Why travel insurance is important
Travel insurance is important because emergencies and accidents can happen at anytime and you cannot predict them. And if something were to happen and you did not purchase travel insurance, then you may be left with lots of bills, or heavy financial losses that will leave you regretting that you didn’t purchase it. So it is important to be safe and get it for every trip, with benefits like travel delay, and baggage loss, if you travel enough you will be compensated for these things since they are inevitable to happen. When the issue does occur, you will be glad you had the insurance and will be compensated accordingly, which will pay for the insurance you have been purchasing.
What to look for in a great travel insurance plan
Travel insurance is confusing and there are so many different options out there and you need to make sure you get a good plan, which has everything you should be covered for. Not a few, not most, all of them. Basically, you should never get a policy before checking all the following items, which are in no particular order of importance.
1- Destinations Are Covered:
If you are visiting more than one country, be sure to check that every country you are visiting is included in the policy you intend to visit.
Usually when you book you are asked which country you will spend the most time in. Not always are you asked for every country. If in doubt, call the insurance provider and ask before booking online.
2- Medical Emergencies:
The two primary types of medical travel insurance policies are short-term medical and major medical coverage. Short-term policies cover a traveler from five days to one year, depending on the policy chosen. Major medical coverage is for travelers who are planning to take longer trips ranging from six months to one year or longer.
Medical coverage can help with medical expenses, help to locate doctors and healthcare facilities, and even assist in obtaining foreign-language services. As with other policies, coverage will vary by price and provider. Some may cover airlift travel to a medical facility, extended stays in foreign hospitals, and medical evacuation at home to receive care.
3- Evacuation Coverage:
Evacuation covers the cost of getting you to a place where you can receive appropriate medical treatment in the event of an emergency. (In a worst-case scenario, this can mean a medically equipped — and incredibly expensive — private jet.) This is usually not covered by your regular medical-insurance plan back home. Sometimes this coverage can get you home after an accident, but more often, it'll just get you as far as the nearest major hospital — so it may be worth buying if you're planning an adventure in a remote area. "Medical repatriation" — that is, getting you all the way home — is likely to be covered only if it's considered medically necessary. Before purchasing a policy, ask your insurer to explain what exactly what's covered before and after you get to the hospital.
4- Cancellations:
Although you can buy your travel insurance policy on the day you are jetting off, it can pay to buy it at the same time as booking your holiday. By doing so, you'll be covered if you need to cancel your holiday (Flight,Hotel and etc) due to illness or redundancy, for example.
Remember to check exactly what situations your policy will pay out for, and if you're unsure, ask your provider for clarification before buying the insurance and take your policy documentation with you when you're away so you can refer to it if necessary.
5- Luggage, Passport and Money Coverage:
Out of all the most likely things to occur when travelling, damage to belongings or loss of luggage, passport and money are the probably the most likely to occur. It also means some insurers don’t cover them because they generate a high level of claims. This means checking any policy your purchase covers these items is definitely one of the most important things to look for when buying travel insurance.
6- Time Allowance for Submitting a Claim:
It’s a good idea to know the amount of time you have to submit a claim before it becomes invalid. For some insurance, this might be within a certain time period after the event or before the policy expires. For other travel insurance, it might be unlimited. The longer you have to make a claim, the better – particularly as some paperwork can take a long time to organise when in a foreign country. Finding out about a policy’s claim period is therefore definitely one of the top things to look for when buying travel insurance.
7- 24/7 Phone Assistant:
This is about having a ‘lifeline’ to call when something happens. Medical emergencies, stolen baggage, lost passports, cancelled flights. Every travel insurance company provides 24/7 support for all of these needs. This service is most important when you have a medical issue. 24/7 Travel Assistance Services can help you:
- Locate the nearest adequate hospital if needed
- Organize medical transportation
- Arrange for treatment and overcome any language barriers
- Organize transportation home
- Replace prescriptions in an emergency
In addition, non-medical assistance may include:
- Lost baggage search; stolen luggage replacement assistance
- Lost passport/travel documents assistance
- Travel information including visa/passport requirements
- Emergency telephone interpretation assistance
8- Flight Delay/Cancellation:
Light delay or cancellation insurance (sometimes called “travel delay”) typically pays for accommodations, meals, and new travel arrangements once you’ve been delayed a certain amount of time (often six to 12 hours—read your policy carefully).
You should also know what is not covered in your policy and if you need any extra item, it should be added when you getting your insurance. for example most policies do not cover:
- Sport and adventure activities with a high risk
- Travel to high-risk countries
- Pre-existing medical conditions
Travel insurance can also provides coverage for:
Life Insurance coverage for accidental death or dismemberment.
Hazardous Sports extends the medical coverage to cover activities like SCUBA.
Rental Car Collision replaces your personal insurance or the rental company policy.
Identity Theft provides services to help in the event of identity theft while traveling.