Travel Insurance Abroad: Tricks To Avoid Surprises

Travel Insurance Abroad: Tricks To Avoid Surprises


Traditionally, travel insurance is understood by tourists as a policy that gives the right to receive the necessary medical care in the host country. A medical insurance policy is considered an auxiliary document, and its content is left unattended, and it is completely in vain - medical insurance is necessary while traveling, and other types of tourist insurance will help to avoid other serious problems while traveling.

Tourists, of course, most often, of course, know about the need for insurance, as well as about what it can cost to pay for hospital services out of pocket.

Those who organize their travel through tour operators do not think about medical insurance simply because standard tour packages include a mandatory medical insurance policy for traveling abroad.

However, responsible tourists, who prefer to travel on their own, as well as those who often travel on business, realize the need for travel health insurance and buy insurance policies themselves, usually through online booking on the website of insurance companies. As practice shows, those who at least once faced similar problems on a trip, in the future, going abroad, always get insurance.

Getting one is an important part of travel planning, and should even be done before starting packing your suitcase as efficiently as possible and maybe even before booking your trip if you are planning on traveling for a long period of time.

At the same time, in addition to standard medical insurance, you can protect yourself in the event of other unforeseen circumstances. For this, for example, insurance against the loss of luggage, protection against cancellation and many other possibilities are provided. Let's consider them in more detail.

What are the types of travel insurance and what can you insure against?

Let's start with the fact that a policy for those traveling abroad, which provides protection against risks, is not the only way to protect yourself while traveling, in addition to classic medical insurance, it can include other types of risks. It can be:

Medical expenses

Medical expenses - this type of insurance is required for tourists traveling abroad. Even when it comes to visa-free countries, medical insurance is usually mandatory in the package of entry documents. The sum insured under such insurance applies to:

  1. Prescribed drugs - and it is very important to agree on these costs with the insurance company before purchasing drugs, so that you can be one hundred percent sure that they are covered. To do this, you need to call the contact number of the call center of the insurance company - usually the required phone numbers are attached to the policy.
  2. Inpatient treatment.
  3. Transportation of the victim to the hospital or to the place of residence (the latter - provided that there is no possibility of providing the necessary medical care in the host country or if the costs of staying in the hospital may exceed the insurance limit established in the contract). It should be noted that we are not talking about transportation costs, but about the transportation itself, that is, the insurance company, or rather its partner in each country, organizes the arrival of an ambulance or other vehicle.
  4. Compensation for travel expenses in the event that a person could not fly home on time due to the need for inpatient treatment.

An insured event for this type of insurance, according to the Insurance Rules, is a sudden illness in the territory of the policy. In this case, an event is not recognized as insured if it is associated with chronic diseases known at the time of the conclusion of the contract and / or with diseases that the insured person had previously (even if the insured person did not receive treatment for them). This rule is universal for any disease, including cardiovascular diseases.

A certain logic can be traced in this, since the essence of insurance is protection against risks, the occurrence of which is difficult to predict in advance. If a person with a sick heart goes to rest in another country - responsibility for their own health should lie with him, and not with the insurance company. If a healthy person has heart problems, the insurer will cover the cost of the necessary diagnostics, medications prescribed by a doctor, hospitalization costs.

Moreover, if the Insured misses his flight due to hospitalization, the insurance company will arrange and pay for his return to the place of permanent residence (all expenses are covered within the insured amount specified in the insurance contract).

The standard amount of medical insurance for most countries (including for the Schengen countries) is 30 thousand euros (at the current exchange rate in rubles it is 2501653.66, the cost of such travel insurance can range from 0.5 to 2 euros per day of stay); exceptions - America, Canada, Japan, in which the amount of insurance coverage must be at least 50 thousand dollars (at the current exchange rate in rubles it is 3,687,315.63). And the cost of the policy to these countries, respectively, is slightly more expensive.

Accident insurance

Accident insurance is a type of voluntary insurance for tourists (as opposed to, for example, medical insurance, which is mandatory), this type of policy includes injury, disability as a result of an accident. Moreover, disability may not occur immediately, but within a year after returning from vacation. Death will also be considered an insured event. This type of insurance differs from medical insurance in that after repatriation, relatives will receive money according to the Table of payments, simply for the very fact of an insured event. The relatives will then be able to use these funds at their own discretion.

Civil liability insurance

Civil liability insurance means compensation for damage caused to third parties in the host country. The damage can be physical or property, the fact of causing harm and its size must be confirmed by documents of the competent authorities (medical institutions, medical and labor expert commissions, social security bodies, etc.). Based on the above documents, a payment agreement is drawn up, signed by the insurer, the insured and the victim. In this case, the insurer (i.e. the insurance company) has the right to involve independent experts to determine the actual damage, on the basis of which the insurance payment is made. In this case, an unconditional deductible is usually applied in the amount of 10% of the amount of the loss.

Travel cancellation insurance.

Such a policy covers the costs of the trip if the trip was interrupted or disrupted due to the fault of third parties. The reasons may be hospitalization of the insured or his close relative, court proceedings, a summons from the military registration and enlistment office. The cost of travel insurance against cancellation can range from 6 to 8% of the cost of the voucher.

Luggage insurance

Baggage insurance protects the personal property of the insured person during the flight, that is, damage will be compensated only if the baggage is lost through the fault of the carrier. The cost of the policy is determined individually, but the upper limit of the insured amount (i.e. the amount for which the luggage is insured) may be limited by the insurer. In any case, this type of insurance for a tourist traveling abroad is a good solution if the cost of luggage exceeds 20 euros per kilogram (in most airlines this is the maximum possible payment that an air carrier can reimburse you). But the traveler can insure his luggage for any amount that will be returned to you under the terms of the concluded insurance contract. In other cases, limits are usually placed on compensation for damages for this risk. The cost of such insurance varies in the range of 2-20 USD. for the entire trip up to 30 days, depending on the sum insured. It should be noted that the payment from the insurance company goes on top of payments from the carrier.

There are two types of insurance coverage for travel risks:

1. Compensatory.

The tourist independently pays for all costs, and then, upon returning to the country, presents the accounting documentation to the insurer, which in turn compensates for all confirmed costs. This form of insurance implies that the insured person has personal funds for all unforeseen events; of course, this is not always the case.

2. Service.

The insurer company concludes contracts with foreign insurance companies specializing in tourist support and compensates the costs incurred in the insured event directly. Obviously, this type of insurance is much more convenient for a tourist who just needs to call the phone number specified in the policy and receive the necessary assistance within the sum insured.

The main components of the cost of an insurance policy are:

  • Duration of the trip;
  • The territory of the policy (that is, the country in which the policy will be valid);
  • The age of the insured person when it comes to health insurance (for children and the elderly, rates are usually higher).

The cost of the policy is also influenced by the set of risks and the amount of the insured amount. Insurance companies usually offer  standard travel insurance   programs, but some of them provide the option of including additional risks or conditions in the policy.

In addition, a common version of a comprehensive offer from insurers is to support compulsory additional insurance, for example, by supplementing a medical accident insurance policy.

It is also important to pay attention to the terms and location of the policy. According to the Insurance Rules, if at the time of purchase the tourist is already abroad (namely, in the insurance territory), then the policy is considered invalid. That is, you need to buy it only before the trip, and not during it. In addition, the policy is valid only in the territory of the country that is indicated in it. If one country is marked in the document, it will be valid only on its territory; if there are several countries - then on the territory of each of them; and if only one country of the Schengen zone is indicated, the policy will still be valid on the territory of the entire Schengen area.

WorldNomads travel insurance

The company offers life and travel insurance for residents of countries such as:

  • Australia;
  • Brazil;
  • Canada;
  • Japan;
  • New Zealand;
  • Portugal;
  • United Kingdom;
  • USA.

WorldNomads advantages

1. Trip protection.

The traveler can protect their hard-earned vacation from unexpected cancellations.

  • Investigator's plan: $ 10,000.
  • Standard plan: $ 2,500.

2. Emergency medical insurance.

The traveler can get rid of the pain at the expense of medical or dental costs.

  • Investigator's plan: US $ 100,000.
  • Standard plan: $ 100,000.

3. Emergency evacuation.

Emergency Medical Transportation: The company will quickly help transport the traveler to the hospital or home.

  • Investigator's plan: $ 500,000.
  • Standard plan: $ 300,000.

4. Protecting your equipment.

Covers lost, stolen, or damaged traveller's bags, vehicles and equipment.

  • Investigator's plan: $ 3,000.
  • Standard plan: $ 1,000.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it really that important to take out travel insurance abroad?
Yes, it is very important for every tourist. Since this is your protection while traveling abroad. Remember that this service will ensure that you receive medical care anytime and anywhere during your trip.
What are some key tips to avoid unexpected issues with travel insurance when abroad?
Tips include thoroughly reading and understanding the policy, knowing what is and isn’t covered, ensuring coverage for all destinations and activities, keeping necessary documentation handy, and knowing the process for filing a claim.



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