Travel insurance (like most personal insurances) is a product that is taken by many, but used by few. Whilst the true value of any insurance product can probably only be fully judged when you come to make a claim, there are some areas specific to travel insurance that you should take into consideration before buying a policy.
Understanding the risks and more importantly the costs associated with travelling uninsured, is probably the main issue that travellers have in making an informed decision about buying travel insurance.
Buying a travel insurance policy is uncommon in any country: travellers do not take into account all the risks (and benefits) of having one.
Whilst travellers are used to purchasing other types of add-ons (such as choosing a seat, add an extra baggage etc.), they do not consider travelling safe choosing an insurance policy.
Furthermore, people suffering from preexisting medical conditions (e.g. diabetes, heart disease or cancer.) should be the first purchaser of a customised and quite detailed insurance policy.
In this article we review some of the main benefits that travel insurance policies offer and that account for approximately 95% of all claims (by value). Travellers may want to consider these main benefits when purchasing the best travel insurance policy for their needs.
Getting sick or having an accident is generally never a good thing, however falling ill in another country can be even worse. You might not know how the medical system works in your destination country and if the healthcare is free or you have to pay for it. The best travel insurance policies will cover emergency medical expenses and also have an emergency assistance service to help manage your case and support you whilst overseas. Be aware too that if you are travelling in a country where you are not a citizen, you may not be entitled to free healthcare as you might be in your home country. Medical costs can rise quickly, even for the simplest conditions and if you are admitted to hospital bills can rise into the thousands. A good travel insurance policy should provide at least up to €100k of emergency medical costs and at least €1m if travelling to the USA.
Whilst the prospect of falling ill abroad may not be a pleasant one, most travellers in this position will be able to be treated in the resort or location they have travelled to. A few travellers however, perhaps due to the local medical facilities, or perhaps due to the seriousness of their medical condition, will need to be moved or repatriated to either a nearby country with more comprehensive medical facilities, or brought back to Spain. In circumstances such as these costs can be high, as travellers usually need to travel with a medical escort and in extreme cases an air ambulance may be required. Repatriation claims, due to their complexity and medical resource requirements can therefore run into the tens of thousands. Again a good travel insurance policy should provide at least €1m of repatriation cover.
For many travellers, when they think about travel insurance coverage, they focus on the time that they are on their trip, however many claims actually occur before travellers have got on the plane. Cancellation cover is designed to protect the money that has been spent on a trip, if the traveller is unable to travel. Having cancellation cover included in your travel insurance policy can mean that if you have to cancel your trip (maybe for health or work reasons) you don’t lose all the money that you have spent on it. It’s important to remember, that you are covered for cancellation costs as soon as you buy your travel insurance policy, so if you have booked and paid for your travel, it’s a good idea to buy your travel insurance as soon as you are able, to benefit from this important cover. Travellers looking for this cover, should ensure that the value of their trip is covered by the cancelation benefit level
Lost, stolen or damaged luggage can be a real trip spoiler. In most cases, baggage lost by the airline will reappear in a few hours or at worst a few days. Whilst many travel insurers will provide cover for lost, damaged or stolen baggage, the better travel insurance products also provide a daily baggage delay benefit, that gives you a daily allowance to buy necessities such as emergency toiletries to get you by for this period. your baggage has been lost or damaged. Stolen luggage however can be the most expensive thing to replace, particularly if you have valuables or electronic equipment that may not be insured if it is away from your home or whilst in another country.
Travelling is generally safe and the chance of something going wrong, depending upon your circumstances, is relatively low, however as in other areas of life, things do happen. Travel insurance is usually, compared to the overall cost of a trip, a relatively inexpensive product to buy. Whether you take out travel insurance is in most cases a personal choice, however some countries (such as Cuba) do insist that travellers must have a policy to enter the country.
At Fit2Trip, all of our products have been designed to provide high levels of traveller protection. Policies are available with:
Policies are available on a Medical Only or Multi-risk basis and for both individual or for annual multi-trips. Customers can choose their cover level from either Basic, Standard or Premier to suit their needs. Travel insurance is available for individuals, couples and families as well as those travellers with pre-existing medical conditions
For our full terms and conditions read here General Conditions.