Need for buying travel health insurance

• Your present policy may not cover medical charges occurring outside the country.
• Hospitalization in foreign countries is quite expensive and many may not treat you if you lack coverage.

How to get travel insurance

Via:

• A travel agent
• An insurance broker
• Your employer’s insurance provider
• Your credit card company

Checking the policy

Before you go ahead with buying a policy, ascertain your requirements first. Now, go through each policy carefully and check its terms and conditions and limitations and exclusions.

Find out the following:

• Does the policy have deductibles? How much are they? Go with a plan that provides complete coverage. These might be expensive but are worth every penny.
• Is the plan’s coverage continuous – covering your entire stay’s length while you are abroad?
• Are there any particular regions or areas in the places you are traveling to that are not covered in the plan?
• In case your trip is extended, can this policy be renewed from abroad?
• If there a round-the-clock, in-house emergency contact number available?
• Are hospitalization and medical costs throughout the trip covered in the plan?

Your responsibilities regarding the policy’s terms

You must go through all the fine print and terms and conditions of the insurance policy carefully. If you are unclear about anything in particular, ask for assistance.

Always provide clear and accurate information to the insurance company. In case of any queries, contact the company and ask for clarifications in the written format.

In case you require medical help, get your insurer’s approval first.

Almost all travel health insurance plans exclude the following:

• Routine health check-ups
• Non-emergency care
• Cosmetic surgery
• Mental health disorders
• Drug- or alcohol-related incidents
• Injuries arising from extreme sports (like bungee jumping and rock climbing)

Take a comprehensive report and invoice from the doctor or hospital you got medical treatment from. It can be really difficult to obtain the same later on, once you are in your home country.

You must submit all the original documents and receipts from the medical care you received in the foreign country. You can keep their copies for your files.

Remember to take along the insurance information while traveling. You can ask a friend or family member to keep a copy with them while you are abroad.

Travel Advisories

It is always better to check all the travel advisories issued by your country for your destination country before you leave. In case your home country has issued a Travel Advisory for your travel destination, the insurance company may not pay for the claim.