverage between those dates.

Travel health insurance plans are typically only protect you in the event of unforeseen illness or injury. Travel health insurance plans may not be used for routine medical exams, preventive care and immunizations, treatment of pre-existing conditions, drug or overdose treatments, maternity treatment or other expenses that are not considered medically necessary. To that end, travel health insurance plans should never be purchased to provide coverage for any existing medical conditions and should only be considered for unexpected medical emergencies that occur while traveling.