Sum Insured / Coverage Limit
Also known as: Coverage limit, Medical expense limit, Maximum benefit, Policy limit, Benefit ceiling
The sum insured is the maximum your travel insurance will pay for medical expenses on a single trip.
Last updated: 2 April 2026
Real-world example
You have travel insurance with a $500,000 medical expense limit. You're hospitalised in New York after a heart attack. The total bill reaches $480,000 after 10 days in the ICU, surgery, and follow-up. Your insurer covers the full amount. If the bill had reached $600,000, you'd be personally liable for the $100,000 above your limit.
Why travellers need to know
The sum insured is the ceiling on what your insurer will pay. For most destinations, $1 million is adequate. For the US, $2 million or more is recommended because a serious incident (ICU stay, surgery, rehabilitation) can generate bills that exceed lower limits. The cheapest travel insurance often has $100,000-250,000 limits, which sounds like a lot but can be exhausted by a single serious US hospitalisation.
Country-specific notes
$2M+ medical cover recommended; ICU can exhaust lower limits
US healthcare costs are uniquely high globally. A 7-day ICU stay alone can generate $50,000-70,000 in charges. Including surgery, diagnostics, and rehabilitation, serious incidents routinely exceed $250,000. Budget travel insurance limits are often insufficient for the US.
Frequently asked questions
Related guides
How Nomedic helps
Store your coverage limits in Nomedic so you can verify whether a proposed treatment falls within your insured amount before agreeing to proceed.
Your health records, anywhere you go
Your cover limits, checked before treatment starts.
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