With the large number of college students and others traveling away from home this coming week for spring break vacations, it pays to take a minute to think about the protection you have in the event of an accident or illness. Tony Novak, who operates OnlineAdviser service at MedSave.com, offers these suggestions:U.S. health insurance policies typically cover only U.S. residents while in the U.S. Non-U.S. health insurance policies cover only non-U.S. residents while outside the U.S. International travelers usually need supplemental insurance to bridge the gap during periods away from home.If you belong to an HMO, realize that your benefits out of your local area are limited and you may wind up paying most of the cost of a claim yourself. The out-of-network deductible and co-insurance typically leave your financial exposure greater than most people are willing or able to pay. The co-insurance for an out-of-network claim may be as much as 40% of the bill. In the event of a catastrophic claim, you may wish to be transported home as quickly as possible to minimize your out-of-pocket costs.If you belong to a PPO discount plan it is possible to print out a lost of the plan’s participating discount providers at your travel destination in the event you need medical care. Just use the "find a provider" link at www.ehealthdiscountplan.com and enter the zip code of your U.S. destination to find a list of participating providers for this very large national network. Most of these networks operate throughout the U.S., but not overseas. If you travel outside the U.S., realize that your U.S. medical policy probably does not provide coverage. If it does provide coverage, realize that you may still be responsible to make payment, gather and translate medical records and make any necessary currency conversions before being reimbursed by your health insurance company. International health insurance polices remove these risks.Travelers to Mexico and Canada may benefit from Assurant Health’s short-term medical policies that provide coverage throughout North America. This is the only immediate issue policy that provides coverage both inside and outside of the U.S. (in Canada or Mexico). See details at www.FreedomBenefits.net. Short-term U.S. and international health insurance policies are issued online and become effective at midnight after the application. The policy and ID card can be downloaded for immediate printing or can be sent by regular or overnight mail. Pricing and enrollment details can be found for most major carriers at www.MedSave.com.Short-term U.S. health insurance policies provide no coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. International medical insurance policies provide only limited coverage for pre-existing medical conditions.Travel medical policies do not use a preferred provider network and do not require pre-authorization for treatment. Use any doctor or medical facility that is available.Temporary health insurance policies are usually inexpensive, typically about $30-70 for a week of coverage.MedSave.com specializes in low cost and short-term medical insurance. OnlineAdviser provides free professional support on a wide range of consumer finance issues..