All About Travel Insurance
You may be offered a travel insurance policy at the time of booking your travel. There are many people who refuse it because they are unclear as to what it is or what it covers. The travel insurance is to cover any medical expenses or financial losses such as money for non refundable payments made as well as many other items you may not expect. Travelers who are travelling internationally or within their own country can purchase travel insurance.
You can purchase travel insurance at the time of booking your trip and it can cover the exact length of your trip or if you would like to be a bit more extensive you can have it cover you continuously by purchasing it through a travel insurance company, travel agent or even through a travel supplier such as a tour operator or cruise line. Be careful when purchasing travel insurance directly through travel suppliers as it tends to be less inclusive than the policies that are offered by the travel insurance companies.
Any type of traveler may purchase the insurance including but not limited to the business traveler, adventure traveler, student traveler and the international traveler. There are many features that can be included in the policies to create the right one for your needs.
Some of the more common coverage items in the travel insurance policy are, medical expenses, injury or disablement benefits, accidental death, curtailment, legal assistance, liability for rental car damages, lost or delayed luggage to cover replacement of essential items, emergency evacuations, damage, theft, or loss of personal items such as money or travel documentation, trip cancellations, overseas funeral costs, and delayed trips.
The policies that are offered will range widely from travel insurance company and travel supplier so shop around before purchasing a policy. The person purchasing the policy can determine what they want covered and this will affect the policy price. You can even find travel insurance companies that will cover any additional costs that arise on your trip.
A separate policy can be purchased to cover any high risk or dangerous sports participation such as rock climbing, sky diving, or skiing as well as one to cover any pre-existing medical conditions like asthma or diabetes. Travel to countries that are known for natural disasters, terrorism acts or have a war status will create the need for a separate policy for travel to the high risk country.
Your basic policy will have certain items excluded for coverage that may require a separate policy. Travel to countries with war and terrorism threats, pre existing medical conditions or any injury or illness created by alcohol or drug use is normally excluded from a typical insurance policy. The majority of companies will allow you to buy a separate policy for travel to countries with war and terrorism threats.
Travel insurance policies will normally cover pregnancy related expenses during the first trimester. The insurance policy can vary from trimester to trimester so be sure to check with the insurance company about covered pregnancy expenses.
Travel insurance offers services that operate 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Emergency assistance and the concierge services are the most common to be used. You can expect to pay about 5-7% of your total trip cost for your travel insurance policy.
Susan Reynolds is the webmaster for a leading South African Insurance Portal that provides consumers with the best Travel Insurance Options.
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