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Insurance is always a great idea when traveling. For the little extra money, you can protect your trip and your plans. Consider what you have invested in when traveling:
- Time off of work
- Airfare
- Hotel
- Car
- Any prearranged plans you may have made, such as tours, theme parks, safaris
- Time spent in organizing your trip
- Other parts of your trip
When you add these all up, you can be investing thousands of dollars. So why wouldn’t you insure your plans?
When I was young, I never considered travel insurance. Then I made my first trip overseas to Germany, and my chaperone became ill and had to be hospitalized in Nurnburg. He had kidney stones. Knowing his attention to detail, his personality, and the fact that he had his family along, I couldn’t imagine he would have traveled without insurance.
That was my first experience with emergencies overseas, and while I have been abroad many times, I have always made it a point to invest in insurance for longer flights. In 1997, I was visiting Australia for a much-needed vacation, when my Dad called me to come home. My mother had suddenly become seriously ill. I jumped in the car and headed for the nearest Qantas office and was on the plane four hours later heading for home. If I hadn’t had insurance, I don’t know what I would have done!
Before this past summer, I would have said that insurance was very important. Now, I will say that it is the most important part of your trip, whether it is at home in the United States or an international trip. Not only is insurance important, but so is the type of insurance purchased. Also, it is very important to read and reread the small print and to have it explained to you if it isn’t understood. You might ask me why I make such a big deal about this, well, here is my story: I had planned a three three month trip down in Florida to see whether or not I could handle the hot, humid summers. (I couldn’t, by the way.) I drove with some friends down to the Fort Myers area and stayed at a relative’s house. I had checked my insurance before going, and as I have insurance through a former employer as well as Social Security, I figured I had crossed all of my T’s and dotted all of my I’s. However, three weeks into my stay, I fell and broke my wrist. My emergency room and treatment was covered, but nothing else. I had to cut my summer short to come home for therapy and further treatment. I also had to pay about $1,500 for orthopedic treatment and the trip to the hospital. Because I was out of state, nothing was covered except for emergency and because I had another policy besides Social Security insurance, my government insurance policy wouldn’t pay either. So I am out, even as a seasoned traveler. So even if you are not taking a plane or train, PLEASE CHECK YOUR INSURANCE even if you are traveling in the states!
I wouldn’t attempt to tell others what to do, but in my case, I have learned how important it is to have insurance for all areas of your vacation. The following is an excellent article describing the different types of travel insurance in detail and what each covers. http://www.travelinsurancereview. net/plans/
For the purposes of this blog, I will condense each of the insurances into the following:
Come see the world with me!
Next month I will be listing the laws and discussing customs in various countries.
See you on Sunday,
October 7, at 6:00 PM!
Happy travels! Ciao! 😎
Annual
This insurance is just what the name says; it provides insurance for a year with a variety of coverages under one umbrella plan.
Travel Accident
This plan involves term life benefits and international accident protection for those who travel frequently.
Specialty Plans
This type of insurance fills in the gaps that other insurances may have. It is a one-time only deal. People concerned about any particular travel risk should consider this type.
Package or Comprehensive Trip Insurance
Package insurance provides insurance for such things as cancellations or flight interruptions, lost, stolen or delayed luggage, natural disasters such as hurricanes and others. Please check the insurance you are considering for the specifics.
Travel Medical
This type of insurance provides coverage for accidents, medical emergencies, emergency evacuations, and returning a traveler to his or her own country.
Medical Evacuation or Medivac
Medivac covers medical and international security evacuations. Medivac evacuation can decimate a person’s saving and often is prohibitive in an emergency. It is important that some part of travel insurance covers this.
Come see the world with me,
footloose and fancy free!
Do I have the proper insurance to protect my trip?