One of the most rewarding adventures you can experience is to perform missionary work. But along with the excitement of international travel comes a certain degree of risk, and that risk makes it advisable to protect yourself with missionary medical insurance. What are the factors to consider when purchasing the correct insurance policy for your missionary journey?
There are two main types of missionary health insurance. These are short term and long term insurance. The difference between the two is quite simple; short term missionary insurance is for trips ranging from 5 days to 24 months. On the other hand, long term insurance for missionaries can be purchased in annual terms, making it ideal for missionaries who live overseas for extended periods, or who make several shorter trips to other countries.
You may be able to reduce your individual cost of a missionary travel insurance plan if you sign up for your policy as part of a group. Insurance companies are eager to sign up large numbers of new clients at once, so they’re happy to give a price that will yield a small individual discount for you. Ask your own insurance agent if a group plan is available
Once you’ve determined whether you need short or long term and whether you’ll buy as an individual or as part of a group is to choose where to buy missionary travel insurance. Purchasing and even researching this type of insurance policy is now much easier as a result of the overwhelming amount of information available on the web.
Do a quick Google search and you’re bound to come across a number of missionary insurance providers. Do some research, find out which ones are the most reputable, and from there you can begin requesting quotes on pricing and plan features. Be sure you understand all the various features of a plan before making a decision, otherwise you may see a lower rate and not realize it’s missing critical elements.
While online research is easy and convenient, not everyone will feel comfortable making their purchase online. In that case, a great idea is to ask fellow missionaries and church congregation members if they can recommend any policies based on their own experience. You can even gather recommendations from the U.S. State Department, as they offer information on this subject.
The various terms and conditions of your policy will influence the price. Some of these variables include deductibles, which are available at a variety of rates. The maximum value of the policy will play a role in determining the cost as well. Again, this is a purchase decision in which the input of friends who have completed similar projects can help. Ask what they think a realistic deductible should be based on their own personal missionary travels.
Sharing the passion of your beliefs with citizens of the world is an exciting journey to say the least. Be sure that your adventure is a safe one by purchasing a robust missionary medical insurance policy, because anything can happen when traveling abroad.
Dan Miller often writes about international insurance.