In this post we want to do a SafetyWing insurance review. Health and travel insurance is a necessity when traveling long term. Health, safety, and sanitation standards can vary dramatically between countries. Plus, your immune system won’t be adapted to things it hasn’t been exposed to through vaccinations or incidental exposure. Traveling involves trying new activities which increase the chance of accidents, and you might be in a remote location when an accident happens.
Aside from health, you also have to worry about theft or loss of your stuff, or flight cancellations due to natural disasters or political unrest. A lot of things can happen while traveling, and it’s best to be prepared.
As a digital nomad, you have a unique set of issues and concerns. A local insurance policy won’t work if you change countries every few months. A policy in your home country doesn’t usually cover you while traveling. Many travel insurance options are only appropriate for short term travel, not the digital nomad lifestyle. SafetyWing insurance is the answer to this problem! Check out this SafetyWing insurance review to understand the best travel insurance for digital nomads.
SafetyWing Review: Best Travel Insurance for Digital Nomads?
About SafetyWing
SafetyWing was designed specifically for digital nomads and freelancers working outside their home country. It was created in 2017 by a group of friends from Norway, who wanted to provide a safety net for freelancers who often fell through the cracks of traditional insurance coverage. They noticed how health insurance and other supports for workers were not evolving at the same pace as the nature of the modern workforce. Digital nomads were getting left behind, so they created a product specifically to address their needs.
Price
SafetyWing costs $37 per 28-day cycle for people between the ages of 10 – 39 year old. It is sold as a rolling subscription that can be paused at any time. You can add coverage within the United States for a total of $68 per 28-day cycle. Coverage is also available for adults up to the age of 69. Learn more about SafetyWing’s pricing here.
One thing to keep in mind about purchasing coverage for the United States is that you must do it when you first start your policy. If you don’t already have coverage that includes the US, you have to start a new policy, which resets your deductible. This might not be a big deal if you haven’t needed to file a claim.
Coverage
Coverage can include your home country for a limited amount of time. You can return home for up to 30 days, or 15 days in the United States per 90 day period, and still be covered for insurance. After that you must leave your home country, or pause your coverage. This is great for people who need to stop at home once in a while, but don’t want to get separate travel insurance policies every time. The overall maximum for coverage is $250,000, with a $250 deductible. The following coverage is available as of October 2019. For more details, read the full policy.
Medical Coverage
Hospital – Room and nursing services.
Intensive Care – Up to the overall maximum limit.
Ambulance – Usual, reasonable and customary charges when covered illness or injury results in hospitalization
Urgent Care – $50 co-payment, not subject to deductible.
Physical Therapy and Chiropractic Care – Up to $50 per day. Must be ordered in advance by a physician.
Emergency Dental – Up to $1,000. Not subject to deductible.
All Other Eligible Medical Expenses – Up to the overall maximum limit.
Travel Coverage
Trip interruption – Up to $5,000. No deductible.
Travel Delay – Up to $100 a day after a 12-hour delay period requiring an unplanned overnight stay. Subject to a maximum of 2 days. No deductible.
Lost Checked Luggage – Up to $3,000 per certificate period; $500 per item. Up to $6,000 lifetime limit. No deductible. NOTE: Electronics are not covered!
Natural Disaster Accommodation — Up to $100 a day for 5 days. No deductible.
Political Evacuation – Up to $10,000 lifetime maximum. Not subject to deductible.
Emergency Medical Evacuation – Up to $100,000 lifetime maximum. Not subject to deductible or overall maximum limit.
Personal Liability – Up to $25,000.
Accidental Death and Dismemberment – $25,000 for one limb, $50,000 for multiple limbs or death.
What Is NOT Covered by SafetyWing?
Restricted Countries – SafetyWing can’t be used in Cuba, Iran, or North Korea. There are also limitations on coverage for incidents like kidnapping and forced ATM withdrawals in “Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Somalia or Venezuela or any country for which we are prohibited from transaction due to sanctions by the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).”
Electronics – Lost or stolen laptops, cell phones, and cameras are not covered. This can be problematic for digital nomads, who need to bring gear with them. If you carry a lot of photography equipment with you, SafetyWing might not be a good choice.
Activities – SafetyWing covers some adventure sports, such as skiing, scuba diving, and zip-lining. There are two notable exceptions to this. First, you are not covered for professional sports, or any activities where you are an instructor. If you are doing a scuba divemaster internship or seasonal work in ski resorts, you wouldn’t be covered for these activities.
The other notable exception is high altitude activities above 4500 meters (14,764 ft). As someone who spends a lot of time in the Andes, this is a big exception for me. Much of South America is above this limit, so that’s something to consider if you are traveling through this region, or Nepal. Twisting your ankle on an easy day hike in these regions would be disqualified.
There are several other adventure sports that are not covered, such as contact sports and whitewater rafting. The list of covered versus non-covered activities is somewhat surprising, so it’s best to check the list in the FAQ in order to determine if coverage is right for you.
Using Your SafetyWing Policy
You can find a hospital directly through SafetyWing’s international network, and the care will be covered directly by them, with no need to wait for reimbursement. If that is not possible, you must keep all your receipts and records from the treatment and file a claim using their claim form. SafetyWing will then reimburse you according to their policy.
For travel related issues, you will need to obtain copies of a police report, evidence or news of political unrest or natural disaster, or documentation of lost luggage from the airlines in order to file a claim. Document everything. Take photos and keep the originals!
Have An Emergency Fund
You should always have an emergency fund in cash and in your bank. You never know when or where an accident will happen, and cash is always king. Filing a claim with SafetyWing can take several weeks, and you will need to make do in the meantime. If your luggage is stolen, you can’t wait for several weeks to buy new clothing. If your trip is delayed, you may just want to move on. Carry more than one travel-friendly credit card as well.
You may also find that medical care is very cheap in other countries. This will be highly dependent on the country, however. I have been to the emergency room a couple times while traveling abroad, and discovered that the bill was unbelievably cheap compared to what I would have paid in the United States. You might leave the emergency room with a $20 bill that includes treatment and medication… or you might not.
Comparison to World Nomads
While making this SafetyWing insurance review we want to compare this company with their biggest competitor, World Nomads. While they are both good options, one might be a better fit depending on your needs. I used World Nomads a few years ago, before SafetyWing existed, but I was not totally happy with my options. Luckily I never had to file a claim!
Why Is SafetyWing Better?
1. Flexibility – When I first set out on my year of travel, I planned to travel 5 months, come back to the US for one month, then go back out for another 5-6 months. I bought my first policy for 5 months, then later decided to extend. The price to purchase that extra month was far more expensive than simply purchasing a policy for 6 months. As a nomad, you may not have a plan or itinerary. SafetyWing allows you to pay on a rolling monthly basis, so you don’t have to know your plans in advance.
2. Affordability – If you are under the age of 49, SafetyWing will be much less expensive for you. The rates increase sharply after that, although that’s true of most insurance plans.
3. Coverage for Children – SafetyWing will cover one child under the age of 10 for each covered adult, up to two children. Children over 10 will need their own policies. That means SafetyWing is a good option for young families traveling together.
4. No Residency Requirements – Most travel insurance policies require you to be a resident somewhere in order to provide you with coverage. That can be problematic for digital nomads, who have no permanent address. SafetyWing’s pricing is the same no matter what your residency status.
World Nomads Comparison
World Nomads advertises themselves as insurance primarily for short-term and long-term travelers. Although it’s a great fit for digital nomads, they aren’t really the target customer. Therefore, coverage varies between the two.
1. Activities – Adventure sports, high altitude activities, professional sports or instructing, and contact sports can be covered by adding additional coverage with World Nomads. SafetyWing does not give the option to cover these activities.
2. Age – If you are 50+ years old, you may prefer World Nomads. Up until that age, SafetyWing is the same or cheaper than World Nomads.
3. Restricted Countries – World Nomads will cover you in restricted countries, like Cuba.
4. Expensive Gear – World Nomads covers theft or damage to your gear up to $3000 on the Explorer policy, or up to $1000 on its standard policy. SafetyWing’s coverage does not cover laptops, cameras, or cell phones. A good travel-friendly credit card may fill in the gaps for coverage on your electronics.
5. Trip Cancellation – World Nomads will cover this in case of medical reasons, death of a travel buddy, or close relative. SafetyWing covers trip interruption, but not cancellation. Again, a good travel-friendly credit card can cover trip cancellation, so you may find that combining coverage serves your needs.
6. Easier to Use Website – I can find a lot more information about coverage in specific situations through World Nomads’ website. This isn’t surprising because it has been around longer. Their website is much easier to use and I don’t have to comb through their policy in order to find the information I need. In an emergency, I don’t want to have to read a dense policy or scroll through a poorly designed website in order to fin the information I need.
What They Have In Common
- Neither one will cover preexisting conditions, elective surgeries, cancer, or regular check-ups.
- Both can be purchased for short-term trips.
- Both cover medical and non-medical (disasters, political unrest) evacuation.
- Both allow you to purchase policies after starting your trip.
- Both have 24/7 emergency assistance.
- Both companies have user discussion forums. Visit answers.worldnomads.com or www.reddit.com/r/safetywing to discuss issues and experiences with other users.
- Both policies fit the digital nomad lifestyle better than standard insurance policies!
Get Started with SafetyWing
The bottom line is that you NEED some kind of medical insurance whether traveling or living as a digital nomad. You can and should request quotes from a few companies before purchasing, to make sure that a policy covers your specific needs. For most digital nomads, SafetyWing will be the best, most affordable option. Having an incident that requires insurance is a matter of when, not if! Make sure you are prepared so that you can get back on track.
To sign up for SafetyWing, sign up here.
Hope you enjoyed this SafetyWing insurance review – which we believe to be the best insurance for digital nomads. Do you have any personal experiences with SafetyWing, World Nomads, or another travel insurance option? Let us know in the comments!
