I have used the yearly GMI plan for extended travels in New Zealand, Australia and Southeast Asia. And the insurance plan is just one of the reasons I'm a repeat customer!
I will always remember my excitement planning my first international trip. I couldn’t wait to jump into a new culture, a new country and gain a new perspective on life. I also remember how quickly my excitement dwindled as I started feeling overwhelmed by all of the different insurance options available. That was, until I found International Medical Group as my number one choice for coverage.
Growing up in rural Western New York, my family didn’t travel much, except to see family in Ohio and Canada. My first semester after university, I happened to have the opportunity to move to Wyoming, USA, on the spur of the moment. It was one of the best summers of my life, and truly jump-started my passion and love for travel.
Since that time, I have lived, worked and traveled in more than 35 countries. I spent two years living and working in Australia, a year living and working in New Zealand, four months traveling around South America, three months overlanding across Southeast Africa, a year in Southeast Asia and many other places dotted in between.
I found IMG back in 2007 while trying to find long-term coverage for a yearlong trip to New Zealand. Over the course of a few weeks, I poured over all the information available online for different insurance options. It became apparent that IMG offered the best coverage and value, and had tailored plans specific to long-term international travel. Since that time, IMG has, without hesitation, been my international medical insurance provider of choice.
Whether I need short-term travel medical insurance or long-term international medical insurance, IMG has a plan to meet my needs.
IMG has short-term plans ranging from 5 days to 2 years in addition to long-term plans that are renewable on an annual basis. Specialty plans are also available for students, seniors, missionaries and marine crew, among other groups.
One of my absolute favorite plans — and one of the reasons I am a repeat customer — is IMG’s Global Medical Insurance (GMI) plan, which provides continuous worldwide coverage in yearly increments.
I have used the yearly GMI plan for extended travels in New Zealand, Australia and Southeast Asia. I ended up living in Australia a year longer than I expected, and I love that I was easily able to renew my GMI policy online.
For my shorter trips, I have used Patriot Travel International. This plan provided me great coverage during four months of travel around South America as well as a week of intense country-hopping in Asia.
Different insurance plans can be very particular on what they cover and what they don’t. When I first became an IMG member, I called Customer Care so many times to make sure I understood the policies, and I was always greeted with friendly and helpful team members who answered all of my questions.
I wanted to make sure I understood how my deductible worked, what exactly it meant to pre-certify and to make sure I understood what activities were covered by adding on the sports rider. I also sought insight on the differences between some of the short-term plans versus the long-term plans and which one would best suit my needs.
In my research and experience, IMG’s plans provide the best coverage at the best price. Specifically, when I compare IMG’s coverage and rider options to other companies’ plans, IMG outshines the competition by a long shot.
For instance, when choosing the GMI plan and adding on the sports rider, recreational scuba diving was included, which was a major component that sealed the deal for me.
Another aspect that made the GMI plan appealing to me was that I could simply choose worldwide coverage, without having to detail all the places I planned to live or travel. When comparing other company policies, they wanted to know exactly which countries I would be going to and for how long, which I don’t always know in advance. With IMG I feel like I can go anywhere in the world and have the peace of mind that I’m covered.
To give you an idea of the cost, most recently my annual worldwide coverage, with the sports rider added on, cost me $1,053 — less than $100 per month, which is an amazing deal! For four months traveling around South America, also with the sports rider added on, I paid $254. Comparative plans I looked at were not only higher in cost, but many of them did not even cover the activities I wanted to do.
On multiple occasions, both my husband and I have had to file claims for accidents we had while on the road. In one instance, Chris got bit by a stray dog and had to get the series of rabies shots. Another time, I cut my hand badly and needed stitches.
I have heard many travelers express their frustration when trying to submit claims to their insurance company, but that has not been my experience with IMG.
Every time I have submitted a claim, I simply filled out the forms completely with all the information that was asked for and have been reimbursed according to our plan with no hassles. This is another reason I keep choosing to be an IMG customer.
IMG has a great reputation in the industry, and has earned multiple awards over the years, including Best International Private Medical Insurance Provider. When choosing an insurance company, it’s important to me that their products have been recognized and honored as top choices for consumers.
It’s also important that companies acknowledge their corporate responsibility. IMG is very active in the community and even has a dedicated IMG Cares volunteer program. Last year, IMG hosted a social media campaign to benefit Direct Relief, a humanitarian aid organization, and raised over $3,300 for the charity.
Additionally, among IMG’s plans is Patriot Green Travel Medical Insurance, which is a unique plan for travelers who want to take their commitment to sustainable and responsible tourism to the next level.
As I talk with other travelers about which international health insurance plans they’re using, I become more thankful to have found IMG. I feel confident I have the coverage and support I need with IMG, and with that I am always excitedly planning my next travel adventure.