If you need to ask, then go get a plan. They're entirely legitimate and often cover extra shit like your belongings and expenses due to missing travels from sudden emergencies, though you also really need to study the fine print to see if they actually do cover your ass. Complementary insurances from credit cards particularly tend to suck with nebulous wording and weirdly specific carveouts, my proper travel insurance has an explicitly unlimited cost cap while my card would only cover "reasonable expenses".

Beware of the "extreme sports" clause that is included in most insurances though, if you mangle yourself during those activities then the company will just drop everything and run from the bills. Check ahead of time if those apply to your trip or not, they usually don't but if you're planning on doing something on that list then you'll need a more specialized and more expensive plan.

>>2841036
Not having travel insurance in a thirdie country with massive gangster, gun, crime, etc problems is playing with fire.

>>2841036
>How do you cover medical expenses while traveling?
my normal health insurance offers unlimited global insurance for up to 6weeks continuous travel for like 10€/year
that's a no-brainer

>Is travel insurance legitimate?
yes
got multiple claims and never had a problem

keep in mind though that foreign hospitals / doctors typically want everything prepaid, even when you have proof of insurance
not like here in EU where they just take my insurance card and I never even see a bill

so you also need a credit card with a high enough limit

highest I've got once was my wife broke her arm and needed immediate surgery in South Korea
we went to a private? (vip? / rich people?) hospital (or it was just the room that was expensive, don't remember, but it was really nice) and needed to be there for 4nights
bill came to about ~10k€
all reimbursed a few weeks later, but we had to pay before leaving
a skiing rescue for a family member also came to ~4k€

some insurances have separate travel insurance for the US though
which will be more expensive

>>2841089
And how does paying for an insurance policy help with any of that? I sure as hell don't have anywhere near your level of trust in a fucking insurance company. Typical insurance experience:
>pay for roadside assistance
>car breaks down
>roadside assistance never shows up
>pay to get it towed myself the next day
>file a claim
>insurance company shorts me 30% on the payout
Fuck them, they're all money grubbing kikes.
>>2841036
Play pretend you're in some Third World shithole and there is no such thing as emergency medical service.

>>2841248
>there is no such thing as emergency medical service.
you're a massive retard
and probably never traveled a day in your life

I got an emergency helicopter airlift this Spring in Uganda after a car accident
one of the poorest countries in the world...
and even there are good hospitals in the capitol and helicopters available

didn't even have something broken in the end
my travel insurance paid everything after ~2weeks, haven't even made it back home

unless you're something hyper remote
there's always medical services nearby

>muh car break down didn't got help
that's on your shitty insurance

mine is with ADAC (though I think it only covers EU)
had problems multiple times on road trips and they helped me promptly / organized help every time

>>2841036
Definitely worth it.

I've had two major claims abroad (airlifted unconscious and drink spiked) so my insurance bill to date is easily into the 6 figures.

If you're driving in the US, it's also worth getting car rental excess cover (if you don't have it on an amex or something). Basically means you don't have to worry or take their rip-off insurance.

>>2841248
insurance = hedging costs. that's all there is to it.
it's cheaprer to save money and pay out as necessary, but life changing shit can fuck you up.

you seen bad at life tho desu.

>>2841036
Just get it, if you fall down and break a bone you'll be in American medical debt for the next 20 years.

>>2841446
>insurance = hedging costs
for health insurance, the psychological factor also plays a major role

you absolutely DON'T want to start thinking about if the doctor visit is "worth it"

in emergency situation you may not think rationally
everything that should be on your mind is
>how do I get medical care in the quickest way possible

most (not life changing) insured things or events have no time critical component
so you can sit down, do research and evaluate your options
for accidents and other medical emergencies that's usually not the case
you're high on Adrenalin and only got hours, sometimes minutes to act

>>2841111
>insurance card
I thought yuros had free universal healthcare. Why would you need insurance?

>>2841481
Yes. But many places still have private insurance you can get as an option

>>2841452
>the psychological factor
Exactly this. Insurance companies prey on the fears of stupid and gullible people, convincing them to pay for "peace of mind". Stupid and gullible people then insist that they are smart and savvy for being protected by an expensive piece of paper, and they shill travel insurance to other stupid and gullible people who are looking to travel.
>>2841446
Insurance is for goycattle who are bad at life. People with common sense (i.e. street smarts) don't need to pay for insurance.

Americans have a strong distrust of insurance.

>>2842356
this
i would only buy travel insurance if i was fucking old like 60+
if you're young save your money

>>2842380
Americans have a strong trust of insurance.

>>2842385
You have it backwards, only young people need travel insurance, 1. Because its cheap 2. Because young people are idiots, eating street food, divi g into muddy waters, drinking bootleg liqour etc

>>2841536
>we have free health insurance we are better than mutts (that we pay 60% taxes for)
>our "free" insurance is so ass we also pay for private insurance

The truth comes out

>>2842387
kek. stay seething.

freemium models and socialist governments are op. I'm happy to pay 20% to the state so everybody gets a chance, and upgrade if i'm able to do so.

>>2842398
>dies waiting for appointment

>>2842401
Unless you're giga-wealthy you're going to waiting months to see a specialist in the US nowadays. Also plan on spending half the day in the waiting area if you have to go to the ER

>>2842437
Same day or next day appointments for specialists in US, only poors go to the emergency room so not my problem .

Euro Healthcare does have its advantages as long as its eastern Europe, western Europe is s shithole start to finish

>>2842443
>Same day or next day appointments for specialists in US,
flat out lie

>>2842445
American Healthcare is expensive but the rest of the world is deadly

>In the USA, patients can often schedule an MRI within 48 hours, depending on the facility and availability, which is significantly faster than in Canada, where wait times can exceed 100 days for non-emergency cases. In Canada, the median wait time for an MRI was 12.9 weeks in 2023, which is longer than in the USA. Therefore, if you are considering an MRI, the USA generally offers shorter wait times compared to Canada.

>>2841036
I buy it every trip and the one time I said fuck it and went with a cheap one I needed to actually use it. Read the fine print to see if they actually pay medical expenses directly or reimburse you once you've paid the bills yourself.

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>>2842452
>deadly

insurance is a scam. they will do everything in their power not to pay out claims

>>2845942
Real men calculate the percentage chance and cost of things going wrong, and make their own calculations.

You need to think what's cheaper in the long run:
>paying insurance in advance and losing interest
>saving that amount and gaining intersest and getting a loan on the difference

>>2845943
It's called an emergency fund, retard. It's more reliable than insurance and if you don't actually have to use it you get all your money back with interest at the end.

>>2845950
>calculate the percentage chance
You're missing this key point.

>>2845952
You realize insurance companies have clauses that disqualify you for high risk situations? An emergency fund is there regardless of your risk. Start one when you are don't use it for anything else.

>>2845955
when you are young*