Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
7
Travel Insurance
I've been a scuba diver ever since a fellow travel writer told me if I didn't stop being afraid of going, he
would make fun of me to all the other travel writers out there. In the face of potential public embarrass-
ment, I gave in and I
loved
it. I was a fool for waiting so long. Recently, while in Thailand, I sought to share
my joy of diving with friends. On the last day of their dive course, I joined them, and unable to equalize the
pressure in my ears properly, I popped my left eardrum. It was a minor injury (I can still hear), but the hospital
bills and medicines ended up costing me a couple of hundred dollars. However, because I had purchased
travel insurance, I was fully reimbursed.
You never know what accident or illness could happen while you are traveling, and most regular health
insurance plans don't cover you overseas. Purchasing insurance in case you get sick is a smart move—you
don't want to take risks with your health.
Before you purchase travel insurance, be sure to check if your current medical coverage extends to over-
seas travelers. Generally, it doesn't, which is why the travel insurance industry is so big. I've yet to find a
general health plan that covers people overseas unless they buy a separate policy, but with so many different
insurers and policies around the country, it's simply smart to double-check.
Additionally, check your credit card to see if you have insurance coverage for goods you buy. Many credit
cards, especially travel rewards cards, provide you with trip cancellation insurance in case something goes
wrong. Be sure to check what is and is not covered by your plan. Forgoing normal travel insurance might
leave you exposed if your credit card doesn't cover everything.
After you have checked to see what is and is not covered by your existing companies, start shopping
around for travel insurance to make up the difference. As you can imagine, there are many options to choose
from. This is a multibillion-dollar industry and there are a lot of names out there.
While many people think “I'm healthy, I don't need travel insurance. I won't get sick,” travel insurance
is much more than just medical protection. It covers you when your camera breaks, your flight is canceled, a
family member dies and you have to come home, or if something is stolen. It is much more than just health
insurance, and for the little money it costs per day, you're foolish not to get it.
Travel insurance is something you need on the road. You never know what could happen, and most health
plans won't cover you overseas. I never thought I would pop my eardrum while I was scuba diving or break
my camera in Italy. My friend never thought he would break his leg hiking or that another friend's father
would die and she would have to fly back home.
Travel insurance was there when all those things happened. It is something you hope you never have to
use, and with plans costing just a few dollars per day, in my view, it's foolish to not get it. I would rather
hedge my bets and not be stuck with a giant hospital bill.
Travel insurance is one of the most complex and confusing aspects of trip planning. With the myriad avail-
able plans and companies, people can easily get confused about what they should get and why.
