Travel insurance is an essential but often overlooked item
From Arrive Alive http://www.arrivealive.co.za/default.aspx
Introduction and Description
Can you depart on your vacation with the confidence that you have secured the best assistance and medical attention in the event of emergency during your travels? Travel insurance is an essential but often overlooked item in the checklist before going on vacation. We would like to discuss, in this section, the importance of having travel insurance as part of safety awareness.
What is Travel Insurance?
Travel insurance is best described as a financial product to assist travellers and to cover medical expenses and financial and other losses incurred while travelling, either within one’s own country, or internationally. Travel insurance usually provides cover for emergency evacuation, personal accidents, trip cancellation, baggage loss and various other benefits.
Many banks and credit card companies provide free travel insurance when you use your credit card to pay in full for your air, bus or train ticket. This “automatic cover” may not meet every aspect of your travel insurance needs, and additional cover is available at preferential rates to provide you and your family with more financial protection and peace of mind every time you travel. Most credit card have maximum age restrictions or duration of travel so your best advice is to check with your credit card company before leaving to ensure you have adequate coverage.
Travel agents and insurance companies also offer travel insurance cover, and premiums differ according to age, duration of travel, destination and other factors such as age and your personal health.
Temporary travel insurance can usually be arranged at the time when booking a trip to cover exactly the duration of that trip, or a more extensive, continuous insurance can be purchased from travel insurance companies, travel agents or directly from travel suppliers such as cruise lines or tour operators.
Why do I need Travel Insurance?
We need to recognize that travelling for business or pleasure always does involve some form of risk. None of us are able to fund just any emergency out of our own pockets. Most medical aids will not cover medical expenses abroad, which is why travel insurance cover is vital to avoid financial disaster.
Travel insurance addresses the gaps in health insurance coverage for travellers outside their home county and protects them from substantial losses that may result from any unforeseen circumstances such as lost baggage, medical emergencies, supplier defaults, cancelled trips etc.
Travel insurance will allow you to travel with a greater sense of security. It is every traveller’s nightmare to fall ill or become injured while travelling in a foreign country. In a developing country, substandard medical care is a worry. In a First World country, a simple operation could cost you the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
History has shown that emergencies may both be sudden and devastating! From relatively minor inconveniences such as stolen luggage and missed flights to life changing events such as a tsunami, serious accident or severe illness, travellers face many situations in foreign countries that could have potentially devastating consequences. Travellers risk being alone in a foreign country with unfamiliar customs, unable to speak the language and being exposed to sometimes appalling medical facilities.
Travel insurance will not only provide cover for emergencies, but also for the most devastating of consequences –death! Travel insurance could pay for cremation, burial, the repatriation of your remains and a certain amount towards your coffin.
Typical Benefits of Travel Insurance Policies
Summary of the typical benefits under travel insurance cover from various providers:
- Emergency medical assistance: Ensures the right medical advisers are consulted; appropriate medical treatment is provided; and any necessary, approved medical fees are covered should you fall ill or have an accident abroad.
- Emergency evacuation/repatriation and transportation
- Travel Assistance: A helpline service available 24 hours a day, which will ensure your travel problems are dealt with as easily and conveniently as possible – including obtaining information about visas and inoculations; emergency medical evaluation and repatriation; return of mortal remains; transmission of urgent messages and legal assistance.
- Baggage and personal belongings protection: Coverage for the loss, theft or accidental damage to your personal belongings or baggage;
- Trip cancellation/interruption
- Overseas funeral expenses, burial, cremation or repatriation of your remains if you die abroad;
- Delayed departure & Delayed baggage (and emergency replacement of essential items)
- Returning home family members who are stranded by your illness or death
- A visit by a family member if you are travelling alone and are hospitalised in a foreign country.
Risks and Pitfalls
We also need to focus on those aspects that could easily slip the minds of our travellers and leave them destitute. There are few things worse than believing you are covered –only to find that it is not the case!
Be aware of the following risks:
- Exclusions
Exclusions can occur, when for instance a person with a pre-existing medical condition travels. Check your policy: it may say “at any time prior to commencement of the journey” or it may specify that the treatment period is 60 days, 90 days, 180 days or 12 months in some cases.
- Understand your Policy / Reading the fine print
You need to understand the terms and conditions for claiming travel insurance, in case the policy requires pre-authorisation for any treatments or only allows treatment at prescribed medical facilities. Carry the 24-hour emergency telephone number when travelling and phone this number in case of illness or injury for advice on what to do. Some hospitals require a cash deposit up-front – find out whether the insurance will reimburse you or whether they make arrangement to save you having to come up with large amounts of foreign currency.
Conclusion
Include travel insurance in your checklist before going on holiday. The small amount payable may provide peace of mind and avoid regrets and financial devastation later.
Great travel information for anyone who travels!