Travel insurance is necessary and a must if you are a frequent traveller. In case of unexpected emergencies, travel insurance comes in very handy. However, each travel plan is tailor made for specific type of travellers and you should carry out careful research before selecting a travel insurance plan. Medical emergencies can burn a huge hole in your pocket when you are in an unknown foreign destination. Even mere consultancy fees of doctors are very high so it’s very unwise to go on your trip without a travel insurance plan.
Some travel insurance plans include costs of evacuation in case of natural hazards or political turmoil. So if you are travelling to a destination which is experiencing a lot of political change, then you should go for a travel insurance plan accordingly.
Select a Travel Insurance Plan as per your destination
The basic criterion for selecting the best travel insurance plan should be your destination. Try to find out how expensive medical care is in that particular destination and select an insurance plan that offers good coverage. In Asia, medical care is often less expensive as compared to US or UK so if you are travelling to South East Asia, then you needn’t go for a very expensive insurance plan. For a country like Japan which is prone to natural disasters, cost of premium is much higher.
Select a Travel Insurance Plan as per the duration of your trip
Second aspect is your trip duration. If you are going to spend a lot of time in a particular destination, the cost of premium will be relatively higher but you can save on insurance plans if you are a frequent traveller since many insurance firms offer multiple policies that are valid for a year and cover multiple trips. Rather than buying an insurance plan for each single trip, it would be wise to go for a multiple policy instead.
Select a Travel Insurance Plan with extra coverage
If you are planning to include some adventure trips on your next vacation such as mountaineering in difficult regions or skydiving then its best to enlarge the scope of your policy. Usually, all major insurance plan providers will consider such requests. If you are well into old age, then go for travel insurance plans that include past illnesses as well. Some insurance plans offer bail bonds too in case you get arrested in a foreign country due to some mishap. Some insurance providers do not include certain African countries where risk of contracting a disease is much higher. So go for a company that includes coverage in the particular region. Certain insurance providers also include coverage for misplaced baggage and flight cancellations.
While selecting a plan, read the policy document very carefully. Always make it a point to compare policies from multiple insurance providers before zeroing in on an option. Don’t base your preference simply on the premium amount but select a travel insurance plan that includes coverage for all your needs. Read and go through the claim procedures for the policy so you have all the documents ready in case you need to file a claim from a remote destination.
