If you are preparing to travel abroad, whether it is on business or for pleasure and for merely a few days or several weeks, you should not set off before you have arranged suitable international travel health insurance coverage.
Health care can be extremely costly overseas and in many countries you will find that you will be unable to get medical care, even in an emergency, unless you can pay up front. If you think this is strange then trust me – it is a fact.
On a recent vacation I went with a colleague to hospital in a well known Far Eastern holiday city following a fortunately minor road traffic accident in which he suffered a nasty gash to his foot requiring stitches and, as well as the doctors and nurses in the emergency room, we also ran into one of the hospital cashiers who requested details of my friend's medical insurance or a credit card/cash payment before any treatment could be commenced.
International travel health insurance is designed to provide medical coverage for people traveling overseas and is an extremely flexible form of medical insurance cover. It frequently allows for daily rates (rates based on the number of days for which you will be traveling) and can generally be arranged without any requirement to answer health questions and regardless of your age. Cover is also usually available on a worldwide basis and can also be arranged to provide cover for travel to specific countries.
One particularly important thing to think about when buying international travel health insurance however is just where in the world you will be traveling to and what sort of medical care will be available at your destination. Against this background, you should ensure that any policy covers you for every possible situation including such things as hospitalization, ambulance fees (including the possible need for an air ambulance) and, critically, coverage for repatriation if this proves to be necessary.
Do not forget also that, if you are traveling as a family, any plan should cover all members of your family and provide for such things as expenditure should it be necessary for you to stay in the hospital with a sick child or to travel home with a child by air ambulance.
One of the last things that we ever imagine occurring when we travel overseas, especially on vacation, is being involved in an accident or being taken ill while we are away with anything more than a simple upset stomach. But, accidents do happen daily and serious illness can and does strike without any warning. Indeed, the chances of such events are considerably heightened when we find ourselves out of our usual environment, so why should we take the risk.
When it comes to buying international travel health insurance the principles are the same as those which apply to buying any other type of insurance. Do not rush and shop around examining plans from several different companies before selecting a plan. Consider only well know insurers, which have an international reputation, and read carefully through the small print of any plan document before signing on the dotted line.
Finally, keep in mind that sorting out medical problems when you are sick and thousands of miles away from home is something which needs to be quick and simple. So, do not be tempted to cut corners when arranging your coverage! You might pay a bit more than you might perhaps like to but, if you have to use your policy, you will be very glad that you spent those few extra dollars.
Visit MedicalHealthInsuranceToday.com for everything from international travel health insurance to the benefits of a
By Donald Saunders
Published: 8/23/2007
0 comments:
Post a Comment