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Don't even bother with the travel insurance, pay for health care out of pocket in another country. Travel insurance is only needed for traveling in America for the reason you stated.

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IMO travel insurance sometimes makes sense. Circumstances like high altitude trekking that may require expensive evacuation. Expensive non-refundable trips, especially those that a broken ankle before or during the trip could put a rapid stop to.

That said, I've only purchased travel insurance maybe a half-dozen times out of probably hundreds of trips.

You need to make sure it covers that altitude. They top out around a certain altitude in the fine print you usually need to pay a little extra for altitudes like Kilimanjaro. Make sure it has helo evacuation covered for all altitudes.

Good point. The few times I was up at that sort of elevation or higher, the insurance was always through someone the guide company specifically recommended. Fortunately, I've never had any significant altitude issues.

No. A two week stay at a private hospital in SE Asia could set you back more than the deductible and co-insurance in the US.

And trust me, you want a private hospital in some of those countries. Even the locals wouldn’t go to a public hospital if they had a choice.

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