Getting seriously injured or falling ill on a trip is one of the worst-case travel scenarios. Not only does a medical emergency derail your travel plans, but you can end up with a massive bill, especially if you need to be medically evacuated. Your U.S. health insurance likely will not cover you abroad, so the best way to protect yourself and your trip is with a travel insurance plan that offers ample coverage for emergency medical expenses, medical evacuation and more. With the peace of mind that comes with an insured trip, people are also more likely to avoid traveling when they’re sick, which helps keep everyone healthy.
Many travel insurance companies offer travel medical-specific policies: These budget-friendly plans typically allow you to choose how much medical coverage you want and whether to pay a deductible, but they do not offer maximum coverage. Additionally, these medical-only policies often do not cover preexisting conditions and are much less generous in protecting your travel plans, especially in the event of unexpected cancellations. In most cases, you’ll find the best medical coverage and the widest range of travel insurance benefits with a comprehensive travel insurance plan.
Our rating of the best travel medical insurance companies includes plans that provide emergency assistance and top-tier coverage for emergency medical costs and evacuation. All of the best options cover preexisting conditions if you meet the proper requirements. These policies also come with trip cancellation and other trip protection benefits on top of the medical coverage, which can set your mind at ease no matter what travel mishaps you encounter.
Our rankings, ratings and product reviews are unbiased. We do not rank or rate products or services based on our financial relationships with the companies that produce them. Our in-house research team collects extensive information used in our evaluation process, although we may not cover all options available in the marketplace. See our full methodology.
All data was accurate at the time of publication, and the ratings are based on data collected in October 2025. User ratings can fluctuate as more reviews are posted to independent websites. Also note, every plan may not be available for residents of every state.
Key Takeaways
- Travelex is the Best Medical Travel Insurance Company, according to the 2026 U.S. News ratings. Not only does this insurer offer generous medical expense limits, but you also have the option to waive the exclusion for preexisting conditions or upgrade to additional medical coverage.
- If you want the maximum coverage, comprehensive travel insurance plans offer better overall protections for medical emergency situations and coverage for preexisting conditions.
- If you are looking for a budget-friendly option or only need medical coverage, a travel medical-specific plan may be cheaper because it typically won’t cover trip cancellations or preexisting conditions.
Of all the options, you’ll get the most robust travel medical coverage with the Ultimate plan. It offers the highest limits for emergency medical expenses and evacuation, and also comes with an optional upgrade for an additional $250,000 in medical coverage. The medical benefits generally do not require you to pay a deductible, though residents of select states may have a $50 deductible.
Preexisting conditions can be included in your coverage if you purchase the Ultimate plan within 21 days of making your first trip payment and insure the full cost of your trip; otherwise, there’s a 90-day look-back period for preexisting conditions. In addition to included protections for delays, baggage, accidental death and dismemberment, and more, the Ultimate plan comes with nine optional upgrades: These range from rental car protections to cancel for any reason coverage that reimburses at 75% (up to $7,500).
The Ultimate plan includes:
- Up to $1 million per person in coverage for emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains
- Up to $250,000 per person in coverage for emergency medical expenses ($500 dental sublimit)
- Preexisting conditions exclusion waiver included (if requirements are met)
- Trip cancellation coverage up to 100% of insured trip cost ($50,000 maximum per person); trip interruption coverage up to 150% ($75,000)
If you need last-minute travel medical coverage, consider the company’s Travel Med Go plan. It does not cover trip cancellations but can protect you from emergency medical expenses on a spontaneous trip – you can even book it on the day of departure as long as you haven’t left home. The Travel Med Go plan also offers primary medical coverage.
You’ll get the most thorough travel medical insurance with the Trip Protection Choice plan. It has the highest medical evacuation coverage limit of the plans available from Seven Corners and allows you to waive the preexisting conditions exclusion if you buy the policy within 20 days of your initial trip payment and are medically able to travel at the time of purchase. Another advantage of the higher-tier Choice plan is the primary medical coverage, which makes filing a claim easier.
The other protections you get with this policy include coverage for trip cancellations and delays, lost or delayed luggage, accidental death and dismemberment, and COVID-19-related disruptions to your travel plans. You can add a cancellation for any reason or interruption for any reason upgrade to get reimbursed up to 75% of the nonrefundable trip costs, among other optional add-ons.
The Trip Protection Choice plan comes with:
- Up to $1 million per person for emergency evacuation and repatriation
- Up to $500,000 per person for emergency medical expenses ($750 dental sublimit)
- Preexisting conditions are eligible for coverage (if requirements are met)
- Up to 100% ($100,000 maximum per person) in trip cancellation coverage; up to 150% for trip interruptions
For travelers who are only looking for medical coverage and not broad trip protection, the company’s Travel Medical insurance plans may be a better fit. You’ll be able to choose your medical coverage limits and deductible amount. However, these medical-only plans do not broadly cover preexisting conditions; you can only receive coverage if your condition is considered an acute onset under specific requirements. The Seven Corners Travel Medical plans are secondary coverage.
While these plans have many similarities, you’ll get the highest coverage limits and the most benefits with iTravelInsured LX. Its medical evacuation benefits cover your choice of hospital, return transportation, transportation of your children, and bedside visit transportation for someone to join you. This plan also comes with coverage for search and rescue, bedside companions, and evacuations for political crises or natural disasters. Other highlights of iTravelInsured LX include coverage for pet kennel fees, a relatively high dental coverage limit, and included rental car protections.
The iTravelInsured LX plan offers:
- Up to $1 million per person for medical evacuation and repatriation of remains
- Up to $500,000 per person to cover emergency medical issues ($1,000 dental sublimit)
- Preexisting conditions exclusion waiver (if requirements are met)
- Up to 100% (maximum $150,000 per person) trip cancellation coverage; up to 150% trip interruption coverage
IMG also has a variety of travel medical plans, including the Patriot series for Americans traveling abroad. The most popular travel medical policy is Patriot Platinum, which includes a wide range of medical protections. This plan has secondary coverage and only includes the acute onset of preexisting conditions, but you have the option to add on trip cancellation or interruption benefits. For expats, IMG’s Global Medical plans provide annual international health insurance.
The Elevate policy has an optional upgrade to double your medical evacuation coverage and let you choose the hospital you are evacuated to. Other add-ons allow you to cancel or interrupt your trip for any reason, add protection for adventure sports, get covered for rental car damage, or include pet care coverage.
The Atlas Journey Elevate plan’s benefits include:
- Up to $1 million per person in emergency evacuation and repatriation coverage
- Up to $250,000 per person in emergency medical coverage ($750 dental sublimit)
- Preexisting conditions can be included in coverage (if requirements are met)
- Up to 100% ($100,000 maximum) of trip cost for trip cancellations; up to 150% for trip interruptions
The medical-only plans – Atlas Travel and the higher-tier Atlas Premium – let you select the amount of your medical maximum and deductible, but they generally do not include preexisting conditions unless you experience an acute onset.
The medical insurance for the Platinum plan is primary coverage. To be eligible for the preexisting conditions exclusion waiver, you’ll need to buy this policy within 21 days of your first trip payment and be deemed fit to travel when you pay the premium. If you’re planning to do any extreme sports, you can upgrade the Platinum plan to add medical coverage for such activities. Other optional add-ons include the CFAR or IFAR bundle, rental car coverage, and more.
With the Worldwide Trip Protector Platinum policy, you’ll get:
- Up to $1 million per person for emergency medical evacuation and repatriation
- Up to $500,000 per person for emergency medical expenses ($750 dental sublimit)
- Preexisting conditions exclusion waived (if requirements are met)
- Up to 100% ($250,000 maximum per policy) in protection for trip cancellations; up to 150% for trip interruptions
The Preferred plan compares favorably to other top travel insurance plans in a few areas, particularly in that it offers slightly higher benefits for trip interruptions and dental costs than most options. Additionally, rental car coverage is an included benefit rather than an optional upgrade. While the TripProtector plans are generally considered secondary insurance, HTH can directly pay certain contracted doctors and facilities when you’re traveling outside the U.S., meaning eligible medical bills are paid up front on a primary basis.
Other features of HTH’s TripProtector Preferred plan include:
- Up to $1 million per person for emergency evacuation; up to $25,000 for repatriation of remains
- Up to $500,000 per person in emergency medical benefits ($1,000 dental sublimit)
- Preexisting conditions can be covered (if requirements are met)
- Up to 100% ($50,000 maximum) trip cancellation coverage; up to 200% trip interruption coverage
HTH offers two medical-specific single-trip plans as well: one that requires you to be enrolled in a primary care plan and one that does not. With both of these TravelGap plans you’ll have a choice of medical benefit limits and deductibles. However, the preexisting conditions exclusion cannot be waived, and the limits for medical evacuation, trip interruption and baggage protections will be lower than with the TripProtector policies.
The following describes our approach to researching and analyzing travel insurance companies to guide prospective consumers. U.S. News & World Report rates the Best Medical Travel Insurance providers to help travelers determine what policy will help them protect their investment in their vacation should they fall ill or get injured on a trip.
To determine the Best Medical Travel Insurance Companies, we first scoured the web for all providers that offer travel insurance plans. In total, we assessed 45 companies. To be considered for the Best Medical Travel Insurance Companies rating, a company must be available to U.S. residents, must allow anyone to purchase travel insurance, and must specifically offer trip cancellation and interruption protection.
We collected data across multiple sources – Professional Ratings & Reviews, Consumer Ratings & Reviews, and Credit Ratings – which are all weighted equally and averaged to determine each travel insurance company’s Overall Rating.
- Professional Ratings & Reviews: Our travel insurance ratings take into account the top credible expert sources that have vetted and recommended specific travel insurance companies and plans. These expert sources are reviewed annually before data collection begins to ensure they are offering up-to-date information and accolades. Our team reviewed the methodologies of these expert outlets to look for data-driven rankings that were editorially independent. There are 10 expert sources that are factored into the 2026 ratings, including NerdWallet, Business Insider and MarketWatch, among others. Professional sources often recommend different options. U.S. News believes it benefits consumers to pool and analyze independent reviews as a group, to factor in multiple data sources and provide the most robust look at the top travel insurance companies. To be considered a Best Medical Travel Insurance Company, the provider must appear on a minimum of three expert lists. Our team tallies the number of accolades a travel insurance company receives from these 10 expert sources, and converts them into points. Points earned for the number of accolades are outlined below:
- 7 or more accolades: 5 points
- 5 to 6 accolades: 4 points
- 3 to 4 accolades: 3 points
- 1 to 2 accolades: 2 points
- Consumer Ratings & Reviews: U.S. News also researched published consumer ratings on travel insurance companies. Our research team collected and analyzed review data from SquareMouth and Trustpilot, which are independent third-party reviews sites that collect verified reviews from travel insurance users. Travel insurance companies must have at least 20 reviews on one of these sites to be considered. Providers must have a consumer rating score (the averaged rating of the two review sites) of 4.0 or higher to make the Best Medical Travel Insurance Companies list.
- Credit Rating: A.M. Best provides financial strength ratings of insurance companies that indicate providers most likely to weather major global travel disruptions. Only travel insurance companies with an A rating or better are considered for this rating. Points earned for the A.M. Best ratings are detailed below:
- A++: 5 points
- A+: 4.5 points
- A: 4 points
- A-: 3.5 points
- High Coverage Limits and Preexisting Conditions Protections: When traveling, you want to have the most coverage possible for medical events like injuries, accidents or illnesses, as well as coverage for any preexisting conditions you may have. The top medical travel insurance providers offer high coverage limits for the everyday traveler in each of these categories. To qualify for this rating, a travel insurance company must offer a plan that provides a minimum of:
- $1 million in emergency evacuation or transportation coverage
- $250,000 or more in emergency medical coverage
- Coverage for preexisting conditions available
The Overall Rating is the average of the professional rating, consumer rating and credit rating scores. Travel insurance companies with an Overall Rating of 3.75 or greater and the minimum coverage limits listed above made the 2026 Best Medical Travel Insurance Companies rating.
These ratings are updated once per year. However, pricing and plans displayed on the page are updated occasionally throughout the year. This is to ensure we are presenting the most accurate quotes and rates possible for consumers to consider.
Catriona Kendall is a writer and editor at U.S. News & World Report. She has been at U.S. News since 2022 and is a fact-checking, AP style and grammar expert who has written, edited and reviewed dozens of travel insurance and homeowners insurance pieces. She has eight years of editing experience.
Erin Evans is the managing editor of U.S. News Travel. She has been on staff since 2013 and has become an expert in travel insurance since the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the industry. She aims to make it easy for everyday travelers to understand the ins and outs of travel insurance and why it’s beneficial, especially in today’s world. She has 15 years of writing and editing experience.
