And
Your Bill Is.....
Whenever we travel abroad, we get very excited. We spend much time
pouring over literature about our destination, worry over tickets and
availability, taking time off work, packing and dreams of fun and discovery
permeate our minds. And rightly so!
However, for every trip we make, we often forget one very important basic.
Travel Insurance. Now that we live so far from our friends and family, there
will come a time we have visitors from abroad. As a practice it would be wise
for us to encourage them to take up travel insurance during their visit,
particularly if they are mature.
What kind of insurance?
When we buy travel insurance from a travel agent, we should be covered right?
Not quite. Like all other policies that we buy, not all travel insurance is the
same. Most travel insurance cover the popular fears of travel such as loss of
baggage, flight accidents, delays, cancellations and the likes. In my personal
experience, I've learnt that the travel insurance I bought in my travels did not
cover medical expenses. Even if they did, the coverage was insufficient due to
the exchange rates.
Anyone of us who has been to the doctor (or even the pharmacy!) here in the
U.S. know that medical costs are exorbitant; and they continue to rise. Take the
case of our pre-natal care. Even though our insurance covers 90% of the costs,
we still feel we are paying through our nose for the remaining 10%! It's
frightening to think what the bill will be if any of our foreign visitors fall
sick, need hospitalization, break a limb or even pass on. Unfortunately, these
are unpleasant thoughts because we never want to think a visit could turn out so
foul but accidents do happen.
So what is a traveler to do? Insurance against all the unpleasantness of
travel (baggage loss, delays and cancellations) are of course a good idea to
have. On top of that, you want to make sure that you have a good travel medical
coverage. Some insurance companies allow you to add on to the basic medical
coverage, or you may always purchase a separate medical insurance just for your
trip. Whatever it is, pay attention to the deductibles and choose something that
will be sufficient.
Another consideration you want to advise your visitors is to check with their
existing health insurer. It could be that their existing health insurance will
have some form of coverage for trips abroad. Get them to find out what they
should do in case of emergency. Unfortunately, depending on their plans, it may
not be enough to cover medical expenses in the U.S. So, purchasing a travel
health insurance is still a good idea to add on to what is already there.
You can also purchase travel health insurance on the Internet. Check out
these sites:
Travel Insurance Services
Insure My Trip.com - This is a travel
insurance comparison site. Compare and book your insurance all in one site.
World Travel Center.com
Also, here is the result of my search on Google. Check
it out.
Everyone needs medical care, and it is not something that you should take
lightly. Recently, a sweet reader told us of her harrowing experience when she
had to be hospitalized for a serious condition while visiting her (then) fiancé
here in the U.S. We can imagine it was no fun at all. So do your family and
friends a favor when they next decide to visit and gently inform them.
*To our friend, you know who you are; We hope that your
health has improved considerably and keep in touch when you can!*
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