In recent years, as travel has become an essential part of our work, we are very surprised at how many people travel to another country without proper travel insurance.
We are aware that we have done this in the past, but it has been clear to us for some time that we need to be well prepared for possible incidents before we begin a trip.
In my case, a few years ago I had a sudden incident that forced me to undergo surgery in a hospital in southern thailand, where I stayed for ten days until I recovered.
Fortunately, I had travel insurance that reimbursed me for the expenses incurred due to this situation. This happens when we leave the european union and we can't use our european medical insurance. It saves us the cost of treatment and the purchase of insurance and saves us all the administrative work of using insurance. Therefore, it is important to read other opinions, because the difference between different companies in this regard can be very large.
How to choose travel insurance?
To help you avoid these types of situations when traveling, here are some useful tips to help you choose the travel insurance that best suits your situation.
It is essential to travel with an insurance policy.
From the start, you should consider travel insurance as a must-have aspect when embarking on a trip, just like the flights or the hotels.
And this is not only when you travel to faraway countries, but also when you travel in europe, because the insurance coverage you get is much more comprehensive than just health care.
When you travel to certain countries, it becomes an absolute requirement that you have travel insurance to obtain an entry visa.
And there are three absolutely necessary coverages that your travel insurance must have: medical, repatriation and cancellation insurance.
Medical coverage
The first and inevitable reason to take out travel insurance is so that, if you need it, you have quality medical care and save yourself the costs that may be incurred, which can be very significant.
Honestly, we are not all aware of the cost of medical care in certain countries.
For example, while in spain the cost per day for a hospital stay is a little less than $500, in france it is $853, in chile it is $964 and in australia it is almost 1.500 dollars.
The most extreme case is that of the united states (4.300 dollars), so that a health problem, without having to be very serious, will cost you almost prohibitively.
Repatriation coverage
However, the travel insurance covers the possible need for repatriation after a health problem, so that all the costs are covered so that you can return home afterwards.
They will help you arrange repatriation in case of emergency or inability to move on your own, or cover the costs incurred by the need to return on a different date than planned.
In addition, the travel insurance covers the travel expenses of a relative to the place where you are, so that he can accompany you in these circumstances.
Cancellation of the trip
Compared to the annual health insurance policies you may have taken out, travel insurance offers much more comprehensive coverage, as it covers other possible incidents.
This is the case of a possible cancellation of the trip, because you never know if a problem will arise that will force you to do so.
Therefore, once you know the exact departure and return dates of your tour, it is time to take out the insurance, as this way you will already have covered any problems that may arise. In many cases, the cancellation of the trip can only be made on the same day of the trip or during the purchase of the flight. Because otherwise we can book and pay for the flight if we are sure that we will cancel our trip for another reason and thus get reimbursed for the cost. The insurance companies are not stupid.
The right insurance for your trip
When choosing and purchasing your travel insurance, it is also necessary that it is the right one for the type of trip you are taking.
A normal tourist trip is not the same as a trip where you are doing sporting activities like skiing, mountain biking or surfing or a cruise.
Therefore, it is essential to look for insurance that covers the extraordinary circumstances or the special features of the trip, as is the case with the cruise mentioned above.
It's also important to make sure that the cost coverage is reasonable for the country you want to travel to.
It's not the same to insure a trip to england as one to the united states.
Other aspects to consider
When choosing travel insurance, there are other aspects that you must consider.
For example, make sure that in case of repatriation or the arrival of a relative, the costs are fully covered.
Or, that if you do need to claim on the insurance, you don't have to pay costs up front, the amount of which you don't have easily available in the worst case scenario, which also saves you the payout process, which can take several months (I'm telling you this from experience).
It is also important that the contracted insurance care center is located in your country and is available to you in your language, as in these circumstances it will not be easy to make yourself understood in another language, and if you need to make a claim, you will not face any additional problems or costs.
Although you may initially have a different view, the cost of travel insurance is ridiculously low given the associated risks it covers.
For example, a good coverage for the USA is a sum insured of 100.000 euros for a two-week trip or 40.000 euros for a three-week trip to asia or a week in europe, which are incomparable to the risk of facing these costs.
If you travel many times throughout the year, it's worth considering purchasing an annual travel insurance policy that covers you for 365 days of the year. In this way, you avoid having to buy insurance for each trip. It's a matter of comparing the numbers to see if it's worth it for you.
Another very important aspect that you should take into account is to read carefully the exclusions and conditions that the company with which you want to take out insurance presents to you, because it is important that at the moment of truth you do not find any limitations in the care that you use.
Tips you can't forget
1. Don't let too much time go by!
You must take out travel insurance before you start your trip. If you have already started the trip, no insurance company will give you such an insurance policy anymore. Each company determines the period in which you can take out certain coverages.
2. Check the limit of treatment costs
One of the coverages you need to look for when choosing travel insurance is medical expenses. The maximum amount covered is a factor that can make the policy more expensive, since a coverage of 3.000 euros is not the same as one of 200.000.
The increase of the medical expenses ceiling depends on the country you are traveling to. In the U.S., for example, there is no public health care system, so it's wise to set coverage for medical expenses as high as possible.
3. Adapt the insurance to your travel profile
There are different travel insurance modalities that adapt to different traveler profiles. If you make only one trip per year, you should not buy the same travel insurance as if you make several trips. It is also not the same to go on vacation or to travel for business or study reasons. Depending on the nature of your trip or its duration, the insurance that is best for you may not always be the same. A person who takes risks and goes on mountain excursions is not the same as another who normally rides public transportation, does not drink alcohol, lives a healthy lifestyle, is agile, or relaxes in a hotel as early as 9 p.M. And takes few risks.
4. Beware of risky sports
The reason for a lot of travel for some is to participate in extreme sports. The majority of life or health insurance policies do not cover accidents that occur while doing these activities.
In these cases, it is best to also take out an adventure policy or for extreme sports, which has coverage for localization, rescue or rehabilitation.
5. Avoid duplicate insurance coverage
It is very important that before taking out travel insurance, you check the coverages that other health or accident policies include. In many cases, insurance policies provide protection beyond national borders.
But please look at the restrictions, because for health insurance with support abroad, the maximum rate is usually 12.000 euros and if the travel period does not exceed 90 days.
Moreover, most credit cards are coupled with insurance when they are used.