The importance of having travel medical insurance is now a well known fact by people all over the world. Indian residents today are well aware of the high costs of medical services overseas. Whether you are visiting Europe, North America or any other western country, medical costs have skyrocketed and beyond the reach of many.

The only option left to travelers is to get insurance. The purpose of this article is not to highlight the necessity of getting insurance, but to stress my reasoning as to why those traveling from India, should NOT buy insurance from Indian insurance companies. To be fair, those who have a different opinion, can send me their comments and they will be posted on this page.

Most people who are going on a visit overseas to visit friends or family members, or perhaps going on a vacation abroad, are made aware of travel medical insurance these days by their travel agents.

Travel agents not only recommend buying travel medical insurance but also sell policies or steer clients to insurance companies that may give them a commission in the form of a finders fee.

Let us first consider the scenario of buying insurance from a travel agent in India. Remember, these are travel agents who sell airline tickets. They are not in any manner insurance agents.

The chances that they may not even have read a policy that they recommend to all their clients. Travel agents, sometimes may verbally confirm all sorts of coverages that the insurance policy will cover. Talk is cheap! and does not obligate an insurance company to payout anything. What matters is the wording in the insurance policy.