What would you do if you sustained two broken arms in a fall from a high plain while traveling abroad? If this kind of situation occurred during a vacation in a third world country, your holiday would quickly become an adventure. In the event of such an accident, you would need travel insurance.
If a hospital wasn’t close by, it could take you two days in order to get to a hospital. Reaching a hospital would just be the beginning of the process; getting proper food and painkillers would probably require you to pay a local teenager to bring it to you. The reason for this is that many third world hospitals don’t stock these kinds of things.
If your doctor needed to operate, other worries would be if proper anesthesia would be available and sterile techniques would be followed. Your total hospital bill could be as little as $100 cash for having both of your arms set and put into casts. The next step would be negotiating for whatever the next flight was out of the country and heading home.
Private insurance, under these circumstances, may cover up to four operations and six months of physical therapy. Without insurance, you would probably get no additional treatment options. The trouble is that a lot of travelers don’t think it’s important to have travel insurance, but the more remote or exotic the destination, the more it’s needed.
Travel insurance is available through some health insurers and travel agents and it may combine medical care with trip cancellation coverage. While there are a myriad of coverages available to buy, typically they are priced on a scale based on a charge per each $100.00 of insurance.
Most people who buy travel insurance are elderly people who often worry about canceling a trip because of illness or worried they will require care abroad for an existing health problem. There are insurance companies that provide for medical care in foreign countries, but Medicare does not offer this luxury. Medicare is the main health care insurer when it comes to senior citizens.
When receiving medical care abroad, it is likely that the hospital will require your medical costs to be paid by traveler’s check, credit card, or cash, at the time of service. That’s not a problem for a small accident where you might just require a couple stitches. If you suffer an accident or illness requiring more extensive care, travel insurance becomes much more important.
When travel insurance is purchased, if you need to cancel your trip because of death or sickness, the insurance company will reimburse you for your travel expenses. It won’t matter if these situations relate to you or a relative. Should your airline or tour group go bankrupt and cause trip cancellation, travel insurance covers the cost.
There are also important health care issues that should be taken care of before traveling abroad, aside from travel insurance. Some exotic destinations will require certain vaccinations to protect you, which can be obtained at your neighborhood hospital or travel clinic. It would also be a wise idea to contact your own health plan provider to make sure you get instruction in writing for handling any kind of medical situation overseas.
Consider possible first aid needs when packing and include a first aid kit that contains a thermometer and antibacterial ointment. In the event of travel delays, pack additional medication rather than just enough for your planned time away. Having prescription information in Latin, including generic names, is a good idea, as well.
Your credit card may provide some protection for you, aside from travel insurance. Paying with American Express, for instance, provides some coverage for the following: lost baggage, roadside assistance, rental car damage, some injuries, and in some cases coverage for death is included. Emergency evacuations, missed flights, medical costs, and some additional situations can be covered through your credit card for an extra charge.
You can avoid finding yourself in a crisis situation, by preparing for these situations that might occur while traveling abroad. Before you decide to purchase any kind of insurance policy, make sure you read all of the fine print. Travel insurance can be of great assistance, but be sure you are familiar with all of its details.
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