Do I really want journey insurance coverage? That could be a query we frequently get from folks earlier than they journey. We have had so many individuals inform us through the years that they by no means purchase journey medical insurance coverage.
We have heard issues like, “I do not want journey medical insurance coverage, hospitals are low cost the place I am going.”
Or folks have stated issues like “It actually depends upon the scenario, I am going to simply come residence if I get sick or injured.”
It is at all times an expertise to journey!
We’d by no means take that danger when touring. Personally, Dave and I’ve by no means travelled with out journey medical insurance coverage and there have been a number of events the place we’ve used it.
Occasions we used our Journey Medical Insurance coverage
1. Dave Broke his again in South America
2. Dave and I had second-degree burns from a bike accident in Thailand
three. I had a nasty pores and skin an infection in Africa that turned onto cellulitis.
four. had an excessive response to Malaria treatment in Asia
5. I had very unhealthy meals poisoning in South America
6. I even had a panic assault as soon as in Asia and went to the hospital as a result of I believed I used to be having a coronary heart assault!
All accidents and sicknesses required a go to to the hospital. Some had been inexpensive, some would have damaged the financial institution.
Every time we had been grateful we had it as a result of we by no means second-guessed or wasted a minute deciding whether or not or to not go to the hospital. We knew we had protection, so we didn’t take an opportunity.
Causes We’ve Heard Why Individuals Don’t Buy Journey Insurance coverage.
1. I do not want journey insurance coverage as a result of it’s too costly, and I am going to simply pay for my hospital keep if one thing goes fallacious
It’s true, an ER go to in different nations may be low cost and there have been occasions once we’ve visited the hospital and by no means submitted our receipts for reimbursement from our insurance coverage firm as a result of it was simply so cheap.
Nonetheless, if we had one thing severe occur with out journey insurance coverage, we may very well be out of pocket for hundreds of dollars.
Once we’re paying hundreds of dollars on flights and accommodations for a trip, journey insurance coverage is a pittance of the fee.
That small funding provides us peace of thoughts that we’ll be coated ought to we’d like emergency surgical procedure, a medical evacuation flight residence, or if we have to guide a lodge whereas considered one of us recovers within the hospital.
Plus, there are numerous bills that occur throughout an emergency that folks don’t find out about: pet and car return, meals and lodging and emergency medical transportation.
2. I do not want journey insurance coverage as a result of I can simply fly residence if I get sick.
Dave is lastly on the air ambulance residence
I don’t perceive why folks assume that simply because they’re on trip, a severe sickness or harm gained’t occur.
We have now talked to individuals who have stated “I’ll simply fly residence if I get sick.” To start with, flight adjustments are costly and except you booked a versatile flight, they’re usually not changeable in any respect. Second there are particular emergencies that require fast surgical procedure or a hospital keep.
We’ve had that scenario when Dave broke two vertebrae in his again within the Amazon. He couldn’t fly residence on an everyday airplane as a result of he needed to keep flat on his again. We would have liked an air ambulance residence in order that he may lay down on a stretcher.
However we all know of even much less extreme instances.
Dave utilizing a scooter when he sprained his ankle in Eire
My brother as soon as broke his arm in Florida. One would assume that he may simply cope with the ache and fly residence and even make the 20-hour drive.
However the break was so unhealthy, that he needed to go on to the hospital. He was instructed that he wanted fast surgical procedure at it was a extremely unhealthy fracture.
Everyone knows that journeys to the hospital in America may be costly, so if he didn’t have insurance coverage, he most likely would have simply handled the ache, drove residence with my sister in legislation on the wheel after which find yourself with everlasting injury.
My brother doesn’t journey loads, however even he noticed the worth of getting insurance coverage.
He instructed me that he gained’t even cross the border on a day journey with out it since you by no means know what can occur.
And we gained’t cross borders with out it both.
We at all times take into consideration the likelihood life-threatening accident may occur at any time.
three. I do not want journey insurance coverage as a result of I am solely going away for a day or two
Hitting the Niagara Parkway for our highway journey
Simply because we’re taking a brief journey, it doesn’t imply we’re utterly protected from having one thing occur.
We dwell near the American border and drive throughout for day journeys on a regular basis. However we at all times have insurance coverage every time we journey. Even when it’s only for a day.
If we had been hit by a bus in Niagara Falls (which is simply throughout the border) the ambulance driver isn’t going to say, “Oh wait, we’ve to drive this woman again to Canada so she may be handled with out having to pay!”
No means. The ambulance goes to take me to the closest hospital which can mechanically give me an enormous invoice.
What if I had a coronary heart assault and I used to be simply throughout the border? I might by no means wait in line at immigration to return again residence for therapy. Attending to a hospital rapidly is of the utmost significance.
In an emergency, timing is the whole lot. One delay may price us our life or everlasting injury.
We by no means take the possibility.
four. I have already got journey insurance coverage with my bank card.
Many bank cards supply journey insurance coverage however not all plans are created equal.
We have now an awesome plan with our American Specific Platinum, however even once we journey, we all know our card doesn’t cowl the whole lot. That’s the reason we at all times have journey insurance coverage above and past what our bank card gives.
Earlier than we journey, we at all times verify with our bank card insurance coverage supplier to see what’s included and what we have to complement. For instance, some playing cards we’ve had didn’t cowl emergency medical bills together with evacuation and there have been many stipulations the place different protection like journey delay or baggage loss won’t be coated.
When unsure, we at all times make the telephone name to each our insurance coverage supplier and bank card firm.
5. I gained’t cancel my journey, so I gained’t want journey interruption or cancelation insurance coverage
The reality is, perhaps for brief journeys, or journeys that we haven’t invested some huge cash on, we wouldn’t buy journey cancellation insurance coverage.
However for these bigger journeys the place we make investments just a few thousand dollars, I’d be so unhappy if I needed to cancel unexpectedly and needed to swallow our upfront prices.
Life is unpredictable and I’d hate to have an emergency like a demise within the household, injury to my residence or perhaps a automotive accident on the way in which to the airport trigger me to lose your complete price of my journey.
Mates of ours missed out on a visit to Cuba as a result of considered one of them was hospitalized in an surprising medical emergency. They misplaced their journey and their cash and needed to wait one other yr earlier than they may journey once more.
Had they bought journey cancellation insurance coverage, this case may have been a coated purpose. However since they didn’t, they misplaced their funding and needed to save up one other yr to take their subsequent trip.
We additionally remind ourselves that simply because we’ve journey insurance coverage, it doesn’t imply that we will cancel a visit as a result of we’ve a headache or modified our minds. We make certain to verify what the coated causes in our coverage are.
And every time we’ve had an emergency, we make a name to the brokers to inform them what is occurring and ask what we have to do to ensure we’re coated. Like conserving receipts and different paperwork.
I really like this text itemizing the “5 Causes Your Journey Cancellation Insurance coverage Will not Cowl You” on the Allianz International Help web site. It actually gives necessary factors to consider on our future travels.
6. I do not want journey insurance coverage as a result of I’m younger and wholesome
It’s tough to consider emergencies when you find yourself younger and wholesome, however we had the vast majority of our hospital stays in our earlier days of journey.
We had been sturdy and wholesome and felt that nothing may get in our means. Though we at all times purchased journey insurance coverage earlier than our journeys, we by no means dreamed something may occur to us.
Till it did.
Think about our shock once we had a bike crash in Thailand and we each ended up with severe burns on our legs.
If we didn’t have insurance coverage, we most likely wouldn’t have gone to the hospital to have it cleaned and we positively would have gotten infections in that tropical warmth.
I do know first-hand what a severe an infection looks like and simply how severe it may be. After I had cellulitis in Africa, I may have misplaced my leg or my life. I had a small crash on my bicycle inflicting a lower in my leg.
Inside hours my leg swelled as much as twice its measurement and the an infection unfold at a speedy fee from my hip to my ankle.
Leaving a minor lower, scrape or burn in tropical circumstances can rapidly flip to life-threatening accidents. Fortunately, we had insurance coverage each occasions and had medical doctors deal with our accidents.
7. I Fly Carryon Solely, I don’t want Misplaced Baggage Insurance coverage
Maintain your baggage protected on the airport
It’s a tragic however true reality of life – theft occurs. Our carryon baggage has our most dear objects in it like cameras, laptops and different electronics.
If somebody stole my bag once I wasn’t trying, I wouldn’t know what to do.
And let’s face it, airways are getting stricter every day. After I’m on a small flight, employees has taken my carryon on the gate telling me my bag is just too giant for the airplane. If we do find yourself checking our luggage and one thing occurs, I’d fairly have some protection for delays so we will purchase just a few necessities to tie us over till our baggage arrives.
Typically luggage can fall out of an overhead bin and injury objects as properly. Though I’m touring carryon solely, accidents can nonetheless occur.
We like having peace of thoughts fairly than worrying about each scenario that may probably occur.
After 9 years of full-time journey and 10 extra extensively touring the world, we’ve possible come throughout each scenario.
We have now had fellow journey companions break a tooth and want dental surgical procedure, we’ve been hospitalized, we’ve wanted to be flown residence, we’ve pickpocketed and robbed, scammed and we’ve been in the course of storms and unrest.
We all know the worth of insurance coverage and that’s the reason we buy it every yr.
Disclosure: This publish is sponsored by Allianz International Help (AZGA Service Canada Inc.) I’m a model ambassador for Allianz International Help (Canada) and obtain monetary compensation.
For extra data on our journey insurance coverage experiences learn:
How We Select Journey Insurance coverage
Journey Security Ideas – Tips on how to Have a Protected and Wholesome Trip
One necessary factor to notice is that the majority journey insurance coverage insurance policies and platinum card plans don’t embody medical evacuation protection, so it’s best to positively contemplate buying a safety complement corresponding to Medjet.
