Primary vs Secondary Travel Insurance: Key Differences Every Traveler Should Know

May 14, 2025 - Meagan Palmer

Last Updated On:

When you buy travel insurance, you often see the terms “primary” and “secondary” coverage listed near the medical benefits. Many people find these words confusing, but they make a big difference if you ever need to file a claim for a medical emergency while on a trip. Discover the key differences between primary vs. secondary travel insurance to confidently choose the best coverage for your trip.

Key Takeaways

• It makes a difference whether your travel insurance offers primary or secondary medical coverage.

• Primary insurance pays claims first, while secondary insurance comes after other coverage.

• Choosing the right type helps determine how quickly and fully your medical expenses are paid.

Understanding Primary vs Secondary Travel Insurance

For travelers looking to have medical insurance while on a trip, getting travel insurance is a great way to ensure you have coverage for emergencies. Both primary and secondary travel insurance options are designed to help cover unexpected medical costs if you need care during your trip. These insurance benefits are offered with comprehensive and travel medical plans.

The biggest difference is how and when they trigger coverage. As a reminder, you usually pay out of pocket for medical bills you incur during your trip and then file a claim for reimbursement of these costs.

Definition of Primary Travel Insurance

Primary travel insurance means that the insurance company will be “first payer” if you have to file a claim for reimbursement of medical expenses you incurred during your trip. When you file a claim, your insurance company processes it without needing to check if you have other health coverage. 

This means you don’t have to wait for other insurance policies, like your personal health insurance in the United States, to pay first. With primary coverage, you usually experience less paperwork and quicker claim resolution.

Definition of Secondary Travel Insurance

Secondary travel insurance is designed to reimburse you for medical costs that aren’t covered by your primary health insurance. If you need care during your trip, you must first use any other available insurance, such as your primary medical insurance or employer health coverage, before your travel insurance company steps in.

If your primary United States health insurance doesn’t pay out or if they don’t cover everything, you can then file a claim with your travel insurance plan. You just need to show proof of how much your primary insurance has already paid. This can involve more paperwork, extra time, and sometimes more out-of-pocket costs.

Expert Tip: If your health insurance doesn’t offer overseas coverage at all, secondary travel insurance usually acts as the first payer. You’ll want to review the policy details and check with the insurance company to make sure, though. 

Is Primary and Secondary Coverage Only Relevant to Medical Benefits?

Not necessarily. Many plans will indicate whether or not all benefits included are considered primary coverage or secondary coverage. For some plans, this means the specified coverage pertains to all benefits except for a specific few.

Pro Tip: Look for “Other Insurance” or specific verbiage about being required to send in a claim to your primary insurance company first.

Key Differences Between Primary and Secondary Coverage

The main way these two types of medical travel insurance differ is in the order claims are paid:

Coverage Type	Primary Coverage	Secondary Coverage
Order of Payment	Pays first	Pays after other plans
Claims Process	Simple and fast	Can be slower, requires documents from other insurers
Deductible Amounts	Lower or none	Can vary

With primary travel insurance coverage, you don’t need to wait for another insurance company to handle your claim before getting a refund. This typically means you’ll only need to submit one claim with your travel insurance provider, rather than another provider first.

Pro Tip: Not all primary travel insurance plans are more expensive. Over 64% of policies offered on Yonder Travel Insurance include primary medical expense benefits.

Secondary coverage can help reduce your costs if you already have health insurance, but the steps involved are more complex. Claims must go through any other available health insurance first, then the travel insurance company will consider any unpaid parts.

How Primary and Secondary Travel Insurance Work

Primary and secondary travel insurance handle claims in different ways. The order in which they pay and how you file your claims will directly impact your reimbursement and out-of-pocket costs.

How Claims Are Processed

With primary travel insurance, you can file a claim with your provider right after an eligible event, like a medical emergency. You don’t need to wait for any other insurer to respond. This makes the claims process faster and usually simpler for you.

The secondary payer will only pay after your primary insurance has finished. This could include deductibles, copays, or anything your primary health insurance plan doesn’t reimburse. If your primary payer denies the full amount, you send in proof to the secondary insurance provider. They will review what remains and decide what they can reimburse you for.

Check out our comprehensive guide to claims to get insight on how to file a successful travel insurance claim.

Pro Tip: If your United States health insurance doesn’t provide international medical coverage, then you may not need to file a claim with them at all. Instead, you could directly file a claim with your secondary travel insurance.

Here is a simple comparison:

Coverage Type	What You Do First	Who Pays First
Primary	File claim with travel insurance company	Travel Insurance Company
Secondary	File claim with other insurance company	Other insurance

Documentation You’ll Need

With primary travel insurance, the amount of documentation needed with your claim is slightly simpler. Typically medical documentation you have to send in includes: 

• Attending Physician Statement: Part of the claim form that’s completed by your physician that explains your condition and when it began. This will help determine if it began during your trip and rule out pre-existing conditions. 

• Medical Care Invoices or Bills: Showing the medical care you received and how much you were charged. 

• Medical Release Form: Some providers require this for assistance in obtaining medical records as an extra step in proving the legitimacy of the claim.

If your primary health insurance doesn’t cover all medical bills abroad, you can claim the remainder with secondary travel insurance. In addition to the documentation stated above, you’ll likely also have to submit the following with your secondary claim: 

• Primary Coverage Claims Determination: This proves to your secondary insurance that there are still outstanding medical bills you need repayment for. 

Real Examples: Primary vs Secondary Travel Insurance

You Need Medical Treatment In Italy

Situation: While visiting Italy, you develop a severe infection and receive treatment at a local clinic.

With primary travel insurance, the traveler can typically submit the claim directly to the travel insurance company to be reimbursed for covered expenses.

With secondary travel insurance, the traveler may first need to submit the expenses to their primary health insurance provider and receive an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) before the travel insurance company reviews any remaining eligible costs.

You Have Medicare And Travel Abroad

Situation: You have Medicare and take a trip to Spain and experience a medical emergency during your trip.

Because Medicare generally provides limited coverage outside the United States, primary travel insurance may help simplify the claims process by serving as the first source of coverage for eligible expenses.

You Have Employer Health Insurance

Situation: You have comprehensive employer-sponsored health insurance and needs medical treatment during a trip to Canada.

In this situation, secondary travel insurance may still provide valuable protection by helping cover eligible expenses that remain after the primary health plan has processed the claim, subject to policy terms and conditions.

Who Benefits Most From Primary Travel Insurance?

There is no universally “best” option between primary and secondary travel insurance. The right choice depends on your existing coverage, travel habits, and preferences.

Primary travel insurance may be worth considering for:

Travelers With Limited Health Insurance

If you have a high-deductible health plan, limited out-of-network benefits, or gaps in coverage, primary travel insurance may provide a more straightforward way to access covered travel medical benefits. That’s because primary travel insurance bypasses your domestic health insurance deductible entirely.

Medicare Beneficiaries

Many Medicare beneficiaries travel internationally with limited medical coverage outside the United States. Our Medicare vs. Travel Insurance Guide can help you understand what (if any) coverage applies. Primary travel insurance can provide an additional layer of protection when traveling abroad.

Frequent International Travelers

Travelers who take multiple international trips each year often prioritize simplicity and convenience when filing claims. Primary coverage may reduce the need to coordinate benefits with another insurer first.

Travelers Who Want A Simpler Claims Process

Some travelers prefer primary travel insurance because it can reduce paperwork and streamline the claims process for covered medical expenses.

Travelers Without Existing Medical Coverage

For travelers who do not have comprehensive health insurance at home, primary travel insurance may provide an important source of coverage for eligible medical expenses while traveling.

Coverage Considerations and Scenarios

Knowing whether your current health insurance covers medical bills outside your home country can help you determine which travel insurance plan you need. 

Medical Expenses and Health Insurance Coordination

Check with your health insurance provider to see if your policy covers international costs. Note that not many health insurance plans provide international coverage. If this is the case for you, getting a travel insurance policy could prevent you from being responsible for medical costs while on your trip.

This is especially important for people who may need help paying for sudden hospital visits, prescriptions, or emergency transportation home. You could purchase either primary or secondary travel insurance coverage, and they would act the same in this case.

State and Medicare Insurance

If you get health insurance through your state or have Medicare or Medicaid, you need to look at the policy details to determine if you have overseas coverage. Most state-based health insurance plans and Medicare do not pay for medical care when traveling outside the country.

Some supplemental plans do include international coverage; however, not everyone opts for this extra coverage. If you depend on Medicare or a basic health plan, you are likely responsible for paying for medical expenses in another country. This makes buying travel medical insurance such an important step for most travelers.

Insurance Deductibles

Many U.S. health insurance plans require you to meet deductibles before coverage applies. If you’re a person with a high-deductible stateside health insurance plan, consider a travel insurance policy with primary medical coverage. 

“This allows you to bypass filing a claim with your health insurance in the States, thus avoiding you having to pay towards your medical plan deductible,” says Terry Boynton, co-founder and president of Yonder Travel Insurance.

Some travel insurance policies require you to pay deductibles before coverage triggers a refund. However, these are usually only around $50 – $250 per person. Only around 25% of policies on Yonder Travel Insurance have a medical coverage deductible within this range.

Primary Coverage Upgrades

If you find a secondary travel insurance plan you love, it’s possible the plan may offer a primary health coverage upgrade. For a nominal fee, you can upgrade your plan to include primary medical coverage during your travel. Sometimes this can be more affordable than purchasing a solely primary travel insurance plan.

What Most Travelers Get Wrong About Primary vs Secondary Coverage

Myth #1

Primary coverage means better coverage.

Reality: It only describes the claim order and which company reimburses first.

Myth #2

Secondary coverage is always inferior.

Reality: Some secondary plans still offer excellent benefits.

Yonder Expert Tip: Additionally, if your domestic health insurance offers zero international coverage, then a secondary travel insurance plan acts as a primary plan. Since there is no other insurance to pay first, the secondary provider handles the claim from dollar one.

Myth #3

This only matters for major emergencies.

Reality: It can affect claims administration for smaller medical expenses too.

Myth #4

Primary coverage always pays more.

Reality: A primary policy with lower medical limits may ultimately provide less financial protection than a secondary policy with stronger benefits.

Myth #5

If my medical coverage is secondary, my emergency evacuation is also secondary.

Reality: In almost all comprehensive policies, Emergency Medical Evacuation is Primary, even if the Medical Expense benefit is secondary. The insurance company handles the coordination and payment for the helicopter or jet directly; they don’t make you call your health insurance company while you’re being airlifted.

“Don’t let the ‘Secondary’ label scare you away from a great policy. A secondary plan with a $250,000 medical limit is often a much better safety net than a primary plan with only a $10,000 limit. Always look at the total coverage amount first, then look at the claim payout order,” explains Boynton.

What Yonder Travelers Should Consider Before Choosing

Before deciding between primary and secondary travel insurance, it helps to evaluate your existing coverage and how you expect to use the policy.

Ask yourself:

• Do I already have health insurance that provides coverage while traveling?

• Do I have a high deductible at home?

• Am I on Medicare?

• Will I be traveling internationally or domestically?

• Am I traveling to a country with expensive healthcare?

• Would I prefer a simpler claims process if a medical issue occurs?

• Am I comfortable coordinating benefits between multiple insurers if necessary?

• How important are medical and evacuation benefits for this specific trip?

• Am I purchasing coverage primarily for medical protection, trip cancellation protection, or both?

For some travelers, primary coverage may be worth paying a higher premium for added convenience. For others, a secondary plan may provide sufficient protection while keeping costs lower.

Rather than focusing solely on whether a policy is primary or secondary, compare the full package of benefits, coverage limits, exclusions, and claims procedures. The best travel insurance plan is the one that aligns with your specific travel needs and existing coverage.

Still Not Sure if You Need Primary or Secondary Coverage?

Take our 3-question quiz to determine if primary vs secondary travel insurance is best for you. If you need additional help, you can always contact our team of friendly humans for a recommendation. You can also get quotes right on Yonder’s site for both primary and secondary policy options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tags: medical travel insurance coverage