Do you know what this is? You've saved money for a long time so you can go on that perfect vacation you've always wanted. You're at the travel agent's office, where you just bought an expensive ticket. She tells you that you should also buy international travel insurance. You roll your eyes because you think she's just trying to get more of your money by talking about international travel insurance. You say no thanks. You get hurt in a car accident while on vacation. What's that? You have to pay for everything yourself, and you didn't get international travel insurance because you didn't want to.
For those who don't know, if you want to travel outside of your own country, you must have international travel insurance. Since you don't know much about it, you might be wondering what international travel insurance is right about now. Simply put, it's a short-term insurance plan that you buy before your trip. Usually, coverage lasts for the whole length of your trip, but depending on who you have your insurance with, it can be extended for up to a year.
A lot of people don't want to pay the extra money, but there is always a small chance that something could go wrong. A good international travel insurance policy will give you three things: good coverage at a fair price, easy access to help in an emergency, and quick claims processing. It should also be enough for most situations. Your international travel insurance isn't enough if it doesn't cover medical expenses, medical evacuation, travel cancellation and postponement costs, loss of luggage, rental vehicle costs, death expenses, personal liability, and legal costs.
Most of the time, you will need international travel health insurance to pay for medical costs. This can include the cost of a hospital stay, medicine, and visits to the doctor. But international travel health insurance is a godsend in more serious situations because it covers ambulance services and emergency travel costs. This is especially important in third world countries where supplies are limited and you may need to be taken to another country.
Even if you don't think you need this kind of international travel health insurance for a short weekend trip, you might want to reconsider if you're going to be hiking through malaria-infested forests. Use your discretion. It's much better to be ready in case of an emergency than to get sick or hurt and not have international travel health insurance.
