We’ve all felt the desire to travel because, indeed, it’s a big world out there, and adventure awaits! But, before you board your next flight, there is something you must think about, and that’s travel insurance. Don’t get caught without your bags, left behind because you miss a connection, or injured in a hospital overseas without investing in the right insurance policy for your travel plans.
What Is Travel Insurance?
Travel insurance works like most other insurance policies in that it reimburses you for expenses incurred as a result of an accident or an unexpected interruption to your trip. Travel insurance is coverage you elect to purchase when you book your trip. The policies can cover things like missed connections, lost luggage, certain medical emergencies, and trip cancellations or delays. Not all policies are the same, so you need to understand what you are buying before you assume any and all coverage.
What Types of Travel Insurance Should I Consider?
It’s important to understand the types of travel insurance plans that are available. There are two main types of plans that most travelers consider when looking to protect themselves and/or their vacation. One plan is a vacation plan, and the other is a travel medical plan. To help avoid any confusion, we’ve broken down the differences between these two popular types of coverage.
Vacation Insurance Plan
If you want to cover things like trip cancellations, missed flights, and lost baggage, you will want to purchase a vacation plan. These comprehensive insurance plans cover a lot of unfortunate but all too common hiccups that can happen just before or while you’re away from home. These incidents include:
- Canceled trips
- Interrupted trips due to natural disasters
- Some medical emergencies
- Emergency evacuation from your destination
- Lost or delayed luggage
- Missed connections
There are numerous providers of vacation insurance plans. To shop for a plan that fits your needs and your budget, head over to TravelInsurance.com.
Travel Medical Insurance
Another common insurance plan travelers may consider purchasing, especially if they are traveling abroad, is travel medical insurance. Why? Because, believe it or not, your domestic health insurance plan will not work overseas. Travel medical insurance is different from the health insurance typically provided by your employer because most domestic health insurance plans, including Medicare, will not cover medical emergencies like hospital visits, surgeries, prescriptions, and other medical care you may require when outside of the United States.
Travel medical plans can be purchased in advance of travel and, depending on the provider, can be renewed for future travel. There are third-party providers of travel medical plans, and sometimes, your domestic health insurance company may be able to connect you to their program. For example, Blue Cross Blue Shield has an affiliate insurance company called GeoBlue that offers short- and long-term international health plans for all varieties of travel.
You can purchase travel medical insurance in addition to the aforementioned travel insurance to give you all-around protection from missed flights or lost baggage to an injury or medical emergency. Or, you may not be concerned about missing flight connections and or losing your luggage, in which case you just want medical coverage for your international trip. Either way, here are some of the things typically covered by travel medical insurance:
- Broken bones
- Heart attacks
- Strokes
- Emergency dental procedures
- Medical evacuations
Indeed adventure awaits, but before you head to your gate, make sure you’ve protected yourself, your family, and your trip. For more information about what travel and medical insurance plans are out there, head over to ConsumerVoice.org to read ratings and reviews that may help inform your decision. Once purchased, remember to keep a copy of your policy or policies on you while you travel just in case you don’t have access to the internet. Then go and enjoy the peace of mind you’ve given yourself with travel insurance!
Bio: M. Kelani is a wife, mom, nature lover, online shopper, and professional writer who is passionate about the power of the written word to help make the world a more beautiful place. Her published works focus on travel, consumer interests, women’s empowerment, and international development.
Links
https://www.travelinsurance.com/