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Travel Insurance

The ultimate guide to travel insurance for seniors

Many seniors venture into travelling after retirement to explore the world. Unfortunately, most don’t consider purchasing travel insurance to protect them from the risks of international travel. This forces them to pay for damages out-of-pocket. Keep reading to find out more about cheap annual travel insurance for seniors.

Why do you need travel insurance if you’re older?

If you’re over 65 years old, you already know you’re more at risk, particularly when it comes to your health. Whether you’re in fantastic shape or are an experienced traveller, you never know what can happen and having insurance gives you something to fall back on.

For instance, older people are at a higher risk of experiencing a fall, resulting in minor issues like bruises to severe complications like broken bones. Both require medical treatment or hospitalization, which can be expensive abroad if you don’t have travel insurance.

Similarly, most seniors are vulnerable to viruses and diseases as their immune system isn’t as strong as a younger individual. So, if you fall ill before your trip and have to cancel, you want to have insurance to reimburse you for your flight and booking expenses. Alternatively, if you fall during your trip, insurance can quickly cover your treatment.

How to find affordable senior travel insurance

Since older people are at a higher risk of health problems, their policies tend to be quite expensive. That’s why many opt to forgo it altogether. However, it’s not worth risking your life or finances by travelling uninsured.

You can get affordable senior travel insurance if you look hard enough. First, start by comparing quotes from different providers. Ask what’s included in each policy and what’s not; you don’t want surprises while on your trip.

Second, consider purchasing additional coverage for exclusions like adventurous sports and cancelling for any reason. If you have a pre-existing medical condition, consult with your potential insurer to determine how they may or may not cover it. If they don’t, you’ll need to purchase a waiver for pre-existing health conditions.

Are you ready to buy your senior travel insurance? If so, use Compare Insurance today to compare quotes and find the right provider.

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Travel Insurance

What you need to know about group travel insurance

It’s no secret that travelling with a group of friends or family is more fun than travelling alone. However, during your trip, you want to know that your travelling buddies are insured in case of an emergency. Here’s where group travel insurance deals comes in.

Keep reading to find out more about group travel insurance and how you can purchase it.

What exactly is group travel insurance?

Group insurance works the same way as an individual plan. It covers the costs for any medical emergencies, unforeseen circumstances and unplanned events, such as bad weather.

Group travel insurance covers anyone, whether you’re of the same blood or not, as long as you’re on tour at the same time. It’s a great way to save money because instead of everyone purchasing individual policies, you get one cover for the entire troop.

How many people can be insured under a group policy?

Generally, group insurance can cover up to twelve people under one policy, including a mix of kids and adults or adults alone. Just ensure everyone you travel with is named in the policy.

If you’re travelling in larger groups, you’ll need to consult with your insurer to find the best rates for your policy. Alternatively, you can shop around and compare quotes for covering larger groups from different providers.

What does group insurance cover?

A typical policy should cover medical emergencies, lost, stolen or damaged personal belongings, trip cancellation and baggage, money and legal expenses.

It’s advisable to check for exclusions to know what’s not covered. For instance, most insurers don’t cover risky or adventurous sports such as skydiving.

How much does group insurance cost?

The cost largely depends on how comprehensive your cover is. For instance, if you purchase additional coverage such as the Cancel for Any Reason policy, expect to pay more.

The best way to find out how much your policy costs is to get quotes from providers. They’ll require you to answer different questions before giving you an accurate estimate for your policy.

If you want to compare group travel insurance from different providers, use Compare Insurance today. We can help you find the right group policy.

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Travel Insurance

5 things your travel insurance policy won’t cover

It’s normal to assume you’re well insured for all aspects of your trip after purchasing travel insurance. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Insurance policies are usually full of loopholes with exclusions stated in the fine print, but they’re nonetheless confusing. Here are five things multi trip insurance policies don’t normally cover.

1. Dental care

Travel insurance policies don’t cover the expenses for routine dental care. However, in some rare cases, they can cover dental trauma, but only for sound natural teeth. So, if your teeth have an active disease or cavity and they get chipped, don’t expect your insurer to cover you.

2. Losses due to mental or emotional disorders

If, during your trip, you suffer losses as a result of a mental or emotional disorder such as depression, don’t anticipate reimbursement from your insurer. Most policies don’t cover any claims involving mental or emotional conditions.

3. Risky activities and sports

While insurers cover injuries resulting from sporting activities, most exclude losses caused by adventurous and risky sports such as rafting, snowboarding and scuba diving.

Some policies further exempt activities involving bodily contact. This means if you get injured playing football, you’ll end up paying for your injuries out of pocket.

4. Travel for medical procedures

If your primary reason for travelling to another country is to receive medical treatment, your travel insurance policy won’t cover you. This is because issues and complications might arise, and covering them can be risky and expensive.

5. Pre-existing conditions

Travel insurance providers usually steer clear of clients with pre-existing conditions. So, if you have a known illness between 60 and 180 days before the commencement of your policy, don’t expect compensation for any medical treatment when you travel. However, you can buy an add-on cover for your current illness.

Bottom line

Although travel insurers have several exclusions, you can bypass them by purchasing additional coverage or by searching for a provider that covers them. Start by comparing quotes from different providers and remember to ask questions about what’s included and what’s not.

To help with your comparison, use Compare Insurance today. We’ll provide you with comprehensive information on travel insurance, ensuring you find one that suits your needs.

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Health Insurance

5 common exclusions in health insurance policies

Travel and health insurance provide a protective net during medical emergencies by reducing the financial burden associated with hospital bills. However, many of us make the mistake of assuming that buying a health cover is sufficient and forget to read the fine print of the policy, which talks about coverage, waiting periods, exclusions and other important aspects. Today’s blog will be looking at the most common exclusions in health insurance policies.

Cosmetic surgery

Health insurance policies do not cover cosmetic procedures done to enhance your appearance. In some cases, however, the insurance company can cover cosmetic procedures for reconstructive surgery after an accident or injury when a registered medical practitioner suggests it.

Pre-existing conditions

A pre-existing condition is an illness or medical condition that occurs six months prior to buying health insurance coverage. They tend to be long-term and chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, asthma, sleep apnea, depression, etc. Although in the UAE, all health insurance companies are required by law to provide patients with pre-existing conditions with cover, chronic illnesses will most likely be excluded or limited from your plan.

Pregnancy and maternity care

Most general health insurance policies do not cover pregnancy and related treatments. That said, pregnancy and maternity coverage vary significantly between plans. In some cases, the delivery could be covered, but the pre-natal and post-natal are excluded, so confirm with your insurance provider about coverage. If pregnancy and maternity care are excluded from your plan, you can always buy a separate maternity insurance cover.

Alternative and experimental treatments

Your health insurance only covers you for well-established treatments that have undergone necessary clinical trials and experiments and are proven effective. If you wish to participate in clinical trials and other experimental treatments, you will have to cater for those costs on your own. Alternative treatments such as acupuncture, acupressure, homoeopathy, massage are also excluded from most health insurance plans.

Dental and vision

Treatments related to eyes, ears, teeth are excluded from most health insurance covers. As an alternative, insurance companies sell plans specifically for dental and vision or offer additional riders to your existing plan.

To compare the best health insurance policies, please check out our website or contact us today for more information.

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Travel Insurance

4 types of travel insurance coverage

The hardest part of purchasing travel insurance is knowing which type of plan to choose. You’ll find a wide selection of protection plans from various providers at different costs, making the process hectic and overwhelming. To help you decide, here are four of the most common types of coverage.

1. Travel medical insurance

This plan covers expenses for medical emergencies such as accidents, evacuations and repatriations. For example, if you get injured while horseback riding, a travel medical insurance plan pays for transporting you to the nearest hospital.

When purchasing travel medical insurance, it’s vital to ask your provider what’s covered. Some insurers don’t cover certain recreational activities, especially adventure or competitive sports.

2. Trip cancellation, interruption and delay

Most companies don’t offer refunds on prepaid services, and this is where a trip cancellation policy comes in handy. Generally, this cover reimburses you for non-refundable expenses for reasons outlined in your policy.

For instance, if you have to cancel a trip due to illness and this is a covered reason, you’ll get back the full amount for any booked flights or accommodation. Other trip cancellation reasons providers will cover include:

• The death or illness of a family member who’s not travelling with you
• Natural disasters, e.g., if your flight gets delayed due to harsh weather

However, you can get additional coverage by purchasing the Cancel for Any Reason policy at an extra cost.

3. Baggage and personal belongings

This cover reimburses you for personal belongings and baggage that’s stolen, lost or damaged during your trip. Although your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance may cover personal belongings while you’re travelling, it may not provide the right level of coverage.

You’re better off purchasing personal belongings coverage to cushion yourself from financial losses during your trip.

4. Rental car coverage

If you plan on renting a vehicle during your trip, it’s advisable to get rental car coverage. This will cover any repairs if your car gets damaged in a wreck, natural disaster, or by vandals.

Unfortunately, your rental car coverage may not include liability insurance, which covers the damage caused to other cars and medical treatment for other injured parties. So ask your insurer what they cover.

Search Compare Insurance today to find the right international travel medical insurance plan for you.

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Car Insurance

Do I need a broker for car insurance?

Purchasing car insurance can be overwhelming from the outset. You have to shop around for the right insurer, compare quotes, and choose the type of coverage you need, which can be difficult. That’s why many people opt to hire insurance brokers to offset the headaches and stresses involved with finding car insurance.

But do you actually need one? Before diving in, let’s look at what an insurance broker does.

What is an auto insurance broker?

Generally, this is a licensed professional that guides you as you look for your policy. They help with numerous aspects, from finding the cheapest rates to the best combination of good coverage within your budget.

Car insurance brokers work with multiple carriers instead of a single carrier. So, you don’t have to worry about them selling you on one specific policy, even if it doesn’t work for you. Instead, they try to understand your options and what you’re looking for before helping you compare and choose insurance policies.

Do you need one?

You don’t necessarily need an insurance broker to find a policy that’s right for you. Why?

First, in the modern era of easily accessible online quotes and comparison websites, you can simply buy insurance without using a middle man. All you have to do is perform a quick online search to find various providers and ask for quotes.

Second, since you have to pay insurance brokers a fee for their services, you end up spending more than required, stretching out your budget. Granted, you may spend less overall if your broker saves you money on your policy every year. However, this isn’t guaranteed.

Lastly, there’s no need to use a broker if your insurance needs are simple. For example, if you have a clean driving record and better credit, searching for insurance is a walk in the park. An insurance broker is often more useful to individuals or businesses with complex needs, e.g., an unusual driving history.

Ready to find car insurance

Save time and money today by comparing car insurance using Compare Insurance to get car insurance quotes. Whether you’re looking for comprehensive or collision coverage, we can help you find the cover to suit your needs.

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Car Insurance

Your car insurance provider dropped you, now what?

Many policyholders maintain coverage with the same insurer for years without feeling the need to shop around for better options. While there’s nothing wrong with this, what happens when your carrier drops you from your policy without much notice?

First, it’s vital to understand exactly why your car insurance was cancelled to know what you need to do moving forward to get the right coverage.

Why your car insurance dropped you

There’s a wide range of factors that can cause your insurer to drop you. These include:

1. Non-payment of your premium

Car insurance works in the same way as your electricity or cell phone bill. If you don’t pay it, you’re cut off. Some insurers offer a grace period for payment but continued delays will result in carriers cancelling your policy.

2. Fraudulent behaviour

Submitting false information when enrolling for a policy or filing for a claim is frowned upon by insurance companies. The fraud doesn’t have to be elaborate to count. Simply leaving out essential information can lead to policy cancellation.

3. Modifying your car

Making changes to your vehicle, whether functional or cosmetic, without informing your insurer can result in them dropping you.

4. High-risk driver behaviour

If you’re always involved in traffic violations and road accidents, your insurer might drop you as they consider you too high a risk to cover.

What to do after your car insurance drops you

Being dropped from an insurance policy isn’t the end of the road because you do have options. However, never purchase the first option available to you. You may end up getting inadequate coverage or costly premiums.

Instead, compare insurance costs and benefits from different providers to find one that meets your budgetary and driving needs. Don’t operate your vehicle during this time, as you’ll have to pay for damages out of pocket if you get into an accident.

Additionally, be honest on your insurance application as to why you were dropped from coverage. This ensures you can find the best rates and discounts.

Are you ready to find your new insurance provider? If so, browse our site to compare insurance quotes from various carriers and comprehensive auto insurance today.

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Travel Insurance

Travel insurance tips for travelling in a pandemic

The past few months have been difficult for the travel industry and travellers alike, but now that there are signs that the world is once again opening up to travel, you will need to keep up to date with the latest rules on annual travel insurance plans in a post-pandemic world.

Choose your destination carefully

When it comes to travel insurance there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and the destination you choose and the itinerary you opt for will play a considerable role in shaping how much travel insurance you will need. The secret to lowering your travel insurance costs is to only take out cover for what you might need. Try to ignore those add-ons that will increase your premium but will be of no benefit to you whatsoever.

Your credit card provider may already cover you for some expenses

You may be surprised to find out that you have already signed up for some complimentary travel insurance coverage when signed up for a new credit card. Such things as travel interruption insurance or trip cancellation cover are two of the most common types of travel insurance perks that some credit card companies provide. Contact your credit card provider and ask what travel insurance perks are included with your account, and if you are covered for certain eventualities then these are things you don’t have to add to your travel insurance policy.

Don’t imagine your travel insurance policy will cover a pandemic

A large proportion of travel insurance policies rule out coverage of pandemics, with these seen as being a foreseeable event, which means you won’t be refunded for your outlays. However, there are still plenty of good travel insurance plans that will not exclude Covid-19 as a reason for your trip being cancelled.

Another way to circumvent the risk of a Covid-19 outbreak ruining your vacation is to opt for a policy that provides “cancel for any reason” coverage. This kind of plan will reimburse the non-refundable and prepaid portion of your vacation should you need to cancel for whatever reason. However, this type of policy usually needs to be brought within two to three weeks of your initial trip payment and is often more costly. Also, check the small print as your policy may require you to cancel no later than 48 hours before your scheduled departure.

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Health Insurance

Which medical conditions can lead to a rejected health insurance application?

Whether you wish to take out group medical insurance before a big holiday or to take better care of yourself and your family if the worst happens, there are many reasons to invest in medical insurance. However, it is a common misconception that if you apply for health insurance, your application will be approved. Health insurance applications are rejected quite often. To help you understand the reasons behind this, our health insurance experts at Compare Insurance have compiled this short guide.

What is the main reason for a rejected application?

The main, overarching reason for a rejected health insurance application is if the provider you are applying to thinks that you are too high risk. This means that it would cost the insurance company more to pay out for your needs than it would get from you in the long run. However, some companies will not just flat out reject you and may offer you outrageously high premiums that would just be impossible to pay.

Which medical conditions make you ‘high risk’ to a health insurance provider?

When applying for health insurance, it is beneficial to give a list of conditions that make you appear high risk to a provider a quick scan.

Obesity:

If you are obese or struggle with being overweight, this may be a reason why your health insurance claim has been rejected. This is as it is associated with a whole host of other health complaints. This includes – but is not limited to – Type 2 Diabetes, high cholesterol, high lipids or high triglycerides.

A history of cancer:

If your medical records show evidence of a history of cancer, this may mean that your health insurance application will be rejected. This is because of the added risk that cancer may come back in the future.

HIV and AIDS:

If you have been diagnosed with HIV or AIDS, this may make it difficult to receive health insurance as they are incurable conditions.

For more information on the factors that may mean that your medical insurance application will be/has been denied, contact our experts at Compare Insurance to find the right medical plans for you today.

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Car Insurance

Factors that affect your car insurance rates

Ever wondered how insurers calculate the cost of your premiums? If so, you’re not alone. Insurance pricing is a bit of a mystery for many, making shopping around for car insurance quite difficult. However, it helps to know the factors that affect your car insurance rates so that you can make an informed decision on your policy and insurance provider for cheap car insurance for new drivers.

To help you get started, here are three factors that affect your premiums.

1. The make and model of your car

Certain types of vehicles cost more to insure. For instance, expensive cars such as Teslas cost your insurer a lot if you make a claim and your car is written off, which makes your premiums higher. Modifying your vehicle, whether for performance or cosmetic reasons, can also lead to higher insurance rates. So, check with your insurer first before altering your car.

If you’re looking to renew your car insurance or want to buy a new car, check what insurance group your car is in to give you a rough idea of how much you’ll pay.

2. Your driving habits

Generally, this includes:

• Your driving record: If you’re a responsible driver and have a clean driving record, your premiums are more likely to be lower than that of a reckless driver. However, if you’ve never had insurance before and are new to driving, expect to pay more.
• How much you drive: Using your vehicle more and driving for longer distances exposes you to more risk, increasing your insurance rates. So, if you only use your car on the weekends, your insurance rates won’t be as high as a person who drives to work daily.

3. Where you live

Before giving you a quote, insurance providers look at a range of statistics from your area, including how busy it is, the crime rate, general driving behaviour, and the average number of fraudulent claims filed each year.

If the general risk of accidents in your area is high or you live near/in a city centre, you’ll likely pay more.

Now that you know some of the factors that affect your car insurance rates, it’s time to compare quotes from different providers. Simply browse our website to find your car insurance provider today.

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