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1. What Is SafetyWing?
Founded in 2017, SafetyWing is a global insurance company based in California. It provides travel medical insurance and health insurance products for digital nomads, remote workers, and remote companies. In the last few years, SafetyWing has garnered a lot of praise for its valuable features, affordable prices, and flexible payment plans.
SafetyWing is also about to add two new products to its offerings- Remote Doctor and a Remote Retirement solution to address various other concerns faced by workers, aiming for a more comprehensive social safety net service.
SafetyWing reviews on Reddit are quite mixed, but the provider has a stellar 4.2-star rating on Trustpilot.
2. What Are the Insurance Plans Provided by SafetyWing?
2.1. Nomad Insurance
The Nomad Insurance plan is SafetyWing’s primary offering, and it includes both medical insurance and travel insurance. It has a $250 deductible and costs the following (excluding U.S. coverage):
- $45.08 per 4 weeks (28 days) for 10 to 39 years old
- $73.92 per 4 weeks for 40 to 49 years old
- $115.92 per 4 weeks for 50 to 59 years old
- $157.36 per 4 weeks for 60 to 69 years old
The cost of packages in the U.S. can differ from other locations because the cost of medical care is much higher there. In addition, you can avail of the U.S. coverage add-on if travelling to the country (not applicable to U.S. citizens).
Here are the prices of total insurance (including U.S. coverage),
- $83.44 per 4 weeks (28 days) for 10 to 39 years old
- $137.48 per 4 weeks for 40 to 49 years old
- $226.24 per 4 weeks for 50 to 59 years old
- $308.84 per 4 weeks for 60 to 69 years old
The best part about SafetyWing Nomad Insurance is that children between 15 days to 9 years old are covered for free when accompanied by an adult with the SafetyWing insurance. Note that only one child is covered per adult.
2.2. Medical Insurance
SafetyWing medical insurance covers expenses if you fall sick, are in an accident, or need medical assistance when out of your home country. It has a maximum limit of $250,000 for those below 65 and $100,000 for those 65 to 69 years old.
Coverage includes room and nursing services, intensive care, ambulance service, urgent charges, physical therapy and chiropractic care, emergency dental work, and other eligible medical expenses.
2.3. Travel Insurance
SafetyWing travel insurance covers travel delays, lost luggage, emergency response, natural disasters, and personal liability expenses.
3. How SafetyWing Works?
SafetyWing works on a subscription basis, and costs are based on age group. You can get started by visiting their website, choosing your insurance plan, signing up for an account, and entering your personal details.
The best part is, you can subscribe to their plans while you’re already on your trip.
You avail of their services by paying for the first four weeks of the trip. After that, the coverage will automatically extend for another four weeks until you cancel or until you hit 365 days of coverage.
After one full year, you will get a notification to remind you to renew if you’re still travelling and are in need of coverage.
4. SafetyWing: What’s Covered
4.1. Medical Expenses
SafetyWing’s medical insurance covers up to $250,000 for emergency medical expenses.
SafetyWing Covid insurance is only accessible if you contracted Covid after your plan started.
4.2. Emergency Medical Evacuation
The company shall cover up to $100,000 worth of expenses if you must be transported elsewhere for emergency medical treatment. This expense is not subject to a deductible.
While other insurance providers offer a higher limit, we found this quite inclusive. If you’re travelling to remote locations where the likelihood of requiring such a service is high, you may need more coverage.
SafetyWing also covers the transportation of a family member from your home country to your location if you are required to stay in the hospital for an extended period.
Note: Travel Assistance Services heading was removed as they overlap with travel delays: https://safetywing.com/nomad-insurance/description-of-coverage.pdf
4.3. Trip Interruption and Cancellation
Trip interruption coverage has a limit of up to $5,000 with no deductible required. It includes interruptions that require you to return to your home country due to the following:
- Medical emergencies
- Death of a parent, sibling, spouse, child, or grandchild
- Destruction of your house due to fire or bad weather
4.4. Lost Checked Luggage or Personal Belongings
For lost luggage, SafetyWing covers up to $3,000 per certificate period. The limit per item lost is up to $500.
There’s no deductible, and the lifetime limit is $6,000.
4.5. Travel Delays and Missed Connections
Suppose you experience a 12-hour travel delay that requires you to stay overnight in a city unexpectedly. In such a case, you can avail of up to $100 of coverage per day.
This covers up to two days of delays, for a total of $200. There’s no deductible for travel delays or missed connections.
4.6. Accidental Death and Dismemberment
SafetyWing provides coverage between $12,500 and $25,000 in cases of accidental death or dismemberment. In case of death, the amount is paid to the beneficiary listed.
4.7. Emergency Dental Treatment
You are covered for up to $1,000 worth of emergency dental treatment with SafetyWing. This includes pain relief treatments. Coverage for dental treatments isn’t subject to a deductible.
5. SafetyWing: What’s Not Covered
5.1. Pre-Existing Medical Conditions
SafetyWing doesn’t cover expenses for general health checkups or pre-existing medical conditions. It does cover pre-existing conditions with acute onset.
5.2. High-Risk Sports Activities
SafetyWing does not cover medical emergencies or travel mishaps that may arise due to extreme sports and adventure activities. These include but aren’t limited to whitewater rafting, parachuting, boxing, and base jumping.
Note: Non-medical Evacuations section was removed as there are no such mentions of them in the policy https://safetywing.com/nomad-insurance/description-of-coverage.pdf
5.3. Certain Destination Exclusions
SafetyWing is well known for its wide range of insurance coverage in every part of the world. However, it doesn’t provide coverage in Cuba, Iran, Syria, and North Korea.
5.4. War or Terrorism-Related Incidents
Any accidents or losses resulting from declared or undeclared acts of war or terrorism are not covered in SafetyWing plans.
5.5. Substance Abuse-Related Incidents
No coverage is provided for accidents or losses occurring (directly or indirectly) due to intoxication.
5.6. Mental Health Conditions
Accidents or losses caused due to mental health disorders are not covered.
6. SafetyWing - Pros & Cons
6.1. Pros
- Affordable pricing with flexible payment options
- Subscription is possible even if you’re already abroad
- Covers a wide range of countries
- Partial coverage in the country of residence
- Plans also cover one child up to 10 years old per adult
- Submitting claims is easy
- Subscription can be cancelled anytime
- 15- or 30-day coverage in your home country (if you need to go back for some reason)
6.2. Cons
- Personal liability coverage is low compared to some competitors
- The website is only available in English
- The $250 deductible is higher than some competitors’ offerings
- No coverage for trip cancellation
- No coverage for those older than 69
7. SafetyWing Review: SIWOM’s Final Verdict
SafetyWing insurance is a fantastic option for digital nomads seeking coverage on big expenses (anything above $250). While medical coverage is pretty limited in comparison to other competitors, the policy will still reduce your expenses.
The best part is you can subscribe and cancel anytime. The expenses covered are pretty comprehensive for this price range and plan flexibility.
However, if your travel plans are shorter, get delayed/cancelled often, and involve extreme activities, SafetyWing is not for you. It’s targeted toward more low-key, laidback travellers.
Go for SafetyWing if you’re not planning to go anywhere remote. You don’t need high-end travel insurance if you will maintain a simple nomad lifestyle in big cities and only use common gadgets.
Most of the negative SafetyWing reviews from Reddit are from customers not being aware of what’s covered and what isn’t in their policies. So make sure that you take a close look at Nomad Insurance plans to ensure your specific needs will be met.
8. FAQs
8.1. Is SafetyWing good travel insurance?
SafetyWing is a good and reliable travel insurance provider for long-term travellers. They were a part of the startup accelerator Y incubator, which also gave rise to Airbnb and Dropbox.
8.2. How do I claim SafetyWing?
Making a claim with SafetyWing is easy. You can file one through the online portal by uploading all relevant documents, screenshots, photos, etc. The company will confirm the processing of your claims within three days and then process them within 45 days. Once approved, they will reimburse you directly by wire transferring the amount into your bank account. You can also track your claims processing via your online profile.
