Travel insurance for Bali is worth buying, and two clauses decide whether it helps: the one about riding a scooter and the one about medical evacuation. The State Department highly recommends travel insurance for Indonesia and strongly recommends cover for evacuation. Our advice is to read those two sections of a policy before you pay.
Why insurance matters more in Bali
Travel insurance matters in Bali because medical care there is paid for by the patient. The State Department says medical care is not free in Indonesia, that hospitals and doctors often require payment or a sizable deposit upfront, and that most US health plans do not cover expenses abroad. Medicare and Medicaid do not pay bills abroad at all.
You pay first
The State Department notes that a traveler who buys supplemental insurance is responsible for seeking reimbursement from the provider. Insurance in Bali is therefore usually a way of getting money back, not a card that makes a bill disappear. The same guidance says most care providers accept only cash.
What we will not tell you
We cannot say what any insurer will or will not pay, and we name no company and quote no premium. Policies differ, and the wording of your own policy is the only authority on your cover. What follows is a list of the questions that the facts of a Bali trip make worth asking.
The scooter clause
The scooter clause is the first thing to read, because of how Indonesian law treats licenses. The law requires every driver to hold a license matching the type of vehicle driven, and it has a separate class for motorcycles. The State Department adds that a US driver's license alone is not recognized in Indonesia.
Why the license matters to a policy
A policy may make cover for a motorbike accident depend on the rider being licensed for that vehicle. We are describing a type of condition to look for, not your policy. The question to put to an insurer in writing is direct: am I covered riding a scooter in Indonesia with the license and permit I actually hold?
The legal position without the right license
Riding without the required license is an offense in itself in Indonesia, carrying up to 4 months' detention or a fine of IDR 1,000,000 for riding without the required license. Bali's rules for visitors also require a valid license and a helmet. Ask your insurer how the policy treats an accident in which the rider was breaking local law.
Other conditions to look for
A policy that covers motorbikes may attach further conditions. Look for wording about helmets, engine size, riding as a passenger, and alcohol. Indonesian law requires a helmet for rider and passenger alike. Read each condition as a question about how you really plan to get around.
The evacuation clause
Medical evacuation is the second clause to read, and the State Department gives the reason. It says the US government strongly recommends supplemental insurance to cover medical evacuation, that an injured traveler will likely need to go to a major city for appropriate care, and that most foreigners with the resources leave Indonesia for anything beyond basic procedures.
What to check
Our advice is to look for three things in the evacuation section: what medical situation triggers it, who makes the decision, and where the policy would take you. Check too whether the policy covers transfers between hospitals, since the State Department says patients must cover all costs of transfer to or between hospitals.
The assistance line
Our advice is to find the assistance phone number in your policy, save it in your contacts and on paper, and give it to the person you are traveling with. Call it early in any hospital visit, before a decision has to be made in a hurry, and ask how an evacuation would be authorized.
