Many travelers don’t realize how much the coverage will actually provide.
It’s expected that hundreds of thousands of visitors will head to London this summer as a result of the Olympic Games, but many of these and other travelers have no idea how much protection they can receive from their travel insurance, and what they are missing if they fail to purchase it.
Though many realize that they would receive medical assistance, there is a great deal more to the coverage.
Similarly, many people think of it as basic cancellation protection, but it goes a lot further than that. Many people also don’t realize that there is a wide variety of different types of policies and that each one comes with its own list of benefits. The key is to find the right one to suit the types of risks that you could face when you’re traveling on your next trip.
The following four risks are commonly covered by travel insurance, though you may what protection exists:
• Preexisting conditions – if you have a medical condition, for example, diabetes, high blood pressure, or something else altogether, and this should cause you to have to cancel your vacation or cut your trip short, then your coverage may not protect you unless you make sure that it includes preexisting conditions. The same can be said if you need to cancel a trip because a family member has had a medical emergency but it is based on a condition they already had.
• Evacuation – if you believe you may ever need to use this part of the coverage, make sure you understand the level of protection you have. Some exclude medical evacuation from among the emergencies that are covered. If you want this coverage, confirm that it includes medical evacuation.
• Terrorism – this type of coverage is becoming increasingly common, though the coverage varies from one company and policy to the next. Some cover you only if you are in the same city as the attack, not just the same country or region.
• Rebooking – though you may be protected in case of cancellation, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the rebooking fee. Cancelling outright and changing to another day are not considered the same to insurers. If you rebook with the airline, instead of simply cancelling, your policy might not cover you. Make sure that you have the type of cancellation travel insurance coverage you require.
