Travel insurance: covers you

Are you planning to travel soon? Should you buy travel insurance? It’s hard to decide if the extra money is worth spending. Are you over 50 years old? Travel insurance increases significantly as you age. If you are spending a lot of money on a trip, travel insurance is a must.

Travel insurance coverage

Travel insurance covers these basics:

• Cancellation or interruption of the trip

• Doctor

• Emergency evacuation

• Baggage

• Flight delays and cancellations

Travel insurance: what does it mean to you?

Trip cancellation refers to cancellation before your trip, while trip interruption refers to a problem during your trip. What if you or one of your travel companions gets hurt or sick and you need to cancel your plans? This is where travel insurance comes to the rescue.

What if you have a medical emergency? Do you think you are covered by your health insurance? You might be. But most health insurance policies don’t cover it outside of the United States. Medicare never covers it when you travel abroad. Find out if you’re covered when you travel to your next destination.

What happens if you get sick and need air travel? Or you need medical attention on your flight home. This can be very expensive.

Have you reached your destination only to find that you have no luggage? What if you’re ready to embark on a cruise? Now what? Travel insurance will pay for essential items until your luggage is found and delivered to you. What if it never appears? Make sure you have a list of the items you packed for your trip. Better yet, save as many receipts for these items as you can. If your luggage was stolen, be sure to file a police report. This will help to make an insurance claim.

Did you arrive at the airport only to find out that your flight was delayed? What if the delay causes you to miss your connecting flight? Travel insurance will reimburse you for hotel stays and meals while you wait for your next flight. But what if your flight leaves on time and you get stuck in traffic and miss your flight? It will probably not be covered.

Travel Insurance: Do I Really Need It?

Check with your owner’s policy. It may already cover things like lost luggage. Be sure to check the maximum amount of coverage, as it may be limited in payment. Check your health insurance and find out what is covered when you travel away from home. Check if you are covered when you travel abroad. Finally, check your credit card coverage. Some credit cards will provide a limited amount of insurance if the trip was booked with your credit card. If you have an airline credit card, check with their coverage. They may have better coverage if you travel with them. But credit cards may not cover air travel back home. Both medical insurance and credit cards usually do not cover travel emergencies.

Once you decide you need travel insurance, read the fine print. Check if there are any time limits regarding the purchase of insurance before your trip. Find out if it covers the entire duration of your trip. Make sure your destination is covered. If the government advises you not to visit a particular country, you may not be covered if you go there.

What if you get sick? Be sure to list all the medications you are currently taking. Failure to do so could invalidate your policy. What if a family member at home gets sick and you want to shorten your trip? Most travel insurance policies do not cover this unless it is a death in the family. There is an option called “cancel for any reason”. If you have an older relative at home, you may want to consider this option for your peace of mind. This would allow you to shorten your trip and return home for any reason. Even if you just changed your mind and decide not to go.

Check the fine print and decide if buying travel insurance is right for you. You may be glad you did!