🛡️ Travel insurance: types, differences and how to get compensation 💼
Even if you are an avid risk taker, it is still worth getting insurance before traveling abroad. Firstly, sometimes this point is required if you need to get a visa. Secondly, if something happens to you, you will have to pay disproportionately more out of pocket than if you had insurance. It's better not to take risks – health and safety are always more important. What types of insurance are there, how they differ and how to get compensation – read on.
Where can I get travel health insurance?
You can get insurance from any insurance company and almost any bank, the only difference is the cost and some conditions.
Any medical insurance policies include payments for injuries sustained abroad and reimbursement of expenses for emergency medical care.
What does travel insurance not cover?
Cases in which basic travel health insurance usually does not apply:
- exacerbation of chronic diseases,
- dental services, except for acute pain relief,
- complications during pregnancy,
- injuries received during active and/or extreme sports.
How to activate insurance?
If, to my great regret, you get sick or injured abroad, contact your insurance company immediately. Contacts are written down in the policy itself and its copies; two documents are always issued. They will answer you at any time of the day – don’t worry. Be sure to keep all receipts (from a taxi ride to dressing materials) for submission to the insurance company already in your country. Important: if you were suddenly under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances, the insurance will not apply.
There is also such a thing as a franchise, in the insurance industry it means the funds that the tourist himself spends in case of trouble, for example, 30 or 50 euros, everything that your insurance company will pay in excess.
What types of insurance are there?
I have already mentioned basic insurance, which is what all travelers usually choose. Such a policy is required to open most visas. There are also extended insurances for active sports, separate for athletes at competitions, for pregnant women, and insurance in case of an emergency in your home or loss of luggage. I’ll tell you about some types separately.
Basic insurance
Most often, when applying for a visa, a traveler is required to have basic insurance with coverage of 30,000 or 50,000 euros within the specific dates specified in the policy. Unfortunately, even one unpaid day of insurance will deprive you of the right to use it, so carefully check all the data before your trip.
What expenses are included?
Consultations and treatment in hospital, medications and other medical materials, relief of acute toothache.
What is not covered by basic insurance?
Treatment of mental problems, services of plastic surgeons, cosmetologists, dermatologists, dentists (except for acute pain relief), all kinds of vaccinations. In general, everything that is not recognized as an emergency intervention.
If you need insurance for specific cases or, for example, for the risk of exacerbation of a chronic disease, then you need to insure this additionally. And although this is not very pleasant to read, not all insurance policies include payment for medical repatriation in the event of death. Therefore, it is worth knowing this important detail in advance, especially if you want to try something extreme, but at the same time save on insurance for active recreation.
There are insurances that provide not only treatment costs, but also provide monetary compensation for harm to health.
Who will pay for everything?
The insurance policy only pays for ambulance and emergency medical care. If planned treatment or repeat visits are needed, then the tourist himself must pay for it. There are two reimbursement options.
The first is prompt coverage of treatment funds through representatives of the insurance company directly at the medical center. Then the traveler will not have to spend money on the spot.
The second option is when the tourist still pays for everything out of his own pocket, and only then will he be reimbursed for everything. To find out what to do, call the numbers listed on your insurance policy. Because it is imperative to warn the company that an unpleasant incident has occurred and an insured event has occurred.
Insurance for extreme holidays
Active recreation is great. Of course, there is a “but”. I won’t describe something too scary; it’s better to give this situation as an example. A man climbed onto a rock, but could no longer get off it – he had to call a rescue helicopter. Paying later for such a rescue will be oh so difficult if the insurance is not extended and you do not have a tidy sum of money with you.
If you are going on vacation to a ski resort, be sure to pay extra for special insurance for active recreation. If you want to ride a motorbike, jet ski, or fly a paraglider, these are all candidates for extended insurance. If in doubt, check with a specialist.
Before going to Georgia to ride a zipline, I clarified how extreme this activity was from the perspective of possible reimbursement for my broken limbs. And no, this is not negative thinking, but rational risk assessment. I never go to Vilnius even for a weekend without insurance, and I advise you to do so.
Travel cancellation insurance abroad
Nowadays, even package tours are not always carried out on time, the embassy can cancel or postpone the visa application at the last moment and your vacation will be “burnt”, or some kind of cataclysm may suddenly occur. No matter what happens, if you are insured in case of trip cancellation or even postponement, you will be compensated. It is clear that payments are due only in case of force majeure; if you change your mind about going, no one will return the money. But you must show the application not to leave to your insurance company within 24 hours or warn that you are in the hospital and then deliver a certificate from there; in any case, you will need some kind of official document.
Baggage insurance
Jokes aside, tourists’ luggage is often lost for various reasons. You will receive compensation if your items are lost or damaged. The airlines themselves provide such insurance. You can insure your luggage for the entire trip or just for one flight. Some insurance companies can even issue a policy in case of loss of luggage due to your negligence.
Insurance of real estate and property of a tourist during a trip abroad
An option for especially anxious people. If your apartment is suddenly robbed, flooded, a fire or an earthquake occurs during your absence, the insurance will cover it. But it’s still better to always insure your property, and not just while traveling.
Tour operator bankruptcy insurance
This is a rare and expensive type of insurance, but it still exists. It received particular development during and after the pandemic. If suddenly you do not go on a trip due to the fault of the travel agency, the insurance company will reimburse the cost of the trip.
A new climate, excessive cardio exercise in the form of thousands of steps taken, food allergies to exotic foods or even water can cause illness or an accident and, therefore, entail significant treatment costs, the cost of which abroad is significantly higher than usual. Therefore, do not take risks, it is better to take out travel insurance in advance.
If Tiqets.com is in charge of selecting a tour online, then you don’t have to think about an insurance policy; it will definitely be issued to you when purchasing a trip. Have a great, safe trip and may you never have to activate your insurance. But it’s still worth doing them.