What better way to while away a few hours than by planning an overseas trip and thinking about all the locations you can visit? Yes, the process of researching and booking a trip abroad can be an excellent way to make it seem closer and get the juices flowing ahead of time. Yet so many Australians neglect a crucial factor of that forward-thinking, perhaps because it is not as enthralling as looking at pictures of sun-kissed beaches and chilled cocktails. Travel insurance for any overseas trip should be one of the non-negotiable factors any individual accounts for in their trip budget. This article will examine why and illustrate how ignoring it can be a grave mistake.
Medical coverage
There is only one reason that can prevent life-changing outcomes of any unfortunate incident overseas: medical coverage. Lost luggage can be replaced. New flights can be booked, and hotel deposits can be written off if necessary. However, the nature of medical costs can be such that you will have to do a lot more than write off a few dollars if you need emergency treatment and have no travel insurance policy.
It’s not even that travel insurance is prohibitively expensive; it represents tremendous value for money, in fact.
The coverage for things like delayed flights and damaged baggage is all good but meaningless in the grand scheme. Focus on the medical provisions your chosen travel insurance policy provides, and do not accept anything less than exceptional coverage.
Travel insurance prices
Travel insurance prices can swing wildly from one extreme to another, and it is not always immediately clear why. Why are some policies much more expensive than others, assuming similar pricing among potential providers in other aspects? The answer lies, of course, in the fine print. Find two travel insurance policies that appear superficially similar and begin to study the finer details of each.
Governmental rules exist in Australia to control how travel insurance policies are presented. The requisite information to make astute, informed decisions should be clear. Consider clarifying or contacting provider for more information if a policy seems dubious, or simply skip it.
Never reach for your credit card until you are comfortable with each element of your chosen travel insurance policy and eliminate those with poor medical coverage out of hand.
Additional benefits of travel insurance’
Once you are satisfied that your chosen policy offers comprehensive medical coverage and will pay to repatriate you to Australia if necessary, you can enjoy browsing some of the additional benefits of travel insurance policies, namely:
- Theft coverage and item replacement
- Emergency evacuation/repatriation
- Compensation for lost/delayed luggage
- Reimbursed costs associated with an interrupted or cancelled trip
- Payment to cover expenses accrued as a result of delayed or cancelled flights
- Rented vehicle excess fees
Conclusion
Overseas travel comes with certain risks, and they’re part and parcel of the overall experience in a twisted kind of way. However, some risks are too dangerous to take without a safety net, and there is nothing finer than a quality travel insurance policy. Paddle the canoes, ride the camels, jump the cliffs, and swim with the sharks. Just be sure to do it all with a travel insurance policy that covers you if disaster strikes.
Source: Cosmo Politian
