Travelers Insurance Vs. Travel Medical Insurance

With spring break just days away, many families, students and couples across the country are searching for someplace warm and sunny to spend a few days away from home. Travel insurance and medical insurance are two items most people may not pay attention to when making their packing list, but they should not be left behind.

Travel Insurance protects the financial investment you’ve made in your trip. If you have invested a substantial amount of money into your vacation, if you plan to be traveling for an extended period of time, or you’re paying for the travel of multiple people (i.e. a family vacation), you may want to look into travel insurance. This type of coverage will take care of unplanned problems that would otherwise result in travel becoming a tragedy.

For example: your connecting flight is cancelled at the last minute, your passport and wallet are stolen, one member of the family gets sick or can’t get off work and must cancel their trip ticket, your luggage is lost and unrecovered, your airline our cruise line goes bankrupt, your forced to evacuate your location due to natural disaster or terrorist activity. While each of these would initially ruin any well-laid plans, travel insurance will help cover the cost so you’re not as financially devastated as you otherwise might be.

However, travel insurance does not cover medical attention you may need while on vacation. For this, you’ll need to ensure you have adequate traveling medical insurance. Before you leave home, it’s important to ask your insurance provider three questions:

(1) Does my policy apply in all 50 states?

(2) Does my policy apply when I’m outside the United States?

(3) Will it cover emergencies like a trip to a foreign hospital or an evacuation?

If, for example, you head to Mexico for spring break and you roll your ankle on the beach and need medical attention, many doctors and hospitals will expect payment in cash at the time of service. Therefore, all your travel money has now been paid to the hospital in Mexico and there are no more margarita’s for you. While most insurance companies provide nationwide coverage, some do not. You may have a regional policy or a policy that will not cover a doctor in another state. When you are traveling, you can’t simply rely on your insurance card and expect it will go through, but you also can’t wait to receive medical attention if something happens while you’re out of town. Even a simple prescription refill can cause havoc if your insurance company does not cover out-of-town pharmacies.

So, before you pack your bathing suit and book the cruise, check with your insurance company and be sure that your coverage will follow you to your destination. Also look into travel insurance that works best for you to protect your investment and enjoy your vacation.

Bon Voyage!

By Matt Reynolds - Google+

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