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Travel Insurance
Why Do I Need It?
No matter how much or how well you plan, the unexpected can happen before or during your holiday. Flight cancellations, illness and lost luggage can happen to anyone and can be very costly.
Travel Insurance offers you a level of protection against certain circumstances. Here's some things you should know.
Medical – The Common Sense Part
The kind of plan may depend on where you're going. If you are travelling to countries where health costs are high, it is best to get a plan that has unlimited medical coverage. Be sure that you have coverage for ambulance and hospital treatment.
All policies have restrictions for pre-existing medical conditions. It's important to tell us before you sign because if you don't your entire insurance plan (not just your medical coverage) could be cancelled, or your claims refused.
Sports – How Adventurous Are You?
When traveling you may be tempted to be adventurous and try some challenging sports. Be sure that your insurance covers the activities you anticipate doing. Most plans provide free coverage for most amateur sports like snow skiing, swimming and hiking. If you think you might be tempted to go all out and do things like hot air ballooning, scuba diving, bungee jumping, white water rafting, parachuting or paragliding you might want to bring that up too.
Cancellation – Just in Case
Let's say you or your traveling partner gets sick, you're called for jury duty or a natural disaster occurs. The right plan can cover all of the expenses for cancelling your trip. This can include the loss of non-refundable deposits on flights and costs paid in advance if you have to cancel your trip prior to leaving.
Coverage for cancellation and additional expenses if you have to cut your journey short due a close relative's illness or death is also included in most policies.
Baggage and Belongings – We’ve All Heard the Horror Stories!
All policies provide some coverage for luggage. Be careful, some policies don't cover you if you leave your baggage unattended in a public place and it's stolen. You can insure specified precious items such as cameras, MP3 players and laptops.
Holidays should be a time to relax and enjoy yourself to the fullest. The last thing you want or expect is losing your belongings or getting sick. This can really ruin your holiday fun. So why risk it – even for a week!