Short-term visitors, those on businesses or visiting friends or family, are especially vulnerable since they can be lulled into a false sense of security by presuming that their regular medical policies provided by employers in their native lands, will cover them. That is not true since most insurers of regular policies explicitly exclude foreign travel. Even students going overseas to study may find it intriguing that although universities provide plans that cover them after they register as full-time students, they may not be covered when school is not in session. Human tragedies involving injury, hospitalisation or death can occur at inopportune times, putting an undue financial strain on self and dependents.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travel_insurance
