Health Insurance for Slow Travel: Our Two-Layer Approach

By Tristan | October 24, 2026 | Miles and Homework

This article is part of our Before We Left series, detailing how we prepared and planned for our world-schooling adventure through Southeast Asia.

We obviously hope to stay healthy throughout our travels. Still, health insurance for our family of three was a must, as a safeguard against unexpected illness or accidents on the road. One month in, we’ve already put it to the test (more on my ear below).

Every family’s personal and medical circumstances are different, but here’s how we approached health insurance abroad as an American family. We took a two-pronged approach. First, we wanted coverage that would support us while traveling in Southeast Asia. Second, we wanted to keep US-based coverage as a backup, in case a serious illness forced an early return, and to make for a smooth transition home at the end of our travels.

Layer one: international coverage

We looked for a plan that would cover us across Southeast Asia. Many of the countries we’re visiting offer quality care at much lower prices than the US, so we were comfortable paying out of pocket for minor issues and treating insurance as a backstop for anything more serious. We chose IMG’s Patriot Lite plan, which covers us while we’re outside the US. We paid $1,818 for nine months of coverage for our family of three, with a $1,000 deductible. This included an optional telehealth benefit, which appealed to us as an easy way to reach a doctor when we’re somewhere more rural without a provider nearby.

Layer two: keeping US coverage

With international coverage in place, we turned to what US coverage we wanted to keep. My wife and I both recently left our jobs, and we’d already met deductibles for the year. My wife had a medical condition earlier in the year, so continuity of coverage was important. So we’re continuing our existing insurance through COBRA for the rest of the year. In the new year, we plan to look for a lower-cost plan on the ACA marketplace that provides enough coverage if we need it, though we don’t expect to use it until we’re back home.

What about travel insurance?

We also considered supplemental travel insurance, which typically covers lost luggage, flight delays, and trip interruptions. Most of these products are built around a single trip to a specific destination, usually 30 days or less. While we have used World Nomads for past trips, we found very few options suited to long-term slow travel like ours. Our Patriot Lite plan already includes emergency medical evacuation, which was the part of travel insurance we cared about most. It covers the cost of getting us from a rural area to a major hospital in case of a serious accident or illness. Since we already had that coverage, we decided against an additional travel insurance policy.

Putting it to the test

One month in, we’re happy with our approach. My first health issue came up soon after we arrived. We’ve been swimming almost every day to cool off, and I developed an earache that AI and I self-diagnosed as likely swimmer’s ear. I wanted a professional to confirm it, and the telehealth benefit was extremely convenient. I submitted a request online, and within 30 minutes a physician called me. He confirmed the likely diagnosis and recommended a couple of medications. I also received official prescriptions from a physician in Indonesia, where we were at the time.

As it turned out, I didn’t need the prescriptions. At a local village pharmacy, we showed the pharmacist the recommended medications. They didn’t have the suggested ear drops, but they brought out three alternatives, and with AI’s help we chose the one closest to the doctor’s recommendation. The ear drops cost about $5. For another $2, we followed the doctor’s advice and picked up a course of oral antibiotics in case the drops didn’t do the trick. We’ll happily absorb those costs ourselves.

The whole experience combined international medical expertise with cheap, easy local access to medication. Hopefully we all stay healthy from here on out, but it was reassuring to test our coverage on something minor.

We’re sharing our own experience, not insurance advice. Every family’s needs are different, so review plan details carefully before you buy.