The Challenge
Imagine for a moment that you and your family have embarked on a long-awaited and planned for vacation to Europe. You finally arrive at your destination and excitedly set out on a day tour of your first city. During the day, one of your family members falls ill, or trips and breaks a leg.
Do you have any idea how much it will cost for an ambulance trip in this foreign country? How about doctor’s fees, hospital services and medications?
Every year, thousands of travelers are left in just such situations without adequate medical coverage to pay for the emergency they find themselves in.
When planning a trip or vacation, many people neglect to spend the little extra money and time to ensure themselves the peace of mind of having travel insurance. This leads to the (unfortunately) common scenario of travellers who find themselves ill or hurt in a foreign country and unable to afford the appropriate care.
When you are visiting foreign places there are often aspects you will be unfamiliar with, such as terrain, animals, plants and insects. Add to this possible difficulties communicating because you don’t speak the language or understand the local customs, and you could be setting yourself up for a difficult time should anything unexpected happen.
Suggestions
Like any good insurance product, the premium is always worth the coverage in case of needing it, and is often overlooked by consumers.
Most people have an ‘it won’t happen to me’ complex – don’t be most people!
Travel insurance, also known as travel accident insurance or travel health insurance, should include at least the following:
Any charges for ambulance services to the nearest hospital Hospital accommodations as needed Any laboratory testing and x-rays Doctors, surgeons and nurses’ fees Emergency prescribed medications
In general, be sure and ask for coverage which cover at least the above-mentioned. Additional questions to ask include:
Specific amounts of coverage and what is excluded, if anything Is there a deductible and how much? Are sports related injuries covered? Are any medical emergencies due to pre-existing conditions covered or excluded? Is every member of your family or travel group covered in the plan? Is there a provision for costs incurred if a flight is missed and a more expensive flight has to be booked? What about missed work due to illness or accident? Is the cost of returning the sick or injured person home covered?
Medical emergencies can be expensive no matter where they occur. Travel health insurance is an effective and cost-efficient way to secure peace of mind so you can go have some fun!
Archive for the ‘Travel Accident Insurance’ Category
Travel Health Insurance – Don't Leave Home Without it!
posted under Insurance Product, Travel insurance, X Rays | Comments (0)
Travel Health Insurance – Essential For Overseas Traveling
Have you ever thought of health insurance plans while traveling? If not, then understand the necessity of travel health insurance which is extremely essential for any overseas travel plan. You do not realize the need of it until and unless there is an emergency. These insurance plans take good care of your health and baggage during any of the international and domestic travel.
Insurance policies designed for travel plans secure you for the upcoming trip. Accidents are unpredictable and can occur during your travel. Serious cases require immediate medical attention with lot of money involved in it. It is then the travel health insurance comes to picture and takes care of all the expenses.
These insurance policies issue an identification card for the passenger during his travel. It will depend on the plan you choose and the premium amount you pay. The traveler gets all benefit during a medical crisis as per the plan he chooses. The identification card takes off the entire burden from initial hospitalization to all other medical requirements.
The insurance companies make the payment usually by either of the two ways. They may directly deal with the doctor and make the payments. On the contrary they may ask you to make the payments and later claim for reimbursement. Travel health insurance is therefore very important and can save your life in a different country where you are unaware of the system and process.
Internet is now the most reliable source of information about insurance companies as they have their official websites. These websites are equipped with the latest updates and calculators to find out the premium amount as per the plans. Testimonials of the existing members can prove to be beneficial.
Check reputed companies in order to avoid any hassles for paperwork and get better customer service. It is indeed a good idea to check with friends who are frequent travelers. Practically their experience would be the most reliable information you could depend on. Travel health insurance is for your safety and you should never ignore it for any of your travel plans.
Insurance companies give coverage to every age group starting from 1 year to 85 years. Special features of reputed companies include coverage for dental care, medical evacuation, baggage loss and delay, cancellation, interruption of trips etc. These features almost take care of all possible problems which you can expect in your travel. Both health and baggage insurance can be clubbed together to get all the benefits.
Travel health insurance will require having your medical check up done after a certain age group. Most of the companies have fixed the age of 70 for medical check up. Pre-existing health issues are not covered in almost all the policies. However, some reputed companies give coverage in critical situations when it comes to life and death.
It is a really a comfortable feeling when you know that you and your family are protected with health insurance to face any unexpected medical expenses. Encourage yourself and others to buy travel health insurance. It will keep your journey safe and secured.
posted under Frequent Travelers, Hassles, Medical Attention | Comments (0)
Travel Medical Insurance is Not an Option
Travel medical insurance is not an option. Travel medical insurance is not a luxury when you travel. You may think or rationalize – if it comes between the choice of a couple of nice meals on my vacation or travels or purchasing “optional” travel health medical insurance “I know that I will need/ enjoy that meal” , or better accommodations but not the “medical , health , travel insurance”.
Yet not taking out, purchasing the plan or be underinsured can make your travels not only not as pleasant but change your whole life and financial situation for the worst.
Whether you are traveling for pleasure, for business or even for medical treatment itself – that is “medical tourism”, travel medical insurance is essential for yourself, your family and traveling companions.
Even if you are young you may encounter an accidental injury or illness. No one is immune. Say for example you are on a skiing trip in Canada and you suffer an injury or accident on the slopes. Health care may be “free “for Canadians but not for an out of country, American tourist. You will pay full bore, back at home, American medical care rates. Imagine being uninsured and having to pay these bills. Imagine a bank loan or charge card loan to pay off for many years to come. All with horrendous interest rates.
Imagine you are a tourist from the U.K. and you are visiting New York City – perhaps to view the famous Dakota of Beatles rock star John Lennon fame. Imagine you have one too many New York City famous Hot Dog vendor’s products that land you in the hospital with a severe case of food poisoning. Again your U.K. national health care is not going to pay your medical care bills while traveling in the states. While at least only a small portion of that medical treatment bill. You will be left with the lion’s share of that large medical bill to pay off – over time most likely. Who needs such lingering memories of your “wonderful” vacation?
Even if you are traveling overseas for more reasonable or prompt medical care as a “medical tourist”, one of your families or traveling companions may take ill. You may be the one going offshore for medical or health care treatment yet it may become their emergency that may become the focal point and perhaps the cost factor – not your own treatment. Again, who is going for the necessary and most likely medical care on the spot and how?
Hence purchasing and providing for travel medical insurance is not an option.
It is not an add on but rather an essential component of travel and travel health plans in this day and age.
Have proper coverage and ask questions. Does your health care coverage from work or your own purchase cover your travel health needs? What is covered, what is not? How long will that coverage last? Is this coverage adequate or show supplementary coverage be afforded and purchased as well?
If you have to or decide to purchase travel medical coverage again asks questions. Do not assume. Is the coverage adequate both in terms of coverage and the time duration of your trip? Can the time length be increased if need be or required? What is covered, what is not by the health care travel medical insurance? Is the underwriting firm well known, reputable and have either a toll free number or even better offices in the geographic areas of your travels. Do you need to get approval before medical treatment begins? Do the medical care providers get paid and reimbursed directly from the insurance company or is it a case of the cash being paid from your pocket directly with reimbursement to yourself at a later date by the insurance firm? Again ask questions on the spot not later. If the clerk is uncertain of the answer then await a direct answer or if needed contact their superior or “head office”.
In the end when it comes to travel and travel health care concerns and coverage a penny spent in effort and preparation is worth a ton of cure as well as prevented costs and aggravations. Pleasant travels.
posted under National Health Care, Tourism Travel, Visiting New York City | Comments (0)