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Genki Native and SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete
If you’re a digital nomad or long-term traveler and are looking for comprehensive health insurance that goes beyond what typical traveler’s insurance covers, then the good news is you now have more options!
Up until now, most nomads and long-term travelers have opted to get travel insurance, which is typically a more temporary option with coverage limited to emergency medical care and does not usually cover preventative health care. Travel insurance usually also covers travel mishaps like trip cancellation or theft.
The three most popular companies digital nomads and long-term travelers use for travel insurance are SafetyWing, World Nomads, and Genki.
Note: We have received many questions about getting travel insurance if you are 69 or older. If that’s you, check out Insure My Trip to see more insurance options.
But travel insurance doesn’t give you all the same benefits as a health insurance plan can, which is why many nomads and full-time travelers are looking into other options.
Genki and SafetyWing, have recently introduced more comprehensive health insurance options for nomads and people living their lives across multiple countries called Genki Native and SafetyWing Nomad Complete.
Let’s face it, health insurance is a pretty boring topic, and it’s a pain in the booty to figure out how it all works.
That’s why we wanted to create what is hopefully an easily understandable and comprehensive breakdown of these two health insurance options for nomads and long-term travelers.
While we were researching, we read the fine print of both policies and reached out to both Genki and SafetyWing to ask A LOT of questions.
We’ll explain what both health insurance policies cover and how much they cost to help you decide if Genki Native or SafetyWing Nomad Complete might be a better option for you than typical travel insurance.
And If you’re from the US, where health insurance can be an inscrutable nightmare, these options may be especially interesting for you.
Note: While we’ll do our best to cover everything in this article, you should absolutely read the fine print of each policy yourself.
Let’s start with Genki Native.
Genki Native
Genki is a German company that was founded by nomads for nomads in 2021. Fun fact: Genki is a Japanese word that means healthy, energetic, or full of spirit.
Who is Covered with Genki Native?
Genki Native does not have an age limit and covers anyone from anywhere in the world.
To apply for the policy, you have to submit a medical questionnaire and list your height and weight, medications, disabilities, and so on.
You will also need to disclose any long-term illnesses or pre-existing conditions. Those may not necessarily disqualify you from getting the insurance, but they may affect your premiums.
Where Is and Isn’t Covered with Genki Native
Genki Native has few limitations on where in the world you are covered. There are two options: Worldwide, or Worldwide WITHOUT coverage in the USA and Canada.
If you choose to forgo coverage in the US and Canada, your monthly premium will be a lot lower when you sign up for your policy, but that doesn’t mean you can never visit those countries.
If your plan does not include USA/Canada coverage, you are limited to six weeks in either country per calendar year, and your coverage is limited to medical emergencies and accidents.
You can add coverage for the US and Canada, and pay the increased premium, on a month-to-month basis. Once you leave the US or Canada, you can revert your coverage back to the lower premium.
The biggest limitation on where you are covered is in your home country. You are limited to 182 days in your home country per calendar year. Other than that, there are no limitations on where you can go.
Length of Coverage with Genki Native
Genki Native has a minimum of at least one year of coverage. You can keep your coverage for as long as you would like, however, your premiums will increase over time as you age. As long as you keep paying your premiums, you’re covered.
Depending on circumstances, like adding a new person to your family, you may have to do some paperwork and readjust your monthly premium. Each person included on your policy will need to submit their own medical questionnaire and will be covered individually, even if you are paying for multiple people on one account.
The reason policy length is so important with the Genki Native policy as compared to their Genki Traveler traveler’s insurance is because of preexisting conditions.
With Genki Traveler insurance, you have to reapply every year, which means if you have surgery or develop any chronic issues in that time then when you reapply for a new policy, those will be considered pre-existing conditions and may be excluded from your coverage. It may even mean your application will be rejected.
With Genki Native, you don’t need to reapply so you will have the same insurance plan year-to-year as long as you keep paying your premiums.
Price of Genki Native
There are many variables to consider when it comes to the price of Genki Native coverage including your age, whether you want the Premium or Standard plan, how much you want your deductible to be, and whether you want to include coverage in the US and Canada.
You can use Genki’s price calculator to figure out how much your coverage would cost.
Deductible
Genki’s Native has different deductible options of €1000, €500, or €0 per calendar year. The lower your deductible, the higher your monthly premium.
The deductible applies to everything except hospitalization. The hospital must call emergency assistance first (unless life-threatening).
Genki Native Basic vs. Genki Native Premium
Both Genki Native Basic and Premium offer long-term cover for medical treatments worldwide.
The Basic plan offers:
- Inpatient & outpatient medical treatment
- Medical consultations, examinations & procedures
- Medication, medical materials & device
- Medical transport to the nearest suitable hospital
- 24/7 emergency assistance
- Direct billing for inpatient hospital stays
- Injuries and accidents caused by any sport
- Rehabilitation treatment
- Inpatient psychiatric care
- €1 million overall coverage limit per insurance year
- Family visits covered: Economy-class round-trip plus simple accommodation for a family member during a life-threatening hospitalization.
- Home-country upgrade: Stay in your country of nationality now covered for 182 days
- Brand-name meds included: Reimbursed up to the cost of the generic alternative.
Make sure to read your policy to make sure you understand what is and isn’t covered.
The Premium plan is geared toward people who want more preventative care.
The Premium plan covers all of the things in Genki Native Basic, as well as:
- Preventive care (checkups & vaccinations)
- Dental care (checkups, cleanings & treatments)
- Vision care (checkups, glasses & contacts)
- Mental health care (including apps)
- Maternity care (pregnancy, childbirth & postpartum). Midwives & obstetricians are covered.
- Alternative care (osteopathy, homeopathy & more)
- No overall coverage limit
- Full cover in your country of citizenship
Coverage Limits with Genki Native
Genki Native does not have a maximum benefit amount per calendar year.
However, there are some benefits that are not completely covered. For example, if you need dentures as a result of an accident, Genki will cover 50% of the cost.
What is NOT Covered with Genki Native
Of course, no travel insurance policy covers everything.
While the Standard and Premium plans do cover a great deal of medical issues, there are things that are not covered by either plan, including:
- Withdrawal from addiction
- Infertility
- Sterility
- Professional sports (if you get paid to participate)
- Active participation in a war
- Cosmetic surgery
- You might get coverage for pre-existing conditions, but only after review and approval after you submit your medical questionnaire.
- Birth assistants (doulas) are NOT covered.
Traveling for the express purpose of getting medical care is not included. However, if you’re in a place where you need medical treatment but aren’t able to get the care you need, then you may be approved to get treated in another country. You can ask for authorization to travel for treatment in these cases.
Coverage in Your Home Country with Genki Native
You are allowed 180 days in your home country every year. It is important to note that for the insurance to take effect, you must leave your home country at least once.
So if you start the policy while abroad, you are covered right away. However, if you are in your home country when you sign up, you must leave your home country before the policy will start.
USA Coverage (for Non-Americans) with Genki Native
This next part applies to people whose country of residence is not the US or Canada.
You can choose to add coverage to be covered in the US and Canada. Adding this coverage will roughly triple your monthly premium price.
You can still visit those countries for up to six weeks if you do not choose the US and Canada coverage, but you will only be covered for medical emergencies and accidents.
You can bump up your coverage, and premium, for the time you are going to be in those countries if you contact Genki and let them know you will be visiting the US and/or Canada. There is a one-month minimum to add this coverage. So, say your trip to California is only two weeks, you will still need to pay the extra US-Canada coverage premium for the entire month. But then it will go back down the following month.
USA Coverage (for Americans) with Genki Native
Residents of the US and Canada can use the USA or Canada as their primary country of residence and, just like with any other primary country of residence, you will be covered for up to 180 days in a calendar year.
On top of that, if the US or Canada is your primary country of residence, you do not have to pay the extra premium for US and Canada coverage to be covered there. However, if you do not have that extra coverage you are only allowed to spend up to six weeks in Canada (as an American) or six weeks in the US (as a Canadian) unless you upgrade your coverage.
Again, it’s important to read the fine print of the policy and check everything for yourself, because things can change. You can read more about Genki’s coverage on their website and get a quote based on your situation.
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete
SafetyWing is a Norwegian company that was founded in 2017. It was founded by digital nomads for digital nomads.
Honestly, we found that the information available about SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance Complete was not very straightforward. We asked A LOT of questions through their online help chat about the policy to understand how it works and who it covers. We’ll do our best to explain that all here.
On the plus side, we have found that SafetyWing has a very responsive customer service chat option on their website where you can speak to a real human being, so you can also ask them any of your specific questions.
Again, we highly recommend that you read the fine print of your policy as it will vary depending on your country of residence.
Who is Covered with SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete
SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance Complete covers people up to the age of 64. However, you can be covered past age 64 as long as you signed up before you turned 64 and continue renewing your plan without any gaps.
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete is not available if your country of residence is any of the following countries: Belarus, Canada, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ireland, Palau, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, USA and its territories.
That doesn’t mean if you are from any of those countries that you cannot get a SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete policy. It just means those countries cannot be your country of residence.
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete defines your country of residence as “the country in which the Insured resides for a period of more than one hundred and eighty-three (183) days within a year while this Policy is in effect.”
However, that’s not the case for most nomads, us included, who often don’t spend 183 days in any country in the course of a year.
We asked SafetyWing’s help chat what to do if you are from one of the countries where the country of residence is not offered, like the USA. The representative at SafetyWing told us that you can choose any country where you spend any amount of time as your country of residence, as long as it is eligible for long and short trips. They also told us that you do not need to spend 183 days in any country, any length of time is fine.
We highly recommend chatting to them directly about your options if you’re from the USA or any of the countries on the list above.
You will need to fill out a medical questionnaire when you apply and disclose your medical history from the past 24 months, including any hospital visits, surgeries, and any chronic or pre-existing conditions.
Where Is and Isn’t Covered with SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete coverage is limited to 30 days per trip in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the USA. You can take as many trips as you like, but your total days in these countries need to be less than 180 days per policy year. Plus, coverage is limited to emergency care only. There is the option to add and pay for more coverage with the Hong Kong, Singapore & US add-on.
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete cannot arrange for direct billing with hospitals in these countries, so you’ll need to pay for your own care first, then make a claim: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, and Zimbabwe.
Other than those stipulations, you are covered in every other country in the world for short and/or long trips.
Length of Coverage with SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete has a minimum of one year of coverage. After that, you can renew your policy on a yearly basis.
You will need to reapply for a new coverage policy every 12 months as the policy does not carry over from year to year. That means, for example, if you have a pre-existing condition, you will have to have that pre-existing condition reevaluated every year. If you develop a chronic condition during your policy year, when it comes time to renew, you would have to list it as a pre-existing condition on your new application.
Price of SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete
The price of SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete depends on what age bracket you fall into. As of right now, for people in the 18-39 range, the Standard plan is $161.50 USD/month.
Check out SafetyWing’s pricing by age calculator to figure out how much your coverage would cost.
Deductible
There is no deductible for the SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete plan. However, there is a 10% co-insurance that applies to all outpatient services.
For example, if you go in for something like:
- doctor’s visits for medically necessary treatment (nothing routine)
- specialist visits
- physical therapy
- prescription medications
- lab tests or diagnostic studies outside of hospital stays
And it cost $300, you would have to pay $30. There is a $5,000 maximum limit per policy year on outpatient procedures.
There is also a 20% co-insurance for all maternity benefits.
It is also very important to note that for any procedure that is estimated to cost over $500 USD, you must request pre-approval and direct billing. If you do not, you will receive 30% less on your coverage, even if everything should be covered. In case of an emergency, this must be done within 72 hours of receiving emergency treatment.
What is Covered with SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete
The Complete plan covers a wide range of things, like:
- hospital stays
- doctor visits
- blood tests
- x-rays
- surgeries
- mental health
- prescription medication
- Physiotherapy
- screenings & vaccines
- complementary/alternative therapies
- maternity benefits (after a 10-month waiting period)
On top of the health coverage, the Complete package covers potential travel complications, things like:
- Delayed transportation
- Delayed luggage
- Lost checked luggage
- Inaccessible or canceled accommodation
- Theft of wallet
- You have to cancel your trip (trip cancellation)
- Burglarized accommodation
- Emergency vision test and replacement glasses or contact lenses
- Stolen passport or travel visa
- An unforeseen event which you need to attend (trip interruption)
- Evacuation from local unrest
- Support for your pet if you are hospitalized
- Support for your children if you are hospitalized
- Visit from a family member in relation to a serious illness or injury
- Robbery
Different incidents have different limits and stipulations for coverage, make sure to read the fine print of your policy.
What is NOT Covered with SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete
Of course, no insurance plan covers absolutely everything. Here are some things that are not covered:
- Active duty, war and disturbances
- Aesthetic treatment
- Undeclared chronic conditions
- Dental or orthodontic procedures (that are not specified in the Table of Benefits)
- Growth hormones
- Obesity and weight control treatments
- Over-the-counter medication
- Professional sports
- Fertility treatments
- Routine exams
- Treatment for mental health
- Pre-existing conditions
- There are even more specific things that aren’t covered. We’ll link to fine print for the Complete plan in the description box:
As always, read the fine print!
USA Coverage (for non-USA residents) with SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete
Travel in the USA is limited to 30 days per trip. You can take as many trips as you like, and there is no restriction on how many times you go back or with what frequency, but your total days in the US need to be less than 180 in a policy year. Also, you are only covered for emergency care. So, for example, if you have the Premium package, a visit to the dentist for a check-up would not be covered.
USA Coverage (for USA Residents) with SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete does not cover USA citizens whose primary country of residence is the USA.
But, as the SafetyWing representative told us, you can choose a different country as your country of residence. We highly suggest you chat with a SafetyWing representative directly about your situation. They typically respond within minutes.
Coverage Limits with SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete
SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance Complete has a limit of $1.5 million USD of coverage per policy year. However, as mentioned above, there are lower limits for different types of preventative care.
Get a quote from Genki or SafetyWing.
As always, read the fine print of your policy as things can change and may vary depending on your country of residence.
If you have any more questions, you can reach out to SafetyWing or Genki directly regarding your coverage through their websites. We have found both companies’ customer support to be very responsive.
If you want to know more about Genki and SafetyWing’s travelers insurance, check out this video.
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