International travel insurance is medical coverage designed for people who travel or live outside their home country. It is not the same as comprehensive health insurance: it focuses on covering emergencies, medical evacuations, and unexpected hospitalization while traveling. The price can be five to ten times lower than traditional international health insurance because it covers exactly what you can't plan for, not what you can handle from home.
That distinction took me months to fully understand. And it ended up being the foundation of the whole strategy we built to travel in the Tesla without losing medical coverage.
The difference nobody explains clearly: travel insurance vs. international health insurance
When I started researching, I confused two completely different products.
Comprehensive international health insurance works like having your local health plan in any country. It covers everything: routine consultations, chronic conditions, scheduled treatments, pre-existing conditions. The problem is the cost: between $800 and $1,000 per person per month for serious coverage.
Travel assistance covers what you can't plan for: medical emergencies, accidents, evacuation, emergency hospitalization. It doesn't cover routine visits or chronic conditions. It's much cheaper precisely because it's more specific, and it's designed for what can genuinely surprise you far from home.
For a nomadic life with baseline coverage in your home countries, travel assistance is the missing piece — not a replacement for health insurance.
The problem: $1,000 per month wasn't an option
Gonzalo and I had Swiss Medical in Argentina and Adeslas in Spain. The idea of being without any coverage while traveling made us very uncomfortable, especially when crossing countries where we don't know the healthcare system.
What we found in the market didn't add up. International medical insurance that truly covered everything was running between $800 and $1,000 per person per month. For two of us: $1,600 to $2,000 a month. Over $20,000 a year, just on health insurance.
It wasn't just unviable. It was absurd compared to what a return flight to Argentina or Spain costs for care you can actually plan.
The three-layer strategy we ended up using
First layer: Swiss Medical (Argentina)
We keep paying the monthly fee even when we're not in Argentina. Canceling a health insurance plan with years of history can have consequences when you want to re-enroll: new waiting periods, conditions that were previously covered and no longer are. Accumulated history has value.
Second layer: Adeslas (Spain)
Local coverage for when we're in Spain or Europe. It doesn't cover everything, but it works as backup for non-emergency care.
Third layer: ASSIST 365
This is the core piece. It covers what neither of the other two covers well outside their respective countries: an emergency in a place where you don't know the healthcare system, unexpected hospitalization, an evacuation nobody planned for.
Why we chose ASSIST 365
We looked at several travel assistance providers. What tipped the balance was something very specific: ASSIST 365 pays the hospital or clinic directly. The traveler doesn't advance anything. No reimbursement process, no bureaucracy, no waiting weeks.
They also have three modes of care depending on the situation:
- Telemedicine: a medical consultation by video call for situations that don't require physical presence. Ideal for initial diagnoses or when there's no real emergency.
- Doctor to your location: they coordinate sending a doctor to your accommodation. No moving, no waiting room.
- Hospital or clinic care: they coordinate admission and payment directly. The traveler pays nothing at the time.
The choice between the three depends on the urgency and the case. What matters is that the decision is made by ASSIST 365 together with the traveler, not by the traveler alone in a country where they don't know the system.
Another key factor: the reputation is real and verifiable. They have 4.6 stars on Google with a high volume of reviews, and there are documented cases from real travelers: Guada Araoz in Africa, Floxie in Europe and Peru, Sofia Pachano in Japan. Not marketing testimonials — real stories from real travelers in real situations that worked.
We haven't had to activate coverage. But confidence doesn't come from hope: it comes from having researched those real cases and seeing that the support they offer is immediate.
The plans: Elite Cover and Million Cover
Elite Cover: medical coverage up to USD 500,000 for illness, accident, and COVID-19. Up to USD 40,000 for pre-existing conditions. Luggage covered up to USD 5,000.
Million Cover: medical coverage up to USD 1,000,000. Up to USD 50,000 for pre-existing conditions. Evacuation and repatriation also up to one million. Luggage up to USD 10,000.
We chose the most comprehensive plan. The price difference between the two is small compared to the peace of mind it adds.
What it also covers that most people don't know: your devices
This isn't in travel insurance comparison sites and it's one of the most relevant differentials for us: ASSIST 365 covers electronic devices in case of theft during travel.
For someone traveling with a Tesla full of work equipment — MacBook, cameras, hard drives, everything we need to work from anywhere — this isn't a minor extra. It's real protection for the digital ecosystem we rely on while moving.
It also covers:
- Pets: emergency veterinary expenses when traveling with animals.
- Flight delays and trip cancellations.
- Lost or damaged checked luggage.
- Airport VIP lounges (depending on the plan).
- Multi-trip plans and travel without a fixed return date: for open-ended routes like ours, this matters.
And something many people don't consider: it can be purchased and renewed while already traveling. You don't have to do it from home before you leave, though we always recommend contracting with time to spare.
How to finance it
Travel assistance can be paid in installments. In our case, we were offered up to 12 interest-free installments. Paying a full year of coverage upfront doesn't always make sense: that money can be working for you in the meantime. With interest-free installments, the final cost is exactly the same but the capital management is smarter.
Plans come in monthly, six-month, and annual durations. For the exact price based on your destination and the plan you need, quote at assist-365.com with code CARYGONZA to add our community discount.
The logic behind "for non-urgent care, we go home"
For medical care that isn't urgent, it's always cheaper to go back to your home country. Travel assistance is designed for what you can't plan: a fall, a severe allergic reaction, an infection that requires hospitalization. For that, ASSIST 365 covers you without you having to advance any money.
The mistake you can't undo: canceling your home insurance
Your accumulated history with a health insurance plan has concrete value. If you cancel and want to re-enroll later, new waiting periods may apply and previously covered conditions may become exclusions. Health insurance isn't a subscription you pause and reactivate without consequences. That's why we keep paying both Swiss Medical and Adeslas even though we rarely use them.
Our recommendation: this is non-negotiable
Medical coverage when you travel is not an optional expense. It's part of the financial planning of any serious trip.
- Don't cancel your home country health insurance. The history matters.
- Keep local coverage where you're based. To never be completely uncovered.
- Get ASSIST 365 for emergencies abroad. Before you leave.
- Take advantage of interest-free installments when available. No reason to pay it all upfront.
- Match the plan to the destination. The US is not the same as Europe in terms of healthcare costs.
We don't do this because it's a business. We do it because anything can happen, and the peace of mind of knowing you're covered completely changes how you travel.
When this strategy doesn't work
This strategy works for us because we have baseline coverage in our home countries. If you travel with no local health insurance and no public system access, travel assistance alone isn't enough for care beyond emergencies.
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Frequently asked questions about international travel insurance
How much does ASSIST 365 cost?
The price varies by destination, trip duration, plan, and current offers. We don't publish a fixed number because it changes. What we can say: it can be paid in up to 12 interest-free installments, which makes it much more accessible than it appears. Quote at assist-365.com with code CARYGONZA for the community discount.
What's the difference between travel insurance and international health insurance?
Travel assistance covers medical emergencies, accidents, and evacuations abroad at a much lower cost. International health insurance covers everything your local plan does — including routine and chronic care — but can cost five to ten times more per month.
Does ASSIST 365 cover pre-existing conditions?
Yes, partially. Elite Cover: up to USD 40,000. Million Cover: up to USD 50,000. Sufficient for emergency care while you arrange to return to your home country.
Does travel assistance work for continuous long-term travel?
Yes. There are monthly, six-month, and annual plans, and you can purchase or renew while already traveling. For continuous travel, the annual plan with interest-free installments is usually the most cost-effective option.
Is travel insurance required to enter Europe?
For the Schengen Area, travel insurance with minimum €30,000 medical coverage is required for the visa. For most other destinations it's not legally mandatory, but the costs of an uninsured medical emergency — especially in the US — can be devastating.
Does the CARYGONZA code have any extra cost or conditions?
No. It's an affiliate code that adds our community discount to the plan price. We earn a commission if you purchase through that link, at no additional cost to you.
