I have a confession… I, very briefly, worked for a company selling travel insurance. Yes, I am ashamed, but though the memories of the job still grate me, it did give me an insight into a product that many travellers would rather ignore. Though it may be at odds with your desire to escape a world of rules and paperwork, and may even seem like an unnecessary expense, the truth of the matter is that you cannot afford, financially or otherwise, not to buy travel insurance.

You see, get hurt in the UK and, thanks to the NHS, you will quickly be scooped up, whisked to hospital and, provided you avoid the superbugs, be good as new in no time. Now, if you were to get hurt in, for example, Thailand, much the same would happen. You would be scooped up, taken to the nearest hospital, patched up and then handed a bill for £10,000. Spot the difference?

Health care costs much more than most people realise and an ambulance ride alone can cost a good few hundred pounds - imagine if you needed a rescue helicopter! So, unless you have money to burn, I strongly recommend you read on…

Ah ha, but I have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC / E111)!
The new card allows EU nationals to obtain the same level of healthcare as a local resident in a member country when travelling. Whilst no doubt fantastic, the card does, however, not cover you for repatriation, accommodation expenses and additional costs you may incur as a direct result of your accident. Naturally, the card also only covers you for healthcare and not the loss of your possessions. Admittedly, we have travelled in Europe with just the card, but you would be well advised to buy additional cover, especially if you plan to be away for a while.

Okay, so what do I need to buy?
Thankfully, travel insurance is relatively simple and you really only need to be concerned with two things: emergency medical expenses and baggage cover. That said, your policy will probably also include additional protection including cancellation, abandonment and personal liability cover, and these can be useful. However, to keep this article on track, I’ll stick to the basics and instead strongly recommend that you research these additional features.

Quite simply, emergency medical expenses cover refers to the amount of money your insurer will pay if you get hurt and need hospital treatment. Most insurers will pay up to around £5 to £10 million, although you”re never realistically going to need it all. Baggage cover protects you if someone swipes your backpack and, whilst your insurer sadly can’t retrieve your belongings, they can at least reimburse you.

Most insurers offer two types of insurance, single or annual multi-trip. As the names suggests, single trip cover will protect you for one trip whilst annual multi-trip cover allows you to travel as much as you want throughout the year - provided you abide by certain restrictions. If you travel more than 2 times a year, annual multi-trip cover is almost always a much better deal.

The problem backpackers or long-term travellers often encounter is finding a policy that can cover them for the duration of their trip. Many insurers are geared up for standard holidays and they place rather tight limits on how long you can stay away. Whilst I am not going to advertise or promote any particular company (as they are pretty much all the same), there are a number of backpacker orientated insurers that you can utilise.

What am I covered for?
Good question. It’’s important to check exactly what you are covered for before handing over your money. Whilst climbing mountains and hiking into the wilderness may be fun, it makes underwriters nervous and, unless you confirm beforehand, you may find that your policy won’t cover you for much more than walking around your hotel room. As previously noted, many insurance policies are tailored for standard family holidays and there are often restrictions on, for example, how high you can climb, how deep you can dive and what type of motorbike you can ride. Get hurt whilst ignoring the rules and your policy is about as much use as a bucket and mop on the titanic. Again, check all the details before you buy and, if the policy wording doesn”t make it clear, phone for confirmation and, if possible, get it put in writing.

When it comes to baggage, you also have to be very careful. Most travel insurance comes with a “single article limit” and, though the total sum you are covered for may be high, you cannot claim more than this limit for any one article. So, if you lose your semi-professional digital SLR camera, for example, you may only be able to reclaim a fraction of its true cost. This is the biggest problem people tend to encounter and, generally speaking, insurers seem quite good at paying out on baggage claims. That said, many will require evidence of your loss so I recommend looking below for details on how to make a claim.

Declare all medical conditions
Even if you don”t consider it to be an issue, make sure you declare ALL medical conditions to your chosen insurer. Conditions like asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure may be fairly common, but failing to declare such ailments can easily invalidate your policy. In the event of a major accident your insurers may well go snooping through your medical records. If they find an undisclosed condition that could have - realistically or theoretically - been the cause of the incident, you may find yourself without funding. Importantly, don’t be embarrassed about revealing conditions, the advisers on the other end have heard it all before and, to be honest, don”t care.

Can I extend my insurance if I choose to stay away longer?
Hmmm, this is a tough one. Whilst it is by no means impossible, you will have to phone your insurer and discuss the matter with them. Insurers don’t like uncertainty and customers changing their travel plans is enough to make them wet themselves. If at all possible, try and get the dates correct to begin with but, if that fails, give them a ring. However, never set up a new policy online whilst abroad - very few companies will honour the contract unless it commenced when you were still in your home country.

How do I claim?
If you are involved in a serious accident requiring lengthy or costly hospital treatment, you need to make contact with your insurers. You must make sure you travel with all your documentation as this will include emergency contact details and, importantly, your policy number. If you are not in a state to phone yourself, the hospital will normally be able to make the arrangements for you.

Difficulties can arise, however, when you are in a particularly remote part of a lesser travelled country, where the staff have never even seen a foreigner before, let alone travel insurance certificates. Just bear that in mind before you decide to go bungee jumping in the deepest darkest corners of North Korea.

For smaller accidents requiring less attention, you may wish to settle the bill yourself and claim the costs back once you are home. Naturally, make sure you get some type of receipt and, preferably, a detailed breakdown of the treatment you received.

In regards to baggage, this is almost always settled upon returning home and it is vital that you have evidence to substantiate your claim. Make sure you get a police report if your baggage is stolen or a letter from the airline if it went missing whilst in transit. Some insurers also request that you notify them of the loss as soon as you can, even if you intend to claim once you return home.

As always, read the literature your insurer provides as the claims process can vary and the last thing you want is a surprise.

… and that pretty much sums it up. Remember, travelling without insurance is a personal choice and, like smoking, some people do seem to get away with it. The question you have to ask yourself is, do you feel lucky punk, well do you?

Categories: Articles
Tags: Travel Insurance