Travelling comes with many uncertainties. In a foreign land, you do not have the luxury of having everything you need at the tip of your fingers. Thus, an important safeguard for your travels is a good insurance plan.
When it comes to picking a travel insurance plan, it can get confusing with all the providers and types of plans in the market. Apart from checking user reviews to select the most reliable brands, you should be aware of the different aspects covered by travel insurance plans.
To help you with choosing the right insurance plan, here is a guide of some of the most important questions to ask when looking at travel insurance plans:
Does the policy provide sufficient medical protection?
Most travel insurance plans cover a certain amount of your medical bills if you fall ill or injure yourself while overseas. Usually, what you pay is what you get – if you opt for a more expensive plan, the quota for medical coverage will be higher. In addition, you should find out what types of medical coverage they provide. Often, it is broken down into categories like hospitalisation, ambulance services, and general practitioner services.
Many insurance plans do cover medical evacuation, which includes services like land or air ambulances to bring you to the nearest hospital or for repatriation back home. However, most insurance plans do not cover pre-existing medical conditions, so do take note of this if it is something that applies to you.
How many destinations does the insurance policy cover?
Each travel insurance plan typically covers specific regions of travel – for example, a plan may cover East Asian countries, but will not cover a trip to Europe. Thus, it is important to pick the right travel plan according to the countries you will be visiting. If you are travelling to multiple countries, you need to declare all the destinations you will be staying at and pick a plan that covers all the locations.
Does the cover cater for cancellations?
Due to unforeseen circumstances, a pre-planned trip may be cancelled. Common reasons for this are personal emergencies, insolvency of the travel agency, or flight cancellations. Some travel insurance plans cover these kinds of trip cancellations, in which case they will reimburse you the cost of your prepaid, non-refundable expenses. While most policies have some basic form of trip cancellation coverage, you should check out which reasons for cancellation are covered under your plan.
In addition to trip cancellation, most plans also cover trip interruptions. These usually include scenarios like travel delays or cancellations after your trip has commenced. Similar to trip cancellations, the insurance company will reimburse you a certain percentage of your prepaid, non-refundable expenses, or cover the costs of alternative transport and accommodation.
Will the insurance plan cover loss of luggage?
It occurs more commonly than you think – luggage getting lost midway through transit. In the event that your luggage or personal items are lost, damaged, or stolen during your trip, your insurance plan can cover some of the costs incurred.
You will need to check the type of items covered in the loss of luggage and personal effects clause – most plans will have a list of exceptions of items they do not cover. In addition, it will be good to know how much the insurance company can reimburse you, and what the amount will be based on. Some go by the actual value of the lost items, while some covers the cost to repair or replace the affected items.
Does the insurance plan cover injuries arising from sports and hazardous activities?
Many people take travelling as a chance to embark on some thrilling sports like water rafting, sky-diving, off-roading, and more. As these activities put you at a higher risk of injuries, certain insurance plans may not cover these. Therefore, if you foresee yourself taking part in such kinds of activities, it is best to choose an insurance plan that will cover the activity you will be doing.
Although travel insurance plans may seem complicated and hard to read, these questions will give you a brief guide of what to look for in a travel insurance plan. If in doubt, you can contact your insurance plan provider to get them to explain the terms and coverage to you. Remember, it’s always better to be safe than sorry, so make sure to get your travel insurance plan early. Happy travelling!
