A lot of things can go wrong when you travel overseas. You could get in an accident, contract an illness or get food poisoning. Any of these things could require you to need to go to a hospital, something your regular health insurance may not pay for. Many people are unaware that their health insurance policies have restrictions on coverage outside the U.S. and may not offer coverage at all. Such situations highlight the importance of international medical trip insurance.

If you think a health issue is unlikely to occur on an overseas trip, think again. One in six Americans says their overseas trip has been impacted by issues including medical issues. Those kind of statistics really show the importance of international medical trip insurance.

Of people who get some kind of supplemental travel insurance, medical insurance is the most popular kind, with more than three-fourths of people choosing that. However, only about 22% of people choose some kind of trip insurance such as global medical insurance to begin with.

You don’t necessarily have to buy a specific medical insurance policy for travel. Many types of travel insurance include some type of medical coverage, although the types and levels of coverage can vary. For example, one type of policy may only cover a visit to a hospital while another policy may cover services as extensive as medical evacuation back to the U.S. or to a country that has better medical facilities.

There are many types of types of international medical trip insurance. Some policies are sold as standalone coverage while others are add-ons to other types of trip insurance. Some policies may be included with a credit card or membership in a group. Your health insurer also may offer one-time or short-term riders to your existing policy.

When choosing international medical trip insurance, there are some things you need to consider. Cost is a big factor, as you don’t want to wind up spending too much on insurance coverage relative to what you are spending on the trip. Another thing to keep in mind is what the policy covers and what it excludes.

Traveling overseas can be scary, and there are a lot of things that can go wrong, but having international medical trip insurance can cover one set of contingencies and give you some peace of mind.