Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The Importance Of Travel Insurance

By Brice Targil


If you are going to travel on a holiday or business trip you can take out insurance which will cover you for financial, medical or personal item loss to name but a few. Your options and premiums will vary for domestic or international travel. Travel insurance can be a temporary insurance which will only cover a person for the duration of their trip when they buy the product or more comprehensive plans can be purchased directly from travel agents or insurance companies.

Considering the nature of travelling and what can happen or go wrong on such trips, it is not surprising that there are so many choices to make when deciding which insurance cover to buy. A variety of expenses and losses are covered by insurers with examples like: emergency medical extractions, loss or theft of baggage or the costs of flights when delayed. There are policies available to suit all kinds of requirements and some even cater specifically for the needs of students and senior citizens.

While many people try to avoid extra costs when going on a trip, ensuring themselves and their goods for unforeseen losses will be an asset particularly when travelling internationally. Travel insurance will be available for purchase through travel agents or the person's existing insurers. Credit card companies may offer their client a policy when they purchase their tickets or holiday package deals with their credit cards and those clients should ensure that it suits all their needs completely.

Travel agents tend to sell protection which can be overpriced because the tourist is an easy target while they are making their travel bookings. Clients need to be aware of this and should rather compare a couple of options and prices to make sure which one will cover their needs while on holiday. Tour guides and other agents can sell covers for trips like cruises but clients need to ensure that they are complete covers and not just a basic plan.

In many countries like New Zealand and Australia, residents from those two countries visiting the other can get subsidized basic health care when they happen to need it. It is imperative for the traveller to make sure what they are covered for when it comes to medical emergencies. Most foreign countries will not offer a tourist free medical care and if you have not made allowance in your spending money for it, it can very well mean the end of your trip.

When choosing a policy, a client will have the choice to pay for adding optional extras such as pre-existing medical conditions like diabetes or for special coverage in war ridden countries where it might not be very safe. A client also needs to make sure if any standard exclusions apply for which they will not be insured to avoid later disappointment. These are a few of the reasons it is important for every person planning to travel to analyze their trip, where they are going and what they will be doing while there to make sure all aspects of their trip is covered for damages and losses.

Scrutinizing the terms and conditions of the policy is imperative before putting a signature on it and if it doesn't meet the needs and expectations of the client, they should not sign it until it complies fully with what they want. Clients should be circumspect because there are many insurers out their to make fast cash for offering very little in return. Also remember that it is a good idea to keep the contact information of your travel insurance company handy in the case of an emergency where time might be of the essence.




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