Something that many of us don’t think about as we plan our yearly family vacation is what will happen if something happens when we’re traveling. Unlike a car or home insurance, something that is required in most places to have, travel insurance is optional and often overlooked in planning. Unfortunately, if you’re traveling abroad, your US health insurance may not cover a medical emergency, notes Good Housekeeping online, and many foreign hospitals or ships’ infirmaries may not accept it, leaving you with a substantial bill, that you’re usually required to pay up front. To keep you from having to heft out a substantial amount of money if something goes wrong while you are traveling, it is a good idea to get travel insurance. Here are three tips for buying the right travel insurance for your needs.
Know Your Medical History
The top reason why medical claims are denied by travel health insurance companies is that of non-medical disclosures and misrepresentations about pre-existing conditions that aren’t stable. The best way to have a carefree vacation and ensure that unexpected medical expenses will be covered by insurance is to accurately respond to medical forms when applying for your travel insurance. Having travel medical insurance will cover your emergency medical care when you are traveling outside your health insurance network, advises the experts at Travel Insurance Review.
Trip Cancellation Insurance and Medical Travel Insurance Aren’t the Same
Travel health insurance and trip cancellation insurance are two very distinct services. While travel health insurance will cover any medical emergencies that you may experience while traveling, trip cancellation insurance covers non-refundable and pre-paid expenses if your trip is interrupted or canceled. Be sure to check that your policy covers the fundamental aspects, advises the experts at Royal Sundaram General Insurance. The five main kinds of travel insurance are usually sold in various combos. If you only want one, then you need to ask directly for it and find out if there are incentives if you upgrade to all or just some of the other plans.
Know What You Are Already Covered For and if It’s Enough
You may already have travel insurance through your work insurance plan or your credit card. However, before you entirely rely on this insurance when you travel, be sure to call the company to find out what it covers. If it doesn’t have enough coverage or doesn’t cover certain aspects, like lost baggage or flight cancellation, then you will want to purchase additional coverage from another company. The last thing that you want is to find yourself in an emergency or stuck in a foreign country and not be adequately covered.
It is essential to keep in mind that most travel agents will recommend that you get travel insurance because they receive a commission on every plan that they sell and could be held liable for any losses that you might encounter if the insurance options aren’t explained adequately. If you have specific questions about a travel insurance policy, it’s best to speak directly with a licensed insurance provider.
