Sum Insured / Coverage Limit
The sum insured is the maximum your travel insurance will pay for medical expenses on a single trip.
The sum insured is the maximum your travel insurance will pay for medical expenses on a single trip.
Also known as
Coverage limit, Medical expense limit, Maximum benefit, Policy limit, Benefit ceiling
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.
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.
Country-specific notes
🇺🇸 United States
US medical costs are the highest globally — $1M+ cover is the minimum recommended
A single US hospital admission with complications can easily exceed $100,000. Air ambulance from the US to Europe costs $50,000–$150,000. Policies with sub-$500,000 medical limits are dangerously low for the US market.
Check for sub-limits on specific treatments — some policies cap air ambulance at $50,000 even if overall medical cover is $5M.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
UK annual policies typically offer £2M–10M medical cover as standard
For EU destinations, the EHIC significantly reduces the risk of large medical bills. The sum insured matters most for long-haul destinations where repatriation and private hospital costs are high.
Review the sub-limits for repatriation, dental, and mental health — these are often capped far below the headline sum insured.
🇯🇵 Japan
Japanese private hospitals are expensive — medical costs can reach ¥500,000+ per day
Japan has no bilateral health agreement with most countries. Visitors pay the full cost of care at the Japanese national rate, which is lower than US rates but still significant for complex cases.
Carry your insurance details translated into Japanese if possible — hospital billing staff in regional Japan often have limited English.
Frequently asked questions
How much medical cover do I need?
$1 million is the standard recommendation for most destinations. For the US, $2 million or more. For countries with low healthcare costs (Southeast Asia, India, Central America), $500,000 is often sufficient. Check whether your policy has sub-limits for specific treatments.
What happens if my medical bill exceeds my coverage limit?
You are personally liable for any amount above your sum insured. The insurer pays up to the limit and you pay the rest. This is why higher limits matter for expensive healthcare countries. Some insurers will negotiate with the hospital on your behalf even for amounts above your limit, but they are not obligated to.
Store your coverage limits in Nomedic so you can verify whether a proposed treatment falls within your insured amount before agreeing to proceed.