Importance of Travel Insurance
Whether you are traveling to that bucket-list destination with your significant other or to visit friends just a state or two away, travel insurance exists to give you extra peace of mind so you can focus on relaxing and having fun. Travel insurance also exists for that extreme situation in which your trip needs to be canceled or severely postponed because sometimes life just happens and there are things we cannot control.
What Is Travel Insurance?
There are many different types of travel insurance plans that include everything from lost or stolen items and accommodation issues to medical assistance and accident coverage for vehicles (and the humans involved). We never want to think that bad or stressful things can happen while traveling, but if they, do travel insurance is there to provide a layer of protection. Regular health, car and liability insurance often does NOT cover issues that occur while traveling. Travelers often find they are out of network or out of their coverage area during a trip.
At HealthGuys, we know a thing or two about travel insurance, and we don’t recommend leaving to go abroad or on that next vacation to Yellowstone, or DisneyWorld without it.
But I Already Have Insurance
Yes, it’s true that many travelers already have medical/dental/vision, vehicle and life insurance coverage. But, depending on the type of coverage you have, you may or may not be covered when it comes to travel.
Most standard insurance policies are designed to cover things that happen in the area where you live, and medical insurance, for example, is many times chosen specifically because of local providers. Vehicle insurance, as another example, frequently only covers your car and not a rental car situation. And none of these standard insurances include anything about covering a refund for that $10,000 vacation to Hawaii you’ve already booked and paid for when your partner suddenly breaks their leg the week before and now can’t travel.
Medical emergencies overseas, and even in a different state, can be extremely expensive. In a different state, travelers risk going to a medical provider or using a medical service that is out of their network, and the difference in coverage can be multiple thousands of dollars. In a different country, many places simply do not accept insurance plans from the United States. Medicare also does not provide coverage outside of the United States.
Some of us enjoy traveling to unique or remote parts of the world or participating in extreme sports where medical evacuations might be needed in an emergency situation. These evacuations can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even worse, sometimes you have to get care in a third country because the nearest facilities are across a border.
When people travel they also do not always know where to go if there is an emergency. Many travel insurance policies are set up to include 24/7 hotlines and a support network to help people navigate a foreign country’s medical options and systems. A standard healthcare provider in the United States would never be able to do that. Embassies are also limited with what they can do to help if you experience an emergency abroad and cannot even provide you emergency transportation, let alone help pay for medical care.
Don’t Lose Your Travel Investment
Traveling costs money. Many of us plan vacations with specific travel budgets, and those budgets do not include covering unplanned expenses. Many of us also save for a long time to afford a vacation, and things like delays are not just time lost, but incur additional costs like food and lodging. It’s easy to go over budget. And, it’s not just things like medical emergencies or fender-benders that cause these additional, unexpected costs on vacation. Travel delays, lost luggage, reservation snafus, etc all cost money.
Based on your travel situation, there are travel insurance plans that cover everything from missed flights and lost baggage to overbooked hotel rooms and even stolen items. We recommend always speaking to a travel insurance expert about the type of travel you’re doing, how many people are traveling with you, the length of your trip, etc. This helps to identify the correct policy for your situation.
Travel insurance definitely does not fall under the “one size fits all” category, and policy cost ranges as well. You should always read the fine print on any insurance policy and lean on your representative to ensure you understand exactly what is included in your coverage and what is not.
This is where we come in!
Let Us Help
At HealthGuys, we know choosing the correct Travel Insurance plan is unique to you and your travel itinerary, so please Contact Us to speak with one of our representatives for more information and to request a free quote.