Georgina Mancula
Travelers all over the world bicker back and forth with each other. One side saying that travel insurance is worthless because it does not cover everything that they need it to cover. Other travelers, the ones that travel more consistently, state that it is part of a trip that cannot ever be overlooked.
We will leave it up to you to make your own decision on which side of the fence you are going to be on. One thing is for sure, though, the pandemic has left people stranded across the seas far from their homes due to lockdowns. It has made people lose money because of delays and closed borders, and people have found that traveling was too risky to do so they stayed home instead.
In this article we are going to break down some of the most common parts of a good travel insurance. Read through it carefully and you should be able to see how beneficial this type of policy can be, whether you travel one time in your life or live the life of a nomad.
Medical Emergencies and Evacuation Insurance
You may not realize that when you travel outside of your country that your basic medical insurance will not cover anything that may arise. This alone makes a travel insurance policy a must have unless you want to take the chance of having to pull cash out of your pocket to pay for bills. Many medical facilities will not even treat you unless you have proof of travel medical insurance, or you hand over some money to cover the expenses.
Plus, a lot of places do not have medical facilities located in every town. In fact, you may find yourself injured on a remote beach, or in the middle of a jungle. The point is that you will need to be transported from where you are to the closest medical location that can treat you. This cost can be astronomical, so once again if you do not have proof of insurance or cash up front, they will simply leave you where you are.
Personal Liability Insurance
This section of the coverage may be a little confusing to you. It does not cover you in the case of injury or death. What it does cover is any damage that you may do to someone else’s property. You are probably aware of what home liability insurance is, which is close to this type of policy. This add-on will cover you for any liabilities that may come up when you are traveling.
Keep in mind that not all companies offer this so if it is not a section of your policy that you can opt for, you will need to keep looking. It is suggested that you go onto an online comparison platform. Visit this site to get offers from various insurers that will work for you.
Covid-19 Coverage
One of the biggest issues today is the pandemic that has rolled its way through every country and keeps rearing its ugly head with new variants that are worse than the last. It is a part of your contract that should be added onto every policy. If it isn’t, you will need to keep looking until you find one that does. And it cannot simply cover your medical complications that may come up. It needs to cover every circumstance that may come up due to it, such as a country being locked down tight.
It could cost you a small fortune if you became stuck in a country that locked its borders while you were there. Covid-19 coverage would cover the costs of you staying, and eating, and if you happen to get sick while there. Check into your policy and make sure that it has all these types of coverage.
Trip Cancellations or Delays
The world is in turmoil over the pandemic, and the political movements going on. It may come up that you must cancel a trip that you had scheduled and paid for already. When this happens you may be out some serious money because many places will not refund the payments that you have made. If they do, it may only be a percentage of it so they can cover their costs.
Delays are common now with airlines struggling to keep their heads above water. Hopefully the delays are before you leave your homeland, but if not, you may be stuck with some serious costs to stay where you are. Like the covid-19 coverage discussed above, you need to make sure that your policy will cover your expenses if you must stay, if you are staying due to a circumstance out of your control.
Baggage and Personal Belongings
With all the new technology and devices available you would not think that your luggage could ever get lost in transit. It does happen, though. Maybe not as often as it once did, but it is still a risk that you take every time that you get on the plane or bus. A good policy will cover the costs of your baggage, and the cost to replace your belongings that were in them.
Another part of this section of coverage that you need to check into is help acquiring your ID’s and Passport. If they were lost as well, it will be hard for you to get anywhere, including on a trip to go home. The insurance companies cannot replace any of it for you, but they can help you get in contact with the people that can, and they can push to have it expedited so you get what you need faster than you normally would.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully you have seen how important travel insurance is. Not just because of the times that we find ourselves in, either. The pandemic has caused changes in how we travel, how insurance companies cover you, and how the countries that you are going to respond to it all. You need to make sure that you are covered against any of the points listed above, unless you have tons of money lying around that you want to spend.
If you are not happy with your current insurance provider you need to take the time to go onto an online comparison site, such as iSelect, and find a better one. Do not ever think that you are stuck with what you have. The insurance industry is full of high competition so you should be able to find the type of policy that you are looking for through someone that you get connected with.