Let’s get straight to the point: Why do we neglect getting travel insurance whenever we travel? That’s because most people, especially us Filipinos, view travel insurance as an additional expense. Combine that with a kuripot (frugal) attitude, and this item is almost immediately set aside. However, what most people might not know is that travel insurance is more important than their OOTD whenever they travel. To get an idea of the benefits of purchasing travel insurance, its coverage, and some tips when buying one, read on.
TRAVEL INSURANCE PROTECTS YOU
Make the most out of your vacation when you get travel insurance.
One of the most important reasons for buying travel insurance is for your protection. You may be confident that you won’t get sick or won’t get into an accident during a trip, but you can’t leave everything to chance. To give you an idea of the protection you’ll get with travel insurance, here are few points:
• In case you get sick and you need to go to the hospital, your health card from work might not cover everything, especially if you’re overseas. In this instance, travel insurance is your best friend.
Everyone gets sick…even abroad!
• Addicted to adrenaline rush? Scuba diving, hiking, or bungee jumping are fun but very dangerous activities, so you might want to get yourself covered in case you get into an accident. Travel insurance will make sure that you won’t need to shell out a lot of money in case you need to be brought to the hospital immediately.
From storms to tsunamis to earthquakes, make sure you’re protected.
• Natural disasters are unpredictable, and they can hit you during your travels. In case you need to fly home immediately, travel insurance will cover your emergency evacuation.
• Lastly, one sensitive but important part of traveling that you need to prepare for is death. You can be the most cautious person on Earth, but accidents can happen anytime and to anyone. In case of death, travel insurance can cover for your necessary expenses, saving your family long-term financial woes.
TRAVEL INSURANCE PROTECTS YOUR TIME, EFFORT, and MONEY
Some think that travel insurance is an expense when it’s actually an investment.
In addition to the protection to yourself that travel insurance can give, it can also come useful in case unfortunate things happen. And by unfortunate things, we mean these couple of mishaps you might face on the road:
Planning to bring more than one baggage? Get them insured.
• If you’re traveling with a couple of checked in baggage, travel insurance is necessary to protect your items. In case your baggage gets lost in transit or gets delayed for a couple of days, your insurance will reimburse you for the expenses incurred.
Lost your passport too? Your travel insurance will also help you in getting a new one.
• Travel insurance also protects your gadgets! Whether you’re a professional photographer with a full gear or a traveler planning on bringing your new drone, travel insurance will cover your gadgets in case they get lost or damaged.
Missed one of your flights? Your travel insurance could take care of that.
• You’ll also find travel insurance useful in case you have connecting flights and you missed your next one due to unforeseen circumstances. Most airlines won’t be able to give you a free seat on the next available flight, but travel insurance can cover the additional expenses in case you need to book another one.
• Cancellations are also covered by insurance. So in case you need to cancel your trip, your travel insurance will reimburse most of your expenses from flights, hotel bookings, and even car rentals if you have one.
• Lastly, this event is rare but it can happen: In case you caused an accident and someone tried to sue you, your travel insurance will help you with the legal fees you might incur.
WHERE TO GET TRAVEL INSURANCE, AND SOME FINAL TIPS
Read, read, read and make sure you know what you’re paying for.
Getting travel insurance is not hard. You can get one from your airline of choice or even from your credit card provider. You can also check out insurance companies that specialize in travel insurance. But before purchasing one, read the following tips and points:
• Read the fine print! Review carefully the services they offer and the extent of their coverage.
• Also check if the insurance policy covers a person who has an existing medical condition. This is important if you or someone in your family or group has a medical condition, are of old age, or is pregnant.
• Do make sure that the hotline of your chosen insurance company is available 24/7 in case you need to contact them from anywhere in the world.
Patricia came from the field of business and accounting but is now pursuing her dreams of being a writer. She is a self-confessed introvert and is passionate about reading, travelling, writing, movies, coffee and God. When she's not writing, she loves discovering new coffee shops/cafe and doing TV-series marathons.
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