DO YOU NEED TRAVEL INSURANCE?

by Kathleen Seligman
7/10/2006

Life can be full of irritations both large and small, from stressful jobs to keeping a household and a family together. Vacations, meanwhile, can be a great way to relax and escape, at least temporarily, from all your daily troubles. Whether it’s within the boundaries of your own country or beyond, travel can be a source of great joy for you and your loved ones. Unfortunately, along with the myriad benefits of travel, there are also many risks inherent in even the most carefully planned holiday. To protect against the unexpected and assuage any fears you may have, you might consider taking out a travel insurance policy before you set out for your destination.

When you think of travel insurance, you may imagine people standing in airports describing the danger of flying and trying to convince you that you should purchase what amounts to additional life insurance in case your plane crashes. Thankfully, most airports no longer allow such individuals to approach their customers. Travel insurance is, however, much more than extra life insurance, and can protect you from all sorts of travel disasters.

TYPES OF TRAVEL INSURANCE

Travel Insurance Package Policies

Travel insurance package policies are designed for single trips. These travel insurance bundles include protection from a variety of possible vacation troubles, including trip cancellation or delays for tours, flights, cruises, etc.; lost belongings; and emergency medical, dental, or other health-related expenses. Additionally, travel insurance package plans can even cover costs you might incur due to emergency evacuation as well as payment to your beneficiaries if you are seriously injured or killed while on vacation. Other travel insurance package options can include collision or damage coverage for rented cars. Some travel insurance policies will cover children free of charge when you purchase a plan for yourself.

Business Travel Insurance Package Policies

Since many businesses send their employees on trips all over the world, it makes sense that travel insurance be made available for business as well as for private vacationers. Travel insurance packages for businesses are basically leisure travel insurance policies amended for the needs of businessmen and women. For instance, instead of being insured against the cancellation of an African safari tour, you would be protected if a trade show or conference schedule abruptly changed on you. Business travel insurance package policies also allow for additional coverage of lost belongings such as laptops, presentation tools, and cellular phones.

International Medical Travel Insurance

It’s no secret that not all travel destinations have quality medical facilities, but if you become sick or injured on your trip, you deserve the best healthcare possible. International medical travel insurance can assure you of getting just that. Taking out one of these travel insurance policies ensures that if you get hurt, you will either be quickly returned to your home country or taken to the nearest quality medical facility. And instead of just purchasing coverage for a single trip, you can buy international medical travel insurance for an entire year at a time, so you’re health will be protected no matter where you travel.

Flight Accident Travel Insurance Policies

This is the type of travel insurance that people are likely most familiar with. Flight accident travel insurance policies are a special type of temporary life insurance you can take out for individual trips that will pay your beneficiaries if you are injured or killed while flying. While air travel is still statistically safer than travel by car, a flight accident travel insurance plan can go a long way to ease any fears of flying you may have.

Major Medical Travel Insurance Policies

Major medical travel insurance policies can take up where other travel insurance policies leave off. Whereas most other travel insurance plans only cover you for a single trip, major medical travel insurance plans cover you when you take extended vacations abroad for as long as six months or more. Major medical travel insurance also protects you if you require serious or long-term medical care.

Accidental Death Travel Insurance Policies

Accidental death and dismemberment travel insurance policies work much like normal death insurance. If you are seriously hurt or killed during your vacation, you or your beneficiary will receive a lump sum based on the type of injury you sustain. You can purchase accidental death travel insurance for a single trip or for as long as a year at a time for individuals, businesses, and groups. Benefits for accidental death and dismemberment travel insurance can reach as high as $20 million.

Along with all of these potential benefits, travel insurance plans can also include a “911” travel emergency service that you can call anytime of the day or night if you need anything from emergency medical assistance to travel advice.

Getting Travel Insurance

Many general insurance companies offer optional travel insurance packages that you can purchase along with your home, health, or auto insurance. There are also companies that specialize in travel insurance and have many different types of policies for you to choose from. So how do you find the company and policy that’s best for you? Yet again, the Internet might be the answer. Like with the many other forms of insurance, online websites can provide information about different travel insurance plans and can be the perfect place to browse through different quotes in a completely pressure-free environment.

So do you need travel insurance? Only you can decide. But no matter what you choose, the most important thing is that nothing gets between you and a wonderful vacation. Remember, travel is meant to make you feel better. When even the shortest trip can carry a hefty price tag, taking out travel insurance can be an easy way to protect yourself against the pitfalls that can try to derail your dream vacation. According to Travel Guard, the leading provider of travel insurance, as many as six million people purchase travel insurance each year as they tour the globe. Whether you choose to take out a travel insurance policy or decide that you don’t need one, you and your family deserve the best vacation possible, and with summer well underway, now may be the best time to try a change of scenery. The world is waiting for you – enjoy it!

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