Ever heard of stories of how people go travelling or go on vacation in perfectly healthy conditions, and come across some mishaps during the journey that render them hospitalized? It is no laughing matter when this happens as you are away from home, and you end up with a medical bill that could go up to a few hundred, maybe even thousand dollars. How do we avert from facing this situation? Definitely by investing in a credible and trustworthy, yet affordable health insurance plan for travels.
When we talk about individual health insurance plans, many are not aware of such a thing called travel health insurance. Well, now that you have heard of it, let us look at what it really is. Normally health insurance companies only provide coverage for you within your own country, thus when you are travelling, you are completely exposed to the dangers of travelling without the security of an insurance policy to back you up. However, this could be easily remedied by purchasing a short-term travel protection plan that insures you against health hazards and accidents while you travel beyond the borders of your country. Most travel agents and insurance companies offer this service for the benefit of travellers, and you should take this plan up if you are planning to venture out of your country. Normally this short-term policy covers emergency services, hospital bills, doctor’s fees and other similar expenditure that you might face in the case of an accident abroad.
There are two main varieties of travel insurance offered by insurance companies, namely the international medical insurance plan as well as the travel protection plan. The international medical insurance plan can be either short or long term, and would reimburse you for any medical expenses that you bear during travelling or living in a different country. The travel protection plan on the other hand would normally provide you refunds on non-reimbursed travel expenses in the case of an emergency (such as airline strike, sickness, etc) occurring just before you leave for your trip and causing you losses. The plan usually includes coverage for lost or damaged baggage as well, as well as a small allocation for medical expenses incurred.
Remember never to leave your country without a travel health insurance plan with you, or you might be stranded in a strange country without the ability to settle your hospital bills. Not a pretty sight if you ask me.
By: Vignes Chandran
Archive for March, 2010
Defining Travel-Health Insurance
March 30th, 2010The Benefits of Annual Travel Insurance For Your Summer 2010 Travel
March 30th, 2010
No one wants to think of something bad happening whilst they are on their annual holiday but in some cases things do and it is at this time that taking out Travel insurance would have been a wise choice, hindsight’s a wonderful thing but pre planning is better. Ensuring that aspects of your holiday are covered and certain eventualities have been considered can mean the difference between a disaster and just an inconvenience. Travel insurance can come in various packages depending on your requirements and frequency of traveling but one thing is for certain, if you travel regularly then Annual Travel Insurance is definitely an option worth considering.
Your cover won’t just cover accidents and medical attention like so many people perceive, it can cover an array of situations that are often out of your control like Airport Staff Strikes, Travel delays and cancellation all of which are major inconveniences, especially if you travel regularly. Many policies are on offer these days and companies have tiered packages to suit the type of traveler you are, concentrating on better value for money for the regular annual traveller often making it cheaper to have annual travel insurance every year than buying it each and every time you travel.
With a chosen policy potentially covering unlimited trips per year, Cancellation cover including redundancy, Medical Expense Cover, Travel Delay, Baggage and Baggage Delay, Dynamic Packaging Insurance the cover is often far more extensive than many people initially think travel insurance is. Many policies also cover a range of hazardous sports which were traditionally excluded from annual travel cover. These days going on holiday often involves action sports experiences, and no longer are they problematic to cover, from Bungee jumping to Scuba Diving, Sailing, Motorcycling and Jet Skiing. Picking the right annual travel insurance means these sports along with many others can be covered under the same policy with no need for additional cover.
Another benefit to having Annual travel cover is that it is one less consideration whilst organising your next trip. With flights to book, accommodation to find, money to exchange and logistics to sort you can rest assure that your personal welfare is insured and external elements that may hinder your journey will be covered.
By: Tom Sangers
Cruise Travel Insurance Benefits and Need
March 30th, 2010
When planning a cruise, it’s important to consider purchasing cruise insurance at the same time that you purchase the cruise. Offering protection and assistance against the unexpected, cruise insurance protects you in case of baggage loss, last minute travel changes, and emergency medical assistance. Before and during your ocean travels, it’s a great way to protect your vacation investment.
There are many different costs involved when you are planning a vacation, including the price of the cruise tickets, plane tickets to the port of departure, and other costs. There are often high fees involved if the trip has to be cancelled due to an emergency. Coverage is provided with cruise travel insurance in these situations to protect your trip investment
Travel insurance for cruises should be purchased within 15 days from the time you book your cruise package (initial deposit), to receive the maximum benefits available. Typically, coverage is included for emergency medical services, trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, missed connections or baggage loss.
The medical services covered by cruise insurance include $50,000 in coverage for medical expense, $100,000 for emergency medical, and up to $50,000 for accidental death and dismemberment. In case of death or dismemberment while in flight, optional coverage can be purchased to protect you.
Before your trip begins, it can be impossible to predict what can happen. A pre-existing condition could force you to cancel your trip for reasons or the cruise line or travel agency can go out of business. You can relax and feel confident that you will be protected in these situations when you purchase cruise travel insurance within 15 days of booking your trip (initial trip deposit).
Important additional benefits that are included in cruise travel insurance include extra emergency travel services. You can have peace of mind when travelling knowing that you have access to 24-hour emergency travel assistance for help with rebooking flights, passport information and cash advances.
The price of cruise cancellation insurance is dependent on how long the trip will be and how old the traveler is. To receive the maximum benefit, you must purchase the plan at least 24 hours prior to the date of departure and you must insure the total pre-paid, non refundable portion of your trip.
By: Harry Higgins
