Passport, Pack, Protect: International Travel with an SCI
Image Credit: C.C. BY-N.C. 4.0
Summer is finally here, and many of us start thinking about getting away. Whether it’s a trip to the coast, visiting family, or just somewhere with a change of scenery, travel can feel refreshing after months of the same routine. But let’s be honest—planning a trip with SCI means extra steps. From making sure destinations are truly accessible to packing all the right supplies and watching for things like skin issues or temperature regulation, it takes thought. That’s why getting your ducks in a row early makes all the difference between a great memory and a stressful headache.
If you’re traveling internationally, you shouldn’t skip travel health insurance. Regular health coverage often falls short once you leave your state or the country, especially for big-ticket items like emergency medical transport or unexpected hospital stays. Recently, a traveler from the Bay Area suffered a spinal cord injury while on a journey to Italy. Amid the profound stress of a sudden diagnosis in a foreign country, navigating a complex international healthcare system and coordinating a return to the United States could have been overwhelming. Fortunately, she carried a global health insurance policy, which stepped in to manage the intensive logistics and arrangements required to bring her safely back home. For those of us dealing with SCI, the stakes can feel higher because of potential complications that come up more easily on the road. A solid policy can help cover those surprise costs and give you some breathing room so you can actually enjoy the trip instead of worrying about what might go wrong.
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The tricky part for our community is the pre-existing condition issue. Spinal cord injury almost always counts as one, so standard policies might not pay out for anything connected to it or other related health issues that were already there before you bought the coverage. The key is looking for policies that offer a waiver for pre-existing conditions. These usually require buying the insurance right after you put down your first deposit on the trip—often within 14 to 21 days. You’ll also need to be stable enough to travel when you purchase it, and you have to cover the full non-refundable trip costs. Be upfront about your full health history when applying, and it helps to get a note from your doctor saying you’re cleared to go.
There are some practical options out there worth checking into:
Allianz Travel Insurance: Plans like their OneTrip Prime or Premier are popular because they can include pre-existing waivers if you meet the timing rules, along with decent limits on emergency medical and evacuation coverage.
Travel Guard (from AIG): This provider also offers pre-existing condition waivers on several of their plans when purchased early.
Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Solutions: The Platinum tier of this program handles pre-existing conditions exceptionally well for international travel, but you must have and maintain a health insurance plan in the United States while you are traveling.
Medjet: Operating on a membership model rather than traditional insurance, Medjet has no pre-existing condition exclusions for travelers under age 75. If an SCI-related complication results in hospitalization anywhere in the world, they arrange and pay for bedside-to-bedside transfer to your home hospital of choice.
Seven Corners and IMG: These are two other names that come up often for people with medical conditions, offering various specialized international policies.
Comparison Sites: Platforms like Faye, TravelInsurance.com and Squaremouth let you filter specifically for pre-existing coverage so you can compare what fits your dates and needs.
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None of this is about pushing one company over another—just giving you real choices so you can look into what might work for your situation. Always read the fine print, compare a few quotes, and make sure the policy matches both your trip and your health realities. Some people with SCI go for annual multi-trip plans if they travel more than once a year. Sites like Squaremouth also give quotes for annual coverage.
Bottom line: Summer travel is worth it, but only when you feel prepared. Take time to line up the right insurance, pack smart, pick accessible spots, and stay on top of your usual routines. With a little planning, you can focus more on making good memories and less on the what-ifs.
Safe travels this season—here’s to adventure!
