If you’re a digital nomad, it’s likely that the last thing on your mind is health insurance. After all, if you’re constantly moving from one place to the next, how can you stay insured? It turns out that there are several options for staying healthy while traveling and working remotely. In this article we’ll discuss what types of plans exist for digital nomads, and which ones might be right for you!
1. What is a digital nomad?
Although you’re probably already aware, a digital nomad is a person that is able travel around to different countries while working remotely, usually online. They are not bound to just a single location and can often spend a few months in a country before moving on to the next one.
Digital nomads are often motivated by a desire to experience new cultures and explore different types of living situations, or simply enjoy their own world without being tied down in an office all day long. In fact, many digital nomads have found that working remotely is more rewarding than having a regular nine-to-five job.
A recent study showed that over half of remote workers felt they were more productive when not working at the same location as everyone else – no distractions!
And this type of work has increased exponentially in popularity recently: there’s now around 32 million people who consider themselves digital nomads worldwide with numbers growing steadily every year!
This means health insurance needs for the majority of them is a topic that needs to be addressed.
2. Why do I need health insurance as a digital nomad?
As a digital nomad, you may think that you can simply go to another country and start working online, and while in many cases this was somewhat true, the arrival of COVID-19 has put a damper on this approach. Many countries now require workers to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination, and if you do not have the necessary certification then it is likely that your work visa will be denied.
This means that to travel to many of the places that you’d like to work remotely from, you’ll need to have sufficient health insurance to cover you during your stay.
The amount of coverage that is necessary will vary depending on where you’re going, how long you’ll be there, and what types of work are available to do while abroad. The best way to know for sure is by checking with a health care provider or the embassy in the country before leaving home.
I strongly recommend that you do your research about health insurance requirements as a digital nomad for the destinations you plan to visit, especially with COVID-19 being such a recent issue. This includes searching on forums, checking with embassies and consulates, and speaking with a medical professional.
It’s also important to consider the type of insurance that you need: For example, some digital nomads will want short-term health coverage while others may prefer long-term care options that can span their entire life or until they retire from being a digital nomad.
A major factor in determining what kind of plan you want is how often your occupation requires work abroad–if it happens fairly frequently then having an all around good plan might be best for you but if it doesn’t happen too often than just needing something temporary would suffice.
3. How much does it cost to get health insurance as a digital nomad?
This is a fairly open ended question, and the answer will vary upon your age, health status and offers available to you in your country.
It is important to note that some digital nomads will want a plan with more coverage than others. For example, a young person might not need quite the same level of care as someone who has already developed health problems such as diabetes or hypertension.
For this reason it’s best for all potential digital nomad insureds to have conversations about their needs and wants with an insurance agent before purchasing anything online so that they know exactly what they are getting themselves into.
If possible, make sure you compare prices across various providers and ask questions when necessary–you should never feel lost in these situations because your future well-being depends on how much you’re willing to invest now!
4. What are the pros and cons of getting health insurance as a digital nomad?
Honestly, I can’t think of any cons with getting health insurance as a digital nomad, but the pros are numerous. What if you have an accident while you working as a digital nomad in another country?
You may be entitled to low cost or even free medical care in your home country but it’s very unlikely you would have the same option available to you in another country, the cost of medical procedures in another country may well wipe out any money you had saved up and the cost of living in that country.
As far as I can see it, it’s all pros in regards to having health insurance while traveling as a digital nomad because it can be so costly to get medical treatment in another country. While it is a safety net for when you find yourself traveling abroad, there are some factors that need to be considered before signing up with any company.
The first thing you should consider is what level of coverage does your visa allow? If it doesn’t cover anything at all then getting insurance would make sense but if not then don’t bother. Also, who will pay for any costs associated with repatriation back home? Some policies cover this cost while others do not; check out the small print carefully as it could cost thousands or even hundreds of thousands if you’re unlucky enough to sign up for a policy which doesn’t offer this feature.
5. Can I get coverage for my spouse and children as well if they’re coming with me on this journey?
Although many digital nomads tend to be single and don’t have family ties in their home countries, there are some who are married and have kids. They move to another country as a family unit and need to figure out the best way of getting health insurance.
The answer is yes, you can get coverage for your spouse and children as well if they’re coming with you on this journey. There are some policies which will cover all members of a family unit under one roof so take time to do the research.
Another option would be to just buy an individual policy and have them listed as secondary beneficiaries who could then receive payments in case something unfortunate happens to you while abroad (remember that most digital nomads work remotely from their laptops).
6. Am I eligible for an international plan or travel insurance policy if I am a digital nomad?
With health insurance, you don’t currently need to tell them that you are a digital nomad, this may change in the future but currently, it’s not something you have to mention.
When looking for travel insurance, things can get a little more complicated. Some plans will exclude people who are self-employed or work remotely from their laptop and some companies may consider that as “a high risk” which could mean an increased premium if they do offer coverage at all.
You should always read the fine print of your policy to see what is covered when traveling abroad but in general, there are three types of policies: One with limited medical benefits (a “traveler’s plan”), one with full benefits like primary care visits and surgery (“comprehensive”) or one that combines both options into a hybrid product–look for the features you need before making any decisions on what suits you best.
7. Where can I find more information about how to choose the right plan for my needs, or what kind of coverage will be best for me, or who is eligible in certain countries, etc.?
If you want to find more information about how to choose the right health insurance plan you should contact your insurance provider or review their website. You should also contact the embassies of any countries you’ll be traveling to so that they can give you more information about what kind of coverage will be best for you, and who is eligible in those countries.
You should contact your insurance provider or review their website to find more information about how to choose the right health plan for you. You can also contact the embassies of any countries you’ll be traveling to so that they can give you more information about what kind of coverage will be best for you, and who is eligible in those countries.
Also be sure to do some research for insurance requirements for the country you intend to locate yourself in as a digital nomad. This is even more important with the arrival of COVID-19, some countries have brought in specific cover requirements and it is important to be aware of them before arriving.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions of your insurance provider, they will help you as much as they can and they want to make the sale. It’s better to be sure that you’re fully covered and not end up in a situation where you have an accident overseas and you find yourself up a creek without a paddle!
Conclusion
So you can see, it’s very important to avail of health insurance if you plan on being a digital nomad because you never know when you or a loved one might need it.
The more information you have about the process of choosing, buying and using your plan will help make things easier for you in the long run.
You can contact any embassies before going to countries so that they can provide more info on what kind of coverage is best for digital nomads like yourself, and who is eligible in those country’s health care systems. This way there are no surprises!
If anything changes while traveling abroad such as an injury or emergency situation, being insured allows you to receive treatment without worrying about incurring huge medical bills later on down the road. You’ll also be able to find out if your insurance company has provisions just for travelers which may cover
