As an international traveler, you must know that health insurance systems vary by country. To make your international trip smooth, it’s a good idea to know about how international health insurance systems work, especially if you’re planning a trip longer than a month.

For a vacationer, international medical costs will, in most cases, be paid by the plan holder and later reimbursed. However, checking how reimbursement works before leaving on the trip will save later trouble. Some countries work with an exclusive private system, but most countries have some partnership with the government.

In the United States, healthcare is almost exclusively funded by the private sector, and the government is involved in two major health insurance plans: Medicaid and Medicare. The system has come under heavy fire for being inefficient in spite of 16% of the GDP spent on healthcare. Private international insurance must be purchased by those needing healthcare coverage in the United States.

In the United Kingdom, the health insurance sector is funded by a universal public sector insurance system. Only 11% of the population has some form of private insurance. Healthcare is mostly free for residents, and prescription drugs, eye and dental treatment may not be covered. Visitors will have to purchase, as in the United States, international health insurance.

France follows a social health insurance system, which covers all residents, whose paychecks are automatically charged. Supplemental private health insurance is common. Public hospitals are managed by a government agency. Visitors to France may require a Schengen visa and the international travel health insurance purchased should meet visa requirements.

Singapore’s healthcare system has come in for much praise. The country spends a mere 3.8% of its GDP on healthcare and has adopted a dual system, where government and private healthcare compete with each other. While primary healthcare is mostly taken care of by the private sector (80%) in-patient care is taken care of by public hospitals (80%). Travelers to Singapore must read the terms carefully before seeking care under international travel health insurance.

Other countries have systems somewhere in-between the ones mentioned above. In India, for example, healthcare is provided free of cost at public hospitals; however, the quality of public healthcare is considered poor. Regardless of the destination, international travel insurance and knowledge of the terms and conditions set forth are a must.

If you’re traveling abroad, be sure to purchase the short-term or long-term international health insurance plan that is right for you. These plans are underwritten by industry leaders like Nationwide, Lloyd’s, and AIG.

Ray Sondeo often writes about international insurance.