Monday, August 30, 2010

Travel Insurance - Don't Leave Home Without It

Imagine, after climbing a rather steep mountain in a remote area, that you fall and break both your arms. If the accident happened in a third-world country you were visiting, the whole ordeal just got much more complicated. Travel insurance may have been the last thing on your mind until your fall.
Just to reach medical help, could require two days of walking followed by additional driving time. On reaching the medical center you may then have to pay a teenager to fetch ethnic food for nourishment and painkillers from neighborhood kiosks. Many hospitals in third-world countries often do not supply these items for their patients.

If your injury required an operation, it would be a huge leap of faith to trust that sterile procedures were used or that the anesthesia would be sufficient. Your total hospital bill could be as little as $100 cash for having both of your arms set and put into casts. Your next need would be finding a flight to your country and negotiating a seat on the plane.

If you had insurance, you would probably be covered for around four surgeries as well as physical therapy for up to six months. If you had not purchased insurance, these expenses would not be covered. Insurance is not always something that travelers think of, but this becomes even more important when you will be traveling to an exotic location.

Some health insurers and travel agencies offer travel insurance; some of these policies offer trip cancellation coverage along with the medical insurance. Rates are often set fee based on each $100 of coverage, but you may find the policies can be widely varied.

Most people who buy travel insurance are elderly people who often worry about canceling a trip because of illness or worried they will require care abroad for an existing health problem. Although some insurers do, Medicare does not cover care overseas. Most senior citizens rely on Medicare as their primary source of health care coverage.

Tourists are often required to pay for hospital costs via cash, credit card or traveler's cheque. If you need nothing more than a few stitches, this may be a fine method of payment. On the other hand, if you are in need of an emergency room, having travelers health care insurance could save you a lot of trouble.
When you have travel insurance, the party insuring you will compensate you if death or illness causes the cancellation of your trip. This cost reimbursement covers incidents related to yourself or that of a relative. The policy also provides for the unlikely possibility of the vacation charter company going out of business.

Besides travel insurance, it's vital to take in to consideration a variety of health care issues before you decide to do any traveling abroad. Depending on your travel destination, you could need to obtain shots or vaccinations from a travel clinic at a local hospital. It would also be a wise idea to contact your own health plan provider to make sure you get instruction in writing for handling any kind of medical situation overseas.
Pack with your health in mind and include a first aid kit along with bandages, a thermometer and an antibacterial ointment. Estimate how many prescription pills to take along, and then double it as a precaution. It is handy to have prescription slips in Latin and with generic names.

Your credit card may provide some protection for you, aside from travel insurance. Paying with American Express, for instance, provides some coverage for the following: lost baggage, roadside assistance, rental car damage, some injuries, and in some cases coverage for death is included. Card holders can also get coverage for medical expenses, missing a flight, emergency evacuations and other circumstances for an additional fee.

The trauma and recovery time from many unexpected events can be minimized by good planning. Insurance is a contract; make sure you read the fine print and understand what is and isn't covered. Travel insurance is there to protect but make sure details are checked.
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