“For any one of us our forever could end in an hour, or a hundred years from now. You never know for sure, so you’d better make every second count.”
― Sarah Dessen, “The Truth About Forever”
Traveling abroad? It’s a brutal world out there. Medical emergencies happen. Flights are cancelled. Car collisions happen in the blink of an eye. Bones break. Your goods are stolen. Life can literally happen anywhere, and it can blindside you at a moment’s notice.That’s why it’s worth investing in travel insurance. While it may seem costly upfront, it is worth the price as the companies cover certain unfortunate circumstances that could cost you thousands of dollars. Let’s look more in depth at what those coverages are.
Lost Passport
When was the lost time you lost your wallet? Do you remember the sheer terror of not knowing where you put your credit cards, bank cards and social insurance/social security information? Do you remember feeling dead and horrified inside?
Now imagine losing your passport – in a country you’ve never been to. Maybe you lost your passport at a business conference. Maybe you forgot it at a seminar. Maybe it’s even if your briefcase – which was, coincidentally, also lost at the airport.
These worst-case scenarios are avoided by travel insurance plans that specifically include replacing (and sometimes paying the full cost of) a passport.
Medical Emergency Support
Your health insurance, believe it or not, may or may not help you in an emergency. (Most likely not, considering you’re in a different part of the world.) Freak accidents happen. You might get an airlift or emergency transport to a local medical centre/hospital and, to your chagrin, discover that the “visit” isn’t covered by your health insurance.
It’s covered by travel insurance, though; as long as you choose a qualified travel insurance plan from a reputable company.
Unexpected Illness or Injury
Many travel insurance companies offer trip interruption coverage. What this means is that you are covered for costs in case you or a traveling partner (after traveling begins) get sick, injured or die. You could visit various travel insurance comparison sites, Aardvarkcompare.com Travel Insurance Marketplace to find out which companies offer this coverage. In any case, always be sure to review your travel insurance policy certificate for a list of things covered.
Remote Region Coverage
Do you know which medical facilities are available in the area you’re visiting? Could you pinpoint the address of those facilities (as well as any surrounding landmarks) with 100% accuracy? Would you know how to get there in the unfortunate event you smashed your ankle to pieces and your phone died?
Emergency Medivac services are costly. Luckily, legitimate travel insurance plans include coverage in remote areas – which mean you don’t pay (much) for phone coverage in isolated parts of the region. Which is perfect in case you get lost.
Never Miss A Connection
Missed connection flights, sadly, happen, and are hard fact of reality. That’s why travel insurance companies’ “missed connection coverage” packages help you arrange (and pay for) catching the next departure time for the nearest available flight.
Lost Luggage
Whether you travel light or load up several briefcases, luggage can still be lost or stolen. Do you know the total cost of replacing everything in that luggage? Perhaps you brought a few invaluable souvenirs with you that can’t be replaced. Luckily for you, many agencies reimburse you for these lost expenses (provided you opted for the coverage plan.)
Conclusion
Recouping your losses against any of the unforeseen circumstances we just talked about is worth the price point of insurance. Wouldn’t you say so? Plus, service agents help you recover your non-refundable fees as well as paying for transportation to where you need to be. Yes, travel insurance is important.
