Believe it or not, there are people who think that travel insurance is a waste of money.
The fact is, even the healthiest person can become ill when travelling. Here’s a perfect example.
My husband, Vic, with the exception of a head cold, is never sick and questioned the need for health insurance prior to our overseas trip.
I don’t believe in leaving anything up to chance.
No sooner had we landed in Singapore that Vic had his first taste of reality. At dinner that night he ordered a meal that had orange chunks in it. Vic thought he was eating carrots. The carrots turned out to be chunks of chilli. Vic’s allergic to chilli. He spent the following ten minutes clinging onto life.
Still feeling somewhat wounded, Vic settled into the hotel and soon after headed off to the hotel’s pool for a swim. The pool was on the roof. Out of luck again, my poor husband missed his footing and skidden 6 steps down on his butt, which could very well ended up his life. If he hadn’t reached out and taken grip of a thin wire cable that surrounded the roof area, he would have certainly gone over the edge.
A week later, on approach to Cairo airport, while the other passengers clapped, guess who had a haemorrhage in his right eye, which was most likely caused by cabin pressure. On landing, Vic needed to have his eye checked by doctor, luckily the haemorrhage was minor.
A further two weeks into our trip, I found Vic curled up in a hot bath of water at three O’clock in the morning. It turns out he was suffering from kidney stones; we end up going to the hospital for a quick remidy and missing our plane.
Needless to say, we never leave home without travel insurance. And yes, if you’re travelling last minute you can purchase your travel insurance online, and if you don’t have access to a computer, call the insurance company and ask to be put through to a sales person.
Always remember, if you have a pre-existing health condition, declare it, even if you think it’s under control. Let’s say for example you have arthritis in your hip, and while on your trip you have a fall and the fall leads to injury. It could be argued that your pre-existing condition, your arthritic hip, was the cause of your fall, and you could well find your travel insurer rejecting your claim.
It’s also a good idea to have a dental check up before leaving, as dental work in most countries can be a wallet cruncher. It’s easy to break a tooth while away, and if you have proof of a check up before leaving, your travel insurer has no valid reason to reject your claim. If taking your PC or notebook with you, don’t forget to let your insurer know, as you may have to purchase extra cover for the duration of your trip.
It’s better to be covered, not only will you have peace of mind; you won’t be out of pocket. Enjoy hassle free holiday this way when you travel. And don't forget that if you are taking a last minute trip, you still need a travel insurance to cover your back in case things don't go as well as planned.
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