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Travel Insurance - Bringing You Home

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Overseas travel is one thing that people all over the worldaspire to. Whether cruising around the Greek Islands on a luxuryyacht, sipping brandy by the fire in a Swiss chalet after a dayof skiing; or elephant spotting in Kenya, an overseas trip canbe the adventure of a lifetime. Unfortunately, though, it canalso be the disaster of a lifetime unless due diligence iscarried out prior to setting off. Along with passports and plane tickets, one of the mostimportant things to remember before travelling overseas is toarrange Travel Insurance. Not just any "cheapest-you-can-find"travel insurance, but a policy that will take good care of youshould the unforeseen occur. Types of travel insurance vary from company to company and it iswell worth your while to spend some considerable time shoppingaround before committing to one policy. Remember, what isconsidered an acceptable risk by one insurer, may be excluded byanother. Definitions of terms may also vary. Take terrorism, for example. Most insurance policies willexclude acts of terrorism from being claimable events, however,the definition of what constitutes a terrorist act can varybetween insurers. What one insurer may deem as an act ofviolence and therefore claimable, another insurer may deemterrorism and deny any claim. In this age of terrorism threats and war-torn nations,travellers should always heed governmental advice as to whetheror not travel to certain regions is recommended. If deciding totravel to a country despite government warnings, it may bedifficult to obtain travel insurance at all. If it is obtained,it will probably be very expensive and its cover fairly limited. It is crucial that you understand exactly what is and isn'texcluded from the policy before you sign on the dotted line.Indeed, being aware of the exclusions is, arguably, even moreimportant than knowing what is covered. Get clear in your mindthe insurer's definition of claimable and non-claimable events.If at all possible, endeavour to get those definitions inwriting. Get the language right. Ask as many questions as it takes toknow exactly where you stand. Remember, the only dumb questionsare ones that haven't been asked yet and given a voice. If goingthrough a broker or agent, double check with the insurer ifuncertain of their answers. It's wise to remember too, that noinsurance policy is going to cover you for every single thingthat could possibly happen on your holiday. The


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prudenttraveller will ensure, however, that what he or she needs to becovered for will be. For example, does the policy allow you to participate in"adventure activities"? If you're going bungee jumping in NewZealand or white-water rafting in Canada, make sure your insurerknows about it and will cover you for accidents occurring duringsuch activities. Is your luggage excluded if left unattended? What does "leftunattended" mean? What if you leave it in a taxi? What if youwalk two metres from it to buy a chocolate bar from a vendingmachine? It's a good idea to also familiarise yourself with claimsprocedures before departing so as to avoid the "paper frenzy" inthe event of an accident. Some policies have a time limit forreporting claims. In some cases, the incident must be reportedto local authorities within twenty-four hours in order to claim. Be aware too that some countries may not recognise all insurancecompanies. This could pose a problem if hospitalisation isrequired. If the insurer isn't recognised in that country youmay not get hospital treatment. Make sure that the insurer has aglobal reputation. It's very expensive to be injured overseas. For instance,medical evacuation from the United States to Australia can costanything from $80,000.00 upwards. If a stay in hospital isrequired, the bill could run into hundreds of thousands ofdollars. And you thought shopping in Beverly Hills would befun.... It's also dangerous to be injured overseas, particularly incountries where medical facilities may not be as well equippedas at home. Again, the evacuation costs can run into manythousands of dollars - and no insurance means a lifetime of debt. Travelling without the right travel insurance is like walking atightrope without a net. Sure, it can be done, but one tiny slipand it's too late for "If only"s. And chances are, it will beyour loved ones at home who will mortgage their houses, cash intheir superannuation and face considerable financial hardship inorder to bring you back to the fold. All in all, travel insurance is one thing you should definitelynot leave home without! About the author: QuoteSphere was developed to help those that are in the middleof an insurance crisis. In the United States we have seen acontinuing rise in the cost of Travel Insurance, and there seemsto be no end in sight. The cost of travel insurance has takenthe largest increase at 65% in the past 3 years.http://www.quotesphere.com

Written by: Jim Christian

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