Archive for the ‘Travel Insurance’ Category

Cheap Travel Insurance Can Be As Good As The Expensive Kind

August 2, 2007

Planning a vacation can be fun, but it can also be expensive. Most of us are on a budget when it comes to traveling so we want to get the most for our money. The issue of buying travel insurance is one that often comes up. Some people think of it as an option and others view it is as a necessity. While some people think travel insurance is a good idea they don’t want to spend the money on it.

Cheap travel insurance is available for a lower cost, but don’t expect the same coverage in most cases. It is important that you carefully read the information relating to the coverage it offers. In many instances cheap travel insurance will only cover a percentage of your total travel expenses but that is still better than nothing should you have to cancel.

On average you can purchase cheap travel insurance for about 3% of the value of your trip. This is compared to paying 5% of the value for traditional travel insurance. If you are buying a travel package online or through a travel agent you will find that you can get better rates for cheap travel insurance than if you try to get it independently.

Cheap travel insurance does not necessarily mean that it is not the same quality though. Many travel agencies understand that most people do not view travel insurance as a necessity. They also know if they offer it at a lower cost than their competition it can be a deciding factor for some people to purchase their trip from them.

Take the time to compare prices when it comes to cheap travel insurance. Make sure you compare the price as well as the coverage it offers. You want to make sure you use an apples to apples approach when you are trying to get the best deal for your money. If you are not getting clear information about the coverage offered then make sure you ask before you make the purchase.

It is also important for you to understand that many last minute travel deals or discounted travel packages do not offer you any type of travel insurance. If you have saved substantially on your travel arrangements then you need to use some of that savings to purchase some cheap travel insurance from an independent resource.

You really never know when an unexpected emergency or illness will cause you to cancel your travel plans. While that can be disappointing having travel insurance will help ensure you can reschedule it or get a refund. Even if you can only afford cheap travel insurance you will get a portion refunded and you can use that money towards rescheduling your travel plans.

California Travel Medical Insurance

August 2, 2007

California is situated in the western part of United States. It is a well-populated state and people in California are in the farming industry. Californians are known to travel either within the country or go for inter continental trips. They travel for both business and pleasure. The mode of transport varies from a rented car to luxury jet liners. Most of the travelers have an insurance cover. This is to ensure peace of mind for the traveler, in the eventuality of any medical emergency during travel or at a foreign place. Insurance companies that provide travel medical insurance assure worldwide service. Travel medical insurance insures or covers against a specific loss, occurring due to medical emergency during travel in return for premiums paid.

Most of the insurance companies provide round the clock assistance worldwide. Accidental insurance is included in travel medical insurance. In case of an accident in any part of the world, these companies cover for expenses incurred. Travel medical insurance can be applicable for an individual, family, or a group. Many of the companies provide political evacuation or a medical emergency reunion. Comprehensive plans are available such as the international term life insurance policy. There are many countries that specify coverage for travel medical insurance. Insurance companies in California are able to cater to the needs of people at an international level. They offer surprisingly affordable coverage for minimal premium rates. Some of the plans do not require medical history or medical examination. These plans offer a long-term benefit to the insured and his family.

It is highly advantageous to be covered under a travel medical insurance as this takes care of an important aspect of travel ? medical expenses. The insured person can travel without carrying the burden of an eventuality of illness or hospitalization during travel. Claims to medical insurances for travel are settled immediately, and some plans take care of the expenses directly with the hospital, the insured is admitted to. Consultants from Californian insurance companies can suggest appropriate plans fitting needs of the traveler.

Travel Health Insurance

July 27, 2007

Travel health insurance is a type of insurance which provides health insurance coverage during traveling, usually in a foreign country. In this the insured pays an amount called the premium to the travel insurance company for the coverage. The coverage usually provides coverage for medical costs incurred during travel and in some cases also covers medical evacuation.

Travel health insurance usually comes bundled up with trip interruption/cancellation insurance, travel accident insurance, baggage loss, emergency evacuation and medical expenses coverage. The usual premium is about 200$ annually. However the premium depends a lot on your age, cost of trip (for single trip insurance coverage), the distance of trip, the nation to which the trip is being made, any preexisting health conditions etc. Some travel health insurance plans also cover accidental deaths and flight accidental death.

The plans that cover the medical costs on your trip include medical expenses, dental expenses, cost of treatment and cost of medicines. These covers come attached with lot of conditions like if you take medicines from unconventional medical sources like acupuncturists or ayurvedic treatment, the costs will not be reimbursed.

However if you are already covered by a health insurance, it is prudent to check whether it covers outside the United States or whether it provides only for emergencies.

Medical Evacuation: travel health insurance provides for medical evacuation to nearest qualified medical health facility. Here the catch is nearest medical health facility and not to the US. So if you are traveling in an underdeveloped country, you may be forced to take medical treatment at a facility decided by the insurance company and is not decided by you. The treatment in the US is one of the best and other countries including Europe have a higher surgical mortality rate.

Repatriation of mortal remains. In case of death the travel health insurance company will bear the cost of returning the mortal remains of the insured.

There are other conditions like co-insurance, deductibles, exclusion, benefit period, pre-existing conditions etc which have to be carefully studied before buying a travel health insurance policy.

Multi Trip Travel Insurance

July 26, 2007

Are you a frequent traveler? Do you go on regular trips outside the country? Then you definitely should consider getting multi-trip travel insurance.

Multi-trip travel insurance provides you with the peace of mind and assurance you need when traveling. Buying a multi-trip insurance policy is a necessity – especially if you frequently travel to foreign countries – since dangers and mishaps can change dramatically in every place you go to.

Multi-trip insurance is essentially a travel insurance policy that is specially designed to cover several trips or, in the case of annual plans, all trips taken within one year with a maximum length of 30 to 120 days for each trip. This type of travel insurance also provides coverage against a lot of misfortunes you may encounter when traveling, including medical emergencies, trip cancellations and delays, damage on or loss of personal property and others.

Why buy multi-trip travel insurance? If you really want to enjoy and make the most out of your trip, whether for business or pleasure, you want assurance that whatever unexpected circumstance happens, you will be well taken care of and compensated. You need multi-trip travel insurance if you are a recurrent business traveler or you frequently go on trips abroad.

There are a variety of plans available depending on your need. Assess first your needs and choose a multi-trip travel insurance plan according to your requirements. You can get either full or partial insurance coverage. For your ease and convenience, you can also gather more information on the Internet. There are a number of sites that offer information as well as quotation services. Take your time when looking around and checking out multi-trip travel insurance policies so you can choose the best possible policy that is appropriate to your requirements and budget. You can also learn more about multi-trip travel insurance policies from your preferred insurance companies.

Travel Insurance FAQ

July 26, 2007

Travel Insurance is an essential part of any trip and is something that should not be put aside. Most soon-to-be travelers usually have heard about travel insurance, but might not know the specific reasons why they need travel insurance. This is an important article about frequently asked questions for travel insurance. This article also provides a link for further reading about travel insurance.

What is travel insurance protection?
Travel insurance is a type of insurance that covers you financial for any losses or illness that may unfortunate occur while you is on your trip. Travel insurance can be bought for international or national (within your country) trips.

Why should I buy travel insurance?
Since travel insurance protects you while traveling, this will help and provide the necessary protection you will need in the occurrence of a unfortunate event. Any individual traveling anywhere without travel insurance will be in a dangerous situation if an accident occur.

What is the coverage for travel insurance?
Travel insurance should provide coverage for medical cost, transportation to a medical facility, and reimburse you for certain or some nonrefundable costs due to a interrupted trip, and financial loss of funds.

How much does travel insurance cost?
How much the cost of your travel insurance will be depends on your insurance company provider and their policy. The cost of travel insurance usually will range up to 12 percent of the cost of your vacation/trip.

Is travel insurance really important and how many people actually get paid for their claims?
Travel insurance is highly recommended, there are usually about 10% of people who file claims. Sometimes some travelers make have taken a overly expensive trip that they would have to pay out of their own money if they have not bought travel insurance.

What is the medical care coverage?
When there is a case of illness or serious injury, medical transportation to an appropriate medical facility, and medical treatment will be covered. You should also have coverage for if it is deem necessary to bring you back home.

Does travel insurance cover business trips?
This will depend on the insurance company. Most insurance companies will provide travel insurance for a business trip, but the coverage may be separate from the standard coverage.

How long will travel insurance provide coverage for me?
You can often buy travel insurance starting from as little as two weeks, up to a year. Different insurance companies may vary with their service of coverage.

When is the best time to buy travel insurance coverage?
The best time to buy travel insurance is as soon as possible before you go on your trip or vacation. You want your travel insurance active during your whole trip.

What will happen if my money is lost or stolen?
If you can not receive traveler checks replacements many insurance companies provide a service where a travel agent can arrange a money transfer or traveler check for you to receive. You will have to ask more about this to your travel insurance provider.

Better Insurance Rates for Younger People

July 25, 2007

Most young people are more used to being penalised by insurers for being younger – motor insurers for instance regard younger drivers as a higher risk and therefore charge a higher premium.

The biggest part of a travel insurance premium is medical cover, and in this case, younger people are a LOWER RISK because they are less likely to fall ill abroad and have to be flown home after expensive treatment.

However, younger people will often not get cheaper travel insurance – the insurer may use the lower risk to subsidize the premiums of older travellers or family cover.

At Hastings Direct Travel we give lower rates for younger travellers but offer the same high levels of cover.

We specially provide our travel insurance is available with following options:

UK cover
European cover
Worldwide cover
Independant travel for adults
Cover for you and your partner
Cover for your whole family
Wintersports cover
Ski and snowboarding cover (including off piste)

Hastings Direct Travel Insurance is provided through Text2Insure Limited, part of the Hastings Insurance Services Group. Text2Insure is an Appointed Representative of Hastings Insurance Services Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Hastings Direct Travel Insurance is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Hastings Direct Travel Insurance offers a high level of cover for single trip, annual trip, long stay and ski/snowboard insurance

Is Travel Medical Insurance a Waste Of Your Money?

July 24, 2007

Travel medical insurance is a kind of insurance that is linked to the coverage of the expenditures made to meet out the cost due to medical reasons. In other words, it can be said that these types of medical insurance policies will be covering the medical, surgical and dental emergencies experienced by individuals in various places.

As a wise man, you need to always focus on how you are going to manage the expenditures that may occur as an emergency condition, during travel. Let us imagine that you have not taken this type of travel medical insurance policy, you are stunned to cough out fifty thousand US dollars from your own money for some emergency medical reasons, during the travel.

You get a great relief when your insurer settles your expenditure pertaining to such emergencies. Nobody can predict what will happen to us during the travel to many places. Hence, we need to be prepared in this regard, always.

But as a consumer, let’s choose some insurance firms that can offer high rate as the settlement amount, when there are some medical reasons, during making of any travel to any place.

Many firms may insist on different premium amounts to be paid pertaining to the travel medical insurance. Similarly, there are many firms that will reveal the linkage between age factor of an individual and the policy amount that is to be paid.

Some firms also make many advertisements with regard to the multi trip policies and link to the travel medical insurance. However, it is the individual’s choice to select the type of package in this insurance policies pertaining to the travel medical insurance.

By selling direct to the consumers like you, some leading travel medical insurance firms are saving the consumers up to forty or fifty percent in commissions charged by other routinely functioning travel medical insurance firms.

Travel Insurance

July 21, 2007

During travel, travelers face lot of risks like, trip cancellation, loss of baggage, loss of money or valuables, accidents, terrorist attacks, natural calamities and occasionally death. One cannot put a stop to travel because of the risks involved but what an individual can do is to reduce the amount of risk involved by buying a travelers insurance.

The concept of travel insurance is very simple. The insured pays a premium (this is the amount you pay to the travel insurance company), the company in turn pays any costs involved in case of accidents or other types of eventualities. In case there is no eventuality the travel insurance company keeps the premium.

Travel insurance covers lots of risks like:

Trip cancellation: There are lots of chances, due to unforeseen circumstances, you may need to cancel your ticket. If you cancel your ticket at the last moment, almost always you will not get any refund from the airline or you may get a meager amount. Travel insurance provides coverage for this kind of loss. The travel insurance company has to provide the cost of cancellation of ticket. However the cancellation has to be done in circumstances which are covered by the travel insurance policy.

Baggage loss: if your baggage is lost, then the cost of the baggage is paid by the insurance company, but is again governed by the rules of the insurance contract.

Medical cost: if you fall sick during travel and the costs incurred by you are paid by the travel insurance. However if you have bought a health insurance which covers overseas cost then there is no need to separately buy a travel health insurance.

Others: Other things that are generally covered by travel insurance are medical evacuation, accidental death, repatriation of remains etc.

The golden rule in all insurances is to read the fine print carefully. You won’t have time to read it during emergencies.

Insuring Your Travel on a Shoe String

July 19, 2007

Cheap travel insurance isn’t necessarily about who’s asking the lowest premium. Cheap travel insurance is about knowing your choices, perusing all the options and discarding the coverage you don’t need. If you end up with cheap travel insurance that doesn’t help you out of an overseas medical or evacuation jam, you haven’t gotten a bargain. However, if you’re a U.S. resident traveling within the United States you aren’t going to need travel insurance that offers medical evacuation coverage. If you’re touring the country by car you don’t need lost luggage protection.

Travel insurance can offer much more than medical care while you’re traveling. Some of the other features of some travel insurance plans are translation services, travel assistance, lost luggage, trip interruption, replacement of lost or damaged eyeglasses, repair of damaged or stolen rental vehicle, emergency medical evacuation coverage, flight cancellation due to bankruptcy of the airline, flight accident and terrorism.

For purposes of comparison there are four levels of travel insurance coverage – the most all-encompassing being total trip coverage. Some of these plans have a coverage ceiling as high as $500,000. Along with the above-mentioned travel catastrophes these plans also provide payment for return of traveler’s remains to home in the event of death, as well as emergency dental coverage and reimbursement for financial default of your travel agency or any other provider of your trip, such as cruise company.

The next level down, comprehensive, can provide up to $1 million in coverage with some carriers. The range of coverage incidents and the ceilings are often a little lower than total trip coverage, however.

When it comes to cheap travel insurance there are two options. You can choose the economy level of trip coverage or, if you travel extensively, you may do better paying an annual premium. You can also end up with cheap travel insurance if you mix and match your various issues, choosing only the coverage you need. You can, for instance, choose to purchase only flight ticket protection (in case of trip interruption, for reimbursement of your non-refundable ticket). Perhaps you might want to purchase AD&D (accidental death and dismemberment) coverage in case of airline accident. Or you might want to add, or purchase alone, some cheap travel insurance for medical care, and/or medical evacuation. You may choose to add reimbursement protection for lost or delayed baggage.

Cheap travel insurance is about making good choices and buying only what you need as you need it. It’s also about comparison shopping.

Travel Insurance Guide – Have Fun While Traveling!!

July 17, 2007

Travelers purchase travel insurance to cover unexpected health or medical problems. Travel insurance provides coverage if you’re sick or getting injured while traveling. Everyone requires travel insurance policy because life is unforeseen. It also provides coverage if you lost your luggage at the airport.

Travel insurance covers stolen or lost possessions but there may be limits on cash or individual items. If you’re traveling to abroad it pays out for your hospital and medical treatment. It can protect you from all substantial losses that includes canceled trips, lost luggage, medical emergencies or other unexpected situations.

You’ll get extra coverage with specialist travel insurance like winter sports coverage or diving insurance. You should get your travel insurance policy before planning for your travel. Travelers should take some time investigate different insurance companies and types of policies before purchasing. They must check which type of insurance policy provides more coverage.

Having a travel Insurance policy is the best idea to reduce your risks and increase your enjoyment while traveling. Travelers must consider certain factors such as health, weather, season and the way of transportation before purchasing an insurance policy.

Cost of travel insurance policy depends on the type of policy as well as insurance company. If you’re investing more in your trip, you need more protection. Travel insurance offers complete protection for you, your family as well as for your baggage. Several insurance companies offer insurance policies at discounted rates. Sometimes travel agents also offer insurance policy. Some insurance companies/agents provides online help for purchasing travel insurance policy.