| Home | Categories | Forums | Submit Your Article | Sitemap |
|
The Importance of Travel Insurance Karen Zastudil You've finally saved enough to go on that dream vacation you've been planning. Now you're wondering if you should buy travel insurance. Do I really need to go to the extra expense? All I can lose is my luggage, right? Guess again! Anything can go wrong while you are traveling, and I strongly favor buying a policy. Most travel insurance policies are designed for a variety of travel needs but, I emphatically advise reading the fine print of any policy you purchase regarding any deductibles and health situations. You many find your policy won't cover pre-existing conditions that may cause a problem, or that the medical coverage is only for an injury or an illness -- not both. For emergency aid, travel insurance polices are generally dependable and affordable, but there are still a myriad of gaps in the coverage provided. You can find polices designed for almost any type of trip you may be planning, such as a single trip for hunting, backpacking, cruises, house rentals, and a host of others. But, the specific types and amounts of coverage you get depend on the policy you choose. It's important to remember that you will only be covered for what is specifically stated in your policy and for nothing else. Most policies cover trip cancellation, lost baggage, medical, dental, and accidental death coverage. Other policies include emergency evacuation, 24 hour travel assistance, and trip or baggage delay. You may even find policies that include options for collision or damage to rented cars and business conflicts. There are many options that can be covered, but you will have to ask. The premiums for the policies are generally 5% to 7% the cost of your trip, but fees will vary depending on the your medical history and passengers ages. Many companies offer policies that will include coverage for children at no extra charge. It is best not to buy your travel insurance from your tour operator. I've listed a few reasons why it may be better to purchase through an insurance company separately. Most travel insurance policies offered by the operator are less flexible to your individual needs; Provide a lower amount of coverage; May only cover a portion of the trip; Your coverage may be secondary and the insurance will only pay for what you own private health or homeowner's insurance does not cover; May duplicate coverage you already have; In the event the tour operator liquidates and goes belly up, you would lose not only your trip, but also your premium. Many travel agents are not fully knowledgeable when it comes to understanding the details of various travel insurance policies and may overlook something that could be important to you or your family and few offer suggestions. Buying travel insurance may be less expensive purchasing through your tour operator or cruise line, but for the reasons listed above, you should really check around. If you do choose to buy your policy from your tour operator, be sure to use a credit card. Depending on the policy of the credit card issuer, you may be provided with protection against potential default of the operator. When buying your policy from an insurance company: Always get quotes from several companies Ask if the plan is pre-packaged or if you can custom design your own Can you waive the pre-existing condition exclusion Ask if you are covered for cancellation due to a terrorist incident. Don't count of the company to provide information Ask any question you can dream up and Do ask for suggestions A good site to reference for multiple travel insurance quotes is InsureMyTrip.com. (I am not affiliated with this site in any way. I just like the site!) Enjoy your next trip and I hope the odds are with you and that you will never have to file a claim on your travel insurance policy. (c)2004 Karen Zastudil Karen is a graduate of Cleveland State University and is a freelance writer. Visit her website at http://www.womenatthesummit.com - A site of general interest to women. Topics include: Pregnancy, Children, Parenting, Health and wellness, Diet and Fitness, Relationships, Money, Travel and more. webmaster@womenatthesummit.com Comments
Add a CommentRecent cruise vacation travel newsPirates Cut Annapolis Woman's Vacation Short - WJZ WJZ, MD - 8 hours ago Dennis Edwards spoke with a woman from Annapolis about the day pirates cut her vacation short. The pictures are like deja vu for Meg Rhian, who survived a ... Disney breaks ground at Hawaii resort - Bizjournals.com  LaughingPlace.com Bizjournals.com, NC - 4 hours ago The resort will feature 350 hotel rooms and 480 Disney Vacation Club timeshare villas. “This Disney destination resort will provide a unique way for ... Disney's Hawai'i Project Begins With Ground Blessing MarketWatch Disney breaks ground at Ko Olina Honolulu Star-Bulletin Disney Breaks Ground On New Ko Olina Resort KITV.com KHON2all 18 news articles Leaders want to cut Congress vacation short (The Politico) Leaders would bring Congress back in December given the economic turmoil and failure to reach agreement on auto aid. Luxury Institute Survey: Vacation Homes and Exotic Vacations Luxury Experiences of Choice for Wealthy U.S. Consumers (Marketwire via Yahoo! Finance) Wealthy U.S. consumers report that owning a vacation home is the item they most desire, and taking exotic vacations is their most sought-after luxury experience, according to a Luxury Institute survey of U.S. consumers with average household income of $332,000 and average net-worth of $3.3 million. Vacation package includes parade, stay at The Alluvian (The Greenwood Commonwealth) Two lucky tourists will experience Greenwood’s famed Christmas parade from their room at The Alluvian along with other Delta treats thanks to a vacation giveaway by the Mississippi Delta Tourism Association. Unused vacation? NY might not pay (The Observer-Dispatch) A program that allowed nearly 13,000 nonunion New York state employees to exchange unused vacation time for cash payments has been rescinded for this fiscal year. Transplant Tourism: It's No Vacation - Medscape (registration) Medscape (registration) - 4 hours ago The authors performed a retrospective analysis of 33 kidney transplant recipients who traveled abroad for transplantation (29 of whom were evaluated at the ... Vacation coincided with Berlin Wall's fall (Basehor Sentinel) Vacation coincided with Berlin Wall's fall Pirates Cut Annapolis Woman's Vacation Short (CBS 13 Baltimore) Pirates boarded and captured a huge tanker out on the high seas. It's happening more often and it even happened to one Maryland woman. Starwood Hotels Spreads Holiday Cheer This Season With Special ... - WELT ONLINE WELT ONLINE, Germany - 5 hours ago Available now through December 31, 2008 experience a "Family Fun” vacation package at one of Starwood’s 30 Love Your Family Resort locations flying the ... |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||