What is Travel Insurance and Why You Need to Have It
Are you a fan of travelling to different parts of the world? Do you know the risks that you can face while travelling? It is always important to plan for the future of travelling. The best way to do so is by having travel insurance. An insurance cover will compensate you if you face a certain risk that costs you the money you had not planned for.
Therefore, if you need to have a smooth vacation, it is important to research more about the various insurance companies and the travel insurance cover they offer. In this article, we will explain to you what travel insurance is and why you need it.
What Is Travel Insurance?
Travel insurance is a cover made to take care of emergencies while you are on vacation. A large number of people might have heard about travel insurance but do not know what it is. If you are one of those people, you have come to the right place.
Have you ever imagined what could happen if you got an accident or illness while on vacation in another country?
You do not have insurance cover to cater for your medical bills or accident compensation in that country. This means you will have to pay for emergencies using money from your pocket.
What would you do if you did not have the money to pay?
These are the questions you need to ask yourself before you know what travel insurance is. Many people do not consider saving for emergencies that might arise during the vacation when saving for travel money. Even people who save money for this service might not save enough because some of these emergencies, such as accidents, can be costly.
Therefore, a travel insurance cover will cater for all these expenses that arise due to emergencies.
Travel insurance covers come in different packages:
The basic covers will cover all of your medical bills whenever you are on vacation.
The other covers vary from one insurance provider to another.
Therefore, you have to shop around and discuss all the affordable packages to allow you to choose one that will suit all of your needs. You do not want to choose an insurance cover that will not cater to all the necessary expenses while you are on vacation.
You need to be assured that you won’t use money from your pocket to pay for unexpected expenses.
How And Where To Get Travel Insurance
If you plan to travel soon, you will need to shop around for the available insurance options to ensure your emergencies during the vacation will be catered for.
The Insurry store from Goalry offers individuals an opportunity to shop for their ideal insurance plan. The store will help you shop for the best travel insurance cover based on your budget and the country you plan to travel to.
Now that you know what travel insurance is, you are probably wondering when you should buy it. You can purchase your travel insurance as soon as you have booked your travel. You can also buy it when making your travel calendar for the year. When buying travel insurance, you will be required to answer a few questions. Among them is when you plan to travel, your travel destination, the amount you are willing to spend, and your age.
Where to get travel insurance?
Given the current technological advancements, people can easily get a quote online. All you need to do is provide details about your trip, and you will get various quotes from which you can compare their process and the issues covered.
You do not want to buy insurance that won’t cover all the issues you are likely to face during the vacation.
The issues covered will also depend on where you plan to visit.
For instance, you might stand a higher chance of getting sick while visiting certain countries. This means you are most likely to benefit from travel insurance that covers medical bills.
Some countries might also have weather conditions that are likely to disrupt your trip.
In such a case, you might be required to cancel your trip during the last few days before travel. This means you have to buy travel insurance that will compensate for such emergencies. Most hotels or travel agencies will not refund your money, but the insurance company will.
When buying travel insurance, it is important to read the policy certificate.
This document will provide all the necessary information you need to know about your cover. It outlines all the items covered in the package, and therefore, it will allow you to know what is not covered and how to budget for it. You also need to keep a copy of this document just in case something happens to you. This copy will be attached to the claim report.
What Is Covered In Travel Insurance, Or Why You Need Travel Insurance
Medical emergencies overseas can be costly
Whenever you travel to a new country, it is important to do your research well to estimate the amount of money you are likely to spend. When doing such research, a large number of people tend to forget the cost of medical care. This happens because many people do not consider the possibility of getting involved in an accident or getting sick while on vacation.
Whenever you get involved in an accident, your medical insurance from your country will not be applicable in the new country.
The medical staff will also require you to pay an upfront amount before you can get treated. In most cases, this amount is extremely high to get from your pocket because you are used to paying medical bills using your insurance card.
The other option might be medical evacuation. This might be even more costly than the amount you are being asked to pay. The amount will also depend on how far you are from your country.
Therefore, it is important to get travel insurance because it will cover the medical bills regardless of how much your bill is. The cost incurred in paying for the medical insurance will also be less than the amount you are likely to pay in the hospitals. This makes travel insurance an ideal option.
Some people might feel like they are losing their money to insurance companies. If you have been travelling around the world and you never got sick or were involved in an accident that required medical attention, you are likely to consider travel insurance as a waste of money. Emergencies are uncertainties, and you never know when they will occur. Therefore, it is safer to be prepared by buying travel insurance. It is better than covering emergency costs with money from your pocket.
Travel insurance prevents minor mishaps from ruining your vacation.
A vacation is considered an investment in an individual’s happiness. People do not just wake up and plan to go on vacation.
A vacation is something you plan for and not the type of trip you can just decide now to go.
If you have been planning to go on vacation on a particular date, your mind is already set on vacation mode during that period. Therefore, you do not want anything to disturb the time you have set aside to focus on your relaxation.
Imagine a situation where you have just arrived at your vacation destination then an accident happens. In such a situation, you will have to take care of the accident. If medication or litigation is necessary, it means you cannot go on with the vacation. This is not the kind of mishap you would want while attending your vacation because it will ruin the entire experience.
However, if you have travel insurance, you can be assured that the mishap will be taken care of immediately. This will allow you to continue with your vacation without being financially strained. Without travel insurance, you can be assured that a little mishap will ruin your financial plans for the holiday and you might not have enough money to cater for your needs.
Travel insurance is a cushion to your pocket, and therefore, never travel without one.
Travel insurance offers compensation for travel investment.
Imagine a situation whereby you have been saving for a vacation the entire time and have already booked a luxurious hotel. A few days before you travel, something happens that makes it impossible for you to travel. After contacting the hotel, they inform you that they do not refund money for cancellations done within two weeks before departure. This means you will have lost your money and have an issue back home to sort.
The best part about travel insurance is that it will compensate you for the amount you have paid.
However, the reason for the cancellation has to be covered in the insurance cover you have paid for. Most of the insurance covers will cover for injury or the death involving you, a travel companion, or a family member. It will also cover disasters that make it impossible for you to travel. Therefore, if you do not have insurance, you will lose a substantial amount of money.
Another situation is when you lose your items while visiting another country. If you have travel insurance, it will compensate you for the loss. If you do not have travel insurance, you will have to replace your items using money from your pockets. It is not a guarantee that every traveler will afford the extra money to replace lost items.
Imagine a situation where you have just alighted at the airport, and you cannot find your bag. In such a case, you will have to get back home or buy new items. Therefore, if you want to be on the safe side, it is advisable to buy travel insurance that will compensate you for any loss. Travel insurance will make your trip more comfortable because you don’t have to worry about unplanned spending.
Different Plans In Travel Insurance
Before you decide to buy travel insurance, you will have to shop around. This will allow you to identify the various plans that you cab purchase. When people buy travel insurance, they expect to buy a plan that is worth their money and would cover all the possible risks while on vacation. The good news is that there are different plans in the market from which you can choose. Below are some of the common plans you can choose depending on various factors such as age, travel destination, and cost incurred in the trip.
International travel insurance
This travel insurance covers the different emergency costs that might occur while you are travelling to other countries in the world. Regardless of where your adventure takes you, you can be assured that international travel insurance will have you covered. International travelling presents a lot of risks because you are traveling to a country you are not used to. If you are used to traveling without insurance, you should not risk traveling abroad without one. The insurance will cover medical costs and emergency cancellations before the trip begins. It will offer you peace of mind, thus enhancing the benefits you get from the vacation.
Domestic travel insurance
This type of travel insurance plan will cover emergency costs while traveling to destinations within your country. In this case, your medical insurance will cover your bills, but you will still need domestic travel insurance to cover other things such as the loss of items and trip cancellations.
Student travel insurance
As the name suggests, this plan will cover students as they travel to different parts of the world. A large number of students do not have money to cover emergencies while travelling. Therefore, student travel insurance is a must-have for students.
Senior citizen travel insurance
This is one of the most sold travel insurance covers. A large number of elderly people spend most of their time touring the world. These people are vulnerable to illnesses, injuries, and the loss of items. Therefore, travel insurance should be a top priority as they plan their vacations.
Family insurance travel plan
Are you planning to travel with your entire family? The family travel insurance plan will cover the needs of every family member covered. It is unlike other insurance covers that only cover one person. The family insurance plans are affordable and will make your trip mishap-free. Imagine a situation whereby you get involved in an accident. It would be costly to cater to the medical bills of every injured family member. Therefore, family travel insurance is a must-have.
How COVID 19 Has Impacted Travel Insurance?
The COVID 19 pandemic has greatly affected the tourism industry. Lockdowns made it challenging for people to travel from one country to another. The good news is that most countries have lifted their travel restrictions, and people can now go on vacation to their preferred destinations.
One of the most important lessons that the pandemic has taught people is the importance of travel insurance. Travel insurance with COVID 19 coverage would cover your medical expenses if you got infected while on vacation. The medical bills for managing the virus are extremely high, and therefore, if you do not have travel insurance, it can be challenging to get quality health care in a foreign country.
Therefore, while shopping for travel insurance, it is important to choose one that covers COVID 19!
The chances of getting the virus are high because it is extremely infectious. Hence, you should not risk traveling without travel insurance because your normal medical insurance cover will not cover medical bills in a foreign country. A substantial number of insurance providers offer COVID 19 coverage, and this means you can easily get an affordable dealer to cover your trip.
Before the pandemic, people would risk traveling without travel insurance because the chances of getting sick were low. This is no longer the case because you can easily get sick while on vacation. A substantial number of COVID 19 patients require immediate medical care.
If you are one of those people that can get severe complications from the virus, travel insurance is a must-have. Once you have contracted the virus, you might not have enough time left for medical transfers. You will need immediate medical attention in a foreign country, and this is where travel insurance will play an essential role.
Finally,
If you have never thought of having travel insurance, now you know how much it can help you. Therefore, you need to compare the available offers in the market and get an affordable cover. A large number of people save on travel expenses. Therefore, you need to make travel insurance a part of the travel expenses.
If you do not have travel insurance, you risk spending a lot of money in the event of an emergency. Not every person that goes on vacation has a lot of money. People plan and save for the vacation, and this means most people might not have money to cater for emergencies that arise while on vacation.
Therefore, to be on the safe side, it is important to pay for travel insurance. The insurance should cover your expenses, depending on the type of coverage that you apply for.