There you are.
Sitting on top of your suitcase. Trying to squish its contents enough so that it will close. And then it hits you. The crushing realisation that you will have to open it up again and begin a painful elimination process!
Second pair of flip flops? You’re cut! See ya later portable hairdryer! Bye-bye beach towel! But when heading on a trip abroad, there is one thing you really can’t leave without.
Travel insurance.
It’s one of those things that could make a big difference between a nightmare that you never want to go through again and an unforgettable travel experience.
But why is it so important to have travel insurance while abroad?
Even though most of the people wonder “is travel insurance worth it”, investing in a cover for your trip abroad is crucial and some countries won’t even allow visitors to enter their borders without the correct coverage.
You must consider buying travel insurance if:
Most travel insurance plans cover medical emergencies, medical evacuation, lost/damaged or stolen luggage, trip cancellation, delays and trip interruption. Different travel insurance can include many specific types of coverage, but most fall under several main categories.
Let’s take a look at how travel insurance can cover the three big things that you worry about when you travel – you, your stuff and your experiences.
You need to know if your travel medical insurance is primary or secondary. If your travel health insurance is primary, it will be your first policy to pay your travel emergency medical bills.
If your travel medical insurance pays secondary, all travel medical bills first go to your health plan for payment. So, your travel insurance will pay what’s left up to the benefit limit.
Many travel health plans have certain rules around how they’ll cover pre-existing conditions.
Some plans have a “look-back” period, which is meaning that they will check your medical history to see if a condition appeared during a period that could range from three months to one year.
Before you buy your insurance you should understand how your plan defines and treats “pre-existing conditions”.
Travel insurance includes different ways to protect important items on your trip. It can help pay for replacement items when your luggage is stolen or lost.
Some travel insurance baggage claims are not fully paid until you provide a list with lost travel items and the original receipts. While other plans can reimburse you for delayed or lost luggage and no receipts are required.
Some travel insurance companies may even pay you for a return flight home if a disaster or fire destroys your house while you’re away from home.
Travel insurance can help protect your experience as well. For example, the insurance company could reimburse you for unused prepaid expenses. Only if some circumstances (which are covered) force you to cancel or interrupt your trip prematurely.
Some plans have benefits when your flight is cancelled and you have to spend the night in a hotel. They could cover expenses if a travel delay messes up subsequent scheduled tours or in case your operator goes bankrupt.
So, you’d better check if flight departure delays, missed connections and tarmac delays are included in your travel insurance.
This is very important as well. Most travel insurance plans offer travel assistance. Travel assistance is not insurance. So, what does it mean?
This is a 24/7 hotline for emergencies – in case you are stranded, have a medical emergency or lose your documents. It’s important to have a team working for you in case of a travel emergency.
Even though there are plans designed for unique needs the vast majority of travellers choose two basic types of insurance.
Vacation Plans are also called Travel Insurance, Package Plans, Trip Cancellation Insurance or Trip Insurance.
Over 94% of travellers choose Vacation Plans. This plan includes coverage for:
While you are travelling outside your home country regular health insurance plans provide partial or no coverage. This type of Travel Medical Insurance plans provide beyond your regular health provider.
This type of insurance focuses on medical emergencies and is perfect if you are not concerned with cancellation, delays and luggage.
Travel medical plans are focused on:
Some of these plans provide coverage for pre-existing conditions, coverage for long-term travel abroad, multi-trip renewable protection and more.
Beyond the two basic types, we want to mention that there are specialized plans to meet unique needs. Evacuation plans, for example, focus on emergency evacuations and are sold on an annual basis, while accident plans provide life insurance for travellers.
However, the vast majority of travellers choose vacation plans, because they provide the most coverage.
Exclusions can include (but not limited to this list):
The best time to buy travel insurance is within 15 days of making your first deposit for your trip because this could often qualify you for some bonus coverages.
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Comments
I like this blog very much, Its a very nice office to read and receive info .
it is always necessary to get a travel insurance;:;
i always make sure that we have adequate travel insurance when going out for a vacation.'~