The following is a sponsored partnership with SafetyWing travel medical insurance. All opinions are my own.
I’ve been traveling full-time for several years. For a long time my travels were mainly within the U.S. by RV, and out of habit and complacency I never looked into travel medical insurance. I just assumed I was fine—almost invincible—as if nothing bad could happen while I was on the road.
Recently, though, friends’ horror stories about medical emergencies and accidents while traveling prompted me to take travel medical insurance seriously. We’re about to leave the U.S. on our sailboat, and travel health insurance has become a necessity.
We’ve been fortunate so far that nothing serious has happened, but I don’t want to wait for a crisis to take action. If you travel at all—whether you’re a digital nomad, long-term traveler, seasonal worker, or occasional tourist—travel medical insurance is worth considering.
Many people skip travel medical insurance. You might assume you don’t need it or believe your current health plan will cover you overseas. You may not even have been aware that travel medical insurance is a different product from trip insurance. Trip insurance often covers flight cancellations, lost baggage, or delays, while travel medical insurance covers medical treatment, hospital stays, and emergency evacuation when you’re away from home.
What makes a good travel medical insurance company?
If you’re searching for travel medical insurance, I recommend looking into SafetyWing. It’s designed for long-term travelers—RVers, vanlifers, sailors, backpackers, digital nomads, and anyone traveling for extended periods.
What surprised me most was the affordability and clarity of their plans. For ages 18–39, coverage starts at about $37 per four weeks and provides worldwide travel medical coverage with a $250,000 maximum limit. Older age groups are available at slightly higher rates. Compared to many competitors, SafetyWing’s pricing is roughly a third of similar coverage options.
One of SafetyWing’s strengths is flexibility. You can purchase coverage from within about 180 countries, meaning you don’t have to buy it before you leave your home country. You can choose your start date, let the plan auto-extend until you cancel, or pick a fixed end date. There’s no maximum continuous coverage period, which is ideal for long-term travelers who often find themselves excluded by restrictive policies.
SafetyWing aims to serve entrepreneurs and remote workers living and traveling abroad. Their product blends travel medical insurance and certain trip protections into a single, straightforward policy.
Coverage highlights include:
- Travel medical insurance – Access to a global network of qualified doctors and hospitals for unexpected medical issues and accidents. Coverage typically includes doctor visits, hospital care, and emergency medical evacuation.
- Trip-related benefits – Protection for travel delays, lost checked luggage, emergency response and natural disasters, and personal liability.
Families benefit, too: one young child per adult (up to two children per family) aged 14 days to 10 years can be included on the plan at no extra cost—useful for families traveling long-term.
Examples of covered expenses and plan details are available through SafetyWing’s information pages and screenshots on their site. A few important notes: some high-risk activities are excluded—SafetyWing covers many common adventure activities like biking, bungee jumping, camping, hiking, sailing, and wakeboarding, but excludes truly extreme sports such as base jumping, heli-skiing, and running with the bulls. The plan covers travelers outside their home country and offers limited coverage within the U.S. for short periods; it does not cover routine checkups or preventive care.
SafetyWing’s policy is administered by Tokio Marine, a major global insurer, and underwritten by certain Lloyd’s underwriters. Claims and assistance are managed by Tokio Marine, which provides 24/7 support—critical for travelers who may need help across time zones.
Given the combination of coverage, flexibility, and price, SafetyWing is a strong option for long-term travelers. If you don’t yet have travel medical insurance, this type of plan removes many reasons to delay—especially at roughly $37 for a four-week period for younger adults.
Check SafetyWing travel medical insurance.
SafetyWing affiliate program
SafetyWing also offers an affiliate program. If you have a blog, social media presence, or email list, you might consider promoting their product. Many travelers lack coverage that will work outside their home region, so spreading awareness is valuable.
People often ask long-term travelers how they handle insurance. After researching SafetyWing and becoming comfortable with their offering, I joined their affiliate program and now share this resource with readers.
Becoming an affiliate is straightforward: fill out the form, a SafetyWing representative will contact you to set up an account, and once the activation is complete you’ll have access to an affiliate dashboard with analytics.
Do you have travel medical insurance? Why or why not?