Blue Cross Blue Shield Travel Insurance may sound new, but the coverage behind it isn’t.
The provider, which offers travel health care insurance in more than 190 countries, was formerly known as GeoBlue. In late 2025, after 25 years of operation, it rebranded as Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Solutions.
BCBS offers single-trip coverage, single-trip group coverage, multitrip coverage and coverage for people living abroad.
One important thing to note is that BCBS policies are primarily health coverage and offer limited benefits for common travel insurance coverages, such as trip delay and cancellation.
» Learn more: How much is travel insurance?
Blue Cross Blue Shield travel insurance offerings
BCBS offers health plans to replace your domestic coverage that might not travel with you.
There are plans to cover vacations, work or volunteering abroad or for studying or living abroad.
For individual vacations, BCBS has two types of plans, Platinum and Gold. The main difference between them is that the Platinum plan covers preexisting conditions and the Gold plan does not.
You can modify the plans depending on the amount of medical coverage and deductible you want.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
You cannot purchase coverage more than six months before the trip’s start date. What Blue Cross Blue Shield travel insurance covers
Blue Cross Blue Shield travel insurance is international health insurance, not comprehensive travel insurance. The purpose of BCBS plans is to provide more than just emergency care when traveling.
With these plans, you can access routine medical care or support for chronic conditions while you’re away from home. Traditional travel insurance plans mostly cover expenses for stabilizing you in an emergency and transporting you home.
The global health coverage incudes:
- Access in more than 190 countries.
- Telemedicine services 24/7.
- Comprehensive care including emergency care, inpatient and outpatient services, diagnostics and prescriptions.
- Emergency transportation including local medical transport, medical evacuation and repatriation.
- Language assistance.
- Guaranteed payment where providers bill the insurance directly so you don’t have to pay large out-of-pocket costs.
There are also plans for Americans living abroad at least three months a year.
Blue Cross Blue Shield detailed policy overview
Since Blue Cross Blue Shield policies are a bit different from other travel insurance policies, we’ll look at both of the one-trip policies as well as the annual policy.
To compare the plans, we got a quote for a 45-year-old traveler who lives in Illinois, planning a one-week trip to Mexico on October 1-7 with a cost of $2,000.
Because the BCBS plans don't include traditional coverages like trip cancellation or delay, it doesn’t matter where you are going or the total cost of the trip. To price a plan, you just need the dates, traveler’s age and ZIP code.
Single Trip Platinum
The Single Trip Platinum plan is the most comprehensive and includes coverage for preexisting conditions for trips up to 182 days.
You can decide how much medical coverage you want, from $50,000 to $1 million. Deductibles range from $0 to $500.
To purchase the Platinum plan and have preexisting conditions covered, you must have a domestic health insurance plan, buy the travel plan before leaving on your trip and be a United States resident age 95 or younger.
Coverage in the Platinum plan includes medical benefits like anesthesia and X-rays, prescription drugs and physical therapy.
Single Trip Gold
As for the Gold plan, the main difference is the coverage of preexisting conditions. The choices of coverage are the same, from $50,000 to $1 million and deductibles ranging from $0 to $500.
Both plans also include telemedicine, translation help and much more as far as medical coverage is concerned. Both the Gold and Platinum plans include medical evacuation for preexisting conditions, just not routine care.
Also, both plans include accidental death and dismemberment coverage, the cost of bringing a family member to you if you are hospitalized, coverage for hazardous activities and limited coverage for lost baggage and transportation interruptions after departure.
Annual plan
As for annual plans, we looked at the same 45-year-old person from Illinois traveling for a year beginning Oct. 2, 2026. The Multi-Trip Platinum plan is the only one available and covers an unlimited number of trips in 365 days and covers the first 70 days of each trip. Two options are available, one with $1 million of coverage with a $100 deductible and another for $500,000 in coverage with a $200 deductible. Preexisting conditions are covered.
| Type of coverage or service | Coverage limits |
|---|---|
| Medical coverage | Gold plan: $1 million, $500,000, $100,000, $50,000. Platinum plan: $1 million, $500,000, $100,000, $50,000. Annual plan: $1 million, $500,000. |
| Deductible | Gold plan: $0, $100, $250, $500. Platinum plan: $0, $100, $250, $500. Annual plan: $100, $200. |
| Length of coverage | Gold plan: International trip up to 182 days. Platinum plan: International trip up to 182 days. Annual plan: Unlimited number of trips in 365 days, covers up to 70 days of each trip. |
| Preexisting condition coverage | Gold plan: No. Platinum plan: Yes and must have an existing domestic health insurance plan. Annual plan: Yes. |
| Medical evacuation | Gold plan: Up to $500,000. Platinum plan: Up to $500,000. Annual plan: Up to $500,000. |
| Telemedicine services | Gold plan: 24/7/365. Platinum plan: 24/7/365. Annual plan: 24/7/365. |
| Accidental death and dismemberment | Gold plan: Up to $25,000. Platinum plan: Up to $50,000. Annual plan: Up to $25,000. |
| Lost baggage coverage | Gold plan: Max benefit of $500 per trip and limited to $100 max per bag. Platinum plan: Max benefit of $500 per trip and limited to $100 max per bag. Annual plan: Max benefit of $500 per trip and limited to $100 max per bag. |
| Post departure trip interruption | Gold plan: Maximum benefit of $1,000 per trip period. Platinum plan: Maximum benefit of $1,000 per trip period. Annual plan: None. |
What Blue Cross Blue Shield plans do not cover
Blue Cross Blue Shield travel insurance plans might seem cheap compared to other travel insurance plans. That’s because they are mostly medical coverage for issues that might arise while traveling and have only limited coverage for other travel situations.
For example, there is no coverage for:
- Trip cancellation.
- Trip delay or travel interruption other than $1,000 for transportation.
- Baggage delay, just minimal coverage for loss.
How much is Blue Cross Blue Shield travel insurance?
For pricing, we again looked at Blue Cross Blue Shield travel insurance plans for a 45-year-old traveler who lives in Illinois, planning a one-week trip to Mexico on October 1-7 with a cost of $2,000.
Single Trip Platinum
Looking at the Platinum plan, which does cover preexisting conditions, the prices range from $17 to $29.
With $1 million of medical coverage with a $0 deductible, the plan is $29.
Cutting the medical coverage down to only $50,000 but keeping the deductible the same lowered the cost to $23.
Reducing the coverage to $500,000 and raising the deductible to the maximum of $500 lowered the cost to $22.
With the lowest level of medical coverage at $50,000 and the highest deductible at $500, the plan was $17.
Single Trip Gold
The Single Trip Gold plan, which does not cover preexisting conditions, ranged in price from $15 to $24 depending on the amount of coverage and the deductible. The higher the coverage and lower the deductible, the higher the cost.
With $1 million in coverage with a $0 deductible, it was $24. Reducing the medical coverage to only $50,000 but keeping the deductible the same lowered the cost to $21.
Reducing the coverage to $500,000 and raising the deductible to the maximum of $500 lowered the cost to $18.
With the lowest level of medical coverage at $50,000 and the highest deductible at $500, the plan was $15.
Annual plan
Looking at the annual plans, which are mostly for health care and cover preexisting conditions, the same 45-year-old traveler from Illinois could get a plan for $203 and have $1 million in medical coverage with a $100 deductible. With $500,000 in medical coverage and a $200 deductible, the rate dropped to $145.
It is a bit difficult to compare BCBS travel plans to others since many other plans include additional coverages for cancellation, interruption, delays and more. On the surface, it is much cheaper than other plans because it does not include those travel coverages.
Looking at other providers, the next cheapest basic plans were from Berkshire Hathaway for $52 and Trawick International for $56. Both of those companies included coverage for trip cancellation and interruption.
Which Blue Cross Blue Shield plan is best for me?
The main factor to consider in deciding whether the Gold or Platinum plan from Blue Cross Blue Shield is the best for you is whether you want coverage for preexisting conditions.
The Gold plan doesn’t cover preexisting conditions and the Platinum one does. Once you decide that, you can choose how much coverage you want and whether or not you can pay a deductible per claim.
Also, if you don’t have a medical plan in the United States, the Gold plan from BCBS is your only option.
Does Blue Cross Blue Shield offer 24/7 travel assistance?
All Blue Cross Blue Shield travel plans include what the company calls Global Health Access. It’s available via a call or online or via an app.
The assistance offered is different from some other travel insurance companies because it focuses mainly on medical issues and not on situations like flight delays or other travel troubles.
On the app, you can search medical providers around the world, translate medical terms and phrases to help you communicate, search medicines to see equivalents in other countries, have telemedicine appointments and much more.
How to file a claim with Blue Cross Blue Shield travel insurance
There are several ways to file a claim with Blue Cross Blue Shield travel insurance. The easiest way is to file online through the app or member portal. You can also download paper forms and then upload them through the mobile app or member portal.
If you’d rather fax, email or mail the forms, you can do so.
Before filing a claim, make sure you have:
- The reason you sought treatment.
- An itemized bill from the provider that shows the dates of the treatment and the provider’s name and contact information.
- Your desired reimbursement method: check, bank wire or ACH payment.
At any time during the process, you can check the status of your claim in the member portal or on the app.
Is Blue Cross Blue Shield travel insurance worth it?
For some travelers, yes. If you’re going outside of the U.S., your health plan probably will not cover you, and for the relatively low cost of a travel insurance plan, BCBS coverage could give you some peace of mind. If you need medical care in another country, it might cover a large portion of the cost.
Keep in mind that BCBS plans are primarily for medical coverage. For protection against trip cancellation, trip interruption, and baggage loss or delay, look elsewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Blue Cross Blue Shield travel insurance plans cover trip cancellation?
No. Blue Cross Blue Shield travel insurance plans are mostly for medical coverage abroad, not for most other travel and trip-related concerns. There is also no coverage for trip delay and very limited coverage for interruption and lost baggage.
Do Blue Cross Blue Shield travel insurance plans cover dental visits?
Blue Cross Blue Shield travel insurance plans cover dental visits, but only for care related to an injury or for relief from pain.
How long before my trip do I need to buy a plan from Blue Cross Blue Shield travel insurance?
You can buy a plan up to the day before you plan to depart the United States, and you can’t buy one after you leave the country. If you want a physical identification card, you should apply at least two weeks before you leave.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Explore more on
