Whenever
I travel abroad, I always wrestle with the decision on whether or not to
purchase travel insurance. I can either play it safe and invest the extra money
for peace of mind, or simply roll the dice. Travel insurance comes in a few
different flavors: trip cancellation or interruption; loss or damage to
personal items; and emergency travel medical insurance. The cost of the
abovementioned insurances can depend on the length of the trip, the
destination, and the number of travelers.
Before
you begin to weigh the pros and cons, there are a few things you should
research. First, begin with your own health insurance plan. When I went to Brazil,
my husband and I were covered if we needed medical treatment. My health
insurance would even cover a medical evacuation. Thankfully, we never needed to
use our health insurance while in Brazil. Not all health insurance plans cover
medical costs while traveling. Be sure to check with your provider. If the
provider doesn’t cover medical expenses, you can look into companies that will
allow you to purchase travel health insurance.
You
should also review your homeowners and auto policies to see what is covered
when you travel. For example, damage or a loss of your personal property may be
covered under your homeowner’s policy. For my trip to Brazil, our policy did in
fact cover any damage or loss of personal property while traveling. You can
find out what is covered by simply calling your insurance agent.
What
you will need to purchase is trip cancellation insurance. I would recommend you
purchase travel insurance, especially if you are booking vacation abroad and
especially if you are booking the trip several months in advance. Let’s say you
booked a trip to Europe
to stay at one of our International Vacation
Home Exchange properties. Then, a few weeks before you are scheduled to
leave, something happens and you need to cancel your trip. Travel insurance can
provide reimbursement for ticket costs due to trip cancellation arising from
illnesses, injuries, or natural disasters. The reasons for a canceled trip
usually have to meet specific definitions before you can obtain a
reimbursement. Missing your flight because you overslept is not going to cut
it. You may also need a doctor’s note if you claim an illness or injury forced
you to cancel your trip. Travel insurance may also cover your expenses in the
event of a terrorist attack, political evacuation, and the cost to replace a
lost or stolen passport.
Of course everyone has different situations, so considering travel insurance is always a good process. If
you are interested in purchasing travel insurance for you next vacation, you
can do so a few different ways. You can purchase travel insurance through
travel agents or travel suppliers. You can also purchase insurance from
companies directly and online. If you do opt to purchase insurance online, be
sure you are working with a reputable company. If you live in the United
States, you can check out the US Travel
Insurance Association website for additional information. Also, be sure to
talk to one of our IVHE travel coordinators about our trip cancellation policies
regarding vacation home exchanges.
Thank you to travel guest blogger Carla
Pruitt. You can follow Carla on Twitter at @crobscarla.
0 comments :
Post a Comment
We would welcome your comments and ideas