Insurance, Claims & Accidents

Archive for the ‘Travel Insurance’ Category

Unexpected illnesses and injuries on holiday can be terrifying. Not only is it daunting to be treated in an unfamiliar country, but it can also be incredibly expensive, which is why it is essential for your travel insurance to adequately cover medical procedures.

When booking your holiday, it is worthwhile to research the medical care available to British tourists in the country you plan to visit. European holidaymakers fill out European health insurance cards—previously E111 forms—that entitle travellers free or reduced medical care in every country in the EEA. The UK also has reciprocal agreements with some other countries outside of Europe. In the case that a British tourist requires healthcare, they will be treated in the same way as a resident of that country.

This does not mean travel insurance should be completely forgotten when travelling in these countries. Healthcare may vary compared to the NHS, and certain treatments or procedures may not be free as they are in Britain. However, adequate travel insurance can cover these extra costs. Furthermore, unplanned travel back to the UK can be incredibly expensive, and these costs can be covered by the right insurance.

Be aware that America does not have any reciprocal agreement in place with the UK, so travel insurance is essential for a stateside visit. Moreover, an American hospital can refuse to treat you if you do not have sufficient cover; therefore, the right health insurance can not only save money, but also save unnecessary financial stress and worry.

It is recommended that insurance should cover up to £1 million for European holidays and £2 million for international travel.

Travelling during the golden years can be magical. These travel years can also prove to be difficult or expensive when it comes to purchasing travel insurance. No matter how healthy you are, many insurance companies view those over 65 as high-risk. It has become progressively more common for insurance companies to increase their premiums for people as soon as they turn 50.

The largest concern for insurance companies is the health of the individual. Healthcare costs in other countries can be astronomical. If a policyholder uses the medical portion of their policy, this could force an insurance company to pay thousands or even millions in healthcare costs. The Foreign Office has noted that one air ambulance trip in the USA can cost as much as £35,000.

Travel insurance companies realise there are some benefits to insuring those over 65. This age group is less likely to participate in high-risk activities such as skydiving or bungee jumping. Policyholders over 65 are also provided with more health coverage than younger policyholders. They are also given more coverage for items such holiday curtailment and flight cancellation.

When applying for travel insurance, the best thing you can do on your application is be honest. In the event you should have to make a claim, the insurance company will go back into your past medical history. If they find a false answer, they will have reason to find your claim invalid.

Travel insurance is a necessity in addition to house insurance and other policies, because if something happens to you when you are abroad it can prove financially devastating.  Even where the UK has reciprocal medical agreements, such as with Australia and Europe, neither the transport to and from hospital nor your repatriation are covered.

Many insurance policies allow parents and children to be covered by the same policy rather than having to take out separate ones for each family member. There are several different premiums available depending upon individual circumstances such as the number of children and whether they are accompanied by one or both parents.

If you have a large family you will usually save money by choosing an insurer and policy that does not take account of the number of children. Children are always classed as ‘under 18s’ in the travel industry, and the standard family insurance premium means that if you have several kids they can effectively be insured for nothing.

Business insurance is usually an annual policy to cover the regular business traveller. These policies can be tailored to the specific needs of the corporate traveller, and include features such as laptop and PDA cover. Policies often cover additional items such as golfing equipment, acknowledging that business is conducted in many places, not just in meeting rooms.

Older and retired travellers should also shop around for the best deals on offer. There is less need these days to limit insurance purchases to a specialist provider in the high street; good deals can be obtained online.

A range of general travel insurance policies is available for sports enthusiasts, as well as specialist backpacker insurance and policies tailored to specific sports.  You can insure yourself against just about any eventuality, with different types of package for various situations and circumstances. Pre-existing medical conditions can be covered so, if in doubt, always ask. All policies will carry their own excess levels, premiums and exemption clauses.

Skiing and related sports trips are becoming increasingly popular. As the potential for accidents during such holidays is relatively high, and the costs of rescue from remote areas can greatly exceed those from more accessible destinations, you must make sure that you are properly covered. If you are not insured and you break a leg in the Swiss mountains or the USA, the financial consequences could be devastating.

General travel insurance policies often offer winter sports cover as an optional extra, but you can obtain this in a completely separate policy if you prefer. Cover varies according to circumstances, such as skiing off and on piste, cross-country or mono-skiing. For those who like the adventurous life, a worldwide policy covering multiple countries and activities is well worth considering.

Separate adventure travel insurance can obtained and, although this is somewhat similar to winter sports insurance, such policies can be finely tailored according to your needs, taking into account your destinations and the activities in which you’ll be engaged. Pay particular attention to the excesses and exemptions in such policies because as the insured risk increases, the excesses and exemptions will probably increase too. 

When shopping for travel insurance, you should make sure that you look into the different activities you plan to do while on holiday, any current or pre-existing medical conditions you may have that could affect your trip, and what type of personal belongings you want to protect.  It is a good idea to have a list of these things with you while you are shopping for travel insurance to ensure that you invest in the correct policy to cover any potential claim. 

While the above list is important, you might also wish to consider investing in a cancellation clause.  This ensures that your insurance covers additional fees incurred if your flight is cancelled.  If you intend to participate in any dangerous sports or activities while on holiday, then these should also be included in the travel insurance to cover any unforeseen accidents that might arise from them.  Always include enough coverage to protect lost baggage and replacement of personal property. 

Some travel insurance policies may have restrictions or exclusions attached to them.  It is important to read the policy fully so that you can add coverage as needed or opt for an alternative provider/policy.  Medical conditions such as pregnancy will only be covered on travel insurance for a set period of time.  In addition, advanced age may not be covered by the policy.  Always go for the policy that covers any eventuality while on holiday, to give you peace of mind should the need for a claim arise.

Many of today’s travellers choose to book their flights, hotel and transfers separately, rather than opt for a package deal that includes everything.  This makes it harder to insure against cancellations or if something were to go wrong with one aspect of your holiday – a closed airline, for example.  However, it is possible to protect your holiday even if it’s not a package deal.

Scheduled Airline Failure Insurance

It’s possible to purchase scheduled airline failure insurance in addition to your normal travel insurance.  This means that if for some reason a flight is cancelled, you will be offered either a refund or an alternative flight.  Sometimes this is included in the standard policy, while other times it’s sold as an addition.  It’s important therefore to check the policy details carefully.  When sold as an add-on, scheduled airline failure insurance usually costs between £4 and £7, depending upon whether you’re covering yourself for a single trip or annually. 

Supplier Failure Insurance

Supplier failure insurance is particularly important when booking your holiday in separate parts, and will protect you if your airline, accommodation supplier or tour company goes out of business.  There’s usually an excess to pay when making a claim, but in order to save you from having to eat the cost of a lost holiday, the extra cost is likely to be worth it.

If you’re planning to engage in winter sports or other adventure activities when you travel, then you may wish to find an insurance policy that appropriately covers any accidents that could occur.

Winter Sports Travel Insurance

Skiing and snowboarding are becoming increasingly popular excursions among holidaymakers.  However, these winter sports also carry risk, and each year many people who take part in them suffer accidents.  If you break a leg when skiing in the United States and you are without insurance, this could set you back as much as £70,000.  Insurance is therefore required to cover you for any injuries that may occur when taking part in winter sports. 

Most insurers will sell winter sports insurance as an add-on to standard insurance.  The cost of the add-on will be calculated considering such things as whether you are mono-skiing or cross country skiing.  It’s important to be completely honest with the insurers regarding the activities in which you will be taking part.  If you are injured doing something you did not declare to the insurer, you may not be covered.

Adventure Travel Insurance

If you’re going on an adventure holiday that will involve riskier sports such as rock climbing, you’ll need to make sure your insurance covers these activities.  Much like winter sports travel insurance, the insurer will usually sell adventure travel insurance as an add-on to a basic policy.  The exact cost will be dependent upon how dangerous the activities that you will be participating in are.

Every travel insurance contract is unique, so the information provided below is only of a general nature. You have to scrutinize your contract to make sure whether a particular event will be covered or not.

The most important exception is usually a pre-existing condition. This is any illness for which you have received medical treatment a specified time before you bought the travel insurance policy. Even if you haven’t received treatment yet, but you were diagnosed by a medical doctor, the condition will still not be covered.

You can not, for example, visit your doctor because you feel bad, be diagnosed with a serious disease and then fly overseas so you can claim the cost of the treatment from the travel insurance company.

There are some insurers that do cover the cost of pre-existing conditions, but then only if you divulged the condition on your application form. There will usually be restrictions and the cost of such a policy will be higher than normal.

Other conditions and events normally not covered include injuries you inflict on yourself, pregnancy, giving birth, participating in dangerous sports such as bungee jumping and scuba diving, being involved in a crime and wars.

It needs to be noted that simply travelling to a country for which the Department of Foreign Affairs has issued a travel warning may constitute a breach of the conditions of your travel insurance policy and your claims will therefore not be entertained. It’s therefore wise to check the list of countries for which travel warnings have been issued before you leave.

If you suffer from a chronic medical condition, you absolutely have to tell the insurance company that before you sign up for a travel insurance policy. The same is true if you ever suffered from a serious medical condition, such as cancer.

If you lie on your application form, or withhold important information, all that will happen in the event of a claim is that the insurer will refuse to pay out if he finds out the truth. If you, for example, suffer from asthma, and you do not disclose this fact, the insurance company will not pay out if you suffer an attack while overseas.

Telling the truth might well be costly in the sense that the insurer will probably increase your premiums, but it still will not be as costly as a refused claim. Discuss your current and past medical conditions with a representative of the insurance company and be completely honest about the state of your health.

If the company should then decide to exclude your condition from the policy, you will at least know where you stand and you can make alternative arrangements. If you are a UK citizen travelling to Europe, you can for example get yourself a EHIC – a European Health Insurance Certificate. This will cover any basic emergency medical treatment you may need while in Europe.

If you are over 65, your chances of getting sick while on holiday are considered to be higher than average by insurance companies. You can therefore expect to pay more for your travel insurance.  In return, you will usually get higher cover for emergency and medical expenses than usual (up to £10m compared to the normal £2m). Your policy will usually also provide higher cover for curtailment, cancellation and delays.

Obtaining travel insurance for those with special needs can be a worry.  Some insurance companies are willing to insure anyone with any health condition but they can often charge an extremely high premium for the privilege.  People likely to suffer as a result of these high rates include anyone with a disability, those who have suffered a previous heart attack or a stroke.

This type of holidaymaker is classed as high risk even if it has been many years since the traveller has suffered from any ill effects.  The Stroke Society and other charitable organisations can help you to find reputable insurance companies willing to offer a fair deal to travellers with special needs.  Some charities have their own insurance policies which might be worth considering.

If you do have special needs, even if they do not give you any current health problems, then you must mention it to your insurance company prior to travelling.  If you do not and you are taken ill while away, even with an unrelated issue, then your insurance policy can be voided making you liable for the full cost of treatment abroad and repatriation if necessary.

Shopping around for the best deal available is advisable but it is worth remembering that cheaper policies do not necessarily save you money.  A cheap policy may not cover everything you need or may have a hidden clause that could cause problems when trying to make a claim.  Only take out an insurance policy with a reputable firm.